Summary.
Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)/Human herpesvirus 8 encodes three chemokines, which are called viral macrophage inflammatory protein (vMIP)-I, -II, and -III. Here, we expressed the KSHV vMIP-I and vMIP-II proteins and analyzed their biological functions. Both vMIP-I and vMIP-II had an apparent molecular mass of 7.8 kDa and were localized to the cytoplasm in a body cavity-based lymphoma cell line BC-3, stimulated with phorbol ester. We next treated a human monocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1, with purified recombinant vMIP-I and vMIP-II, or vMIP-I and vMIP-II fused with alkaline phosphatase to study Ca2+ signalling and in vitro chemotaxis in response to these proteins. Calcium mobilization was induced by both vMIP-I and vMIP-II. Furthermore, vMIP-I and vMIP-II induced Ca2+ mobilization in K562 cells expressing the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), suggesting that both may be agonistic for CCR5. Additionally, vMIP-I induced Ca2+ mobilization through the intermediary of CCR8. These viral MIPs were also capable of chemotactically activating the THP-1 cells. These results imply that vMIP-I and vMIP-II may play important roles in the propagation of KS and primary effusion lymphoma by inducing the chemotaxis of CCR5-expressing monocytes.
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Received September 17, 2002; accepted December 11, 2002 Published online March 3, 2003
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Nakano, K., Isegawa, Y., Zou, P. et al. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-encoded vMIP-I and vMIP-II induce signal transduction and chemotaxis in monocytic cells. Arch Virol 148, 871–890 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-002-0971-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-002-0971-7