(PQ4) Role of HIV-induced PLK1 Activation in Regulation of gamma-Herpesvirus Reservoirs in Lymphocytes

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PROJECT SUMMARY Gammaherpesvirus infections are associated with a number of malignancies that include B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases, gastric carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Immunodeficient individuals such as HIV patients are more susceptible to γ -herpesviruses-associated cancers. It generally takes several months to years for cancer to arise after primary infection with the virus. This observation highlights the multistep process of carcinogenesis that could only be achieved by viral persistent infection. EBV and KSHV are γ - herpesviruses that establish latent infection in lymphoid cell, which is maintained for the rest of the host’s life. Intermittent reactivation of these viral reservoirs will lead to more viruses production and spreading. Although there are antiviral drugs that specifically target lytic replication of γ -herpesviruses, they do not eliminate those latent viruses that could serve as a risk factor for viral-associated cancers. Our group recently showed that HIV infection leads to activation of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a proto- oncogene, in B and T-cell lymphocytes. PLK1 is a serine/threonine kinase that controls G2-M cell cycle progression and is frequently overexpressed in wide range of cancers. Its inhibitors have been developed as promising cancer therapy. We further discovered that PLK1 is involved in both regulation of EBV/KSHV latency and survival of their cellular reservoirs in the host. Protein knockdown as well as chemical inhibition of PLK1 was able to reactivate latent EBV/KSHV and promote cell death of γ -herpesvirus-reactivated B lymphocytes. These results expose a new viral mechanism that can describe how co-infection of γ -herpesviruses renders HIV patients an increased risk to cancers, despite the fact that HIV itself is not oncogenic. Our investigations into this topic will be accomplished by three separate aims that include: (1) Investigation of molecular mechanism of PLK1 activation by HIV1 in EBV/KSHV-infected lymphocytes. (2) Investigation of how PLK1 regulates EBV/KSHV latency and maintenance of their cellular reservoirs. (3) Inhibition of PLK1 as novel means to eradicate EBV/KSHV persistent infection by eliminating their cellular reservoirs. Collectively, our proposed studies will contribute to the understanding of latency in HIV and gammaherpesviruses infections that underlie various viral-associated cancers. This project will also help to identify new molecular target for curing HIV and EBV/KSHV infections and their-related malignancies.