Diversity of Epstein-Barr virus BamHI-A rightward transcripts and their expression patterns in lytic and latent infections.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BamHI-A rightward transcripts (BARTs; also designated complementary strand transcripts or CSTs) have been demonstrated to contain several splicing forms in EBV-infected cells. To date, however, little is known about the actual full-length splicing form and its functions. In the present study, we proved that six forms of BARTs were present in EBV-positive cell lines and various tissue specimens with different EBV infection patterns. Of the BART-encoded genes, mRNA of four major splicing forms, including BARF0, RPMS1, RPMS1A and A73, were expressed in all EBV-infected cells. On the other hand, mRNA of two minor splicing forms, RK-BARF0 and RB3, was rarely detected, or if at all, at very low expression levels. Both RPMS1A and RPMS1 mRNA was transcribed at higher levels in EBV-infected cells. In particular, RPMS1 mRNA was expressed abundantly in epithelial carcinoma cells, including gastric carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, in association with a lytic infection signal, BZLF1 mRNA. The four major splicing forms were expressed much less in B-cell lines with an integrated EBV genome than in those with episomal EBV genomes. These data indicate that at least six splicing forms can be expressed by EBV-infected cells or tissues, although the expression patterns or levels differ for different infection states such as lytic and latent infections.
Department of Dermatology, Kawasaki Hospital, Kawasaki Medical School, 2-1-80 Nakasange, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8505, Japan.|Department of Dermatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Takenobu
T
Yamamoto
Department of Dermatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Keiji
K
Iwatsuki
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000821:virology; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000821:virology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral