Interferon regulatory factor 7 is induced by Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1

Infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) generates several types of latency with different profiles of gene expression but with expression of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) in common. The BamHI Q promoter (Qp) is used for the transcription of EBNA-1 mRNA in type I latency, which is an EBV infection state exemplified by Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL). However, Qp is inactive in type III latency, and other promoters (C/Wp) are used for transcription of EBNA-1, which raises the question of how usage of these promoters is governed. Interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) was identified first as a negative regulator of Qp. Expression of IRF-7 is associated with EBV type III latency, where Qp is inactive, but not with type I latency, raising the possibility that a viral gene product(s) expressed in type III latency might induce IRF-7 and repress Qp. Here, detailed analysis of the expression of IRF-7 revealed that it is associated with the expression of EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) and that LMP-1 stimulates the expression of IRF-7 in type III latency in which Qp is inactive. In contrast, LMP-1 is not expressed in type I latency cells in which Qp is active. LMP-1 represses the constitutive activity of Qp reporter constructs. Mutational analysis of Qp reporter constructs revealed that the Qp IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE) is essential for the repression by LMP-1. Furthermore, LMP-1 reduced EBNA-1 mRNA derived from Qp only in type I cells in which IRF-7 could be induced. Finally, IFN-a, but not IFN-g, repressed endogenous Qp activity, which is consistent with the ability of IFN-a to induce IRF-7. Thus, IRF-7 may mediate repression of Qp by LMP-1. The induction of IRF-7 by LMP-1 may be relevant to the silencing of Qp in EBV type III latency. The biologic hallmark of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and its usual interaction with B lymphocytes is latency. Several types of latency with distinct patterns of viral gene expression have been described. Type I latency is exemplified by Burkitt’s lymphomas (BL) in vivo and earlier passages of cultured cell lines derived from BL tissues. EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1), and in some cases latent membrane protein 2A (LMP-2A), is expressed in this form of latency (7, 35, 36, 41, 59). Several reports suggest that a type I-like form of latency exists in healthy carriers of EBV (7, 35, 36, 41, 59). Interestingly, cells in type I latency can escape host immune surveillance because EBNA-1 can interfere with its peptide presentation on major histocompatibility complex class I molecules (29), which might explain the lifelong reservoir of virus in immunocompetent, seropositive persons. Type III latency is represented by lymphoblastoid cell lines established after EBV infection of adult primary B cells in vitro, by some BL lines, and in B-cell lymphomas in immunodeficient states. Nine viral proteins, including six nuclear proteins (EBNA-1, EBNA-2, EBNA-3A, EBNA-3B, EBNA-3C, and EBNA-LP) and three integral membrane proteins (LMP-1, LMP-2A, and LMP-2B), are expressed. In addition, in all three forms of latency, EBV-encoded RNAs (EBERs) are expressed (reviewed in references 25 and 43).