An identification of a transforming region of Epstein-Barr viral DNA cannot be confirmed

We have analyzed Epstein-Barr viral DNA sequences in two cell lines HI-26-36 and HI-HFX. Stoerker et al. (J. Stoerker, J.E. Holliday, and R. Glaser (1983), Virology 129, 199-206) concluded that these cells were transformed by virus that arose as the result of marker rescue of a transformation-incompetent deletion mutant of EBV. We compared viral DNA sequences in prototype EBV strains with data presented in the Virology paper. Our findings are not consistent with the data of Stoerker et al. and indicate that the cell lines supplied to us did not arise by "marker rescue" but appear to contain the Jijoye viral genome.