Solubilization of the Epstein-Barr virus-determined nuclear antigen and its characterization as a DNA-binding protein

The Eptstein-Barr virus (EBV)-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) was solubilized from isolate nuclei of two EBV-transformed cell lines- Raji and AW-Ramos, by high-salt treatment. Its DNA-binding properties were studied by DNA-cellulose chromatography and a 51Cr release complement fixation assay. EBNA binds to both double-stranded and single-stranded calf thymus DNA, showing a higher affinity to double-stranded DNA. There was no detectable difference in the DNA binding of EBNA prepared from Raji and AW-Ramos cells.