Epstein-Barr virus and human chromosomes: close association of the resident viral genome and the expression of the virus-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) with the presence of chromosome 14 in human-mouse hybrid cells.

Fourteen hybrid clones derived from the fused cultures of human lymphoblastoid FV5 cells and 5-bromodeoxyuridine-resistant mouse fibroblastic MCB2 cells grown in hypoxanthine/aminopterin/thymidine selective medium were examined for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA, the expression of the virus-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA), and the presence of human chromosomes, in the course of serial passage in vitro. Among the hybrid clones tested, 3 were positive for EBV DNA and EBNA, whereas the remaining 11 were totally negative. The chromosome investigations showed that human chromosome 14 was consistently involved in all three EBV genome-positive and EBNA-positive hybrid clones, but not in any negative clones. In 10 subclones isolated from 1 of the 3 positive clones, all of which contained only chromosome 14 of the human chromosomes, a concordant segregation of EBNA, EBA DNA, and chromosome 14 was evident. These findings suggest that the resident EBV genome is closely associated with chromosome 14 and the presence of this particular chromosome alone is sufficient for the maintenance and the expression of EBV genetic information in human lymphoblastoid cells.