Pleiotropic expression of Epstein--Barr virus DNA in human epithelial cells.

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Abstract
Attempts were made to establish a system that can be used to study the association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with epithelial cells by transfecting human carcinoma cells with EBV DNA. Successful transfection was confirmed by the expression of EBV-specific early antigen (EA), virus capsid antigen and the presence of virus DNA. The transfecting preparation contained a mixture of EBV and cellular DNA extracted from 2 producer cell lines, P3HR-1 and AG-876. Virus DNA obtained from the P3HR-1 nontransforming, EA-inducing strain of EBV was lytically expressed in the epithelial tumor cells. The DNA derived from AG-876 cells, which produce a transforming, non-EA-inducing strain of EBV, also produced a lytic infection. [The availability of EBV-expressing epithelial cell lines should facilitate studies of the role of EBV in human nasopharyneal carcinoma.].