title: Apoptosis modulation of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 in the epithelial cell line HeLa is stimulus-dependent.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is required for viral transformation and has been shown to protect lymphocytes from apoptosis. However, the effect of LMP1 on cells of epithelial origin remains poorly understood. Using the epithelial cell line HeLa in which the expression of LMP1 is inducibly regulated by tetracycline, we demonstrate that apoptosis triggered by ligation of the death receptor, Fas, or by the chemotherapeutic agent, etoposide, is potentiated by LMP1. Apoptosis was assessed by nuclear condensation and activation of caspase-3-like enzymes with concomitant proteolysis of the nuclear caspase substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. However, the effect of LMP1 in HeLa cells appeared to be stimulus-dependent since apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was inhibited. Moreover, we observed an upregulation of the zinc finger protein A20 and a decrease in expression of Bcl-2 upon induction of LMP1 in HeLa cells. Taken together, these data further our understanding of the function of LMP1 in epithelial cells and suggest that LMP1, similar to its mammalian homolog CD40, can exert opposing effects on cell survival depending on the nature of the apoptosis trigger.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Xiangning
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: LiFu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fadeel
authors.forename: Ingemar T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Ernberg
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005047:Etoposide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000072598:Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha-Induced Protein 3; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D019014:fas Receptor; D005047:Etoposide; C076529:TNFAIP3 protein, human; D000072598:Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha-Induced Protein 3; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases