title: Identification of an Epstein-Barr virus-specific desoxyribonuclease gene using complementary DNA.
abstract: We have recently obtained 18 distinct cDNA clones representing different genes expressed in the early phase of EBV infection. One of them, c37, which is situated at the position 12907-122451 in the B95-8 viral genome, is shown here to code for a viral desoxyribonuclease [DNase]. Cell free translation of c37-selected messenger RNA yielded a protein of about 52 KDa which was immunoprecipitated by a high EA titer serum from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient. This protein showed a DNase activity which was resistant to high salt concentrations (150 to 300 mM KCl) and was specifically neutralized by EA positive serum. These properties are typical of the EBV-specific DNase activity that we recently described in chemically induced EBV-transformed lymphoid cells. The same results were obtained on cell-free translation of the native RNA synthesized in vitro from pGEM-37 plasmid containing the entire c37 cDNA sequence (1.53 Kb). These data indicate that the BGLF5 open reading frame contained in c37 encodes for the EBV-specific DNase.
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D005814:Genes, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases