Hippo signaling effectors YAP and TAZ induce Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) lytic reactivation through TEADs in epithelial cells

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Aug 2;17(8):e1009783. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009783. eCollection 2021 Aug.

Abstract

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) human herpesvirus is associated with B-cell and epithelial-cell malignancies, and both the latent and lytic forms of viral infection contribute to the development of EBV-associated tumors. Here we show that the Hippo signaling effectors, YAP and TAZ, promote lytic EBV reactivation in epithelial cells. The transcriptional co-activators YAP/TAZ (which are inhibited by Hippo signaling) interact with DNA-binding proteins, particularly TEADs, to induce transcription. We demonstrate that depletion of either YAP or TAZ inhibits the ability of phorbol ester (TPA) treatment, cellular differentiation or the EBV BRLF1 immediate-early (IE) protein to induce lytic EBV reactivation in oral keratinocytes, and show that over-expression of constitutively active forms of YAP and TAZ reactivate lytic EBV infection in conjunction with TEAD family members. Mechanistically, we find that YAP and TAZ interact with, and activate, the EBV BZLF1 immediate-early promoter. Furthermore, we demonstrate that YAP, TAZ, and TEAD family members are expressed at much higher levels in epithelial cell lines in comparison to B-cell lines, and find that EBV infection of oral keratinocytes increases the level of activated (dephosphorylated) YAP and TAZ. Finally, we have discovered that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a known YAP/TAZ activator that plays an important role in inflammation, induces EBV lytic reactivation in epithelial cells through a YAP/TAZ dependent mechanism. Together these results establish that YAP/TAZ are powerful inducers of the lytic form of EBV infection and suggest that the ability of EBV to enter latency in B cells at least partially reflects the extremely low levels of YAP/TAZ and TEADs in this cell type.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • B-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • B-Lymphocytes / virology
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / pathology
  • Epithelial Cells / virology*
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / metabolism
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / pathology
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / virology*
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / physiology*
  • Hippo Signaling Pathway
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Keratinocytes / metabolism
  • Keratinocytes / pathology
  • Keratinocytes / virology
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • TEA Domain Transcription Factors
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcriptional Coactivator with PDZ-Binding Motif Proteins
  • Virus Activation*
  • Virus Latency

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • TEA Domain Transcription Factors
  • TEAD1 protein, human
  • Transcription Factors
  • Transcriptional Coactivator with PDZ-Binding Motif Proteins
  • WWTR1 protein, human
  • YY1AP1 protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases