EBNA2 driven enhancer switching at the CIITA-DEXI locus suppresses HLA class II gene expression during EBV infection of B-lymphocytes.

ABSTRACT: Viruses suppress immune recognition through diverse mechanisms. Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) establishes latent infection in memory B-lymphocytes and B-cell malignancies where it impacts B-cell immune function. We show here that EBV primary infection of naïve B-cells results in a robust down-regulation of HLA genes. We found that the viral encoded transcriptional regulatory factor EBNA2 bound to multiple regulatory regions in the HLA locus. Conditional expression of EBNA2 correlated with the down regulation of HLA class II transcription. EBNA2 down-regulation of HLA transcription was found to be dependent on CIITA, the major transcriptional activator of HLA class II gene transcription. We identified a major EBNA2 binding site downstream of the CIITA gene and upstream of DEXI, a dexamethasone i

SUBMITTER: Su C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8370649 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature