Immortalization of monkey epithelial cells by specific fragments of Epstein–Barr virus DNA

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is unique among the DNA tumour viruses by virtue of its association with two human malignancies, Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the former a tumour of B lymphocytes and the latter encompassing low-differentiated epithelial cells of the nasopharynx1–4. A viral gene product has not been definitively linked to these malignant diseases, although an EBV nuclear antigen(s) (EBNA) seems to be ubiquitous in EBV infected cells; indeed, the detection of EBNA by immunofluorescence is often taken as an indication of the presence of the viral genome5,6. As part of a study to investigate which part of the EBV genome is responsible for transformation and whether the same mechanism of cellular transformation is involved in the case of B lymphocytes and epithelial cells, we have tried to establish whether a detectable cellular alteration(s) can be induced in primate epithelial cells by the presence of a specific region of the EBV genome. We report here that it can—the result is immortalization of the cells.