title: KSHV encoded LANA upregulates Pim-1 and is a substrate for its kinase activity.
abstract: Pim kinases are proto-oncogenes that are upregulated in a number of B cell cancers, including Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) associated Burkitt's lymphoma. They have also been shown to be upregulated in Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) infected primary B cells. Most cells in KSHV-associated tumors are latently infected and express only a small subset of viral genes, with KSHV latency associated nuclear antigen (LANA) being constitutively expressed. LANA regulates the transcription of a large number of cellular and viral genes. Here, we show that LANA upregulates transcription from the Pim-1 promoter (pPim-1) and map this activation to a region in the promoter located within the sequence (-681 to +37). We show that LANA expressing cells can proliferate faster and are better protected from drug induced apoptosis. Since transition through cell cycle check points and anti-apoptosis are functions associated with Pim-1, it is likely that higher Pim-1 expression in cells expressing LANA is responsible, at least in part, for this effect. A Pim-1 phosphorylation site was also identified within the amino-terminal domain of LANA. Using in vitro kinase assays, we confirmed that LANA was indeed a Pim-1 substrate, and the failure of Pim-1 to phosphorylate LANA mutated at SS205/6RR identified this site as the specific serine residues phosphorylated by Pim-1. This report provides valuable insight into yet another cellular signaling pathway subverted by KSHV LANA and suggests a contribution to KSHV related oncogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and the Tumor Virology Program, Abramson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Bharat G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Bajaj
authors.forename: Subhash C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Murray A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: Zenda L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Woodman
authors.forename: Erle S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C109540:latency-associated nuclear antigen; C496634:PIM1 protein, human; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1