Defining the role of plasma cells in the establishment of KSHV infection in human tonsil

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Abstract/Project Summary Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic human herpesvirus, which causes Kaposi sarcoma (KS) as well as B cell lymphoproliferative disorders in the absence of adequate immune control. KSHV- associated tumors are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant patients and individuals with HIV- disease. The oral cavity is an important site for KSHV biology because saliva is believed to be the primary mode of person-to-person transmission for the virus. The tonsil and other oral lymphoid tissues represent a logical anatomical site for early infection events because they are in contact with saliva and are rich in target cell types for KSHV infection including endothelial cells and B lymphocytes. Despite this, the biology of KSHV in the human tonsil remains poorly understood. We have developed an extensive library of human tonsil specimens and a robust ex vivo infection model KSHV in tonsil-derived lymphocytes. Using these tools, we have recently discovered that mature plasma cells are highly targeted early in KSHV infection and that KSHV-infected plasma cells display a mixture of latent and lytic infection cycles. The current proposal will test several hypotheses: (1) plasma cell infection serves as an amplification step which is important for the overall establishment of infection in tonsil lymphocytes, (2) the KSHV-encoded cytokine vIL-6 is critical for establishment of KSHV infection in lymphocytes via manipulation of plasma cell biology and (3) the T cell-derived cellular cytokine IL-21 supports KSHV dissemination by driving differentiation of plasma cells, and can partially replace the function of vIL-6 in early infection. The results of this research will provide critical mechanistic details that will enhance our understanding of early events in KSHV transmission and the establishment of KSHV infection in the lymphocyte compartment.