title: Virally induced cellular microRNA miR-155 plays a key role in B-cell immortalization by Epstein-Barr virus.
abstract: Infection of resting primary human B cells by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) results in their transformation into indefinitely proliferating lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). LCL formation serves as a model for lymphomagenesis, and LCLs are phenotypically similar to EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs), which represent a common AIDS-associated malignancy. B-cell infection by EBV induces the expression of several cellular microRNAs (miRNAs), most notably miR-155, which is overexpressed in many tumors and can induce B-cell lymphomas when overexpressed in animals. Here, we demonstrate that miR-155 is the most highly expressed miRNA in LCLs and that the selective inhibition of miR-155 function specifically inhibits the growth of both LCLs and the DLBCL cell line IBL-1. Cells lacking miR-155 are inefficient in progressing through S phase and spontaneously undergo apoptosis. In contrast, three other B-cell lymphoma lines, including two EBV-positive Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines, grew normally in the absence of miR-155 function. These data identify the induction of cellular miR-155 expression by EBV as critical for the growth of both laboratory-generated LCLs and naturally occurring DLBCLs and suggest that targeted inhibition of miR-155 function could represent a novel approach to the treatment of DLBCL in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Linnstaedt
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gottwein
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Skalsky
authors.forename: Micah A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Luftig
authors.forename: Bryan R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Cullen
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C524942:MIRN155 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs