Selective Activation of T Cell Kinase p56 by Herpesvirus saimiri Protein Tip

Infection with Herpesvirus saimiri , a T lymphotropic virus of non-human primates, immortalizes human T cells in vitro . The cells show a mature activated phenotype and retain their antigen specificity. We have previously shown that in H. saimiri transformed cells a viral gene product termed tyrosine kinase interacting protein (Tip) associates with the T cell-specific tyrosine kinase p56 and becomes phosphorylated by the enzyme on tyrosine residues. Here we show that p56 is activated by recombinant and native Tip in cell-free systems. A dramatic increase of Lck activity was also observed in T cell lines transfected with Tip. p60 and p53/56 , the other Src-related kinases expressed in H. saimiri transformed T cells, did not phosphorylate Tip, and they were not activated by the protein. The selective activation of p56 by Tip could contribute to the transformed phenotype of H. saimiri infected cells, and it might explain the T cell selectivity of the transformation event.