title: Spontaneous loss of viral episomes accompanying Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in a Burkitt's lymphoma cell line.
abstract: Life-long viral persistence is a hallmark of human herpesvirus infection. In the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell line, Mutu, spontaneous loss of all viral episomes accompanied productive viral DNA replication. The molecular configuration of intracellular EBV DNA evolved from monoclonal episomes in cells retaining the original tumor phenotype to predominantly replicating linear DNA and, subsequently, only integrated forms in BL cells that had acquired the lymphoblastoid cell phenotype. Transient appearance of deleted, rearranged WZhet EBV DNA capable of disrupting viral latency, along with the integration of viral DNA into human chromosomes, indicates a genetic instability in the host cell which, if duplicated in vivo, may affect configuration and persistence of the viral genome in expanding malignant cell clones.
authors.affiliation: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and Department of Pathology, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis 38105-2729, USA.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Srinivas
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Sample
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sixbey
mesh_terms: D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010957:Plasmids; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000032:analysis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014764:Viral Proteins; D014775:Virus Activation; D016662:Virus Integration
chemical_list: C063676:BZLF1 protein, Herpesvirus 4, Human; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014764:Viral Proteins