scholarly journals Induction of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen by the Lytic Transactivator RTA: a Novel Mechanism for Establishment of Latency

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (12) ◽  
pp. 7453-7465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke Lan ◽  
Daniel A. Kuppers ◽  
Subhash C. Verma ◽  
Nikhil Sharma ◽  
Masanao Murakami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Signal Sequence ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

ABSTRACT Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiological agent contributing to development of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman desease. Following primary infection, latency is typically established. However, the mechanism by which KSHV establishes latency is not understood. We have reported that the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) can repress RTA (for replication and transcription activator) expression by down-regulating its promoter. In this study, we show that RTA is associated with the virion particle. We also show that RTA can activate the LANA promoter and induce LANA expression in transient reporter assays. Additionally, the transcription of RTA correlates with LANA expression in the early stages of de novo infection of KSHV, and induction of LANA transcription is responsive to induction of RTA with an inducible system. This induction in LANA transcription was dependent on recombination signal sequence binding protein Jκ (RBP-Jκ), as a RBP-Jκ-deficient cell line was significantly delayed and inefficient in LANA transcription with expression of RTA. These studies suggest that RTA contributes to establishment of KSHV latency by activating LANA expression in the early stages of infection by utilizing the major effector of the Notch signaling pathway RBP-Jκ. This describes a feedback mechanism by which LANA and RTA can regulate each other and is likely to be a key event in the establishment of KSHV latency.

scholarly journals Identification and Characterization of the Orf49 Protein of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
pp. 3062-3070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos M. González ◽  
Emily L. Wong ◽  
Brian S. Bowser ◽  
Gregory K. Hong ◽  
Shannon Kenney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Lytic Cycle ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Factor C ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

ABSTRACT Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman's disease. Kaposi's sarcoma is the most common neoplasm among human immunodeficiency virus-positive individuals. Like other herpesviruses, KSHV is able to establish a predominantly latent, life-long infection in its host. The KSHV lytic cycle can be triggered by a number of stimuli that induce the expression of the key lytic switch protein, the replication and transcription activator (RTA) encoded by Orf50. The expression of Rta is necessary and sufficient to trigger the full lytic program resulting in the ordered expression of viral proteins, release of viral progeny, and host cell death. We have characterized an unknown open reading frame, Orf49, which lies adjacent and in the opposite orientation to Orf50. Orf49 is expressed during the KSHV lytic cycle and shows early transcription kinetics. We have mapped the 5′ and 3′ ends of the unspliced Orf49 transcript, which encodes a 30-kDa protein that is localized to both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Interestingly, we found that Orf49 was able to cooperate with Rta to activate several KSHV lytic promoters containing AP-1 sites. The Orf49-encoded protein was also able to induce transcriptional activation through c-Jun but not the ATF1, ATF2, or CREB transcription factor. We found that Orf49 could induce phosphorylation and activation of the transcription factor c-Jun, the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. Our data suggest that Orf49 functions to activate the JNK and p38 pathways during the KSHV lytic cycle.

scholarly journals Suberoyl bis-hydroxamic acid reactivates Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus through histone acetylation and induces apoptosis in lymphoma cells

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shun Iida ◽  
Sohtaro Mine ◽  
Keiji Ueda ◽  
Tadaki Suzuki ◽  
Hideki Hasegawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Histone Acetylation ◽  
Hydroxamic Acid ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Mitochondrial Pathway ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an etiologic agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma as well as primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), an aggressive B-cell neoplasm which mostly arises in immunocompromised individuals. Lytic replication of KSHV is also associated with a subset of multicentric Castleman diseases. At present, there is no specific treatment available for PEL and its prognosis is poor. In this study, we found that the histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoyl bis-hydroxamic acid (SBHA) induced KSHV reactivation in PEL cells in a dose-dependent manner. Next-generation sequencing analysis showed that more than 40% of all transcripts expressed in SBHA-treated PEL cells originated from the KSHV genome compared with less than 1% in untreated cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that SBHA induced histone acetylation targeting the promoter region of the KSHV replication and transcription activator gene. However, there was no significant change in methylation status of the promoter region of this gene. In addition to its effect of KSHV reactivation, this study revealed that SBHA induces apoptosis in PEL cells in a dose-dependent manner, inducing acetylation and phosphorylation of p53, cleavage of caspases, and expression of pro-apoptotic factors such as Bim and Bax. These findings suggest that SBHA reactivates KSHV from latency and induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway in PEL cells. Therefore, SBHA can be considered a new tool for induction of KSHV reactivation, and could provide a novel therapeutic strategy against PEL. IMPORTANCE Kaposi’s sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma cells are latently infected with Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), whereas KSHV replication is frequently observed in multicentric Castleman disease. Although KSHV replication can be induced by some chemical reagents (e.g. 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate), the mechanism of KSHV replication is not fully understood. We found that the histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoyl bis-hydroxamic acid (SBHA) induced KSHV reactivation with high efficiency, through histone acetylation in the promoter of the replication and transcription activator gene, compared with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. SBHA also induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway in KSHV-infected cells, with a lower EC50 than measured for viral reactivation. SBHA could be used in a highly efficient replication system for KSHV in vitro, and as a tool to reveal the mechanism of replication and pathogenesis of KSHV. The ability of SBHA to induce apoptosis at lower levels than needed to stimulate KSHV reactivation, indicates its therapeutic potential.

scholarly journals Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Inhibits Interleukin-4-Mediated STAT6 Phosphorylation To Regulate Apoptosis and Maintain Latency

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (21) ◽  
pp. 11134-11144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiliang Cai ◽  
Subhash C. Verma ◽  
Ji-Young Choi ◽  
Michelle Ma ◽  
Erle S. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Cellular Growth ◽  
Interleukin 4 ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Viral Agent ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

ABSTRACT Cytokine-mediated JAK/STAT signaling controls numerous important biologic responses like immune function, cellular growth, and differentiation. Inappropriate activation of this signaling pathway is associated with a range of malignancies. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the infectious viral agent associated with Kaposi's sarcoma and may also contribute to B-cell disorders, which include primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and multicentric Castleman's disease. However, regulation of cytokine-mediated lymphocytic immune response by KSHV is not fully understood. In this report, we demonstrate that KSHV suppresses the interleukin-4 (IL-4)-stimulated immune response of B-lymphocyte activation and cell proliferation. Moreover, we show that the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) encoded by KSHV is essential for viral blocking of IL-4-induced signaling. LANA reduces phosphorylation of the signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 (STAT6) on Y-641 and concomitantly its DNA binding ability. Importantly, knockdown of endogenous STAT6 dramatically increases the sensitivity of PEL cells to low-serum stress or chemical-mediated cellular apoptosis and reactivation of KSHV from latent replication. Thus, these findings suggest that the IL-4/STAT6 signaling network is precisely controlled by KSHV for survival, maintenance of latency, and suppression of the host cytokine immune response of the virus-infected cells.

scholarly journals Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus LANA2 Is a B-Cell-Specific Latent Viral Protein That Inhibits p53

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 429-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Rivas ◽  
Ai-En Thlick ◽  
Carlo Parravicini ◽  
Patrick S. Moore ◽  
Yuan Chang
Keyword(s):  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Blot Hybridization ◽  
Human Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
P53 Overexpression ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

ABSTRACT Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), or human herpesvirus 8, is associated with three proliferative diseases ranging from viral cytokine-induced hyperplasia to monoclonal neoplasia: multicentric Castleman's disease (CD), Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). Here we report a new latency-associated 1,704-bp KSHV spliced gene belonging to a cluster of KSHV sequences having homology to the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family of transcription factors. ORFK10.5 encodes a protein, latency-associated nuclear antigen 2 (LANA2), which is expressed in KSHV-infected hematopoietic tissues, including PEL and CD but not KS lesions. LANA2 is abundantly expressed in the nuclei of cultured KSHV-infected B cells. Transcription of K10.5 in PEL cell cultures is not inhibited by DNA polymerase inhibitors nor significantly induced by phorbol ester treatment. Unlike LANA1, LANA2 does not elicit a serologic response from patients with KS, PEL, or CD as measured by Western blot hybridization. Both KSHV vIRF1 (ORFK9) and LANA2 (ORFK10.5) appear to have arisen through gene duplication of a captured cellular IRF gene. LANA2 is a potent inhibitor of p53-induced transcription in reporter assays. LANA2 antagonizes apoptosis due to p53 overexpression in p53-null SAOS-2 cells and apoptosis due to doxorubicin treatment of wild-type p53 U2OS cells. While LANA2 specifically interacts with amino acids 290 to 393 of p53 in glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays, we were unable to demonstrate LANA2-p53 interaction in vivo by immunoprecipitation. These findings show that KSHV has tissue-specific latent gene expression programs and identify a new latent protein which may contribute to KSHV tumorigenesis in hematopoietic tissues via p53 inhibition.

scholarly journals A Cluster of Latently Expressed Genes in Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 8309-8315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Dittmer ◽  
Michael Lagunoff ◽  
Rolf Renne ◽  
Katherine Staskus ◽  
Ashley Haase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Splicing ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Viral Genomes ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

