title: Modulation of innate immunity system by Epstein-Barr virus-encoded non-coding RNA and oncogenesis.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) are polyA-, non-coding RNAs that are expressed abundantly in all forms of cells latently infected with EBV. EBERs (EBER1 and EBER2) contribute to the clonal proliferation of EBV-negative Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cells in soft agar, tumorigenicity in SCID mice, up-regulation of the bcl-2 oncoprotein, resistance to apoptosis, and maintenance of malignant phenotypes in BL cells. EBERs induce the expression of interleukin (IL)-10 in BL cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) in gastric and nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, IL-9 in T cells, and IL-6 in lymphoblastoid cell lines. Additionally, each of these cytokines acts as an autocrine growth factor. In BL cells, EBERs bind the double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase PKR, inhibit its phosphorylation, and thereby prevent IFN-alpha-mediated apoptosis. In epithelial cells, EBERs confer resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis by blocking PKR activity. EBERs form complexes with PKR, ribosomal protein L22, lupus erythematosis-associated antigen (La), and retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I). In BL cells, EBERs activate RIG-I signaling and induce the expression of type-I IFNs and interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) through the activation of RIG-I substrates, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB), and IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3), and anti-inflamatory cytokine IL-10 through IRF-3 but not NF-kappaB signaling. EBERs also play critical roles in the growth transformation of B lymphocytes. Although EBER1 and EBER2 exhibit similarities in their primary (54%) and secondary structures, recent findings have shown that recombinant EBVs carrying only the EBER2 gene play a greater role in the growth transformation of B lymphocytes than EBVs carrying only the EBER1 gene. Thus, EBERs play multiple roles in various cell types, and we present a model that highlights the functions of EBERs in EBV-mediated oncogenesis in BL cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Virology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mrinal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Samanta
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D051379:Mice; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000502:physiology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C099537:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 1; C106732:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 2; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D012367:RNA, Viral