Characterization of CSF2A fusion gene and its effect on Epstein–Barr virus–positive tumor cells

We build the latent membrane protein gene latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) and the granulocyte‐macrophase colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) gene fusion gene (CSF2A) and discuss how the CSF2A fusion protein influenced the proliferation and apoptosis of Epstein–Barr virus–positive (EBV + ) tumor cells. Reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) method was used to amplify the LMP2A gene and GM‐CSF gene fragments, respectively, according to the principle of overlap extension in the coding (Gly4Ser) 3 polypeptide gene fragments of DNA restructured under the connection. The CSF2A gene could be connected with the pIRES2‐enhanced green fluorescent protein vector by recombinant DNA technology and identified by enzyme electrophoresis analysis and DNA sequencing. Then, the recombinant vector was transfected into dendritic cells (DCs); RT‐PCR and Western blot analysis were used for testing the CSF2A gene messenger RNA and protein expression. The impacts of CSF2A on the proliferation and apoptosis of EBV + tumor cells were determined by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Hochest 33342 staining. We successfully obtained the recombinant vector named pIRES2‐CSF2A. The expression of CSF2A could be detected by transfecting pIRES2‐CSF2A into DCs. The DCs were cocultured with T lymphocytes and then acted on the EBV + CNE2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. MTT assay showed that the inhibiting effect of CSF2A obviously increased and the time dependency (** P < 0.01, * P < 0.05) also existed. Hochest 33342 staining showed apoptosis morphological changes of cells in nucleus staining and generated the apoptotic body. Apoptosis cells of the pIRES2‐CSF2A group increased significantly at 48 hours. The results showed that the pIRES2‐CSF2A recombinant vector was effectively transfected into DCs and the fusion gene CSF2A could promote EBV + CNE2 cell apoptosis, laying the foundation for the specificity of EBV + tumor targeting immune gene therapy in the future.