Studies on the molecular mechanisms for the increase in MDV virulence in the field

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26292147
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Veterinary medical science
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Kazuhiko Ohashi 北海道大学, (連合)獣医学研究科, 教授 (90250498)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 村田 史郎 北海道大学, (連合)獣医学研究科, 助教 (10579163) ; 今内 覚 北海道大学, (連合)獣医学研究科, 准教授 (40396304)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: マレック病 / マレック病ウイルス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Marek’s disease virus (MDV), a causative agent of Marek’s disease (MD), which is characterized by the formation of malignant lymphomas, tends to increase its virulence in the fields. To clarify the molecular mechanism for the increase in MDV virulence, recent MDV strains isolated from vaccinated chickens which developed clinical MD were virologically and molecular biologically characterized. Several new diversities/mutations were detected in viral genes of these strains, and a plaque-purified MDV strain was shown to be pathogenic to chicks. However, phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome of the MDV strain and reference strains showed that domestic MDV may increase its virulence through unknown mechanisms which are different from those suggested previously in MDV strains isolated in the United States.

Free Research Field

獣医学