Project description:Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) provide a conveniently accessible and renewable resource for functional studies in humans. The ability to accumulate multidimensional data pertaining to the same individual cell lines, from complete genomic sequences to detailed gene regulatory profiles, further enhances the utility of LCLs as a model system. A lingering concern, however, is that the changes associated with EBV transformation of LCLs reduce the usefulness of LCLs as a surrogate model for primary tissues. To evaluate the validity of this concern, we compared global gene expression profiles between CD20+ primary B cells and CD3+ primary T cells sampled from six individuals. Six independent replicates of transformed LCLs were derived from each sample.
Project description:Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) provide a conveniently accessible and renewable resource for functional studies in humans. The ability to accumulate multidimensional data pertaining to the same individual cell lines, from complete genomic sequences to detailed gene regulatory profiles, further enhances the utility of LCLs as a model system. A lingering concern, however, is that the changes associated with EBV transformation of LCLs reduce the usefulness of LCLs as a surrogate model for primary tissues. To evaluate the validity of this concern, we compared global promoter CpG profiles between CD20+ primary B cells and CD3+ primary T cells sampled from six individuals. Six independent replicates of transformed LCLs were derived from each sample.
Project description:Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) provide a conveniently accessible and renewable resource for functional studies in humans. The ability to accumulate multidimensional data pertaining to the same individual cell lines, from complete genomic sequences to detailed gene regulatory profiles, further enhances the utility of LCLs as a model system. A lingering concern, however, is that the changes associated with EBV transformation of LCLs reduce the usefulness of LCLs as a surrogate model for primary tissues. To evaluate the validity of this concern, we compared global gene expression profiles between CD20+ primary B cells and CD3+ primary T cells sampled from six individuals. Six independent replicates of transformed LCLs were derived from each sample. The study included 96 RNA samples: 8 different types (B cell + T cell + 6 independent LCLs per individual) x 6 individuals x 2 technical replicates (each RNA sample hybridized in duplicate).
Project description:Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) provide a conveniently accessible and renewable resource for functional studies in humans. The ability to accumulate multidimensional data pertaining to the same individual cell lines, from complete genomic sequences to detailed gene regulatory profiles, further enhances the utility of LCLs as a model system. A lingering concern, however, is that the changes associated with EBV transformation of LCLs reduce the usefulness of LCLs as a surrogate model for primary tissues. To evaluate the validity of this concern, we compared global promoter CpG profiles between CD20+ primary B cells and CD3+ primary T cells sampled from six individuals. Six independent replicates of transformed LCLs were derived from each sample. The study included 96 DNA samples: 8 different types (B cell + T cell + 6 independent LCLs per individual) x 6 individuals x 2 technical replicates (each DNA sample hybridized in duplicate).
Project description:The genome of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encodes 86 proteins but only a limited set is expressed in EBV-growth transformed B cells, termed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). These cells proliferate via the concerted action of EBV nuclear antigens (EBNAs) and latent membrane proteins (LMPs), some of which are rate limiting to establish a stable homeostasis of growth promoting and anti-apoptotic activities. We show here that EBV mutants, which lack the EBNA-3A gene, are impaired but can still initiate cell-cycle entry and proliferation of primary human B cells in contrast to an EBNA-2-deficient mutant virus. Surprisingly and in contrast to previous reports, these viral mutants are attenuated in growth transformation assays but give rise to permanently growing EBNA-3A negative B cell lines which exhibit reduced proliferation rates and elevated levels of apoptosis. Expression profiles of EBNA-3A deficient LCLs are characterized by 129 upregulated and 167 downregulated genes, which are significantly enriched for genes involved in apoptotic processes or cell cycle progression like the tumor suppressor gene p16/INK4A or might contribute to essential steps in the viral life cycle. In addition EBNA-3A cellular target genes remarkably overlap with previously identified targets of EBNA-2. Experiment Overall Design: Comparison of gene expression profiles from lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) infected with EBNA-3A positive or negative EBV. LCLs were generated from three donors. A total of five EBNA-3A positive and nine negative LCLs were analysed.
Project description:High-throughput sequencing has opened numerous possibilities for the identification of regulatory RNA-binding events. Cross-linking and immunoprecipitation of Argonaute protein members can pinpoint microRNA target sites within tens of bases, but leaves the identity of the microRNA unresolved. A flexible computational framework that integrates sequence with cross-linking features reliably identifies the microRNA family involved in each binding event, considerably outperforms sequence-only approaches, and quantifies the prevalence of noncanonical binding modes. Ago2 (Argonaute 2) PAR-CLIP and RNA deep sequencing of Epstein-Barr virus B95.8-infected Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines (LCLs)
Project description:Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) are a widely used renewable resource for functional genomic studies in humans. The ability to accumulate multidimensional data pertaining to the same individual cell lines, from complete genomic sequences to detailed gene regulatory profiles, further enhances the utility of LCLs as a model system. However, the extent to which LCLs are a faithful model system is relatively unknown. We have previously shown that gene expression profiles of newly established LCLs maintain a strong individual component. Here, we extend our study to investigate the effect of freeze-thaw cycles on gene expression patterns in mature LCLs, especially in the context of inter-individual variation in gene regulation. We found a profound difference in the gene expression profiles of newly established and mature LCLs. Once newly established LCLs undergo a freeze-thaw cycle, the individual specific gene expression signatures become much less pronounced as the gene regulatory programs in LCLs from different individuals converge to a more uniform profile, which reflects a mature transformed B cell phenotype. As expected, previously identified eQTLs are enriched among the relatively few genes whose regulations in mature LCLs maintain marked individual signatures. We thus conclude that findings and insight drawn from gene regulatory studies in mature LCLs are generally not affected by artificial nature of the LCL model system and are likely to faithfully reflect regulatory interactions in primary tissues. However, our data indicate that many aspects of primary B cell biology cannot be observed and studied in mature LCL cultures.
Project description:We report single-cell RNA sequencing datasets for three lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) prepared by infection of primary B cells with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). Inter- and intra-sample transcriptional variance is observed with respect to immunoglobulin heavy chain class; host gene sets involved in survival, proliferation and differentiation; and viral replication state. We propose that the observed heterogeneity arises from the dynamic nature of host-pathogen interactions, donor-specific compositions of primary B cells, and other experimental factors such as stochastic clonal evolution in cell culture conditions.
Project description:Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) encoded Nuclear Antigens (EBNAs) and virus activated NF-kB subunits mostly bind to enhancers in EBV transformed lymphoblastoid cells lines (LCLs). Using LCL 3D genome organization map that links EBV enhancers to promoters, we built the most comprehensive virus regulome. EBV regulome contained 1992 genes and enhancers directly linked to them. ~30% of genes essential for LCL growth were linked to EBV enhancers. CRISPR knock out of EBNA2 sites significantly reduced their target gene expression. Additional EBV super-enhancer (ESE) targets including MCL1, IRF4, and EBF were identified. MYC ESEs looping to MYC TSS was dependent on EBNAs. CRISPR deletions of MYC ESEs greatly reduced MYC expression and LCL growth. EBNA3A/3C altered CDKN2A/B spatial organization to suppress senescence. EZH2 inhibition decreased the looping at the CDKN2A/B loci and reduced LCL growth. This study defines the most comprehensive host-pathogen interactions on the spatial organization of chromatin during infection and cancer.