Generating CTLs against the subdominant EBV LMP antigens by transient expression of an A20 inhibitor with EBV LMP proteins in human DCs.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection leads to Hodgkin's disease (HD) in some immunocompetent hosts. The malignant Reed-Sternberg cells of HD only express a limited array of subdominant EBV antigens to evade pre-existing immune responses to EBV. The EBV-encoded latent membrane proteins (LMP1 and LMP2), which are expressed by HD and various EBV-associated malignancies, have been proposed as a potential target for cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-based therapy. However, the precursor frequency for LMP-specific CTL is generally low in healthy EBV-infected hosts, and immunotherapy based on these antigens is often compromised by the poor immunogenicity and the oncogenic potential. In the present study, we report that transiently expressing an inhibitor of A20, a key negative regulator of inflammatory signaling pathways, together with the LMP antigens (truncated LMP1 and full-length LMP2) greatly enhances maturation and cytokine production of human (h) monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). As a consequence, LMP1/2-expressed, A20-silenced hDCs have an enhanced potency to prime LMP-specific T-cell response. When the in vitro primed T cells are adoptively transferred into tumor-xenografted, severe-combined immunodeficient mice, some of the xenografted tumors approach complete regression. Thus, the study may provide an available resource of LMP-specific T cells for T-cell immunotherapy.

Deregulation of cell growth by the K1 gene of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.

At a position equivalent to the gene encoding the saimiri transforming protein (STP) of herpesvirus saimiri (HVS), Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) contains a distinct open reading frame called K1. Although KSHV and HVS are related members of the rhadinovirus subgroup of gamma herpesviruses, K1 and STP exhibit no similarity in amino acid sequence or in structural organization. Since STP is required for the oncogenic potential of HVS, we investigated the functional consequence of K1 expression. Expression of the K1 gene in rodent fibroblasts produced morphologic changes and focus formation indicative of transformation. A recombinant herpesvirus in which the STP oncogene of HVS was replaced with K1, immortalized primary T lymphocytes to IL-2 independent growth and induced lymphoma in common marmosets. These results demonstrate the transforming potential of the K1 gene of KSHV.

Inhibition of intracellular transport of B cell antigen receptor complexes by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus K1.

The B cell antigen receptor (BCR) is a large complex that consists of a disulfide-linked tetramer of two transmembrane heavy (mu) chains and two light (lambda or kappa) chains in association with a heterodimer of Igalpha and Igbeta. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes a transforming protein called K1, which has structural and functional similarity to Igalpha and Igbeta. We demonstrate that K1 downregulates the expression of BCR complexes on the surface. The NH(2)-terminal region of K1 specifically interacts with the mu chains of BCR complexes, and this interaction retains BCR complexes in the endoplasmic reticulum, preventing their intracellular transport to the cell surface. Thus, KSHV K1 resembles Igalpha and Igbeta in its ability to induce signaling and to interact with mu chains of the BCR. However, unlike Igalpha and Igbeta, which interact with mu chains to direct BCR complexes to the cell surface, K1 interacts with mu chains to block the intracellular transport of BCR complexes to the cell surface. These results demonstrate a unique feature of the K1 transforming protein, which may confer virus-infected cells with a long-term survival advantage.

Association of the viral oncoprotein STP-C488 with cellular ras.

The STP-C488 oncogene of herpesvirus saimiri has transforming activity independent of the rest of the viral genome. We now demonstrate that STP-C488 associates with cellular ras in transformed cells. Mutations that disrupted this association with ras disrupted the transforming ability of the STP-C488 oncogene. Binding assays showed that STP-C488 was capable of competing with raf-1 for binding to ras. Expression of STP-C488 activated the ras signaling pathway as evidenced by a two- to fourfold increase in the ratio of ras-GTP to ras-GDP and by the constitutive activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase. Consistent with an activation of signaling through ras, STP-C488 expression induced ras-dependent neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. STP-C488 is the first virus-encoded protein shown to achieve oncogenic transformation via association with cellular ras.

Virus-encoded cyclin.

Herpesvirus saimiri contains an open reading frame called eclf2 with homology to the cellular type D cyclins. We now show that the eclf2 gene product is a novel virus-encoded cyclin (v-cyclin). The protein encoded by the v-cyclin gene of this oncogenic herpesvirus was found to have an apparent molecular size of 29 kDa in transformed cells. v-Cyclin protein was found to be associated with cdk6, a cellular cyclin-dependent kinase known to interact with cellular type D cyclins. cdk6/v-cyclin complexes strongly phosphorylated Rb fusion protein and histone H1 as substrates in vitro. Mutational analyses showed that highly conserved amino acids in the cyclin box of v-cyclin were important for association with cdk6 and for activation of cdk6 kinase activity. Thus, v-cyclin resembles cellular type D cyclins in primary sequence, in its association with cdk6, by its ability to activate protein kinase activity, and by the presence of functional cyclin box sequences. v-Cyclin exhibited a selective preference for association with cdk6 over other cyclin-dependent kinases and a high level of kinase activation. The properties of v-cyclin suggest a likely role in oncogenic transformation by this T-lymphotropic herpesvirus.

Inhibition of p300 histone acetyltransferase by viral interferon regulatory factor.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has been consistently identified in Kaposi's sarcomas, body cavity-based lymphomas, and some forms of Castleman's disease. The K9 open reading frame of KSHV encodes a viral interferon regulatory factor (vIRF) which functions as a repressor for cellular interferon-mediated signal transduction and as an oncogene to induce cell growth transformation. We demonstrate that KSHV vIRF directly interacts with cellular transcriptional coactivator p300 and displaces p300/CBP-associated factor from p300 complexes. This interaction inhibits the histone acetyltransferase activity of p300, resulting in drastic reduction of nucleosomal histone acetylation and alteration of chromatin structure. As a consequence, vIRF expression markedly alters cellular cytokine expression, which is regulated by acetylation of nucleosomal histones. These results demonstrate that KSHV vIRF interacts with and inhibits the p300 transcriptional coactivator to circumvent the host antiviral immune response and to induce a global alteration of cellular gene expression. These studies also illustrate how a cellular gene captured by a herpesvirus has evolved several functions that suit the needs of the virus.

Identification of an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif of K1 transforming protein of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is consistently identified in Kaposi's sarcoma and body cavity-based lymphoma. KSHV encodes a transforming protein called K1 which is structurally similar to lymphocyte receptors. We have found that a highly conserved region of the cytoplasmic domain of K1 resembles the sequence of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs). To demonstrate the signal-transducing activity of K1, we constructed a chimeric protein in which the cytoplasmic tail of the human CD8alpha polypeptide was replaced with that of KSHV K1. Expression of the CD8-K1 chimera in B cells induced cellular tyrosine phosphorylation and intracellular calcium mobilization upon stimulation with an anti-CD8 antibody. Mutational analyses showed that the putative ITAM of K1 was required for its signal-transducing activity. Furthermore, tyrosine residues of the putative ITAM of K1 were phosphorylated upon stimulation, and this allowed subsequent binding of SH2-containing proteins. These results demonstrate that the KSHV transforming protein K1 contains a functional ITAM in its cytoplasmic domain and that it can transduce signals to induce cellular activation.

Molecular piracy of Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus.

Kaposi's Sarcoma associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) is the most recently discovered human tumor virus and is associated with the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and Multicentric Casttleman's disease. KSHV contains numerous open reading frames with striking homology to cellular genes. These viral gene products play a variety of roles in KSHV-associated pathogenesis by disrupting cellular signal transduction pathways, which include interferon-mediated anti-viral responses, cytokine-regulated cell growth, apoptosis, and cell cycle control. In this review, we will attempt to cover our understanding of how viral proteins deregulate cellular signaling pathways, which ultimately contribute to the conversion of normal cells to cancerous cells.

Crystal structure of a viral cyclin, a positive regulator of cyclin-dependent kinase 6.

BACKGROUND: Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) have a central role in cell-cycle control and are activated by complex formation with positive regulatory proteins called cyclins and by phosphorylation. The overexpression and mutation of cyclins and CDKs has been associated with tumorigenesis and oncogenesis. A virus-encoded cyclin (v-cyclin) from herpesvirus saimiri has been shown to exhibit highest sequence homology to type D cyclins and specifically activates CDK6 of host cells to a very high degree. RESULTS: We have determined the first X-ray structure of a v-cyclin to 3.0 A resolution. The structure of the core domains is very similar to those of cyclin A and cyclin H from human cells. To understand the structural basis for the v-cyclin specificity for CDK6 and the insensitivity of the complex to inhibitors of the p21 and INK4 families, a v-cyclin-CDK2 model was built on the basis of the known structures of human cyclin A in complex with CDK2 and the CDK inhibitor p27(Kip1). CONCLUSIONS: Although many critical interactions between cyclin A and CDK2 would be conserved in a v-cyclin-CDK2 complex, some appear sterically or electrostatically unfavorable due to shifts in the backbone conformation or sidechain differences and may contribute to v-cyclin selectivity for CDK6. The insensitivity of v-cyclin-CDK6 complexes to inhibitors of the p21 family is probably due to structural changes in v-cyclin that lead to a flatter surface area offering fewer potential contacts with the protein inhibitor. In addition, sequence changes in v-cyclin eliminate hydrogen-bonding partners for atoms of the p27(Kip1) inhibitor. This structure provides the first model for interactions between v-cyclins and host cell-cycle proteins; these interactions may be important for virus survival as well as oncogenic transformation of host cells.

