Early and sustained expression of latent and host modulating genes in coordinated transcriptional program of KSHV productive primary infection of human primary endothelial cells

• Published in: Virology (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2005-12, Vol.343 (1), p.47-64
• Main Authors: Yoo, Seung Min, Zhou, Fu-Chun, Ye, Feng-Chun, Pan, Hong-Yi, Gao, Shou-Jiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Cell Division; endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells - virology; Endothelium, Vascular - cytology; Endothelium, Vascular - virology; Gene Expression Profiling; gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; Genes, Immediate-Early; Herpesvirus 8, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 8, Human - physiology; Human herpesvirus 8; Humans; Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus; KSHV; nucleotide sequences; Primary endothelial cells; Primary infection; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reverse-transcription real-time quantitative PCR; RNA, Messenger - analysis; RNA, Viral - analysis; Time Factors; transcription (genetics); Transcription program; Transcription, Genetic; Viral Nonstructural Proteins - genetics; viral proteins; Viral Structural Proteins - genetics; Virus Replication
• ISSN: 0042-6822; 1096-0341
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2005.08.018

Coordinated expression of viral genes in primary infection is essential for successful infection of host cells. We examined the expression profiles of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) transcripts in productive primary infection of primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells by whole-genome reverse-transcription real-time quantitative PCR. The latent transcripts were expressed early and sustained at high levels throughout the infection while the lytic transcripts were expressed in the order of immediate early, early, and lytic transcripts, all of which culminated before the production of infectious virions. Significantly, transcripts encoding genes with host modulating functions, including mitogenic and cell cycle-regulatory, immune-modulating, and anti-apoptotic genes, were expressed before those encoding viral structure and replication genes, and sustained at high levels throughout the infection, suggesting KSHV manipulation of host environment to facilitate infection. The KSHV transcriptional program in a primary infection defined in this study should provide a basis for further investigation of virus–cell interactions.