Epstein-Barr virus lytic gene BNRF1 promotes B-cell lymphomagenesis via IFI27 upregulation

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011954
• Publication Date: 2024-02-01T18:30:41Z
• Authors: Ken Sagou; Yoshitaka Sato; Yusuke Okuno; Takahiro Watanabe; Tomoki Inagaki; Yashiro Motooka; Shinya Toyokuni; Takayuki Murata; Hitoshi Kiyoi; Hiroshi Kimura
• Keywords: Lytic cycle

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human lymphotropic herpesvirus that causally associated with several malignancies. In addition to latent factors, lytic replication contributes cancer development. this study, we examined whether the gene BNRF1, which conserved among gamma-herpesviruses, has an important role in lymphomagenesis. We found lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) established by BNRF1-knockout EBV exhibited remarkably lower pathogenicity mice xenograft model than LCLs produced wild-type (LCLs-WT). RNA-seq analyses revealed BNRF1 elicited expression of interferon-inducible protein 27 (IFI27), promotes proliferation. IFI27 knockdown LCLs-WT resulted excessive production reactive oxygen species, leading death and significantly decreased their vivo . also confirmed was upregulated during primary infection B-cells. Our findings promoted robust proliferation B-cells were transformed via upregulation both vitro