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Published on: May 27, 2011
Effects of targeting sumoylation processes during latent and induced Epstein-Barr virus infections using the small
Peter Garcia1, Abigail Harrod1, Shruti Jha1
1Division of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA, USA.
Abstract:
As the second leading cause of death in the United States, cancer has a considerable impact on society, and one cellular process that is commonly dysregulated in many cancers is the post-translational modification of proteins by the Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO; sumoylation). We documented that sumoylation processes are up-regulated in lymphoma tissues in the presence of Latent Membrane Protein-1 (LMP1), the principal oncoprotein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). LMP1-mediated dysregulation of cellular sumoylation processes contributes to oncogenesis, modulates innate immune responses, and aids the maintenance of viral latency. Manipulation of protein sumoylation has been proposed for anti-cancer and anti-viral therapies; however, known inhibitors of sumoylation do not only target sumoylation processes. Recently, a specific and selective small-molecule inhibitor of sumoylation (ML-792) was identified; however, nothing is known about the effect of ML-792 on LMP1-mediated dysregulation of cellular sumoylation or the EBV life-cycle. We hypothesized that ML-792 modulates viral replication and the oncogenic potential of EBV LMP1 by inhibiting protein sumoylation. Results showed that ML-792 inhibited sumoylation processes in multiple EBV-positive B cell lines and EBV-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines but not in their EBV-negative counterparts. Focusing on its effect on B cells, ML-792 inhibited B-cell growth and promoted cell death at very low doses. ML-792 also modulated LMP1-induced cell migration and cell adhesion, which suggests the abrogation of the oncogenic potential of LMP1. Finally, while higher concentrations of ML-792 were sufficient to induce low levels EBV spontaneous reactivation, they decreased the production of new infectious virus following an induced reactivation and the infection of new cells, suggesting that ML-792 has anti-viral potential. Together, these findings suggest that ML-792 may be a potential therapeutic drug to treat EBV-associated lymphoid malignancies by targeting oncogenesis and the EBV life-cycle.
Insights
The small-molecule inhibitor ML-792 targets protein sumoylation, inhibiting cancer cell growth and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication. This suggests ML-792 as a potential therapy for EBV-associated lymphoid malignancies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cancer is a leading cause of death, with dysregulated protein sumoylation implicated in oncogenesis.
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) oncoprotein Latent Membrane Protein-1 (LMP1) up-regulates sumoylation in lymphoma.
- Existing sumoylation inhibitors lack specificity; ML-792 is a novel, selective inhibitor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of ML-792 on LMP1-mediated sumoylation dysregulation and EBV lifecycle.
- To evaluate ML-792's potential as a therapeutic agent against EBV-associated cancers.
Main Methods:
- Treatment of EBV-positive and EBV-negative B cell and nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines with ML-792.
- Assessment of sumoylation inhibition, cell growth, cell death, cell migration, and cell adhesion.
- Evaluation of EBV replication, viral production, and infectivity post-ML-792 treatment.
Main Results:
- ML-792 inhibited sumoylation in EBV-positive cells but not EBV-negative cells.
- ML-792 reduced B-cell growth, induced cell death, and abrogated LMP1-mediated oncogenic effects (migration, adhesion).
- ML-792 inhibited EBV production and cell-to-cell infection, despite inducing low-level spontaneous reactivation.
Conclusions:
- ML-792 effectively inhibits sumoylation and demonstrates anti-cancer and anti-viral activity in EBV-infected cells.
- ML-792 shows promise as a therapeutic agent for EBV-associated lymphoid malignancies by targeting both oncogenesis and viral replication.
