1. Malignant transformation of B lymphoma cell line BJAB by Epstein–Barr virus-encoded small RNAs
- Author
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Yoichi Iwanaga, Norio Shimizu, Norio Yamamoto, Takenori Takizawa, and Naoki Yamamoto
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Herpesvirus 4, Human ,Lymphoma ,viruses ,Genetic Vectors ,Biophysics ,Apoptosis ,Biology ,Transfection ,medicine.disease_cause ,Biochemistry ,Malignant transformation ,Transformation ,Epstein–Barr virus ,Epstein–Barr virus-encoded small RNA ,eIF-2 Kinase ,Structural Biology ,hemic and lymphatic diseases ,Tumor Cells, Cultured ,Genetics ,medicine ,Humans ,Neoplasm Invasiveness ,Protein kinase A ,Molecular Biology ,Double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase ,RNA ,virus diseases ,Cell Biology ,Cell Transformation, Viral ,Molecular biology ,Protein kinase R ,Cell culture ,Epstein–Barr virus-encoded small RNAs ,RNA, Viral ,Cell Division - Abstract
EBV-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) are non-polyadenylated and abundantly transcribed RNAs, whose functions have not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we report that the EBV-negative B lymphoma cell line, BJAB, was rendered more malignant and resistant to apoptosis by EBERs. EBER-transfected cells exhibited enhanced growth potential in SCID mice as well as in soft agar, and showed resistance to apoptotic stimuli in comparison with the vector control. EBERs inhibited the activity of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR, which is reputed to act as a tumor-suppressor. These results suggest that EBERs play an important role in the pathogenesis of EBV-associated malignancies through the inhibition of PKR.
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