Evidence that measles virus hemagglutinin initiates modulation of leukocyte function-associated antigen 1 expression

Measles virus (MV), human immunodeficiency virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and other leukotropic viruses can modulate the expression of leukocyte function antigen 1 (LFA-1) on the surface of infected and nearby leukocytes. This ability to induce changes in LFA-1 expression may play an important role in the pathogenesis of these viruses. However, the mechanism(s) involved in virus-mediated regulation of LFA-1 is unknown. Evidence is presented in this report that it is the MV hemagglutinin (H) protein that initiates up-regulation of LFA-1 expression in leukocyte cultures infected with this virus. Indeed, comparison of the abilities of different MV strains to modulate LFA-1 expression, examination of published nucleotide sequences for the H proteins of different vaccine strains, and competitive inhibition assays using oligopeptides homologous or heterologous to a region of the H protein gene encompassing amino acid 116 (from the amino terminus) all suggest that it is this portion of the H protein that is responsible for MV-induced alteration of LFA-1. These comparisons also support the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the abilities of different MV strains to alter LFA-1 expression and their pathogenic potentials.