KSHV vFLIP binds to IKK-γ to activate IKK

Abstract

When expressed in heterologous cells, the viral FLIP protein (vFLIP) of Kaposi's-sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has been reported both to block Fas-mediated apoptosis and to activate the NF-κB activation pathway by interaction with IκB kinase (IKK). In a yeast-two-hybrid screen, we identified IKKγ as an interacting partner of vFLIP. We expressed fragments of IKKγ in mammalian cells and bacteria, and identified the central CCR3/4 (amino acids 150-272) as the vFLIP binding region. To investigate the proteins interacting with vFLIP in a KSHV-infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL cell line, we immunoprecipitated vFLIP and identified four associated proteins by mass spectrometry: IKK components IKKα, β and γ, and the chaperone, Hsp90. Using gel filtration chromatography, we demonstrated that a single population of vFLIP in the cytoplasm of PEL cells co-eluted and co-precipitated with an activated IKK complex. An inhibitor of Hsp90, geldanamycin, inhibited IKK's kinase activity induced by vFLIP and killed PEL cells, suggesting that vFLIP activation of IKK contributes to PEL cell survival.