MicroRNA-155 is an Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene that modulates Epstein-Barr virus-regulated gene expression pathways

J Virol. 2008 Jun;82(11):5295-306. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02380-07. Epub 2008 Mar 26.

Abstract

The cellular microRNA miR-155 has been shown to be involved in lymphocyte activation and is expressed in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected cells displaying type III latency gene expression but not type I latency gene expression. We show here that the elevated levels of miR-155 in type III latency cells is due to EBV gene expression and not epigenetic differences in cell lines tested, and we show that expression in EBV-infected cells requires a conserved AP-1 element in the miR-155 promoter. Gene expression analysis was carried out in a type I latency cell line transduced with an miR-155-expressing retrovirus. This analysis identified both miR-155-suppressed and -induced cellular mRNAs and suggested that in addition to direct targeting of 3' untranslated regions (UTRs), miR-155 alters gene expression in part through the alteration of signal transduction pathways. 3' UTR reporter analysis of predicted miR-155 target genes identified the transcriptional regulatory genes encoding BACH1, ZIC3, HIVEP2, CEBPB, ZNF652, ARID2, and SMAD5 as miR-155 targets. Western blot analysis of the most highly suppressed of these, BACH1, showed lower expression in cells transduced with a miR-155 retrovirus. Inspection of the promoters from genes regulated in EBV-infected cells and in cells infected with an miR-155 retrovirus identified potential binding sequences for BACH1 and ZIC3. Together, these experiments suggest that the induction of miR-155 by EBV contributes to EBV-mediated signaling in part through the modulation of transcriptional regulatory factors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics*
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / genetics*
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / genetics
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic / genetics

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Transcription Factor AP-1