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Updated: May 19, 2026

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production
Published on: March 2, 2014
Koi herpesvirus encodes and expresses a functional interleukin-10
Agus Sunarto1, Clifford Liongue, Kenneth A McColl
1CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Koi herpesvirus (KHV) encodes a functional interleukin-10 (IL-10) homolog (khvIL-10) that influences immune responses in fish. This viral IL-10 utilizes the host IL-10 receptor, despite significant structural divergence from host IL-10s.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Koi herpesvirus (KHV), a species of Cyprinid herpesvirus 3, is a significant pathogen in koi aquaculture.
- Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a critical cytokine involved in regulating immune responses in vertebrates.
- Viral homologs of host cytokines can modulate host immunity during infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the functional properties of the KHV-encoded interleukin-10 homolog (khvIL-10).
- To investigate the expression patterns of khvIL-10 during different phases of KHV infection.
- To determine the mechanism by which khvIL-10 interacts with host immune systems.
Main Methods:
- Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis of khvIL-10.
- Quantitative analysis of khvIL-10 and viral gene transcripts in infected fish.
- Functional assays involving mRNA injection into zebrafish embryos and IL-10 receptor manipulation.
Main Results:
- khvIL-10 shares limited sequence identity with carp and mammalian IL-10s but exhibits significant structural divergence.
- khvIL-10 transcripts are highly expressed during acute and reactivation phases of KHV infection, with low expression during persistence.
- khvIL-10 enhances lysozyme production in zebrafish embryos and functions through the IL-10 receptor (IL-10R1).
Conclusions:
- khvIL-10 is a functional viral cytokine homolog within the Alloherpesviridae family.
- The viral IL-10 homolog likely plays a role in modulating host immune responses during KHV infection.
- Despite structural divergence, khvIL-10 utilizes the host IL-10 receptor pathway for its function.
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