title: The viral latency-associated nuclear antigen augments the B-cell response to antigen in vivo.
abstract: Gammaherpesviruses, including Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), establish latency in B cells. We hypothesized that the KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA/orf73) provides a selective advantage to infected B cells by driving proliferation in response to antigen. To test this, we used LANA B-cell transgenic mice. Eight days after immunization with antigen without adjuvant, LANA mice had significantly more activated germinal center (GC) B cells (CD19(+) PNA(+) CD71(+)) than controls. This was dependent upon B-cell receptor since LANA did not restore the GC defect of CD19 knockout mice. However, LANA was able to restore the marginal zone defect in CD19 knockout mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#7290, 715 Mary Ellen Jones Bldg, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7290, USA.
authors.forename: Sang-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sin
authors.forename: Farnaz D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Fakhari
authors.forename: Dirk P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Dittmer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000235:genetics; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005814:Genes, Viral; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D018941:Antigens, CD19; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C109540:latency-associated nuclear antigen