NIK regulates MT1-MMP activity and promotes glioma cell invasion independently of the canonical NF-κB pathway.

A growing body of evidence implicates the noncanonical NF-κB pathway as a key driver of glioma invasiveness and a major factor underlying poor patient prognoses. Here, we show that NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK/MAP3K14), a critical upstream regulator of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway, is both necessary and sufficient for cell-intrinsic invasion, as well as invasion induced by the cytokine TWEAK, which is strongly associated with tumor pathogenicity. NIK promotes dramatic alterations in glioma cell morphology that are characterized by extensive membrane branching and elongated pseudopodial protrusions. Correspondingly, NIK increases the phosphorylation, enzymatic activity and pseudopodial localization of membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP/MMP14), which is associated with enhanced tumor cell invasion of three-dimensional collagen matrices. Moreover, NIK regulates MT1-MMP activity in cells lacking the canonical NF-κB p65 and cRel proteins. Finally, increased expression of NIK is associated with elevated MT1-MMP phosphorylation in orthotopic xenografts and co-expression of NIK and MT1-MMP in human tumors is associated with poor glioma patient survival. These data reveal a novel role of NIK to enhance pseudopodia formation, MT1-MMP enzymatic activity and tumor cell invasion independently of p65. Collectively, our findings underscore the therapeutic potential of approaches targeting NIK in highly invasive tumors.

Comparative analysis of the transforming mechanisms of Epstein-Barr virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, and Herpesvirus saimiri.

Members of the gamma herpesvirus family include the lymphocryptoviruses (gamma-1 herpesviruses) and the rhadinoviruses (gamma-2 herpesviruses). Gammaherpesvirinae uniformly establish long-term, latent, reactivatable infection of lymphocytes, and several members of the gamma herpesviruses are associated with lymphoproliferative diseases. Epstein-Barr virus is a lymphocryptovirus, whereas Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and Herpesvirus saimiri are members of the rhadinovirus family. Genes encoded by these viruses are involved in a diverse array of cellular signaling pathways. This review attempts to cover our understanding of how viral proteins deregulate cellular signaling pathways that ultimately contribute to the conversion of normal cells to cancerous cells.

Immune evasion strategies of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.

To establish lifelong infection in the presence of an active host immune system, herpesviruses have acquired an impressive array of immune modulatory mechanisms that contribute to their success as long-term parasites. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the most recently discovered human tumor virus and is associated with the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman's disease. KSHV has acquired a battery of genes to assist in viral survival against the host immune response. These viral gene products target a variety of host immune surveillance mechanisms, including the cytokine-mediated immune response, apoptosis, natural killer (NK) cell killing and T cell-mediated responses. This review summarizes our understanding of the role of these viral proteins in the escape from host immune surveillance, which ultimately contributes to lifelong infection and pathogenesis of KSHV.

Primate herpesviral oncogenes.

Gammaherpesviruses are the most rapidly growing members of the herpesviridae family. Gamma herpesviruses share similarity in their genome organizations and in early and late lytic genes that are required for viral replication. A distinct characteristic of gamma herpesviruses is their ability to establish latent infection in lymphoid cells, and some of these viruses are closely associated with abnormal proliferation and cancer in primates. The first open reading frame of the primate gamma herpesviruses has been shown to directly contribute to virus-associated pathogenesis. This open reading frame encodes latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) in Epstein-Barr virus, Saimiri transformation protein (STP) in Herpesvirus Saimiri, K1 in Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, and R1 in Rhesus monkey Rhadinovirus. All of these gene products are capable of eliciting cellular signal transduction events, resulting in cell growth transformation. This review briefly summarizes the current view on the transforming mechanisms utilized by primate herpesviral oncogenes.

Downregulation of autophagy by Bcl-2 promotes MCF7 breast cancer cell growth independent of its inhibition of apoptosis.

