Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1) Regulates Host B Cell miR-155 and its Target FOXO3a via PI3K p110a Activation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the host cell miRs regulated by LMP1 from the B95-8 strain of EBV. In this study, we utilized an established chimeric, inducible NGFRLMP1 siganling molecule stably expressed in EBV- BL41 Burkitt’s Lymphoma cell lines (BL41 NGFRLMP1 cells). A qPCR array was used to measure the expression level of 377 previously identified miRs from RNA isolated from two sources: BL41 NGFRLMP1 cells in which LMP1 signaling was not activated (n=2, control) and BL41 NGFRLMP1 cells in which LMP1 signaling was activated for 12 hours (n=2). miRNA expression was assayed in EBV negative BL41 Burkitt's lymphoma cells stably expressing chimeric, inducible NGFRLMP1 molecules where LMP1 signaling was not activated (n=2) and where LMP1 signaling was activated for 12 hours (n=2). The expression of miRNA in the samples without LMP1 activation was used as a control.