Viral Interferon Regulatory Factor 1 of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Interacts with a Translocation Liposarcoma Protein-Associated Serine-Arginine Protein

OBJECTIVES: To confirm that Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus openreading frame K9, viral interferon regulatory factor 1 (vIRF1), interacts with splicing factor, translocation liposarcoma protein-associated serine-arginine protein (TASR), in vivo and to establish whether interactions between vIRF1 and TASRs influence alternative splicing. METHODS: Association between vIRF1 and TASRs was confirmed with the glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay and coimmunoprecipitation. Further colocalization was shown by immunofluorescence. The in vivo splicing assay was performed to confirm the alterations in the splicing pattern. RESULTS: vIRF1 interacts with both TASR1 and 2 in vivo. vIRF1 has been shown to colocalize with TASR proteins in 293 T cells. However, an in vivo splicing revealed no alterations in the splicing pattern via interaction. CONCLUSIONS: The study data suggest that vIRF1 interacts with the TASR protein. However, vIRF1 interactions do not affect TASR-mediated alternative splicing.