DNA of lymphoma‐associated herpesvirus (HVMF1) in SIV‐infected monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) shows homologies to EBNA‐1, ‐2 and ‐5 genes

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Abstract
We have characterized a new Epstein‐Barr‐virus(EBV)‐like herpesvirus associated with lymphomas of SIV‐infected cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis) monkeys and propose that this virus is designated herpesvirus macaca fascicularis I (HVMFI). Genomic regions in HVMFI of potential significance for tumor pathogenesis were analyzed by Southern blotting, PCR and sequencing, and compared with human EBV DNA. Virus from 7 SIV‐associated lymphomas and one lymphoma‐derived cell line were shown to share homology with the EBNAI‐ and EBNA2‐coding regions of EBV, while some homology to EBV‐LMPI was detectable only at low‐stringency hybridization. Homologous regions to the long internal repeat (IRI; BamHI W), the EBERI and 2 and the latent origin of DNA replication (oriP) could also be demonstrated in HVMFI. These coding regions, except IRI, showed restriction‐enzyme maps different from those of EBV. Sequencing of the EBNA5 homologous region of HVMFI DNA, corresponding to exons W1 and W2, showed 65% homology to the EBV exons W1 and W2, and 80% to the whole region including the intron. Since EBNA5 has been reported to bind tumor‐suppressor proteins p53 and Rb in vitro, the HVMFI homology could be important for the lymphomagenic capacity of this monkey herpesvirus.

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