EXPRESSION OF AN EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS EARLY ANTIGEN AND CELL FUSION

• Published in: Nippon Jibi Inkoka Gakkai Kaiho Vol. 92; no. 5; pp. 722 - 725
• Main Authors: FURUKAWA, MITSURU, KAMIDE, MICHIHIRO, KATO, CHIIKO, SAKASHITA, HIDEO, TAKESHITA, HAJIME, UMEDA, RYOZO
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Japan The Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan, Inc 1989
• Subjects: Antigens, Viral - analysis; Burkitt Lymphoma - immunology; Burkitt Lymphoma - pathology; Cell Fusion; EBV; Herpesvirus 4, Human - immunology; Humans; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - immunology; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - immunology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - pathology
• ISSN: 0030-6622; 1883-0854
• DOI: 10.3950/jibiinkoka.92.722

Superinfection of Raji cells with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) derived from P3HR-1 (P3H-EBV) leads to syncytium formation. Studies using inhibitors of DNA and protein synthesis suggest that the fusion-inducing factor belongs to the early antigen of virus-specified proteins. Induction of early antigen (EA) in Raji cells by using various chemicals also leads to syncytium formation. However, A2L/AH hybrid cells, which were prepared by fusion between epithelial cells of adenoid origin and lymphocytes transformed by B95-8 virus, could not be superinfected with P3H-EBV. But, the scyncytium formation was observed when EBV-EA was induced by chemicals in A2L/AH cells. It was considered that the synthesis of viral protein in superinfected Raji cells is essential for fusion and that the viral genes, inducible in Raji and A2L/AH cells by treatment with chemicals code for the necessary functions that lead to syncytia formation.