Transcriptional activation by EBV nuclear antigen 1 is essential for the expression of EBV's transforming genes.
EBV is a paradigm for human tumor viruses because, although it infects most people benignly, it also can cause a variety of cancers. Both in vivo and in vitro, EBV infects B lymphocytes in G0, induces them to become blasts, and can maintain their proliferation in cell culture or in vivo as tumors. How EBV succeeds in these contrasting cellular environments in expressing its genes that control the host has not been explained. We have genetically dissected the EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) gene that is required for replication of the viral genome, to elucidate its possible role in the transcription of viral genes. Strikingly, EBNA1 is essential to drive transcription of EBV's transforming genes after infection of primary B lymphocytes.
Altmann
Markus
M
Department of Gene Vectors, GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Marchioninistrasse 25, 81377 München, Germany.
Pich
Dagmar
D
Ruiss
Romana
R
Wang
Jindong
J
Sugden
Bill
B
Hammerschmidt
Wolfgang
W
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C417029:EBV-encoded nuclear antigen 1