EBV-miR-BHRF1-2 targets PRDM1/Blimp1: potential role in EBV lymphomagenesis.

Overview

PRDM1/Blimp1, a master regulator of B-cell terminal differentiation, has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in aggressive lymphomas, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). It has been shown in DLBCL and Hodgkin lymphoma that PRDM1 is downregulated by cellular microRNAs. In this study, we identify the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) microRNA (miRNA), EBV-miR-BHRF1-2, as a viral miRNA regulator of PRDM1. EBV-miR-BHRF1-2 repressed luciferase reporter activity by specific interaction with the seed region within the PRDM1 3' untranslated region. EBV-miR-BHRF1-2 inhibition upregulated PRDM1 protein expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL), supporting a role of miR-BHRF1-2 in PRDM1 downregulation in vivo. Discordance of PRDM1 messenger RNA and protein expressions is associated with high EBV-miR-BHRF1-2 levels in LCLs and primary post-transplant EBV-positive DLBCL. Enforced expression of PRDM1-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in LCL cells. Inhibition of EBV-miR-BHRF1-2 negatively regulates cell cycle and decreases expression of SCARNA20, a small nucleolar RNA that is also downregulated by PRDM1 overexpression. The interaction between EBV-miR-BHRF1-2 and PRDM1 may be one of the mechanisms by which EBV-miR-BHRF1-2 promotes EBV lymphomagenesis. Our results support the potential of EBV-miR-BHRF1-2 as a therapeutic target in EBV-associated lymphoma.