microRNA-155 is an Epstein-Barr Virus induced gene that modulates EBV-regulated gene expression (microRNA-155 infection)

The cellular microRNA, miR-155 has been shown to be involved in lymphocyte activation and is expressed in 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 a 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’ 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, 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 a 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. Keywords: Differential expression of miR-155 vs cntl expressing cells The EBV positive Burkitt's lymphoma cell line, Akata was infected with a control (pEhyg-miRCntl) or a microRNA-155 expressing (pEhyg-miR-155) retrovirus. Duplicate infections with the control retrovirus and with the miR-155 retrovirus were carried out. Control and miR-155 infection pair 1 were run on an array as well as a dye swap. Control and miR-155 infection pair 2 were similarly run on an array as well as a second array containing a dye swap.