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Gammaherpesviruses are DNA tumor viruses that establish lifelong latent infections in lymphocytes. For viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus and murine gammaherpesvirus 68, this is accomplished through a viral gene-expression program that promotes cellular proliferation and differentiation, especially of germinal center B cells. Intrinsic host mechanisms that control virus-driven cellular expansion are incompletely defined. Using a small-animal model of gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis, we demonstrate in vivo that the tumor suppressor p53 is activated specifically in B cells latently infected by murine gammaherpesvirus 68. In the absence of p53, the early expansion of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 latency greatly increases, especially in germinal center B cells, a cell type whose proliferation is conversely restricted by p53. We identify the B cell-specific latency gene M2, a viral promoter of germinal center B cell differentiation, as a viral protein sufficient to elicit a p53-dependent anti-proliferative response caused by Src-family kinase activation. We further demonstrate that Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 similarly triggers a p53 response in primary B cells. Our data highlight a model in which gammaherpesvirus latency gene-expression programs that promote B cell proliferation and differentiation to facilitate viral colonization of the host trigger aberrant cellular proliferation that is controlled by p53., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Gammaherpesviruses (GHV) are DNA tumor viruses that establish lifelong latent infections in lymphocytes. For viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68), this is accomplished through a viral gene-expression program that promotes cellular proliferation and differentiation, especially of germinal center (GC) B cells. Intrinsic host mechanisms that control virus-driven cellular expansion are incompletely defined. Using a small-animal model of GHV pathogenesis, we demonstrate in vivo that tumor suppressor p53 is activated specifically in B cells that are latently infected by MHV68. In the absence of p53, the early expansion of MHV68 latency was greatly increased, especially in GC B cells, a cell-type whose proliferation was conversely restricted by p53. We identify the B cell-specific latency gene M2, a viral promoter of GC B cell differentiation, as a viral protein sufficient to elicit a p53-dependent anti-proliferative response caused by Src-family kinase activation. We further demonstrate that EBV-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) similarly triggers a p53 response in primary B cells. Our data highlight a model in which GHV latency gene-expression programs that promote B cell proliferation and differentiation to facilitate viral colonization of the host trigger aberrant cellular proliferation that is controlled by p53., Importance: Gammaherpesviruses cause lifelong infections of their hosts, commonly referred to as latency, that can lead to cancer. Latency establishment benefits from the functions of viral proteins that augment and amplify B cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation signals. In uninfected cells, off-schedule cellular differentiation would typically trigger anti-proliferative responses by effector proteins known as tumor suppressors. However, tumor suppressor responses to gammaherpesvirus manipulation of cellular processes remain understudied, especially those that occur during latency establishment in a living organism. Here we identify p53, a tumor suppressor commonly mutated in cancer, as a host factor that limits virus-driven B cell proliferation and differentiation, and thus, viral colonization of a host. We demonstrate that p53 activation occurs in response to viral latency proteins that induce B cell activation. This work informs a gap in our understanding of intrinsic cellular defense mechanisms that restrict lifelong GHV infection.