Modulation of Cellular MicroRNA by HIV-1 in Burkitt Lymphoma Cells—A Pathway to Promoting Oncogenesis

Viruses and viral components have been shown to manipulate the expression of host microRNAs (miRNAs) to their advantage, and in some cases to play essential roles in cancer pathogenesis. Burkitt lymphoma (BL), a highly aggressive B-cell derived cancer, is significantly over-represented among people infected with HIV. This study adds to accumulating evidence demonstrating that the virus plays a direct role in promoting oncogenesis. A custom miRNA PCR was used to identify 32 miRNAs that were differently expressed in Burkitt lymphoma cells exposed to HIV-1, with a majority of these being associated with oncogenic processes. Of those, hsa-miR-200c-3p, a miRNA that plays a crucial role in cancer cell migration, was found to be significantly downregulated in both the array and in single-tube validation assays. Using an in vitro transwell system we found that this downregulation correlated with significantly enhanced migration of BL cells exposed to HIV-1. Furthermore, the expression of the ZEB1 and ZEB2 transcription factors, which are promotors of tumour invasion and metastasis, and which are direct targets of hsa-miR-200c-3p, were found to be enhanced in these cells. This study therefore identifies novel miRNAs as role players in the development of HIV-associated BL, with one of these miRNAs, hsa-miR-200c-3p, being a candidate for further clinical studies as a potential biomarker for prognosis in patients with Burkitt lymphoma, who are HIV positive.