Oncogenic role of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNAs in Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Akata.
Our previous reports indicated that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) contributes to the malignant phenotype and resistance to apoptosis in Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell line Akata (N. Shimizu, A. Tanabe-Tochikura, Y. Kuroiwa, and K. Takada, J. Virol. 68:6069-6073, 1994; J. Komano, M. Sugiura, and K. Takada, J. Virol. 72:9150-9156, 1998). Here we report that the EBV-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) are responsible for these phenotypes. Transfection of the EBER genes into EBV-negative Akata clones restored the capacity for growth in soft agar, tumorigenicity in SCID mice, resistance to apoptotic inducers, and upregulated expression of bcl-2 oncoprotein that were originally retained in parental EBV-positive Akata cells and lost in EBV-negative subclones. This is the first report which provides evidence that virus-encoded RNAs (EBERs) have oncogenic functions in BL cells.
Komano
J
J
Department of Virology, Cancer Institute, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Maruo
S
S
Kurozumi
K
K
Oda
T
T
Takada
K
K
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000821:virology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D015870:Gene Expression; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015854:Up-Regulation
C099537:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 1; C106732:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 2; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012367:RNA, Viral