title: Expression and tumorigenicity of the Epstein-Barr virus BARF1 gene in human Louckes B-lymphocyte cell line.
abstract: We previously showed that the Epstein-Barr virus, which encodes the BARF1 gene, could transform rodent fibroblasts. In this work, the expression of the BARF1 gene was studied in the human Louckes B-lymphocyte cell line. Introduction of the BARF1 open reading frame under the control of the Mo-MuLV LTR promotor into nontumorigenic Louckes lymphoid cells led to the activation of the c-myc protooncogene and increased expression of the B-cell surface proteins, the transferrin receptor, CD21, and CD23. BARF1-expressing cells induced a diffuse lymphoma-like tumor in newborn rats treated with anti-thymocyte serum that was, however, transient and regressed after 3-4 weeks as the immune system recovered. The tumor induction was similar to that observed with lymphoid cell lines in vitro generated by infection with the B95-8 virus strain, in which lytic antigens are expressed at low levels. After long-term culture, Louckes cell clones lost expression of the BARF1 gene and were unable to induce tumors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire, Immuno-Virologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université Claude Bernard, Faculté de Médecine, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: M X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Decaussin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ooka
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma; D002460:Cell Line; D002999:Clone Cells; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015870:Gene Expression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D005814:Genes, Viral; D016259:Genes, myc; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus / Q000235:genetics; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017464:Receptors, Complement 3d / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017455:Receptors, IgE / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C086495:BARF1 protein, Human herpesvirus 4; D017464:Receptors, Complement 3d; D017455:Receptors, IgE; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014764:Viral Proteins