Zhang X, Schuhmachers P, Mourão A, Giansanti P, Murer A, Thumann S, Kuklik‐Roos C, Beer S, Hauck SM, Hammerschmidt W, Küppers R, Kuster B, Raab M, Strebhardt K, Sattler M, Münz C, Kempkes B. PLK1-dependent phosphorylation restrains EBNA2 activity and lymphomagenesis in EBV-infected mice.
EMBO Rep 2021;
22:e53007. [PMID:
34605140 PMCID:
PMC8647151 DOI:
10.15252/embr.202153007]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
While Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) establishes a life-long latent infection in apparently healthy human immunocompetent hosts, immunodeficient individuals are at particular risk to develop lymphoproliferative B-cell malignancies caused by EBV. A key EBV protein is the transcription factor EBV nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA2), which initiates B-cell proliferation. Here, we combine biochemical, cellular, and in vivo experiments demonstrating that the mitotic polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) binds to EBNA2, phosphorylates its transactivation domain, and thereby inhibits its biological activity. EBNA2 mutants that impair PLK1 binding or prevent EBNA2 phosphorylation are gain-of-function mutants. They exhibit enhanced transactivation capacities, accelerate the proliferation of infected B cells, and promote the development of monoclonal B-cell lymphomas in infected mice. Thus, PLK1 coordinates the activity of EBNA2 to attenuate the risk of tumor incidences in favor of the establishment of latency in the infected but healthy host.
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