ABSTRACT Infection with Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is closely associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and primary effusion lymphoma, with viral genomes present in a latent state in the majority of tumor cells. Here we describe a cluster of latently expressed viral genes whose mRNAs are generated from a common promoter. Two mRNAs in this region encode the latency-associated nuclear antigen, the product of open reading frame 73 (ORF73). The larger RNA, of 5.8 kb, is an unspliced transcript that includes ORF72 and -71 at its 3′ end; it initiates at nucleotides (nt) 127880 to 127886 from a promoter lacking recognizable TATA elements. A less abundant mRNA, of 5.4 kb, is a variant of this transcript, in which 336 nt of 5′ noncoding information has been removed by RNA splicing. A third, more abundant RNA is generated from the same promoter region via splicing from the common splice donor at nt 127813 to an acceptor 5′ to ORF72; this transcript is the presumed mRNA for ORF72, which encodes the viral cyclin D homolog. All three RNAs are 3′ coterminal. In situ hybridization analysis with probes that can detect all three transcripts shows that the RNAs are detectable in a large fraction of BCBL-1 cells prior to lytic induction and in >70% of KS spindle cells in primary KS tumors. This confirms that these transcripts are indeed latent RNAs and suggests a role for their products in viral persistence and/or KSHV-associated proliferation.

scholarly journals DNA Binding and Modulation of Gene Expression by the Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (17) ◽  
pp. 7882-7892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C. Garber ◽  
Marla A. Shu ◽  
Jianhong Hu ◽  
Rolf Renne
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Viral Gene ◽  
Mobility Shift ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

ABSTRACT Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is associated with Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman's disease. The latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) is highly expressed in these malignancies and has been shown to play an important role in episomal maintenance, presumably by binding to a putative oriP. In addition, LANA modulates cellular and viral gene expression and interacts with the cellular tumor suppressors p53 and retinoblastoma suppressor protein. Many of these features are reminiscent of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigens (EBNAs), a family of six proteins expressed during latency. EBNA-1 is required for episome maintenance, binds to oriP, and strongly activates transcription from two promoters, including its own. We have previously shown that LANA can transactivate its own promoter and therefore asked whether LANA, like EBNA-1, activates transcription by direct binding to DNA. By using recombinant LANA expressed from vaccinia virus vectors for electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we found that LANA does not bind to its own promoter. In contrast, LANA binds specifically to sequences containing an imperfect 20-bp palindrome in the terminal repeat (TR) of KSHV. We further show that the C-terminal domain of LANA is sufficient for site-specific DNA binding. Unlike EBNA-1, which activates transcription through binding of oriP, we found that LANA inhibits transcription from a single TR binding site. A multimerized TR as found in the viral genome results in strong transcriptional suppression when linked to a heterologous promoter. These data suggest that LANA, although fulfilling functions similar to those of EBNA-1, does so by very different mechanisms.

scholarly journals A Potential α-Helix Motif in the Amino Terminus of LANA Encoded by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Is Critical for Nuclear Accumulation of HIF-1α in Normoxia

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (19) ◽  
pp. 10413-10423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiliang Cai ◽  
Masanao Murakami ◽  
Huaxin Si ◽  
Erle S. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Hek293 Cells ◽  
Nuclear Accumulation ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Cytokine Signaling ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

ABSTRACT Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a ubiquitously expressed transcriptional regulator involved in induction of numerous genes associated with angiogenesis and tumor growth. Kaposi's sarcoma, associated with increased angiogenesis, is a highly vascularized, endothelial cell-derived tumor. Previously, we have shown that the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) encoded by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) targets the HIF-1α suppressors von Hippel-Lindau protein and p53 for degradation via its suppressor of cytokine signaling-box motif, which recruits the EC5S ubiquitin complex. Here we further show that HIF-1α was aberrantly accumulated in KSHV latently infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells, as well as HEK293 cells infected with KSHV, and also show that a potential α-helical amino-terminal domain of LANA was important for HIF-1α nuclear accumulation in normoxic conditions. Moreover, we have now determined that this association was dependent on the residues 46 to 89 of LANA and the oxygen-dependent degradation domain of HIF-1α. Introduction of specific small interfering RNA against LANA into PEL cells also resulted in a diminished nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α. Therefore, these data show that LANA can function not only as an inhibitor of HIF-1α suppressor proteins but can also induce nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α during KSHV latent infection.

scholarly journals Analysis of Viral cis Elements Conferring Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Episome Partitioning and Maintenance

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (18) ◽  
pp. 9825-9837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Skalsky ◽  
Jianhong Hu ◽  
Rolf Renne
Keyword(s):  
Binding Sites ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Origin Recognition Complex ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Lymphoid Cells ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus

