The Epstein-Barr virus determined nuclear antigen is composed of at least three different antigens.
The EBV-determined nuclear antigen, EBNA, is the only known viral product to be regularly detected in all EBV-transformed cells. The anticomplement immunofluorescence (ACIF) staining detects an EBV-specific nuclear reaction that has recently been shown to be due to at least 2 different proteins, EBNA-1 and EBNA-2, encoded by different parts of the viral genome. We now report the existence of a third antigen of the EBNA complex, designated as EBNA-3. Serum from a patient with chronic infectious mononucleosis contained no detectable antibodies to EBNA-I and had only a low EBNA-2 antibody level. Nevertheless, it gave an EBV-specific nuclear reaction of normal intensity and stained EBNA-2-positive and EBNA-2-negative EBV-carrying lines equally well. Immunoblotting with the same serum identified a new EBV-specific nuclear protein of 143-157 kDa.
Dillner
J
J
Kallin
B
B
Ehlin-Henriksson
B
B
Rymo
L
L
Henle
W
W
Henle
G
G
Klein
G
G
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis*; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens