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Human herpesvirus KSHV encodes a constitutively active G-protein-coupled receptor linked to cell proliferation

Nature volume 385, pages 347–350 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, also known as human herpesvirus 8, or HHV 8) is a virus that is consistently present in Kaposi's sarcoma1,2 and in primary-effusion (body-cavity-based) lymphomas3, malignancies that occur frequently, but not exclusively, in AIDS patients. KSHV is a gamma herpes-virus with homology to herpesvirus Saimiri and Epstein-Barr virus1,4, both of which can transform lymphocytes5. Cloning of a KSHV genome fragment revealed the presence of an open reading frame encoding a putative G-protein-coupled receptor6 that is homologous to a G-protein-coupled receptor encoded by herpes-virus Saimiri7,8 and to human interleukin-8 receptors9,10. Here we show that the KSHV G-protein-coupled receptor is a bona fide signalling receptor which has constitutive (agonist-independent) activity in the phosphoinositide–inositoltrisphosphate–protein kinase C pathway. Furthermore, the KSHV G-protein-coupled receptor stimulates cellular proliferation, making it a candidate viral oncogene.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Cornell University Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, New York, 10021, USA

    Leandros Arvanitakis & Ethel Cesarman

  2. Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, New York, 10021, USA

    Elizabeth Geras-Raaka, Anjali Varma & Marvin C. Gershengorn

Authors
  1. Leandros Arvanitakis
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  2. Elizabeth Geras-Raaka
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  3. Anjali Varma
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  4. Marvin C. Gershengorn
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  5. Ethel Cesarman
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Arvanitakis, L., Geras-Raaka, E., Varma, A. et al. Human herpesvirus KSHV encodes a constitutively active G-protein-coupled receptor linked to cell proliferation. Nature 385, 347–350 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/385347a0

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