ABSTRACT Maintenance of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) episomes in latently infected cells is dependent on the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA). LANA binds to the viral terminal repeats (TR), leading to recruitment of cellular origin recognition complex proteins. Additionally, LANA tethers episomes to chromosomes via interactions with histones H2A and H2B (A. J. Barbera et al., Science 311:856-861, 2006). Despite these molecular details, less is known about how episomes are established after de novo infection. To address this, we measured short-term retention rates of green fluorescent protein-expressing replicons in proliferating lymphoid cells. In the absence of antibiotic selection, LANA significantly reduced the loss rate of TR-containing replicons. Additionally, we found that LANA can support long-term stability of KSHV replicons for more than 2 months under nonselective conditions. Analysis of cis elements within TR that confer episome replication and partitioning revealed that these activities can occur independently, and furthermore, both events contribute to episome stability. We found that replication-deficient plasmids containing LANA binding sites (LBS1/2) exhibited measurable retention rates in the presence of LANA. To confirm these observations, we uncoupled KSHV replication and partitioning by constructing hybrid origins containing the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) dyad symmetry for plasmid replication and KSHV LBS1/2. We demonstrate that multiple LBS1/2 function in a manner analogous to that of the EBV family of repeats by forming an array of LANA binding sites for partitioning of KSHV genomes. Our data suggest that the efficiency with which KSHV establishes latency is dependent on multiple LANA activities, which stabilize viral genomes early after de novo infection.

scholarly journals Expression and Subcellular Localization of the Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus K15P Protein during Latency and Lytic Reactivation in Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cells

2017 ◽  
Vol 91 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin G. Smith ◽  
Himanshu Kharkwal ◽  
Duncan W. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Lytic Reactivation ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Different Molecular Weight

ABSTRACT The K15P membrane protein of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) interacts with multiple cellular signaling pathways and is thought to play key roles in KSHV-associated endothelial cell angiogenesis, regulation of B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, and the survival, activation, and proliferation of BCR-negative primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells. Although full-length K15P is ∼45 kDa, numerous lower-molecular-weight forms of the protein exist as a result of differential splicing and poorly characterized posttranslational processing. K15P has been reported to localize to numerous subcellular organelles in heterologous expression studies, but there are limited data concerning the sorting of K15P in KSHV-infected cells. The relationships between the various molecular weight forms of K15P, their subcellular distribution, and how these may differ in latent and lytic KSHV infections are poorly understood. Here we report that a cDNA encoding a full-length, ∼45-kDa K15P reporter protein is expressed as an ∼23- to 24-kDa species that colocalizes with the trans-Golgi network (TGN) marker TGN46 in KSHV-infected PEL cells. Following lytic reactivation by sodium butyrate, the levels of the ∼23- to 24-kDa protein diminish, and the full-length, ∼45-kDa K15P protein accumulates. This is accompanied by apparent fragmentation of the TGN and redistribution of K15P to a dispersed peripheral location. Similar results were seen when lytic reactivation was stimulated by the KSHV protein replication and transcription activator (RTA) and during spontaneous reactivation. We speculate that expression of different molecular weight forms of K15P in distinct cellular locations reflects the alternative demands placed upon the protein in the latent and lytic phases. IMPORTANCE The K15P protein of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is thought to play key roles in disease, including KSHV-associated angiogenesis and the survival and growth of primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells. The protein exists in multiple molecular weight forms, and its intracellular trafficking is poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the molecular weight form of a reporter K15P molecule and its intracellular distribution change when KSHV switches from its latent (quiescent) phase to the lytic, infectious state. We speculate that expression of different molecular weight forms of K15P in distinct cellular locations reflects the alternative demands placed upon the protein in the viral latent and lytic stages.

scholarly journals Latent Nuclear Antigen of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Interacts with RING3, a Homolog of theDrosophila Female Sterile Homeotic (fsh) Gene

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 9789-9795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina M. Platt ◽  
Guy R. Simpson ◽  
Sibylle Mittnacht ◽  
Thomas F. Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma ◽  
Primary Effusion Lymphoma ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma ◽  
Nuclear Antigen ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Carboxy Terminal ◽  
Kaposi’S Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus ◽  
Latent Nuclear Antigen

ABSTRACT Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV-8) is the likely infectious cause of Kaposi’s sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and some cases of multicentric Castleman’s disease. Its latent nuclear antigen (LANA) is expressed in the nuclei of latently infected cells and may play a role in the persistence of episomal viral DNA in dividing cells. Here we report that LANA interacts with RING3, a nuclear protein and member of the Drosophila fsh (female sterile homeotic) family of proteins, some of which have previously been implicated in controlling gene expression. Binding of RING3 to LANA involves the ET domain, characteristic of fsh-related proteins, suggesting that this highly conserved region is involved in protein-protein interactions. The interaction between RING3 and LANA results in phosphorylation of serine and threonine residues located between amino acids 951 and 1107 in the carboxy-terminal region of LANA. However, RING3 is not itself a kinase but appears to recruit an as yet unidentified serine/threonine protein kinase into the complex which it forms with LANA.

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