LMP-1 partially disrupts the BLIMP1α transcriptional program in GC B cells. (A) Genome-wide expression profiling revealed that BLIMP1α expression in GC B cells was followed by the up-regulation of 321 genes and the down-regulation of 654 genes. LMP-1 expression was followed by the up-regulation of 365 genes and the down-regulation of 1094 genes. A total of 230 genes were found to be concordantly regulated by LMP-1 and BLIMP1α. However, 57 genes were found to be down-regulated by BLIMP1α and up-regulated by LMP-1, or vice versa (B) Validation of genes from the microarray analysis. LMP-1 expression in GC B cells resulted in the up-regulation of a number of genes repressed by BLIMP1α, including CIITA, BCL2A1, RFX5, and CCL22. Both LMP-1 and BLIMP1α down-regulated CD20 and up-regulated HSPA1A.