Role of BamHI-A Rightward Frame 1 in Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Epithelial Malignancies

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with a subset of both lymphoid and epithelial malignancies. During the EBV latency program, some viral products involved in the malignant transformation of infected cells are expressed. Among them, the BamHI-A rightward frame 1 (BARF1) is consistently...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBiology (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 9; no. 12; p. 461
Main Authors Blanco, Rancés, Aguayo, Francisco
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 11.12.2020
MDPI
Subjects
Antigens
Apoptosis
BARF1
c-Myc protein
Cancer
Carcinogenesis
Carcinoma
Cell proliferation
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA methylation
DNA polymerase
epithelial carcinogenesis
Epstein-Barr virus
Gastric cancer
Gene expression
Genomes
Glycoproteins
H-Ras protein
Immune response
Infections
Kinases
Latency
Lymphocyte receptors
Lymphocytes B
Lymphoma
Mutation
Myc protein
Proteins
Review
Structure-function relationships
Telomerase reverse transcriptase
Transcription factors
Tumors
China
epithelial carcinogenesis
BARF1
Epstein–Barr virus
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Summary:Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with a subset of both lymphoid and epithelial malignancies. During the EBV latency program, some viral products involved in the malignant transformation of infected cells are expressed. Among them, the BamHI-A rightward frame 1 (BARF1) is consistently detected in nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) and EBV-associated gastric carcinomas (EBVaGCs) but is practically undetectable in B-cells and lymphomas. Although BARF1 is an early lytic gene, it is expressed during epithelial EBV latency, mainly as a secreted protein (sBARF1). The capacity of sBARF1 to disrupt both innate and adaptive host antiviral immune responses contributes to the immune escape of infected cells. Additionally, BARF1 increases cell proliferation, shows anti-apoptotic effects, and promotes an increased hTERT activity and tumor formation in nude mice cooperating with other host proteins such as c-Myc and H-ras. These facts allow for the consideration of BARF1 as a key protein for promoting EBV-associated epithelial tumors. In this review, we focus on structural and functional aspects of BARF1, such as mechanisms involved in epithelial carcinogenesis and its capacity to modulate the host immune response.
ISSN:2079-7737
2079-7737
DOI:10.3390/biology9120461