Epstein-Barr virus co-opts TFIIH component XPB to specifically activate essential viral lytic promoters

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with epithelial and lymphoid malignancies, establishes latent infection in memory B cells, and intermittently produces infectious virions through lytic replication. Released virions play a key role in latent reservoir maintenance and transmission. Lytic EBV transcription differs from cellular transcription in requiring a virus-encoded preinitiation complex that binds to TATT motifs unique to EBV late lytic promoters. Expression of 15 late lytic genes that are important for virion production and infectivity is particularly dependent on the EBV SM protein, a nuclear protein expressed early during lytic reactivation that binds to viral RNAs and enhances RNA stability. We recently discovered that spironolactone blocks EBV virion production by inhibiting EBV SM function. Since spironolactone causes degradation of xeroderma pigmentosum group B-complementing protein (XPB), a component of human transcription factor TFIIH, in both B lymphocytes and epithelial cells, we hypothesized that SM utilizes XPB to specifically activate transcription of SM target promoters. While EBV SM has been thought to act posttranscriptionally, we provide evidence that SM also facilitates EBV gene transcription. We demonstrate that SM binds and recruits XPB to EBV promoters during lytic replication. Depletion of XPB protein, by spironolactone treatment or by siRNA transfection, inhibits SM-dependent late lytic gene transcription but not transcription of other EBV genes or cellular genes. These data indicate that SM acts as a transcriptional activator that has co-opted XPB to specifically target 15 EBV promoters that have uniquely evolved to require XPB for activity, providing an additional mechanism to differentially regulate EBV gene expression.