Abstract: Interleukin-8 homolog (vIL8) is a viral chemokine encoded by Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV) genome. To study transcriptional regulation of vIL8 gene helps to investigate the role of its encoding protein in pathogenesis of MDV. In order to explore the transcriptional regulation mechanism of vIL8 gene, its putative promoter (position-1,362 to +81 bp) was amplified from the genome of MDV GA strain. Then, the pGL3-Basic luciferase reporter vectors bearing 5' potential vIL8 promoter segments of different lengths were transfected into second-generation Chicken Embryo Fibroblasts (CEF) and primary Chicken Embryo Bursal (CEB) cells, respectively. The promoter activity was detected using luciferase assay system. The results show that the vIL8 promoter had activity in both CEF and CEB cells but the levels of activity were different between these two cell types. The vIL8 promoter region between -470 and +10 bp almost had no activity in CEF but had remarkably higher activity in CEB cells (0 vs. 23.2) suggesting some transcriptional regulatory element binding sites specific to lymphoid tissue may exist in this region. Therefore, the vIL8 promoter is very likely specific to lymphoid tissue. All the results may make an important basis for the further study on transcriptional regulation mechanisms of vIL8.
W. Gao, A.J. Qin, W.J. Jin and H.X. Shao, 2012. Lymphoid Tissue-Specific Transcriptional Activity of Interleukin-8 Homolog Promoter in Marek’s Disease Virus. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11: 547-552.