title: Role of epigenetics in EBV regulation and pathogenesis.
abstract: Epigenetic modifications of the viral and host cell genomes regularly occur in EBV-associated lymphomas and carcinomas. The cell type-dependent usage of latent EBV promoters is determined by the cellular epigenetic machinery. Viral oncoproteins interact with the very same epigenetic regulators and alter the cellular epigenotype and gene-expression pattern: there are common gene sets hypermethylated in both EBV-positive and EBV-negative neoplasms of different histological types. A group of hypermethylated promoters may represent, however, a unique EBV-associated epigenetic signature in EBV-positive gastric carcinomas. By contrast, EBV-immortalized B-lymphoblastoid cell lines are characterized by genome-wide demethylation and loss and rearrangement of heterochromatic histone marks. Early steps of EBV infection may also contribute to reprogramming of the cellular epigenome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss Allee 11, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans Helmut
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Niller
authors.forename: Zsófia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tarnai
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Decsi
authors.forename: Adám
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zsedényi
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bánáti
authors.forename: Janos
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minarovits
mesh_terms: D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000821:virology
keywords: CpG island; DNA methylation; Polycomb repressor complex; epigenetic regulation; histone modification; hit and run oncogenesis; methylome; pioneer transcription factor; tumor suppressor