Filamentous structures associated with Epstein-Barr virus-infected cells.

After the onset of Epstein-Barr virus DNA and protein synthesis 10 h after superinfection of Raji cells (a cell line containing Epstein-Barr virus DNA but not producing virus), filamentous structures 25 nm in diameter and 0.2 to 1.4 micrometers in length could be detected in the cell cytoplasm by electron microscopy. These structures banded in metrizamide gradients with viral DNA and proteins, but at a density different from that of virions or nucleocapsids. These filaments, enriched in a 155,000-dalton protein similar in size to a major nucleocapsid protein of Epstein-Barr virus, may represent intermediates in viral nucleocapsid assembly.     

DNA-binding proteins present in varicella-zoster virus-infected cells.

DNA-binding proteins present in varicella-zoster virus-infected cells were identified by DNA-cellulose chromatography of radioactively labeled cell extracts. Seven virus-specific proteins, ranging in molecular weight from approximately 175,000 to 21,000, showed affinity for single- or double-stranded DNA or both. These proteins include the varicella-zoster virus major capsid protein, a phosphorylated tegument protein, and a 125,000-molecular-weight species which may be analogous to the major DNA-binding protein of herpes simplex virus. We also identified a number of DNA-binding phosphoproteins by these procedures. Finally, protein blot studies were carried out to determine whether these proteins bind preferentially to virus rather than to host cell DNA.     

Polypeptide synthesis and phosphorylation in Epstein-Barr virus-infected cells

Epstein-Barr virus superinfection of the human lymphoblastoid cell line Raji, a Burkitt lymphoma-derived line that contains Epstein-Barr virus genomes in an episomal form, results in the sequential synthesis of 29 detectable proteins, which range in molecular weight from approximately 155,000 to 21,000, and in the shutoff of the bulk of host protein synthesis within 6 to 9 h after infection. There are three classes of virus-induced proteins; these are an early class, consisting of eight proteins synthesized by 6 h postinfection, an intermediate class, containing two proteins synthesized 9 h postinfection, and a late class, consisting of five proteins synthesized 12 h postinfection. In addition, there is a fourth class of polypeptides, called persistent, that are found both before and after superinfection. The rates of synthesis of the proteins fall into three patterns; these are pattern A, in which the rate of synthesis decreases, pattern B, in which the rate of synthesis remains steady, and pattern C, in which the rate of synthesis increases after the initial appearance of the polypeptide. Both 9-(2-hydroxy-ethoxymethyl)guanine (acyclovir) and phosphonoacetic acid inhibit the appearance of one intermediate protein and at least three late proteins. Seven polypeptides are phosphorylated at different times after infection.     

Characterization and translation of methylated and unmethylated vesicular stomatitis virus mRNA synthesized in vitro by ribonucleoprotein particles from vesicular stomatitis virus-infected L cells.

Ribonucleoprotein particles isolated from extracts of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) -infected L cells synthesized in vitro four classes of polyadenylated RNA sedimenting at 29S, 19S, 17S, and 13S. When synthesized in vitro in the presence of the methyl donor S-adenosyl methionine, these RNA species contained the following 5'-terminal structures: (i) m7G5ppp5'AmpAp(70%) ; (ii) m7G5'ppp5'AmpAmpNp (20%) and (iii) pppAp (10%). In the presence of the methylation inhibitor S-adenosylhomocysteine, however, the mRNA contained the 5'-terminal structures G5'ppp5'Ap (80%) and pppAp (20%). The mRNA's synthesized in vitro were translated in the homologous ascites and the heterologous wheat embryo cell-free systems. In both, the products were shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and by immunoprecipitation to contain all five viral proteins, L, G, N, NS, and M. The presumed precursor to the G protein (G*) was also identified by fingerprint analysis. Methylated VSV mRNA was more active in protein synthesis than unmethylated mRNA in both the ascites system and the wheat embryo systems. Addition of S-adenosylmethionine stimulated translation of unmethylated mRNA in the wheat embryo but not in the ascites extract. S-adenosylhomocysteine, however, by preventing mRNA methylation inhibited the translation of unmethylated VSV mRNA in both systems. The mRNA methylating activity present in wheat embryo S-30 extracts was recovered in the ribosome-free supernatant fraction (S-150) and was insensitive to the protein synthesis inhibitor pactamycin.     

Replacement of the Epstein-Barr virus plasmid with the EBER plasmid in Burkitt's lymphoma cells

Transfection of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded plasmid containing EBER caused a substantial decrease in the level of plasmid containing EBV in Akata and Mutu Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) lines, but failed to do so in other BL lines. The results suggest that EBER could replace the role of EBV, but other EBV products also play a role in the growth of BL.     

The cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein particles of rat sarcoma cells

Summary The metabolism of the cytoplasmic ribosomal RNP-particles from rat sarcoma cells have been studied after intraperitoneal injection in animals of¹⁴C-leucine alone or together with H₃P³²O₄. By investigating the change of the specific activity of the ribosomes with respect to the time after injection of¹⁴C-leucine we have demonstrated that the half-life of ribosomes is 35 hours.To study the metabolic activity of ribosomes not taking part in protein synthesis, the sucrose gradient centrifugation method was used for their separation from polyribosomes. Four, seven, twelve hours after injection of the isotopes free ribosomal subunits and monoribosomes were isolated and their radioactivity was determined. As expected the label was found in the ribosomal subunits at the beginning and later on in the monoribosomal fraction. At the same time it was observed that the incorporation of H₃P³²O₄ into ribosomal subunits occurred at a much greater rate as compared with the incorporation of¹⁴C-leucine. These results indicate the existence of a pool of ribosomal proteins in sarcoma cells whose role deserves attention.an invited article     

