EBV Conference 2008 Guangzhou - Baylor College of Medicine

112 (RegID: 1802)
Suk Kyeong Lee
Institution: Catholic University Medical School
e-mail: sukklee@catholic.ac.kr
AN EBV INFECTED IN A NK/T CELL LINE HAS A 59.7-KILOBASE-PAIR DELETION WHICH
INCLUDES BART MIRNAS AND MAJORITY OF LYTIC GENES
Se Mo Jun, Won Seog Kim, Norio Shimizu, Yasuaki Harabuchi and Suk Kyeong Lee
Posterabstract:
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with variety of malignancies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21–24 nt
long small noncoding RNAs. They are involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation by binding to
3’UTR of target mRNAs. EBV encodes two groups of viral miRNAs: BHRF1 and BART miRNAs.
Previous reports show that BART miRNAs are expressed in all 3 latencies, while BHRF1 miRNAs are
expressed only in latency III. However, the function of these viral miRNAs is not yet clear. In this study,
we show that a latency II EBV-infected NK/T cell line contains a deletion between BamHI B and Nhet
fragment, which involves an approximately 59.7 kbp region. This region encodes majority of lytic genes
and entire BART miRNAs. Hence, none of the BART miRNA is expressed and the lytic cycle cannot be
induced unlike the other NK/T cell lines. This naturally derived EBV infected NK/T cell line with entire
BART miRNAs deletion may be useful for the functional study of EBV BART miRNAs.
EBV Conference 2008 Guangzhou
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