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Title: Arsenic mediated disruption of promyelocytic leukemia protein nuclear bodies induces ganciclovir susceptibility in Epstein-Barr positive epithelial cells

Journal Article · · Virology
 [1];  [2]; ;  [1]; ;  [3]
  1. Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA (United States)
  2. University of Washington Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle, WA (United States)
  3. Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA (United States)

Promyelocytic leukemia protein nuclear bodies (PML NBs) have been implicated in host immune response to viral infection. PML NBs are targeted for degradation during reactivation of herpes viruses, suggesting that disruption of PML NB function supports this aspect of the viral life cycle. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1) has been shown to suppress EBV reactivation. Our finding that LMP1 induces PML NB immunofluorescence intensity led to the hypothesis that LMP1 may modulate PML NBs as a means of maintaining EBV latency. Increased PML protein and morphometric changes in PML NBs were observed in EBV infected alveolar epithelial cells and nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Treatment with low dose arsenic trioxide disrupted PML NBs, induced expression of EBV lytic proteins, and conferred ganciclovir susceptibility. This study introduces an effective modality to induce susceptibility to ganciclovir in epithelial cells with implications for the treatment of EBV associated pathologies.

OSTI ID:
21587873
Journal Information:
Virology, Vol. 416, Issue 1-2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2011.04.005; PII: S0042-6822(11)00173-5; Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0042-6822
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English