Differences in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) receptors expression on various human lymphoid targets and their significance...

This study was aimed at quantitating, by means of fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS), EBV binding to different types of target cells, and at learning about a possible relation between EBV receptor density and the fate of cell-surface bound virus. We used fluoresceinated virus preparations of two strains of EBV (B95-8: lymphocyte transforming strain; P3HR-1: non-transforming strain) to analyze quantitatively the expression and density of EBV receptors on different human lymphoid cell lines and on B lymphocytes from both EBV-seropositive and -seronegative donors. FACS analysis was also used as a tool to approximate the cell surface area of the different lymphoid cells examined. Our results indicate that: (a) after accounting for the difference in cell surface dimensios, the fluorescence intensity of EBV-bound Raji (a B line) cells was three to four times higher per unit area than that of EBV-bound fresh B lymphocytes from an EBV-seropositive donor; (b) Molt-4 (a T line) cells bound about 21-fold less P3HR-1 EBV and 6-fold less B95-8 EBV than Raji cells per unit area; (c) B lymphocytes from EBV-seronegative adult donors bound only about one third as much virus as B cells from seropositive individuals; (d) two B lymphocyte sub-populations can be identified in the peripheral blood in regard to their ability to bind EBV, regardless of the EBV antibody status of the donor; (e) the EBV receptor on Molt-4 cells appears structurally different from the one found on Raji cells since EBV binding to Molt-4 cells was not blocked by a monoclonal antibody (OKB7) specific to the complement receptor (CR2). Further, in contrast to Raji cells, Molt-4 expressed a differential binding activity for each of the two EBV strains used. Taken together, the important differences observed in regard to EBV attachment to various targets also appear to relate to the fate of cell-surface bound virus: i.e., virus penetration might be determined, at least in part, by the density of EBV receptors on the target cell surface; thus the receptor density may play a major role in viral infection.