A subpopulation of normal B cells latently infected with Epstein-Barr virus resembles Burkitt lymphoma cells in expressing EBNA-1 but not EBNA-2 or LMP1.
Using reverse transcription of whole cellular RNA and nested PCR, we have performed experiments mixing different proportions of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-carrying and EBV-negative cells. Based on the results, a method that detects viral transcripts for EBNA-1, EBNA-2, LMP1, and LMP2a from less than one positive cell among 10(5) negative cells was developed. With this method we have shown that the EBV DNA positive cells among small, high-density peripheral blood B-lymphocytes of normal healthy persons express EBNA-1-mRNA but not EBNA-2 or LMP1. A similar EBV expression pattern is found in type I Burkitt lymphoma cells. We suggest that the expression pattern in the lymphoma cells reflects the viral strategy in normal resting B cells and meets the requirements of latent persistence.
Chen
F
F
Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Zou
J Z
JZ
di Renzo
L
L
Winberg
G
G
Hu
L F
LF
Klein
E
E
Klein
G
G
Ernberg
I
I
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002144:Callithrix; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017735:Virus Latency
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins