Project description:Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes a viral RNA-binding protein ORF57 that plays an essential role in posttranscriptional regulation of viral gene expression. Ectopice expression of KSHV ORF57 in HEK293T cells was evaluated on its effect on host gene expression in the study, with the cells transfected with an empty vector serving as a control.
Project description:Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) ORF57 is a viral RNA-binding protein essential for viral lytic gene expression. ORF57 binds to target RNA directly via interaction with cellular cofactors. To investigate the entire repertoire of ORF57-associated RNAs we performed UV cross-linking immunoprecipitatin (CLIP) experiment using an affinity-purified, highly specific anti-ORF57 antibody in KSHV-infected primariy effusion lymphoma BCBL-1 cells undegoing lytic virus replication.
Project description:Kaposi's sarcoma-associated virus (KSHV) ORF57 is a viral RNA-binding protein required for proper posttranscriptional processing of viral transcripts including RNA splicing. To identify the viral splicing events regulated by ORF57 we performed a genome-wide analysis of RNA splicing of viral RNAs in wild type (WT) versus ORF57 knock-out (57KO) primary effusion lymphoma cells line BCBL-1 after induction of KSHV lytic replication by 24h treatment with valproic acid (VA).
Project description:Latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA), a multifunctional protein expressed by the Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in latently-infected cells, is required for stable maintenance of the viral episome. This is mediated by two interactions: LANA binds to specific sequences (LBS1 and 2) on viral DNA, and also engages host histones, tethering the viral genome to host chromosomes in mitosis. LANA has also been suggested to affect host gene expression, but both the mechanism(s) and role of this dysregulation in KSHV biology remain unclear. Here we have examined LANA interactions with host chromatin on a genome-wide scale using ChIP-seq, and show that LANA predominantly targets human genes near their transcriptional start sites (TSSs). These host LANA-binding sites are generally found within transcriptionally active promoters and display striking overrepresentation of a consensus DNA sequence virtually identical to the LBS1 motif in KSHV DNA. Comparison of the ChIP-seq profile with whole transcriptome (RNA-seq) data reveals that few of the genes that are differentially regulated in latent infection are occupied by LANA at their promoters. This suggests that direct LANA binding to promoters is not the prime determinant of altered host transcription in KSHV-infected cells. Most surprisingly, the association of LANA to both host and viral DNA is strongly disrupted during the lytic cycle of KSHV. This disruption can be prevented by the inhibition of viral DNA synthesis, suggesting the existence of novel and potent regulatory mechanisms linked to either viral DNA replication or late gene expression. Profiling of KSHV LANA positioning on the host genome and examination of gene expression from promoters bound by KSHV LANA.
Project description:The Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and some forms of multicentric Castleman's disease. The KSHV ORF57 protein is a conserved posttranscriptional regulator of gene expression that is essential for virus replication. ORF57 is multifunctional, but most of its activities are directly linked to its ability to bind RNA. We globally identified virus and host RNAs bound by ORF57 during lytic reactivation in PEL cells using high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by crosslinking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP). As expected, ORF57-bound RNA fragments mapped throughout the KSHV genome, including the known ORF57 ligand PAN RNA. In agreement with previously published ChIP results, we observed that ORF57 bound RNAs near the oriLyt regions of the genome. Examination of the host RNA fragments revealed that a subset of the ORF57-bound RNAs was derived from transcript 5´ ends. The position of these 5´-bound fragments correlated closely with the 5´-most exonintron junction of the pre-mRNA. We selected four candidates (BTG1, EGR1, ZFP36, and TNFSF9) and analyzed their pre-mRNA and mRNA levels during lytic phase. Analysis of both steady-state and newly made RNAs revealed that these candidate ORF57-bound pre-mRNAs persisted for longer periods of time throughout infection than control RNAs, consistent with a role for ORF57 in pre-mRNA metabolism. In addition, exogenous expression of ORF57 was sufficient to increase the pre-mRNA levels and, in one case, the mRNA levels of the putative ORF57 targets. These results demonstrate that ORF57 interacts with specific host pre-mRNAs during lytic reactivation and alters their processing, likely by stabilizing pre-mRNAs. These data suggest that ORF57 is involved in modulating host gene expression in addition to KSHV gene expression during lytic reactivation. HITS-CLIP was performed on TREx BCBL-Rta cells 20 hpi using antibodies against ORF57. Three biological replicates were performed.
Project description:Latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA), a multifunctional protein expressed by the Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in latently-infected cells, is required for stable maintenance of the viral episome. This is mediated by two interactions: LANA binds to specific sequences (LBS1 and 2) on viral DNA, and also engages host histones, tethering the viral genome to host chromosomes in mitosis. LANA has also been suggested to affect host gene expression, but both the mechanism(s) and role of this dysregulation in KSHV biology remain unclear. Here we have examined LANA interactions with host chromatin on a genome-wide scale using ChIP-seq, and show that LANA predominantly targets human genes near their transcriptional start sites (TSSs). These host LANA-binding sites are generally found within transcriptionally active promoters and display striking overrepresentation of a consensus DNA sequence virtually identical to the LBS1 motif in KSHV DNA. Comparison of the ChIP-seq profile with whole transcriptome (RNA-seq) data reveals that few of the genes that are differentially regulated in latent infection are occupied by LANA at their promoters. This suggests that direct LANA binding to promoters is not the prime determinant of altered host transcription in KSHV-infected cells. Most surprisingly, the association of LANA to both host and viral DNA is strongly disrupted during the lytic cycle of KSHV. This disruption can be prevented by the inhibition of viral DNA synthesis, suggesting the existence of novel and potent regulatory mechanisms linked to either viral DNA replication or late gene expression.
Project description:We report the mapping of the genome-wide binding sites of a central component of a viral transcription complex from KSHV. We find that ORF34 binds at several locations on the viral genome but observed no detectable binding to the host genome. A majority of binding sites on the viral genome were upstream of known transcription start sites of mapped genes.
Project description:LANA is essential for tethering the KSHV genome to metaphase chromosomes and for modulating host-cell gene expression, but the binding sites in the host-chromosome remain unknown. Here, we use LANA-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-Seq) to identify LANA binding sites in the viral and host-cell genomes of a latently infected pleural effusion lymphoma cell line BCBL1. LANA bound with high occupancy to the KSHV genome terminal repeats (TR), and to a few minor binding sites within the latency control region encoding that LANA transcript. We identified 256 LANA binding peaks with p < 0.01 and overlap in two independent ChIP-Seq experiments. We validated several of the high-occupancy binding sites by conventional ChIP assays and quantitative PCR. Two candidate DNA sequence motifs were identified, and confirmed to bind purified LANA protein, although with weaker affinity compared to viral TR binding site. More than half of the LANA binding sites (170/256) could be mapped to within 2.5 kb of a cellular gene transcript. Pathways and Gene Ontogeny (GO) analysis revealed that LANA binds to genes within the p53 and TNF regulatory network. Further analysis revealed partial overlap of LANA binding sites with STAT1 binding sites in several interferon (IFN)-g regulated genes. We show that ectopic expression of LANA can down-modulate IFN-g mediated activation of a subset of genes, including the TAP1 peptide transporter and proteasome subunit beta type 9 (PSMB9) required for class I antigen presentation. Our data provides a potential mechanism through which LANA may regulate several host cell pathways by direct binding to gene regulatory elements. Study of KSHV LANA
Project description:The Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and some forms of multicentric Castleman's disease. The KSHV ORF57 protein is a conserved posttranscriptional regulator of gene expression that is essential for virus replication. ORF57 is multifunctional, but most of its activities are directly linked to its ability to bind RNA. We globally identified virus and host RNAs bound by ORF57 during lytic reactivation in PEL cells using high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by crosslinking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP). As expected, ORF57-bound RNA fragments mapped throughout the KSHV genome, including the known ORF57 ligand PAN RNA. In agreement with previously published ChIP results, we observed that ORF57 bound RNAs near the oriLyt regions of the genome. Examination of the host RNA fragments revealed that a subset of the ORF57-bound RNAs was derived from transcript 5´ ends. The position of these 5´-bound fragments correlated closely with the 5´-most exonintron junction of the pre-mRNA. We selected four candidates (BTG1, EGR1, ZFP36, and TNFSF9) and analyzed their pre-mRNA and mRNA levels during lytic phase. Analysis of both steady-state and newly made RNAs revealed that these candidate ORF57-bound pre-mRNAs persisted for longer periods of time throughout infection than control RNAs, consistent with a role for ORF57 in pre-mRNA metabolism. In addition, exogenous expression of ORF57 was sufficient to increase the pre-mRNA levels and, in one case, the mRNA levels of the putative ORF57 targets. These results demonstrate that ORF57 interacts with specific host pre-mRNAs during lytic reactivation and alters their processing, likely by stabilizing pre-mRNAs. These data suggest that ORF57 is involved in modulating host gene expression in addition to KSHV gene expression during lytic reactivation.
Project description:lncRNAs regulate protein functions via formation of protein-RNA complexes. Previous studies have shown that expression of viral lncRNA, polyadenylated nuclear RNA (PAN RNA) is essential for inducible viral genomic looping and distal gene activation during Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) reactivation. Here we show an underlying molecular mechanism and regulation of KSHV latency by a viral lncRNA-CHD4 (chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 4) interaction. Knock-out of the viral RNA binding protein, ORF57 protein, leads to decreased inducible and static viral genomic loops in latent chromatin and a failure to form RNA polymerase II aggregates in the nucleus during reactivation. We identified that CHD4's enzymatic activity silences viral gene expression by preventing nuclear aggregate formation. Furthermore, integrated genomic and proteomic studies together show that KSHV episomes frequently tether near the host cell centromeres and colocalize with a CHD4 protein complex, ChAHP. KSHV episomes detached from these sites when reactivation is triggered, and PAN RNA binds and inhibits CHD4 DNA binding in vitro. Our studies suggest that CHD4 exhibits strong repressor function by preventing inducible enhancer-promoter looping, and is therefore important for the ability of KSHV to establish and maintain latency in a “poised” state at specific host genomic loci.