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Zychlinska, M. ; Herrmann, H. ; Zimber-Strobl, U. ; Hammerschmidt, W.

Restricted expression of Epstein-Barr virus latent genes in murine B cells derived from embryonic stem cells.

PLoS ONE 3:e1996 (2008)
Publ. Version/Full Text Volltext DOI PMC
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Several human malignancies are associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and more than 95% of the adult human population carries this virus lifelong. EBV efficiently infects human B cells and persists in this cellular compartment latently. EBV-infected B cells become activated and growth transformed, express a characteristic set of viral latent genes, and acquire the status of proliferating lymphoblastoid cell lines in vitro. Because EBV infects only primate cells, it has not been possible to establish a model of infection in immunocompetent rodents. Such a model would be most desirable in order to study EBV's pathogenesis and latency in a suitable and amenable host. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We stably introduced recombinant EBV genomes into mouse embryonic stem cells and induced their differentiation to B cells in vitro to develop the desired model. In vitro differentiated murine B cells maintained the EBV genomes but expression of viral genes was restricted to the latent membrane proteins (LMPs). In contrast to human B cells, EBV's nuclear antigens (EBNAs) were not expressed detectably and growth transformed murine B cells did not arise in vitro. Aberrant splicing and premature termination of EBNA mRNAs most likely prevented the expression of EBNA genes required for B-cell transformation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that fundamental differences in gene regulation between mouse and man might block the route towards a tractable murine model for EBV.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Corresponding Author
ISSN (print) / ISBN 1932-6203
Journal PLoS ONE
Quellenangaben Volume: 3, Issue: 4, Pages: , Article Number: e1996 Supplement: ,
Publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publishing Place Lawrence, Kan.
Non-patent literature Publications
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Research Unit Gene Vector (AGV)