Development of cell systems to study viral gene transcription at the initial phase of Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Two infection systems have been introduced in order to study viral gene expression at the initial period of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection which leads to immortalization. The data indicate that major viral gene expression in tonsil lymphocytes at 2 days post-infection (p.i.) with EBV is very similar to that observed in latently infected cells. Both tonsil lymphocyte and BJAB cell (lymphoblastoid cells free of EBV genome) infection with EBV induced similar viral gene transcription. Twelve cDNA clones were prepared from poly(A) RNA of tonsil lymphocytes infected with EBV 2 days p.i. by hybridization with BamHI fragments of EBV DNA. Some cDNAs were derived from primary transcripts of the BamHI-WYHK region, suggestive of splicing of a large transcript. It is possible that a number of cDNA clones may be derived from cellular genes. The derivation of these cDNA clones is being studied.