The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, which confers oncogenic transformation and drug resistance in most human cancers, including breast cancer, has recently been shown to effectively counteract autophagy by directly targeting Beclin1, an essential autophagy mediator and tumor suppressor. However, it remains unknown whether autophagy inhibition contributes to Bcl-2-mediated oncogenesis. Here, by using a loss-of-function mutagenesis study, we show that Bcl-2-mediated antagonism of autophagy has a critical role in enhancing the tumorigenic properties of MCF7 breast cancer cells independent of its anti-apoptosis activity. A Bcl-2 mutant defective in apoptosis inhibition but competent for autophagy suppression promotes MCF7 breast cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo as efficiently as wild-type Bcl-2. The growth-promoting activity of this Bcl-2 mutant is strongly correlated with its suppression of Beclin1-dependent autophagy, leading to sustained p62 expression and increased DNA damage in xenograft tumors, which may directly contribute to tumorigenesis. Thus, the anti-autophagic property of Bcl-2 is a key feature of Bcl-2-mediated oncogenesis and may in some contexts, serve as an attractive target for breast and other cancer therapies.

Identification and characterization of the herpesvirus saimiri oncoprotein STP-C488.

The protein encoded by herpesvirus saimiri transforming gene STP-C488 was identified and characterized. Antibodies were produced in rabbits by immunization with keyhole limpet hemocyanin-conjugated synthetic peptides specific for the predicted sequence of STP-C488. STP-C488-encoded protein was detected in recombinant Escherichia coli, transformed Rat-1 cells, transfected COS-1 cells, and in common marmoset T lymphocytes immortalized by herpesvirus saimiri strain 488. STP-C488 protein was sensitive to treatment by bacterial collagenase, consistent with the 18 uninterrupted collagenlike repeats predicted by the DNA sequence. The apparent molecular size of STP-C488 in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels (20 to 22 kDa) was considerably larger than that predicted from the DNA sequence (9.9 kDa). Using indirect immunofluorescence tests and subcellular fractionation, STP-C488 was found to be membrane bound, primarily in perinuclear compartments. The 18 uninterrupted collagenlike repeats, sensitivity to collagenase, location in the cell, and anomalous migration through SDS-polyacrylamide gels suggest an unusual, membrane-associated, fibrous structure for this transforming herpesvirus oncoprotein.

Herpesvirus saimiri oncogene STP-C488 encodes a phosphoprotein.

The STP-C488 open reading frame of herpesvirus saimiri encodes an oncoprotein that has transforming and tumor-inducing activities independent of the rest of the herpesvirus genome. STP-C488 protein has an unusual, membrane-associated, fibrous structure and is located primarily in perinuclear compartments. We now report that STP-C488 is phosphorylated in vivo. The phosphorylated form, which accounted for about 15% of STP-C488 in transformed cells, migrated slightly more slowly through sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels than unphosphorylated STP-C488. A serine residue near the amino terminus was shown to be the site of phosphorylation. However, phosphorylation was not required for transformation of Rat-1 cells by STP-C488.

Distinct functional domains of STP-C488 of herpesvirus saimiri.

The STP-C488 oncogene of herpesvirus saimiri has transforming activity independent of the rest of the viral genome. Three distinct structural regions can be predicted from the STP-C488 sequence: an acidic amino terminal domain, a collagen domain, and a hydrophobic carboxyl-terminal domain. To study the importance and functional roles of these regions, 25 different mutant forms of STP-C488 were generated. Net negative charge in the 17 amino acid amino-terminal domain was found to be important for protein structure and transformation. Increasing the net negative charge decreased electrophoretic mobility and decreasing net negative charge increased electrophoretic mobility. The three glutamic acid residues and overall acidity in this region were found to be necessary to retain potent transforming activity. Interruption of the 18 collagen-like repeats in the central region also interrupted transforming activity. The hydrophobic region at the carboxyl terminus was found to be important for membrane localization. The acidic amino-terminal domain is likely to be the catalytic or ligand binding site of STP-C488.

Purification and characterization of a glycine betaine binding protein from Escherichia coli.

A major component of the Escherichia coli response to elevated medium osmolarity is the synthesis of a periplasmic protein with an Mr of 31,000. The protein was absent in mutants with lambda placMu insertions in the proU region, a locus involved in transport of the osmoprotectant glycine betaine. This periplasmic protein has now been purified to homogeneity. Antibody directed against the purified periplasmic protein crossreacts with the fusion protein produced as a result of the lambda placMu insertion, indicating that proU is the structural gene specifying the 31-kDa protein. The purified protein binds glycine betaine with high affinity but has no affinity for either proline or choline, clarifying the role of proU in osmoprotectant transport. The amino-terminal sequence of the mature glycine betaine binding protein is Ala-Asp-Leu-Pro-Gly-Lys-Gly-Ile-Thr-Val-Asn-Pro.