Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Protein 2-Induced Activation of the EBV-Replicative Cycle in Akata Cells: Analysis by Tetracycline-Regulated Expression

Author(s):  
S. Fujiwara
1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 5214-5219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeyoshi Fujiwara ◽  
Yoshikazu Nitadori ◽  
Hiroyuki Nakamura ◽  
Takashi Nagaishi ◽  
Yasushi Ono

ABSTRACT The Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) cell line Akata retains the latency I program of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) gene expression and cross-linking of its surface immunoglobulin G (IgG) by antibodies results in activation of viral replication. When EBV nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA2) was artificially expressed by a constitutive expression vector, the Cp EBNA promoter remained inactive and accordingly the latency III program was not induced. In contrast, expression of LMP2A and activity of the Fp lytic promoter were activated. Consistent with this Fp activity, the rate of spontaneous activation of the EBV replicative cycle was increased significantly, suggesting the possibility that EBNA2 can induce EBV replication. The efficiency of anti-IgG-induced activation of the viral replication was reduced in Akata cells expressing EBNA2. To obtain more direct evidence for EBNA2-induced activation of the EBV replicative cycle, this protein was next expressed by a tetracycline-regulated expression system. EBNA2 was undetectable with low doses (<0.5 μg/ml) of tetracycline, while its expression was rapidly induced after removal of the antibiotic. This induced expression of EBNA2 was immediately followed by expression of EBV replicative cycle proteins in up to 50% of the cells, as shown by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblot analysis. These results suggest an unexpected potential of EBNA2 to disrupt EBV latency and to activate viral replication.


1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 4735-4744 ◽  
Author(s):  
X Tong ◽  
R Drapkin ◽  
R Yalamanchili ◽  
G Mosialos ◽  
E Kieff

Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA 2) activates transcription of specific genes and is essential for B-lymphocyte transformation. EBNA 2 has an acidic activation domain which interacts with general transcription factors TFIIB, TFIIH, and TAF40. We now show that EBNA 2 is specifically bound to a novel nuclear protein, p100, and that p100 can coactivate gene expression mediated by the EBNA 2 acidic domain. The EBNA 2 acidic domain was used to affinity purify p100. cDNA clones encoding the p100 open reading frame were identified on the basis of peptide sequences of the purified protein. Antibody against p100 coimmunoprecipitated p100 and EBNA 2 from Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphocyte extracts, indicating that EBNA 2 and p100 are complexed in vivo. p100 overexpression in cells specifically augmented EBNA 2 acidic domain-mediated activation. The coactivating effect is probably mediated by p100 interaction with TFIIE. Bacterially expressed p100 specifically adsorbs TFIIE from nuclear extracts, and in vitro-translated p56 or p34 TFIIE subunit can independently bind to p100. p100 also appears to be essential for normal cell growth, since cell viability was reduced by antisense p100 RNA and restored by sense p100 RNA expression.


2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 2136-2146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Innoc Han ◽  
Yong Xue ◽  
Shizuko Harada ◽  
Sigurd Orstavik ◽  
Bjorn Skalhegg ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT HA95, a nuclear protein homologous to AKAP95, has been identified in immune precipitates of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) coactivating nuclear protein EBNA-LP from EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs). We now find that HA95 and EBNA-LP are highly associated in LCLs and in B-lymphoma cells where EBNA-LP is expressed by gene transfer. Binding was also evident in yeast two-hybrid assays. HA95 binds to the EBNA-LP repeat domain that is the principal coactivator of transcription. EBNA-LP localizes with HA95 and causes HA95 to partially relocalize with EBNA-LP in promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies. Protein kinase A catalytic subunit α (PKAcsα) is significantly associated with HA95 in the presence or absence of EBNA-LP. Although EBNA-LP is not a PKA substrate, HA95 or PKAcsα expression in B lymphoblasts specifically down-regulates the strong coactivating effects of EBNA-LP. The inhibitory effects of PKAcsα are reversed by coexpression of protein kinase inhibitor. PKAcsα also inhibits EBNA-LP coactivation with the EBNA-2 acidic domain fused to the Gal4 DNA binding domain. Furthermore, EBNA-LP- and EBNA-2-induced expression of the EBV oncogene, LMP1, is down-regulated by PKAcsα or HA95 expression in EBV-infected lymphoblasts. These experiments indicate that HA95 and EBNA-LP localize PKAcsα at nuclear sites where it can affect transcription from specific promoters. The role of HA95 as a scaffold for transcriptional regulation is discussed.


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