Physical and functional interactions between STAT3 and Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-encoded LANA

The Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-encoded latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) is known to modulate viral and cellular gene expression. We show that LANA directly associates with an interleukin-6 signal transducer, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and that LANA enhances the transcriptional activity of STAT3. Coimmunoprecipitation studies documented a physical interaction between LANA and STAT3 in transiently transfected 293T cells as well as the KSHV-infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cell line. Furthermore, small-interfering RNA-mediated reduction of LANA expression decreased the STAT3-dependent transcription in KSHV-positive PEL cells, whereas overexpression of LANA enhanced STAT3 activity in KSHV-negative B lymphoma cells. These data demonstrate that LANA is a transcriptional co-activator of STAT3, and may have implications for the pathogenesis of KSHV-associated diseases.