title: G-protein-coupled receptor of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is a viral oncogene and angiogenesis activator.
abstract: The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV8) is a gamma-2 herpesvirus that is implicated in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma and of primary effusion B-cell lymphomas (PELs). KSHV infects malignant and progenitor cells of Kaposi's sarcoma and PEL, it encodes putative oncogenes and genes that may cause Kaposi's sarcoma pathogenesis by stimulating angiogenesis. The G-protein-coupled receptor encoded by an open reading frame (ORF 74) of KSHV is expressed in Kaposi's sarcoma lesions and in PEL and stimulates signalling pathways linked to cell proliferation in a constitutive (agonist-independent) way. Here we show that signalling by this KSHV G-protein-coupled receptor leads to cell transformation and tumorigenicity, and induces a switch to an angiogenic phenotype mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor, an angiogenesis and Kaposi's-spindle-cell growth factor. We find that this receptor can activate two protein kinases, JNK/SAPK and p38MAPK, by triggering signalling cascades like those induced by inflammatory cytokines that are angiogenesis activators and mitogens for Kaposi's sarcoma cells and B cells. We conclude that the KSHV G-protein-coupled receptor is a viral oncogene that can exploit cell signalling pathways to induce transformation and angiogenesis in KSHV-mediated oncogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Viral Oncogenesis, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bais
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Santomasso
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Coso
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arvanitakis
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Raaka
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gutkind
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Asch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cesarman
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gershengorn
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mesri
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gerhengorn
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000821:virology*; D009857:Oncogenes; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; C105181:ORF74 protein, Human herpesvirus 8; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins