The Role of Epstein-Barr virus encoded small RNAs (EBERs)

结果表明，eb病毒（EBV）编码的小rna （EBERs）对b淋巴细胞的生长转化不是必需的。我们通过使用Akata细胞系统生产大量eber删除的EBV来重新研究这个问题。虽然eber缺失病毒能有效感染B淋巴细胞，但其50%的转化剂量比eber阳性EBV低约100倍。然后，我们对EBER缺失病毒的基因组进行工程化，并在其原生位点重组了EBER基因，产生了重组病毒。合成的eber重组EBV表现出恢复的转化能力。此外，用eber缺失的EBV建立的淋巴母细胞细胞系的生长速度明显低于用野生型或eber重组的EBV建立的淋巴母细胞细胞系，当细胞密度较低时，这种生长速度的差异尤为突出。这些结果清楚地表明，EBERs通过增强转化淋巴细胞的生长潜能，显著促进B淋巴细胞的高效生长转化。

It was demonstrated that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) were nonessential for B-lymphocyte growth transformation. We revisited this issue by producing a large quantity of EBER-deleted EBV by using an Akata cell system. Although the EBER-deleted virus efficiently infected B lymphocytes, its 50% transforming dose was approximately 100-fold less than that of the EBER-positive EBV. We then engineered the genome of EBER-deleted virus and generated a recombinant virus with the EBER genes reconstituted at their native locus. The resultant EBER-reconstituted EBV exhibited restored transforming ability. In addition, lymphoblastoid cell lines established with the EBER-deleted EBV grew significantly more slowly than those established with wild-type or EBER-reconstituted EBV, and the difference between the growth rates was especially highlighted when the cells were plated at low cell densities. These results clearly demonstrate that EBERs significantly contribute to the efficient growth transformation of B lymphocytes by enhancing the growth potential of transformed lymphocytes.