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Analysis of the molecular mechanisms of tumour induction and genetic control of subgroup J avian leukosis virus in chickens

Reference	BBS/E/I/00001051
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Venugopal Nair
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	123,522
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/2003
End date	31/03/2009
Duration	66 months

Abstract

Among the various pathogens that affect poultry health, oncogenic viruses are considered very important due to their widespread nature, ability to persist and produce high levels of mortality. Avian leukosis viruses (ALV) are an important group of pathogens associated with the induction of a variety of neoplastic diseases in poultry. Although ALV infections have been brought under control through eradication programmes in the last 30 years, the sudden emergence of an ALV belonging to a new subgroup J (ALV-J) and its rapid spread worldwide had devastating consequences on the poultry industry and welfare of birds. Research on ALV-J-induced disease in the last ten years at the IAH has elucidated several unique aspects of this new virus. These include (a) their occurrence mainly in the meat-type chickens, where it induces tolerance and persistent viraemia (b) their unique genome structure with a distinct env gene possibly by recombination (c) their ability to undergo rapid sequence and antigenic variation (d) their increased potential to generate acutely transforming viruses, mainly by transduction of the myc oncogene, and (e) their capability to induce tumours of the myeloid lineage. We will 1) examine the basis for the unique tropism for the myeloid leukaemogenicity of these virus isolates. and 2) investigate the basis for the subgroup-specific resistance among inbred lines of chicken.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	Animal Health, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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