title: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus encoded vFLIP induces cellular IL-6 expression: the role of the NF-kappaB and JNK/AP1 pathways.
abstract: The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes a FADD-like interferon converting enzyme or caspase 8 (FLICE) inhibitory protein (vFLIP) that prevents death receptor-mediated apoptosis by inhibiting the recruitment and activation of FLICE. Since vFLIP physically interacts with tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 2 (TRAF2) and TRAF2 mediates activation of the jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK)/activation protein 1 (AP1) pathway, we hypothesized that vFLIP might also activate this pathway. To evaluate this hypothesis, we transiently and stably transfected a vFLIP expression construct and performed several complementary assays to document that vFLIP activates the JNK/AP1 pathway and does so in a TRAF-dependent fashion. As vFLIP also activates the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling pathway and the NF-kappaB and JNK/AP1 pathways both modulate cellular interleukin-6 (cIL-6) expression, we postulated that vFLIP induces expression of this cytokine. We show that vFLIP induces cIL-6 expression and activates the cIL-6 promoter, and maximal activation of the cIL-6 promoter by vFLIP requires NF-kappaB and AP1 activation. In addition, vFLIP and latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA), another KSHV-encoded latent protein, potentiate each other's ability to activate the cIL-6 promoter. Gene silencing experiments by RNA interference demonstrate that vFLIP in BCBL-1 endogenously infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells mediates JNK/AP1 activation and cIL-6 expression. Thus, we conclude that vFLIP, in addition to its known effects on NF-kappaB activation, also modulates the JNK/AP1 pathway and induces gene expression from the cIL-6 promoter in a JNK/AP1-dependent fashion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
authors.forename: Jiabin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Matthew B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rettig
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D047992:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; C506386:CFLAR protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D047992:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; C109540:latency-associated nuclear antigen; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases