Efficient expression of an Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen in Drosophila cells transfected with Epstein-Barr virus DNA.
In a search for exogenous promoters which function in cultured Drosophila cells, we have co-transfected a D. melanogaster cell line with an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) cosmid clone which encodes the Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA-1). Here we report that Drosophila cells containing stably integrated copies of EBNA-1 encoding DNA synthesise a polypeptide of mol. wt. identical to that of authentic EBNA-1, which is detectable with EBNA-positive but not EBNA-negative human serum. As in EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cells, this neo-antigen is associated with the nucleus of transfected cells suggesting that cellular localisation signals which operate in mammalian cells are also recognised in insect cells.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003360:Cosmids; D004261:DNA Replication; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens