A soluble chemokine-binding protein from vaccinia virus reduces virus virulence and the inflammatory response to infection

Abstract

Many poxviruses express a secreted protein that binds CC chemokines with high affinity and has been called viral CC chemokine inhibitor (vCCI). This protein is unrelated to any known cellular protein, yet can compete with host cellular CC chemokine receptors to modulate host inflammatory and immune responses. Although several strains of vaccinia virus (VV) express a vCCI, the best characterized VV strains Western Reserve and Copenhagen do not. In this study, we have expressed the vCCI from VV strain Lister in a recombinant Western Reserve virus (vΔB8R-35K) and characterized its binding properties in vitro and its effect on virulence in vivo relative to wild-type virus (vΔB8R) or a revertant ..