Latent Membrane Protein 2A Gene Research Articles

Cancer stem cells in Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a decisive role in the development and progression of cancer. To investigate CSCs in Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐associated carcinoma (EBVaGC), we screened previously reported stem cell markers of gastric cancer in EBV‐infected gastric cancer cell lines (TMK1 and NUGC3) and identified CD44v6v9 double positive cells as candidate CSCs. CD44v6/v9+/+ cells were sorted from EBVaGC cell line (SNU719) cells and EBV‐infected TMK1 cells and these cell populations showed high spheroid‐forming ability and tumor formation in SCID mice compared with the respective CD44v6/v9−/− cells. Sphere‐forming ability was dependent on the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathway, which was confirmed by decrease of sphere formation ability under BAY 11‐7082. Small interfering RNA knockdown of latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A), one of the latent gene products of EBV infection, decreased spheroid formation in SNU719 cells. Transfection of the LMP2A gene increased the sphere‐forming ability of TMK1 cells, which was mediated through NF‐κB signaling. Together, these results indicate that CD44v6v9+/+ cells are CSCs in EBVaGC that are maintained through the LMP2A/NF‐κB pathway. Future studies should investigate CD44v6/v9+/+ cells in normal and neoplastic gastric epithelium to prevent and treat this specific subtype of gastric cancer infected with EBV.

Sequence variation of latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A)gene from Epstein-Barr virus epitope cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL)related to human leucocyte antigen-A24 (HLA-A24)in peripheral blood sample and cytobrushof nasopharyngeal cancer patients

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects lymphocyte B and triggers latent phase in the host so that it causes nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Latent membraneprotein 2A (LMP2A) epitope CTL-HLA-A24 is a target for recognition by cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL). The change in the epitope could influence the latency of particular EBV in the host due toits ability to evade immune surveillance mediated by CTL. The study aimed to determine thesequence variation of LMP2A epitope CTL-HLA-A24 gene from the peripheral blood samples and cytobrush of the NPC patients. Case-series study was conducted with total 16 cytobrush samples from NPC patients. DNA isolation, polymerasechain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing were performed in this study. From cytobrush samples of NPC patients, it was found the changes of base sequence variation of LMP2A gene from GGC>GGA, CCA>CCC, TGC>TCC, GGT>GGC and TCT>ACT. CCA>CCC and TGC>TCC variations were found in epitope associated with HLA-A2 where there was a change of epitope sequence from TYGPVFMCL to TYGPVFMSL caused by missense mutation. The change of base sequence caused amino acid alteration from cysteine to serine. Whereas the variation of CCA>CCC did not change the sequence of amino acid proline so that the epitopewas unaffected. In epitope associated HLA-A2 (CLGGLLTMV), there was a change in base sequence from GGT to GGC, but there was no changes in amino acid and still as glycine. There were some new variations: in the upstream sequence of LMP2A from GGC>GGA which is silent mutation and the other variation is in downstream sequence of LMP2A from TCT>ACT which is missense mutation. Thesequence variations of LMP2A gene found in this research were GGC>GGA, CCA>CCC, TGC>TCC, GGT>GGC and TCT>ACT. In our research, we found another variation compared the previous research. The variation was in the upstream sequence of LMP2A from GGC>GGA which is silent mutation and the other variation is in the downstream sequence of LMP2A from TCT>ACT which is missense mutation.

Characterization of CSF2A fusion gene and its effect on Epstein-Barr virus-positive tumor cells.

We build the latent membrane protein gene latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) and the granulocyte-macrophase colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene fusion gene (CSF2A) and discuss how the CSF2A fusion protein influenced the proliferation and apoptosis of Epstein-Barr virus-positive (EBV+ ) tumor cells. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used to amplify the LMP2A gene and GM-CSF gene fragments, respectively, according to the principle of overlap extension in the coding (Gly4Ser)3 polypeptide gene fragments of DNA restructured under the connection. The CSF2A gene could be connected with the pIRES2-enhanced green fluorescent protein vector by recombinant DNA technology and identified by enzyme electrophoresis analysis and DNA sequencing. Then, the recombinant vector was transfected into dendritic cells (DCs); RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were used for testing the CSF2A gene messenger RNA and protein expression. The impacts of CSF2A on the proliferation and apoptosis of EBV+ tumor cells were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Hochest 33342 staining. We successfully obtained the recombinant vector named pIRES2-CSF2A. The expression of CSF2A could be detected by transfecting pIRES2-CSF2A into DCs. The DCs were cocultured with T lymphocytes and then acted on the EBV+ CNE2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. MTT assay showed that the inhibiting effect of CSF2A obviously increased and the time dependency (**P < 0.01, *P < 0.05) also existed. Hochest 33342 staining showedapoptosis morphological changes of cells in nucleus staining and generated the apoptotic body. Apoptosis cells of the pIRES2-CSF2A group increased significantly at 48 hours. The results showed that the pIRES2-CSF2A recombinant vector was effectively transfected into DCs and the fusion gene CSF2A could promote EBV+ CNE2 cell apoptosis, laying the foundation for the specificity of EBV+ tumor targeting immune gene therapy in the future.