Dysregulation of HER2/HER3 signaling axis in Epstein-Barr virus-infected breast carcinoma cells

The role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis of breast cancer has been of long-standing interest to the field. Breast epithelial cells can be infected by EBV through direct contact with EBV-bearing lymphoblastoid cells, and EBV infection has recently been shown to confer breast cancer cells an increased resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, we established EBV-infected breast cancer MCF7 and BT474 cells and demonstrated that EBV infection promotes tumorigenic activity of breast cancer cells. Firstly, we showed that the EBV-infected MCF7-A and BT474-A cells exhibited increased anchorage-independent growth in soft agar. The increased colony formation capacity in soft agar was associated with increased expression and activation of HER2/HER3 signaling cascades, as evidenced by the findings that the treatment of HER2 antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, or MEK inhibitor completely abolished the tumorigenic capacity. In the EBV-infected breast cancer cells, the expression of EBV latency genes including EBNA1, EBER1, and BARF0 was detected. We next showed that BARF0 alone was sufficient to efficiently up-regulate HER2/HER3 expression and promoted tumorigenic activity in MCF7 and BT474 cells by the use of both overexpression and small interfering RNA knock-down. Collectively, we demonstrated that EBV-encoded BARF0 promotes the tumorigenic activity of breast cancer cells through activation of HER2/HER3 signaling cascades.     

The cellular RNA-binding protein EAP recognizes a conserved stem-loop in the Epstein-Barr virus small RNA EBER 1.

EAP (EBER-associated protein) is an abundant, 15-kDa cellular RNA-binding protein which associates with certain herpesvirus small RNAs. We have raised polyclonal anti-EAP antibodies against a glutathione S-transferase-EAP fusion protein. Analysis of the RNA precipitated by these antibodies from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)- or herpesvirus papio (HVP)-infected cells shows that > 95% of EBER 1 (EBV-encoded RNA 1) and the majority of HVP 1 (an HVP small RNA homologous to EBER 1) are associated with EAP. RNase protection experiments performed on native EBER 1 particles with affinity-purified anti-EAP antibodies demonstrate that EAP binds a stem-loop structure (stem-loop 3) of EBER 1. Since bacterially expressed glutathione S-transferase-EAP fusion protein binds EBER 1, we conclude that EAP binding is independent of any other cellular or viral protein. Detailed mutational analyses of stem-loop 3 suggest that EAP recognizes the majority of the nucleotides in this hairpin, interacting with both single-stranded and double-stranded regions in a sequence-specific manner. Binding studies utilizing EBER 1 deletion mutants suggest that there may also be a second, weaker EAP-binding site on stem-loop 4 of EBER 1. These data and the fact that stem-loop 3 represents the most highly conserved region between EBER 1 and HVP 1 suggest that EAP binding is a critical aspect of EBER 1 and HVP 1 function.     

Autoantibodies to ribonucleoprotein particles containing U2 small nuclear RNA.

Autoantibodies exclusively precipitating U1 and U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) particles [anti-(U1,U2)RNP] were detected in sera from four patients with autoimmune disorders. When tested by immunoblotting, these sera recognized up to four different protein antigens in purified mixtures of U1-U6 RNP particles. With purified antibody fractions eluted from individual antigen bands on nitrocellulose blots, each anti-(U1,U2)RNP serum precipitated U2 RNP by virtue of the recognition of a U2 RNP-specific B" antigen (mol. wt. 28 500). Antibodies to the U2 RNP-specific A' protein (mol. wt. 31 000) were found in only one serum. The B" antigen differs slightly in mol. wt. from the U1-U6 RNA-associated B/B' antigens and can be separated from this doublet by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, due to its more acidic pI. In immunoprecipitation assays, the purified anti-B" antibody specificity also reacts with U1 RNPs which is due to cross-reactivity of the antibody with the U1 RNA-specific A protein, as demonstrated by immunoblotting using proteins from isolated U1 RNPs as antigenic material. Thus the A antigen not only bears unique antigenic sites for anti-A antibodies contained in anti-(U1)RNP sera, it also shares epitopes with the U2 RNP-specific B" antigen.     

Formation of mengovirus-like particles in cell-free extracts from virus-infected cells

³H-labeled particles with the density of intact mengovirus in CsCl were detected following the incubation of cell-free extracts from mengovirus infected cells with ³H-UTP in a RNA polymerase reaction mixture. The ³H-particles contained complete strands of ³H-labeled 35 S mengovirus RNA. The viral-like particles were found in the region of a sucrose gradient (150–250 S) where viral-specific RNA polymerase activity is detected.     

Natural killer cells inhibit outgrowth of autologous Epstein-Barr virus-infected B lymphocytes

To determine whether natural killer (NK) cells are the cells responsible for inhibition of outgrowth of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected autologous B lymphocytes, NK-enriched or NK-depleted populations were prepared by Percoll density gradient fractionation and complement lysis depletion of cells reacting with NK-specific monoclonal antibody HNK-1. These cells were then examined in parallel for NK activity and inhibition of outgrowth. NK-enriched low density cells inhibited outgrowth whereas NK-depleted high density cells did not. Low density cells treated with monoclonal antibodies HNK-1 and DR plus complement had little NK activity and failed to inhibit EBV-induced outgrowth, whereas these same cells treated with monoclonal antibodies OKT3 and DR plus complement had strong NK activity and caused marked inhibition of outgrowth. These findings indicate that NK cells rather than mature T cells, monocytes, or B cells, are responsible for inhibition of EBV-induced B cell outgrowth.