Table 1.
EBV-based molecular targets for development of EBV vaccine.
| EBV Phase | Antigen/Gene | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Early - pre-latency | Zta | Transcriptional regulator |
| Rta | Activator of the switch from latency to lytic cycle in B-cells |
|
| EBNA2 | Activation and stimulation of B-cell proliferation |
|
| EBHRF1 | Prevents host cell apoptosis and acts as Bcl-2 homolog |
|
| EBNA-LP | EBNA2 co-activator and upregulated LMP1 |
|
| Latency phases | LMP1 | Acts as homologus CD40 and active TNF receptor |
| LMP2A or 2B | Transmembrane proteins that mimic activated B-cell receptor |
|
| EBNA1 | Impairs MHC-I antigen presentation | |
| Lytic | Divided in immediate, early and late lytic proteins |
Working towards the goal of EBV-positive cell proliferation |
| EBV glycoproteins | gp350 | Viral attachment to CD21 or CD35 of B-cells |
| gB | Fusion protein | |
| gp42 | Regulators of fusion | |
| gHgL |
EBV – Epstein-Barr virus, Zta – BamHI Z Epstein-Barr replication activator coded by BZLF1 gene, Rta – R transactivator coded by BRLF1 gene, EBNA2 – Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 2, which upregulates viral expression of latent genes (LMP1 and LMP2A/B) and host cell gene expression (coding CD21, and MYC), BHRF1 – apoptosis regulator BHRF1 coded by the homonymous gene, which prevents host cell death, EBNA-LP – Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen leader protein, LMP1 – latent membrane protein 1 coded by the homonymous gene, which activates immune response signaling pathways (NF-κ-B family) and prevents apopotosis, TNF – tumor necrosis factor, LMP2A or 2B – latent membrane proteins 2A or 2B acting as activated B-cell receptor, gp – glycoprotein.