Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1996 Jan;70(1):623–627. doi: 10.1128/jvi.70.1.623-627.1996

Transcription start sites downstream of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) Fp promoter in early-passage Burkitt lymphoma cells define a fourth promoter for expression of the EBV EBNA-1 protein.

C Nonkwelo 1, J Skinner 1, A Bell 1, A Rickinson 1, J Sample 1
PMCID: PMC189856  PMID: 8523583

Abstract

In Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B lymphoblastoid and many Burkitt lymphoma cell lines, the EBV EBNA-1 protein is one of six viral nuclear antigens expressed from a common transcription unit under the control of one of two promoters, Wp or Cp. In contrast, EBNA-1 is the only EBV nuclear antigen expressed in Burkitt and other EBV-positive tumors. We previously identified a promoter of EBNA-1 transcription, designated Fp, in early-passage Mutu Burkitt tumor cells, and this promoter is also active in long-term Mutu and Akata Burkitt cell lines which maintain the exclusive expression of EBNA-1 characteristic of the tumor. However, transcription initiation within Fp reporter gene plasmids in EBV-negative cells occurs at positions 100 to 200 bases downstream of the Fp start site in the BamHI-Q restriction fragment. Here we demonstrate that transcription initiation within newly established Burkitt lymphoma cell lines is consistent with the transcription initiation we observed in reporter plasmids. Furthermore, previous observations of transcription from Fp to generate EBNA-1 transcripts can be attributed to lytic-cycle gene expression. These data, in conjunction with our previous characterization of promoter regulatory elements, define a fourth EBNA-1 promoter, Qp, that is active in latently infected Burkitt tumor cells.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (264.3 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bodescot M., Perricaudet M., Farrell P. J. A promoter for the highly spliced EBNA family of RNAs of Epstein-Barr virus. J Virol. 1987 Nov;61(11):3424–3430. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.11.3424-3430.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chen C. L., Sadler R. H., Walling D. M., Su I. J., Hsieh H. C., Raab-Traub N. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) gene expression in EBV-positive peripheral T-cell lymphomas. J Virol. 1993 Oct;67(10):6303–6308. doi: 10.1128/jvi.67.10.6303-6308.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chen F., Zou J. Z., di Renzo L., Winberg G., Hu L. F., Klein E., Klein G., Ernberg I. A subpopulation of normal B cells latently infected with Epstein-Barr virus resembles Burkitt lymphoma cells in expressing EBNA-1 but not EBNA-2 or LMP1. J Virol. 1995 Jun;69(6):3752–3758. doi: 10.1128/jvi.69.6.3752-3758.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Deacon E. M., Pallesen G., Niedobitek G., Crocker J., Brooks L., Rickinson A. B., Young L. S. Epstein-Barr virus and Hodgkin's disease: transcriptional analysis of virus latency in the malignant cells. J Exp Med. 1993 Feb 1;177(2):339–349. doi: 10.1084/jem.177.2.339. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fåhraeus R., Fu H. L., Ernberg I., Finke J., Rowe M., Klein G., Falk K., Nilsson E., Yadav M., Busson P. Expression of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded proteins in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Int J Cancer. 1988 Sep 15;42(3):329–338. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910420305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gregory C. D., Rowe M., Rickinson A. B. Different Epstein-Barr virus-B cell interactions in phenotypically distinct clones of a Burkitt's lymphoma cell line. J Gen Virol. 1990 Jul;71(Pt 7):1481–1495. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-71-7-1481. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hitt M. M., Allday M. J., Hara T., Karran L., Jones M. D., Busson P., Tursz T., Ernberg I., Griffin B. E. EBV gene expression in an NPC-related tumour. EMBO J. 1989 Sep;8(9):2639–2651. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb08404.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kenney S., Kamine J., Holley-Guthrie E., Lin J. C., Mar E. C., Pagano J. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BZLF1 immediate-early gene product differentially affects latent versus productive EBV promoters. J Virol. 1989 Apr;63(4):1729–1736. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.4.1729-1736.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Khanna R., Burrows S. R., Kurilla M. G., Jacob C. A., Misko I. S., Sculley T. B., Kieff E., Moss D. J. Localization of Epstein-Barr virus cytotoxic T cell epitopes using recombinant vaccinia: implications for vaccine development. J Exp Med. 1992 Jul 1;176(1):169–176. doi: 10.1084/jem.176.1.169. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lear A. L., Rowe M., Kurilla M. G., Lee S., Henderson S., Kieff E., Rickinson A. B. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 1 BamHI F promoter is activated on entry of EBV-transformed B cells into the lytic cycle. J Virol. 1992 Dec;66(12):7461–7468. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.12.7461-7468.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Murray R. J., Kurilla M. G., Brooks J. M., Thomas W. A., Rowe M., Kieff E., Rickinson A. B. Identification of target antigens for the human cytotoxic T cell response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV): implications for the immune control of EBV-positive malignancies. J Exp Med. 1992 Jul 1;176(1):157–168. doi: 10.1084/jem.176.1.157. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nonkwelo C., Henson E. B., Sample J. Characterization of the Epstein-Barr virus Fp promoter. Virology. 