Epstein-Barr virus encoded BARF1 gene regulates protooncogene bcl-2 expression through JNK/c-Jun signal pathway in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells
Abstract:Objective: To investigate the effect of Epstein-Barr virus encoded BARF1 gene on the activation of JNK/c-Jun signal pathway and bcl-2 expression in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Methods: Western blotting was applied to analyze the activation of JNK/c-Jun pathway and the expression of BCL-2 in BARF1-stably-expressing human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE1 (CNE1-BARF1) and the control of CNE1 cell transfected by pSG5 vector(CNE1SG). After blocked by the JNK special inhibitor SP600125, the activation of JNK/c-Jun and the expression of BCL-2 were also analyzed in CNE1-BARF1 cells. Results: Compared with the control CNE1-SG, the level of c-Jun and BCL-2 protein expression, and phosphorolization of JNK and c-Jun protein were significantly increased in CNE1-BARF1(P<0.05). The expression of c-Jun and BCL-2 protein were decreased after treated by inhibitor SP600125(P<0.05), and the level of c-Jun protein phosphorylation also decreased, but did not reach statistical significance(P>0.05). Conclusion: BARF1 could upregulate protooncogene bcl-2 expression through activating JNK/c-Jun signal pathway in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.
[Key words]EpsteinBarr virus; BARF1; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; JNK; cJun/AP1; bcl2