Frequencies of the separate human B cell subsets activatable to Ig secretion by Epstein-Barr virus and pokeweed mitogen.

We have developed a microculture system suitable for limiting dilution analysis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)- and pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced activation of immunoglobulin secretion by human B cells. It was found that exogenous filler cells were not required to obtain optimal EBV-induced B cell precursor frequency (PF) estimates, although filler T cells were required for optimal PWM activation. In fact, when autologous T cells were used as filler cells, a marked decrease in the EBV-induced IgM PF was noted. Treatment of the T cells with cyclosporin A partially eliminated, and irradiation of the T cells completely eliminated, this decrease. The calculated PF of B cells activated by EBV was from 1/290 to 1/3,700 for IgM, and from 1/920 to 1/3,250 for IgG secretion. PWM activated from 1/140 to 1/3,200 B cells to IgM secretion. The results of experiments in which EBV and PWM were mixed, indicated that these two polyclonal activators operated on different B cell subpopulations. Therefore, both these agents seem to activate small, discrete subpopulations of human peripheral blood B cells to Ig secretion.

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Rewiring of B cell receptor signaling by Epstein–Barr virus LMP2A

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.2007946117 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 117 (42) ◽

pp. 26318-26327

Author(s):

Kamonwan Fish ◽

Federico Comoglio ◽

Arthur L. Shaffer ◽

Yanlong Ji ◽

Kuan-Ting Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Cell Receptor ◽

B Cell Receptor ◽

Barr Virus ◽

Human B Cells ◽

Bcr Signaling ◽

Epstein Barr

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infects human B cells and reprograms them to allow virus replication and persistence. One key viral factor in this process is latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A), which has been described as a B cell receptor (BCR) mimic promoting malignant transformation. However, how LMP2A signaling contributes to tumorigenesis remains elusive. By comparing LMP2A and BCR signaling in primary human B cells using phosphoproteomics and transcriptome profiling, we identified molecular mechanisms through which LMP2A affects B cell biology. Consistent with the literature, we found that LMP2A mimics a subset of BCR signaling events, including tyrosine phosphorylation of the kinase SYK, the calcium initiation complex consisting of BLNK, BTK, and PLCγ2, and its downstream transcription factor NFAT. However, the majority of LMP2A-induced signaling events markedly differed from those induced by BCR stimulation. These included differential phosphorylation of kinases, phosphatases, adaptor proteins, transcription factors such as nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and TCF3, as well as widespread changes in the transcriptional output of LMP2A-expressing B cells. LMP2A affected apoptosis and cell-cycle checkpoints by dysregulating the expression of apoptosis regulators such as BCl-xL and the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma-associated protein 1 (RB1). LMP2A cooperated with MYC and mutant cyclin D3, two oncogenic drivers of Burkitt lymphoma, to promote proliferation and survival of primary human B cells by counteracting MYC-induced apoptosis and by inhibiting RB1 function, thereby promoting cell-cycle progression. Our results indicate that LMP2A is not a pure BCR mimic but rather rewires intracellular signaling in EBV-infected B cells that optimizes cell survival and proliferation, setting the stage for oncogenic transformation.

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Compatibility of the gH homologues of Epstein–Barr virus and related lymphocryptoviruses

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/vir.0.82949-0 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 88 (8) ◽

pp. 2129-2136 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Liguo Wu ◽

Lindsey M. Hutt-Fletcher

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Cell Fusion ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Common Marmoset ◽

Barr Virus ◽

Human B Cells ◽

The Common ◽

Epstein Barr

Glycoprotein gH, together with its chaperone gL and a third glycoprotein gB, is essential for cell–cell fusion and virus–cell fusion mediated by herpesviruses. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), the prototype human lymphocryptovirus, requires a fourth glycoprotein gp42 to support fusion with B cells in addition to epithelial cells. Two other lymphocryptoviruses, the rhesus lymphocryptovirus (Rh-LCV) and the common marmoset lymphocryptovirus (CalHV3), have been sequenced in their entirety and each has a gp42 homologue. Combinations of proteins from EBV, Rh-LCV and CalHV3 were able to mediate fusion of epithelial cells, but, even when complexed with EBV gp42, only Rh-LCV and not CalHV3 proteins were able to mediate fusion with human B cells. CalHV3 gL was also unable to function effectively as a chaperone for EBV or Rh-LCV gH. The Rh-LCV gH homologue supported more fusion than EBV gH with an epithelial cell and supported the highest levels of fusion with a B cell. Chimeric constructs made from Rh-LCV gH and EBV gH that have 85.4 % sequence identity should prove useful for mapping the regions of gH that are of importance to fusion as a whole and to B-cell fusion in particular.

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Highly efficient CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene knockout in primary human B cells for functional genetic studies of Epstein-Barr virus infection

PLoS Pathogens ◽

10.1371/journal.ppat.1009117 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. e1009117

Author(s):

Ezgi Akidil ◽

Manuel Albanese ◽

Alexander Buschle ◽

Adrian Ruhle ◽

Dagmar Pich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Gene Editing ◽

Barr Virus ◽

Ebv Infection ◽

Highly Efficient ◽

Human B Cells ◽

Epstein Barr

Gene editing is now routine in all prokaryotic and metazoan cells but has not received much attention in immune cells when the CRISPR-Cas9 technology was introduced in the field of mammalian cell biology less than ten years ago. This versatile technology has been successfully adapted for gene modifications in human myeloid cells and T cells, among others, but applications to human primary B cells have been scarce and limited to activated B cells. This limitation has precluded conclusive studies into cell activation, differentiation or cell cycle control in this cell type. We report on highly efficient, simple and rapid genome engineering in primary resting human B cells using nucleofection of Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes, followed by EBV infection or culture on CD40 ligand feeder cells to drive in vitro B cell survival. We provide proof-of-principle of gene editing in quiescent human B cells using two model genes: CD46 and CDKN2A. The latter encodes the cell cycle regulator p16INK4a which is an important target of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Infection of B cells carrying a knockout of CDKN2A with wildtype and EBNA3 oncoprotein mutant strains of EBV allowed us to conclude that EBNA3C controls CDKN2A, the only barrier to B cell proliferation in EBV infected cells. Together, this approach enables efficient targeting of specific gene loci in quiescent human B cells supporting basic research as well as immunotherapeutic strategies.

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Epstein-Barr virus colonization of tonsillar and peripheral blood B-cell subsets in primary infection and persistence

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2008-08-175828 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 113 (25) ◽

pp. 6372-6381 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Sridhar Chaganti ◽

Emily M. Heath ◽

Wolfgang Bergler ◽

Michael Kuo ◽

Maike Buettner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Primary Infection ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Viral Loads ◽

Barr Virus ◽

Memory Pool ◽

Epstein Barr ◽

B Cell Subsets

AbstractEpstein-Barr virus (EBV) persists in the immune host by preferentially colonizing the isotype-switched (IgD−CD27+) memory B-cell pool. In one scenario, this is achieved through virus infection of naive (IgD+CD27−) B cells and their differentiation into memory via germinal center (GC) transit; in another, EBV avoids GC transit and infects memory B cells directly. We report 2 findings consistent with this latter view. First, we examined circulating non–isotype-switched (IgD+CD27+) memory cells, a population that much evidence suggests is GC-independent in origin. Whereas isotype-switched memory had the highest viral loads by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, EBV was detectable in the nonswitched memory pool both in infectious mononucleosis (IM) patients undergoing primary infection and in most long-term virus carriers. Second, we examined colonization by EBV of B-cell subsets sorted from a unique collection of IM tonsillar cell suspensions. Here viral loads were concentrated in B cells with the CD38 marker of GC origin but lacking other GC markers CD10 and CD77. These findings, supported by histologic evidence, suggest that EBV infection in IM tonsils involves extrafollicular B cells expressing CD38 as an activation antigen and not as a marker of ectopic GC activity.

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Limiting dilution analysis of Epstein-Barr virus-induced immunoglobulin production by human B cells.

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.157.1.1 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 157 (1) ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

R Yarchoan ◽

G Tosato ◽

R M Blaese ◽

R M Simon ◽

D L Nelson

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Cell Activation ◽

B Cell Activation ◽

Barr Virus ◽

Human B Cells ◽

Epstein Barr ◽

Limiting Dilution

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a herpes virus that has the capacity to infect human B cells and to induce them to secrete immunoglobulin (Ig). In the current experiments, Poisson analysis of limiting dilution cultures has been used to study the activation of human peripheral B cells by the B95-8 strain of EBV. Under the culture conditions used, 0.2-1% of peripheral blood B cells were activated by EBV to secrete IgM or IgG. In addition, when multiple replicate cultures containing limited numbers of B cells were tested for IgM and for IgG production, the precursors for IgM and IgG segregated independently; thus, individual B cell precursors matured into cells secreting IgM or IgG but not both classes of Ig. Additional experiments using limiting dilutions of EBV were undertaken to study the viral requirements for B cell activation. These studies indicated that B cell activation by EBV to produce Ig was consistent with a "one-hit" model and inconsistent with a "two-hit" model. Taken together, these results indicate that infection by one EBV virion is sufficient to induce a precursor peripheral blood B cell to secrete Ig and that only one isotype of Ig is then secreted.

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Preferential Localization of the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Oncoprotein LMP-1 to Nuclei in Human T Cells: Implications for Its Role in the Development of EBV Genome-Positive T-Cell Lymphomas

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.76.8.4080-4086.2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 76 (8) ◽

pp. 4080-4086 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jingwu Xu ◽

Ali Ahmad ◽

José Menezes

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Phenotypic Changes ◽

Barr Virus ◽

T Cell Lymphomas ◽

Cell Clones ◽

Epstein Barr

ABSTRACT The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) is thought to play a role in the EBV-induced B-cell transformation and immortalization. EBV has also been implicated in certain human T-cell lymphomas; however, the phenotypic effects of the expression of this oncoprotein in T cells are not known. To learn whether LMP-1 also induces phenotypic changes in T cells, we stably expressed it in human cell lines of T and B lineages and 25 LMP-1-expressing T-cell clones and 7 B-cell clones were examined. Our results show for the first time that, in sharp contrast to B cells, LMP-1 preferentially localizes to nuclei in T cells and does not induce the phenotypic changes in these cells that it induces in B cells, does not associate with TRAF proteins, and does not arrest the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. A computer-assisted analysis revealed that LMP-1 lacks the canonical nuclear localization signal. Our results suggest that this oncoprotein may not play the same role in the lymphomagenesis of T cells as it does in B cells.

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Serotype-dependent recombinant adeno-associated vector (AAV) infection of Epstein–Barr virus-positive B-cells, towards recombinant AAV-based therapy of focal EBV + lymphoproliferative disorders

Virology Journal ◽

10.1186/s12985-021-01695-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Elham Ahmadi ◽

Mehrdad Ravanshad ◽

Jun Xie ◽

Rajesh Panigrahi ◽

Sandeep S. Jubbal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Lymphoproliferative Disorders ◽

Cell Tumor ◽

Barr Virus ◽

Human B Cells ◽

Epstein Barr ◽

Increased Susceptibility

Abstract Background B-cell proliferative disorders, such as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD), are increased among persons afflicted by T-cell compromise. Most are Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) + and can first present with a focal lesion. Direct introduction of oncolytic viruses into localized tumors provides theoretical advantages over chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy by reducing systemic toxicity. Despite extensive study as a vehicle for gene therapy, adeno-associated viruses (AAV) have rarely been applied to human cancer research due to technical and theoretical obstacles. Moreover, human B-cells have historically been described as resistant to AAV infection. Nonetheless, advances using different recombinant (r)AAV serotypes with unique tropisms to deliver cytotoxic therapy suggested a localized anti-tumor approach was feasible. Methods As a prelude to the development of a therapeutic vehicle, the ability of fifteen distinct EGFP-bearing rAAV serotypes to transduce human B-cells, including primary, immortalized, and B-cell tumor lines ± EBV was assessed by confocal microscopy, flow cytometry and subsequently cell viability assay. Results Rank order analysis revealed augmented transduction by rAAV6.2 and closely related virions. EBV infection of EBV-negative B-cell tumor lines and EBV immortalization of primary B-cells increased susceptibility to rAAV6.2 transduction. As a proof of concept, transduction by rAAV6.2 encoding herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1)-thymidine kinase (TK) eliminated TK-negative rhabdomyosarcoma cells and diminished viability of transduced B-cell lines upon incubation with ganciclovir. Conclusions rAAV serotypes differentially transduce human B-cell lines reversing the dogma that human B-cells are refractory to AAV infection. EBV + B-cells display increased susceptibility to rAAV6.2 infection, uncovering a new method for improved nucleic acid transfer into transfection-resistant B-cell lines. The introduction of a functional suicide gene into the rAAV6.2 genome identifies a candidate vector for the development of rAAV-based oncolytic therapy targeting focal EBV-bearing B-lymphoproliferative disorders.

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Highly efficient CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene knockout in primary human B cells for functional genetic studies of Epstein-Barr virus infection

10.1101/2020.10.16.333054 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ezgi Akidil ◽

Manuel Albanese ◽

Alexander Buschle ◽

Adrian Ruhle ◽

Oliver T. Keppler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

T Cells ◽

B Cells ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Gene Editing ◽

Barr Virus ◽

Highly Efficient ◽

Ribonucleoprotein Complexes ◽

Human B Cells ◽

Epstein Barr

AbstractGene editing is now routine in all prokaryotic and metazoan cells but has not received much attention in immune cells when the CRISPR-Cas9 technology was introduced in the field of mammalian cell biology less than ten years ago. This versatile technology has been successfully adapted for gene modifications in human myeloid cells and T cells, among others, but applications to human primary B cells have been scarce and limited to activated B cells. This limitation has precluded conclusive studies into cell activation, differentiation or cell cycle control in this cell type. We report on highly efficient, simple and rapid genome engineering in primary resting human B cells using nucleofection of Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes. We provide proof-of-principle of gene editing in quiescent human B cells using two model genes: CD46 and CDKN2A. The latter encodes the cell cycle regulator p16INK4a which is an important target of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Infection of B cells carrying a knockout of CDKN2A with wildtype and EBNA3 oncoprotein mutant strains of EBV allowed us to conclude that EBNA3C controls CDKN2A, the only barrier to B cell proliferation in EBV infected cells. Together, this approach enables efficient targeting of specific gene loci in quiescent human B cells supporting basic research as well as immunotherapeutic strategies.Author summaryHuman hematopoietic stem cells and their derivatives of the myeloid and lymphoid lineages are important targets for gene correction or modifications using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Among others, this approach can support site-specific insertion of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or T cell receptors (TCRs) into primary T cells. Their subsequent adoptive transfer to patient donors is a promising immunotherapeutic concept that may control chronic infection or certain types of cancer. Human B cells have a similar potential but, in contrast to T cells, they are very sensitive, difficult to handle, and short-lived ex vivo precluding their genetic modification. Here, we provide means to manipulate primary human B cells genetically using in vitro assembled Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes and electroporation for their delivery. Our study demonstrates near-to-complete loss of a model target gene and provides examples to evaluate a cellular gene with a critical role during infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

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Interleukin-6 and Epstein-Barr virus induction by cyclosporine A: potential role in lymphoproliferative disease

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v84.11.3956.bloodjournal84113956 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 84 (11) ◽

pp. 3956-3964 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

JE Tanner ◽

J Menezes

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Cyclosporine A ◽

Interleukin 6 ◽

Epstein Barr Virus ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Human Peripheral Blood ◽

Lytic Cycle ◽

Barr Virus ◽

Epstein Barr

Posttransplant patients undergoing prolonged cyclosporine A (CsA) immunosuppressive therapy have been reported to have increased incidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphoproliferative disorders. We undertook experiments to analyze the possible actions of CsA during EBV-infection of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). EBV-infected B cells cultured with CsA demonstrated increased EBV B-cell outgrowth as compared with those cultured without CsA. PBMC, after infection with EBV and CsA treatment, demonstrated increased interleukin-6 (IL-6) activity in the culture supernatant. The induction of IL-6 appears to differ within the various lymphocyte populations. In monocytes, IL-6 expression appears preferentially induced by EBV and is initiated by the binding of the two major virion glycoproteins, gp350 and gp220. Expression of IL-6 in T cells appears to be due mainly to CsA. B cells also express IL-6 after EBV exposure, but not after CsA treatment. EBV-immortalized B-cell lines cultured with CsA exhibited both an increased number of cells expressing viral lytic-cycle antigens and increased amounts of lytic-cycle proteins. IL-6, which is induced by CsA in PBMC, was also capable of inducing the lytic viral cycle in several EBV-immortalized cells. CsA, in promoting both increased numbers of lytic EBV B cells and an EBV paracrine factor, IL-6, within the microenvironment of EBV B cell:T cell and EBV B cell:monocyte interactions, may result in increased EBV B-cell immortalization and ultimately lead to the promotion of B-cell lymphomas in immunosuppressed patients.

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