Novel Function of Avian p53 in Binding to ALV-J LTR Contributes to Its Antiviral Roles
Yueyue Duan, Liyan Cao, Cong Yuan, Xuepeng Suo, Xiangyu Kong, Yulong Gao, Xiangtong Li, Haixue Zheng, Xiaomei Wang, Qi Wang
Abstract
Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)/ALV was the first retrovirus to be discovered, which was really the first hint that cancer, or a tumor, could be transmitted by a virus. The specific mechanisms that regulate ALV replication during infection remain poorly understood. Here, we show that avian p53 and HDAC complex inhibit ALV promoter activity and replication, and p53 inhibits ALV replication through binding to the ALV promoter. We demonstrated that the acetylation status of ALV-bound H3 and H4 histones correlates with ALV viremia level using clinical samples collected from commercial poultry. These findings identify both p53-mediated inhibition on ALV replication and a potential role for virus-induced tumorigenesis.