J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 263, Issue 21, 10041-10044, Jul, 1988

Human lymphocytes produce pro-opiomelanocortin gene-related transcripts. Effects of lymphotropic viruses

EL Oates, GP Allaway, GR Armstrong, RA Boyajian, JH Kehrl and BS Prabhakar
Laboratory of Oral Medicine, National Institute of Dental Research, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.

Expression of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene was examined in normal human lymphocytes and lymphocyte cell lines infected by lymphotropic viruses. POMC gene transcripts were detected in human lymphocytes using stringent RNA-RNA hybridizations. Low transcript levels were found in normal phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in tonsillar T and B cells. The highest levels were found in cells infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). However, T cell lines infected with human T lymphotropic viruses did not have increased levels of transcripts. The transcript levels in an EBV-transformed B lymphocyte line were not affected by dexamethasone or corticotropin-releasing hormone, known regulators of anterior pituitary POMC gene expression. Therefore, it is possible that EBV infections could result in abnormal POMC expression.
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