Dihydroartemisinin suppresses the proliferation of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma cells via downregulation of latent membrane protein 2A.

Treatment of recurrent and metastatic Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) remains a challenge, particularly in developing countries, due to lack of efficient screening programs. Latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) has been reported to serve an important function in the development of EBVaGC. In previous years dihydroartemisinin (DHA), traditionally used as an anti-malarial agent, has been demonstrated to inhibit tumor growth with low toxicity to normal cells. In the present study, the anti-tumor effect of DHA in EBVaGC was investigated. The MTT assay was used to compare the viability of untreated and DHA-treated EBVaGC GT-38 cells. Flow cytometry was applied to determine the percentage of GT-38 cells at each stage of the cell cycle. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to determine the expression of the LMP2A gene. The effect of DHA treatment in vivo was evaluated in nude mice bearing GT-38 tumors. The results of the present study revealed that DHA-treated cells exhibited a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of viability. DHA significantly increased the apoptotic rate of GT-38 cells following treatment with 20 µg/ml DHA for 48 h. DHA-treated GT-38 cells were blocked in the G0/G1 phase, resulting in an accumulation of G0/G1 phase cells and a significant decrease of G2/M phase cells. In vivo, the results of the present study revealed that DHA significantly inhibited the growth of GT-38 cell-transplanted tumors. The mRNA and protein levels of LMP2A were significantly downregulated in the DHA-treated group compared with the control group. The present data indicated that DHA inhibited cell growth and induced cell apoptosis of the EBVaGC GT-38 cell line via downregulation of LMP2A. DHA may therefore be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of EBVaGC.

Lentivirus-mediated RNAi knockdown of LMP2A inhibits the growth of the Epstein-Barr-associated gastric carcinoma cell line GT38 in vitro.

In this study, lentivirus-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) was applied to inhibit latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) gene expression, in order to explore the effects of LMP2A silencing on the growth of an Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) cell line in vitro. Lentivirus-mediated RNAi technology was employed to specifically knock down the LMP2A gene in the EBV-positive gastric carcinoma cell line GT38. After infection, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, flow cytometry and colony formation assays were conducted to evaluate the expression of LMP2A and the biological behavior of the GT38 cell line in vitro. The results showed that the expression of the LMP2A gene was clearly downregulated in the infected cells, which indicated that a highly efficient and stable lentivirus vector was successfully constructed. In the GT38 cells in which the expression of LMP2A was downregulated, the proliferation and colony formation of the cells was significantly inhibited. In addition, it was found that the cell cycle of the GT38 cells was arrested in the G0/G1 phase and the apoptosis rate was increased. These results indicate that lentivirus-mediated RNAi knockdown of LMP2A inhibits the growth of the EBVaGC cell line GT38 in vitro, and suggests that LMP2A is a potential target for gene therapy in the treatment of EBVaGC.

Lentivirus-mediated RNAi knockdown of LMP2A inhibits the growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line C666-1 in vitro

Latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) is found to play a key role in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the role of LMP2A silencing in the inhibition of cell growth of NPC has not been clarified. In this study, we inhibited LMP2A gene expression by lentivirus-mediated RNAi, to explore the effects of LMP2A silencing on the growth of NPC cell line in vitro. A lentivirus-mediated RNAi technology was employed to specifically knock down the LMP2A gene in NPC cell line C666-1. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, flow cytometry and colony formation assays were performed to evaluate the expression of LMP2A and biological behavior of cell line C666-1 in vitro. We successfully construct a highly efficient and stable lentivirus vector, which efficiently downregulate the expression of LMP2A gene in infected cell line C666-1. Down-regulation of the expression of LMP2A significantly inhibits the proliferation and colony formation of C666-1 cells. In addition, the specific down-regulation of LMP2A arrests cells in G0/G1 phase of cell cycle and increases apoptosis rate. Our findings suggest that lentivirus-mediated RNAi knockdown of LMP2A inhibits the growth of NPC cell line C666-1 in vitro, and LMP2A may be a potential target for gene therapy in treatment of NPC.

Sequence Variations of Latent Membrane Protein 2A in Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Gastric Carcinomas from Guangzhou, Southern China

Latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A), expressed in most Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated malignancies, has been demonstrated to be responsible for the maintenance of latent infection and epithelial cell transformation. Besides, it could also act as the target for a CTL-based therapy for EBV-associated malignancies. In the present study, sequence variations of LMP2A in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) and healthy EBV carriers from Guangzhou, southern China, where nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic, were investigated. Widespread sequence variations in the LMP2A gene were found, with no sequence identical to the B95.8 prototype. No consistent mutation was detected in all isolates. The immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) and PY motifs in the amino terminus of LMP2A were strictly conserved, suggesting their important roles in virus infection; while 8 of the 17 identified CTL epitopes in the transmembrane region of LMP2A were affected by at least one point mutation, which may implicate that the effect of LMP2A polymorphisms should be considered when LMP2A-targeted immunotherapy is conducted. The polymorphisms of LMP2A in EBVaGC in gastric remnant carcinoma (GRC) were for the first time investigated in the world. The LMP2A sequence variations in EBVaGC in GRC were somewhat different from those in EBVaGC in conventional gastric carcinoma. The sequence variations of LMP2A in EBVaGC were similar to those in throat washing of healthy EBV carriers, indicating that these variations are due to geographic-associated polymorphisms rather than EBVaGC-associated mutations. This, to our best knowledge, is the first detailed investigation of LMP2A polymorphisms in EBVaGC in Guangzhou, southern China, where NPC is endemic.

Widespread sequence variation in the Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 2A gene among northern Chinese isolates

Latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) is expressed in most Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated malignancies. Besides its roles in the maintenance of latent infection and epithelial-cell transformation, LMP2A could also act as the target for a CTL-based therapy for EBV-associated malignancies. In the present study, sequence polymorphisms in LMP2A from northern Chinese EBV-associated gastric carcinoma patients, nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and healthy donors were identified and compared with the prototype B95-8 strain. Four consistent mutations were detected in all isolates. Frequent mutations in the analysed sequences distinguished two and seven types of sequence variation in exon 1 and exons 2-8, respectively, with no consistent association shown between the genotyping of the two gene fragments. The immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif and PY motif in the amino terminus were strictly conserved. Nine of the 16 identified CTL epitopes were affected by at least one point mutation, which may confer complexity to proposed immunotherapeutic approaches for EBV-associated malignancies. Most changed epitopes showed higher mutation rates in tumour isolates than in throat-washing samples from healthy donors, in accordance with the idea that virus strains can evade immune surveillance by altering amino acids within LMP epitopes. This first detailed investigation of sequence variations in the LMP2A gene reveals classifiable sequence polymorphisms in exon 1 and exons 2-8, and encourages further work on the impact of viral gene variations on tumour persistence and CTL-based immunotherapy.

Establishment and characterization of gastric carcinoma cell clones expressing LMP2A of Epstein-Barr virus

Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been detected in 5-15% of gastric carcinoma (GC) cases, the mechanism by which EBV contributes to its tumorigenesis remains unclear. Only a subset of EBV latent proteins such as EBV nuclear antigen-1 and latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) are expressed in EBV-associated GC (EBVaGC) cases. In this study, to elucidate the role of LMP2A in the tumorigenesis of EBVaGC, we established permanent cell lines expressing LMP2A. The LMP2A gene was cloned from a naturally EBV-infected EBVaGC cell line, SNU-719 and transduced into an EBV-negative GC cell line, AGS, using a retroviral vector. The sequence of SNU-719 LMP2A showed several conserved variations compared to that of the prototype EBV strain B95-8 LMP2A. Four of seven established cell clones expressed LMP2A protein at detectable levels. These cell clones did not show enhanced cell growth compared to control cells in normal or low serum-containing medium. Furthermore, LMP2A expression had no effect on colony forming ability of the cell clones in soft agar. Our results suggest that LMP2A alone has little effect on tumorigenesis of EBVaGC.

Forensic application of Epstein-Barr virus genotype: Correlation between viral genotype and geographical area

Using 50 forensic blood samples, the latent membrane protein 2A (LMP-2A) gene of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was amplified to find a geographic correlation among the EBV genotypes. EBV DNA was detected in nine samples. From a phylogenetic analysis using 18 reported sequences as a reference, six EBV subtypes (Ia, Ib, Ic IIa, IIb, and IIc) were found. Japanese isolates were included in subtypes Ia or IIa. All the Asian reference isolates, except isolate D6, were included in subtype Ia or IIa. Mediterranean, an Alaskan and other African isolates were included in types Ib, Ic, IIb and IIc. The EBV genotype in the LMP-2A gene was thus demonstrated as being correlated with the host's geographical location. Typing in the EBV-associated nuclear antigen 2 gene was not related to that in the LMP-2A gene. Detection of the EBV genotype in the LMP-2A gene may be useful for determining the geographical origins of unidentified cadavers.

Role of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 2A on virus-induced immortalization and virus activation.

To quantitatively evaluate the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) in immortalization of peripheral B-lymphocytes, we used the Akata cell system to generate an EBV recombinant in which the first exon of the LMP2A gene was disrupted. The results indicated that deletion of the LMP2A gene did not affect the immortalization efficiency of EBV in B-lymphocytes. Deletion of the LMP2A gene made EBV-transformed lymphocytes more permissive for virus replication in response to surface immunoglobulin cross-linking. On the other hand Akata cells, in which LMP2A expression was much lower than in EBV-transformed lymphocytes, were equally permissive for virus replication whether they were infected with wild EBV or LMP2A-knockout EBV. The results raise a question as to the role of LMP2A in inhibition of disruption of virus latency in vivo, where LMP2A expression has been expected to be low as in Akata cells.