Herpesvirus saimiri STP-A oncoprotein utilizes Src family protein tyrosine kinase and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors to elicit cellular signal transduction.

The saimiri transforming protein oncogene, called STP-A, of herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) subgroup A is not required for viral replication but is required for lymphoid cell immortalization in culture and lymphoma induction in primates. Here we report that STP-A interacts with cellular tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAF2 and TRAF6) and Src family protein tyrosine kinases (SF-PTKs) in a genetically and functionally separable manner and that each interaction constitutively elicits independent cellular signal transduction. The amino-terminal and central proline-rich motifs of STP-A were responsible for TRAF6 and TRAF2 interactions, respectively, and STP-A and TRAF6 interaction contributed to the majority of NF-kappaB activation, whereas STP-A and TRAF2 interaction played a minor role in NF-kappaB activation. On the other hand, interaction of STP-A with SF-PTKs through its SH2 binding motif effectively elicited AP-1 and NF-AT transcription factor activity. One cellular gene targeted by STP-A is intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), which participates in a wide range of inflammatory and immune responses. Both TRAF and SF-PTK signal transductions induced by STP-A were required for the marked increase of ICAM-1 expression. These results demonstrate that the viral oncogene STP-A independently targets two vital cellular signaling molecules and that these activities likely contribute to HVS-mediated lymphoid cell immortalization in culture and lymphoma induction in primates.