Mhm. Noteborn et al., Chicken anemia virus: Induction of apoptosis by a single protein of a single-stranded DNA virus, SEMIN VIROL, 8(6), 1998, pp. 497-504
Chicken anemia virus (CAV) is a globally distributed avian pathogen. CAV ha
s a circular single-stranded DNA of 2.3 kb and constitutes a unique type in
the newly described virus family of Circoviridae. The CAV genome contains
three partially or completely overlapping genes. CAV causes fatal cytopatho
genic effects in chicken thymocytes and cultured transformed mononuclear ce
lls via apoptosis. in transformed (chicken) cells, the synthesis of the VP3
gene product apoptin alone mimics this CAV-induced apoptosis, which is p53
independent and cannot be inhibited by the apoptosis-inhibiting proteins B
cl-2 and CrmA. Apoptin induces apoptosis in human tumor cells but, interest
ingly, not in normal cells. These properties suggest that apoptin may have
potential medical applications. (C) 1998 Academic Press.