title: Transcription of BamHI-A region of the EBV genome in NPC tissues and B cells.
abstract: Analysis by Northern blotting and sequencing of cDNA clones from a transcription library of a tumor biopsy from a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patient showed that the BamHI-A region of the Epstein-Barr virus genome is abundantly and regularly transcribed in tumor tissues from NPC patients. The transcription occurred in a rightward direction terminating between coordinates 160,965 and 160,995, where two polyadenylation sites are located. Rightward transcription of this region also occurred in B lymphoid cells harboring the viral genome, albeit at a lower level than in the tumor tissues. Differential splicing yields a family of related transcripts displaying at least four splicing patterns. Different promoters may be utilized, further contributing to the diversity of this family of transcripts. A 2.8-kb unspliced transcript present in B95-8 cells was probably initiated from a TATA box located in position 158,204, while the other transcripts may utilize other promoters localized to other regions. All the transcripts encompass a putative open reading frame, BARFO, which is predicted to encode a basic protein of about 20 kDa. It shares 40% colinear amino acid sequence homology with the DNA binding region of a transcription factor, ICP4, specified by herpes simplex virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lung
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Choy
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI / Q000378:metabolism; D016679:Genome, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012326:RNA Splicing; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C048925:herpes simplex virus, type 1 protein ICP4; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI