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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Establishment of Epstein-Barr Virus Growth-transformed Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines
Published on: November 8, 2011
Critical role of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-encoded RNA in efficient EBV-induced B-lymphocyte growth transformation
Misako Yajima1, Teru Kanda, Kenzo Takada
1Department of Tumor Virology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0815, Japan.
Abstract:
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.
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