Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Isolation and Quantification of Epstein-Barr Virus from the P3HR1 Cell Line
Published on: September 28, 2022
Epigenetic Alterations in Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Diseases
Hans Helmut Niller1, Ferenc Banati2, Daniel Salamon3
1Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection causes significant epigenetic changes in both viral and host cell genomes. These viral-induced epigenetic alterations contribute to distinct cellular epigenotypes and disease development, particularly in cancers like Burkitt lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epigenetics
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection establishes distinct viral epigenotypes linked to gene expression.
- EBV proteins, such as Latent Membrane Proteins 1 and 2A, influence host cell DNA methyltransferases, altering both viral and cellular methylation patterns.
- EBV infection induces significant epigenetic modifications in host cells, leading to distinct cellular epigenotypes compared to uninfected cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epigenetic modifications in viral and cellular genomes upon Epstein-Barr virus infection.
- To characterize the distinct viral and cellular epigenotypes associated with EBV-driven malignancies.
- To explore the role of EBV-induced epigenetic alterations in the pathogenesis of EBV-associated cancers.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of viral and cellular genome methylation status in EBV-infected cells and tissues.
- Comparison of epigenotypes between different EBV-associated malignancies (Burkitt lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, EBV-associated gastric carcinoma) and lymphoblastoid cells.
- Assessment of DNA methyltransferase activity and histone mark distribution.
Main Results:
- EBV infection leads to tissue- and cell type-specific epigenetic modifications of viral genomes.
- Host cellular genomes undergo significant epigenetic alterations, including DNA hypermethylation in cancers like Burkitt lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and EBV-associated gastric carcinoma, with a tendency towards CpG island hypermethylation.
- EBV-associated gastric carcinoma exhibits unique hypermethylated genes, suggesting an EBV-specific epigenetic signature.
- In contrast, lymphoblastoid cells show massive genome-wide demethylation and altered heterochromatic histone marks.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic modifications are crucial in defining EBV latency and viral gene expression.
- EBV infection profoundly alters host cell epigenomes, contributing to distinct cellular epigenotypes and potentially driving oncogenesis.
- Further comprehensive epigenome analysis is needed to elucidate the similarities and differences in EBV-associated malignancies and clarify EBV's role in pathogenesis, especially in epithelial cancers.
More Related Videos
09:43An Efficient and Simple Method to Establish NK and T Cell Lines from Patients with Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection
Published on: March 30, 2018
08:44Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Epigenetic Regulation
Cytomegalovirus Disease
Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers