High concentration of the EBV latent membrane protein 1 in glycosphingolipid-rich complexes from both epithelial and lymphoid cells

Virology. 1997 Feb 17;228(2):285-93. doi: 10.1006/viro.1996.8380.

Abstract

Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1) is an EBV-transforming protein which is detected both in lymphoblastoid cell lines-resulting from EBV-immortalization in vitro- and in undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), an EBV-associated malignancy of epithelial origin. To better define LMP1 subcellular targets, LMP1 distribution was analyzed in cellular glycosphingolipid-rich complexes (GSL-complexes) derived from epithelial and lymphoid cells. These complexes are obtained by extraction of glycosphingolipid-rich membrane domains (GSL-domains), which are clustering sites for heterotrimeric G-proteins and G-protein-associated receptors. LMP1 concentration was enriched 50-fold in GSL-complexes extracted from a NPC tumor line, C15. High concentrations of LMP1 were also observed in GSL-complexes derived from cultured lymphoid and epithelial cells. These data suggest that association with GSL-domains is an important step in LMP1 trafficking and is probably required for some aspects of its biological activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Epithelial Cells
  • Epithelium / virology
  • Glycosphingolipids / metabolism*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Lymphocytes / cytology
  • Lymphocytes / virology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus
  • Glycosphingolipids
  • Viral Matrix Proteins