1995 Jan 10;206(1):183–195. doi: 10.1016/s0042-6822(95)80033-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Pallesen G., Hamilton-Dutoit S. J., Rowe M., Young L. S. Expression of Epstein-Barr virus latent gene products in tumour cells of Hodgkin's disease. Lancet. 1991 Feb 9;337(8737):320–322. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)90943-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rooney C. M., Rowe M., Wallace L. E., Rickinson A. B. Epstein-Barr virus-positive Burkitt's lymphoma cells not recognized by virus-specific T-cell surveillance. Nature. 1985 Oct 17;317(6038):629–631. doi: 10.1038/317629a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rowe D. T., Rowe M., Evan G. I., Wallace L. E., Farrell P. J., Rickinson A. B. Restricted expression of EBV latent genes and T-lymphocyte-detected membrane antigen in Burkitt's lymphoma cells. EMBO J. 1986 Oct;5(10):2599–2607. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04540.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sample J., Brooks L., Sample C., Young L., Rowe M., Gregory C., Rickinson A., Kieff E. Restricted Epstein-Barr virus protein expression in Burkitt lymphoma is due to a different Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 transcriptional initiation site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Jul 15;88(14):6343–6347. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.14.6343. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sample J., Henson E. B., Sample C. The Epstein-Barr virus nuclear protein 1 promoter active in type I latency is autoregulated. J Virol. 1992 Aug;66(8):4654–4661. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.8.4654-4661.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sample J., Hummel M., Braun D., Birkenbach M., Kieff E. Nucleotide sequences of mRNAs encoding Epstein-Barr virus nuclear proteins: a probable transcriptional initiation site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jul;83(14):5096–5100. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.14.5096. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Sample J., Kieff E. Transcription of the Epstein-Barr virus genome during latency in growth-transformed lymphocytes. J Virol. 1990 Apr;64(4):1667–1674. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.4.1667-1674.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sample J., Lancz G., Nonoyama M. Mapping of genes in BamHI fragment M of Epstein-Barr virus DNA that may determine the fate of viral infection. J Virol. 1986 Jan;57(1):145–154. doi: 10.1128/jvi.57.1.145-154.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schaefer B. C., Strominger J. L., Speck S. H. The Epstein-Barr virus BamHI F promoter is an early lytic promoter: lack of correlation with EBNA 1 gene transcription in group 1 Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines. J Virol. 1995 Aug;69(8):5039–5047. doi: 10.1128/jvi.69.8.5039-5047.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schaefer B. C., Woisetschlaeger M., Strominger J. L., Speck S. H. Exclusive expression of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 in Burkitt lymphoma arises from a third promoter, distinct from the promoters used in latently infected lymphocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Aug 1;88(15):6550–6554. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.15.6550. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sinclair A. J., Brimmell M., Farrell P. J. Reciprocal antagonism of steroid hormones and BZLF1 in switch between Epstein-Barr virus latent and productive cycle gene expression. J Virol. 1992 Jan;66(1):70–77. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.1.70-77.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Smith P. R., Griffin B. E. Differential expression of Epstein Barr viral transcripts for two proteins (TP1 and LMP) in lymphocyte and epithelial cells. Nucleic Acids Res. 1991 May 11;19(9):2435–2440. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.9.2435. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Smith P. R., Griffin B. E. Transcription of the Epstein-Barr virus gene EBNA-1 from different promoters in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and B-lymphoblastoid cells. J Virol. 1992 Feb;66(2):706–714. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.2.706-714.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Sung N. S., Wilson J., Davenport M., Sista N. D., Pagano J. S. Reciprocal regulation of the Epstein-Barr virus BamHI-F promoter by EBNA-1 and an E2F transcription factor. Mol Cell Biol. 1994 Nov;14(11):7144–7152. doi: 10.1128/mcb.14.11.7144. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Tierney R. J., Steven N., Young L. S., Rickinson A. B. Epstein-Barr virus latency in blood mononuclear cells: analysis of viral gene transcription during primary infection and in the carrier state. J Virol. 1994 Nov;68(11):7374–7385. doi: 10.1128/jvi.68.11.7374-7385.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Woisetschlaeger M., Yandava C. N., Furmanski L. A., Strominger J. L., Speck S. H. Promoter switching in Epstein-Barr virus during the initial stages of infection of B lymphocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Mar;87(5):1725–1729. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.5.1725. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Young L. S., Dawson C. W., Clark D., Rupani H., Busson P., Tursz T., Johnson A., Rickinson A. B. Epstein-Barr virus gene expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. J Gen Virol. 1988 May;69(Pt 5):1051–1065. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-69-5-1051. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES