26 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear oncoprotein EBNA3C is essential for B-cell transformation 27 and development of several B-cell lymphomas particularly those are generated in an immuno-28 compromised background. EBNA3C recruits ubiquitin-proteasome machinery for deregulating 29 multiple cellular oncoproteins and tumor suppressor proteins. Although EBNA3C is found to be 30 ubiquitinated at its N-terminal region and interacts with 20S proteasome, the viral protein is 31 surprisingly stable in growing B-lymphocytes. EBNA3C can also circumvent autophagy-lysosomal 32 mediated protein degradation and subsequent antigen presentation for T-cell recognition. Recently, 33 we have shown that EBNA3C enhances autophagy, which serve as a prerequisite for B-cell survival 34 particularly under growth deprivation conditions. We now demonstrate that proteasomal inhibition 35 by MG132 induces EBNA3C degradation both in EBV transformed B-lymphocytes and ectopic-36 expression systems. Interestingly, MG132 treatment promotes degradation of two EBNA3 family 37 oncoproteins -EBNA3A and EBNA3C, but not the viral tumor suppressor protein EBNA3B. EBNA3C 38 degradation induced by proteasomal inhibition is partially blocked when autophagy-lysosomal 39 pathway is inhibited. In response to proteasomal inhibition, EBNA3C is predominantly K63-linked 40 polyubiquitinated, colocalized with the autophagy-lsyosomal fraction in the cytoplasm and 41 participated within p62-LC3B complex, which facilitates autophagy-mediated degradation. We 42 further show that the degradation signal is present at the first 50 residues of the N-terminal region 43 of EBNA3C. Proteasomal inhibition reduces the colony formation ability of this important viral 44 oncoprotein, increases transcriptional activation of both latent and lytic gene expression and 45 induces viral reactivation from EBV transformed B-lymphocytes. Altogether, this study offers 46 rationale to use proteasome inhibitors as potential therapeutic strategy against multiple EBV 47 associated B-cell lymphomas, where EBNA3C is expressed. 48 49 50 3 | P a g e 51 Author Summary 52 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) establishes latent infection in B-lymphocytes and is associated with 53 a number of human malignancies, both of epithelial and lymphoid origin. EBV encoded EBNA3 54 family of nuclear latent antigens comprising of EBNA3A, EBNA3B, and EBNA3C are unique to 55 immunoblastic lymphomas. While EBNA3A and EBNA3C are involved in blocking many important 56 tumor suppressive mechanisms, EBNA3B exhibits tumor suppressive functions. Although EBNA3 57 proteins, in particular EBNA3C, interact with and employ different protein degradation machineries 58 to induce B-cell lymphomagenesis, these viral proteins are extremely stable in growing B-59 lymphocytes. To this end, we now demonstrate that proteasomal inhibition leads to specifically 60 degradation of oncogenic EBNA3A and EBNA3C proteins, whereas EBNA3B remains unaffected. 61 Upon proteasomal inhibition, EBNA3C degradation occurs via autophagy-lysosomal pathway, 62 thro...