Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Establishment of Epstein-Barr Virus Growth-transformed Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines
Published on: November 8, 2011
Epstein-Barr-Virus-Induced One-Carbon Metabolism Drives B Cell Transformation
Liang Wei Wang1, Hongying Shen2, Luis Nobre3
1Graduate Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes Burkitt, Hodgkin, and post-transplant B cell lymphomas. How EBV remodels metabolic pathways to support rapid B cell outgrowth remains largely unknown. To gain insights, primary human B cells were profiled by tandem-mass-tag-based proteomics at rest and at nine time points after infection; >8,000 host and 29 viral proteins were quantified, revealing mitochondrial remodeling and induction of one-carbon (1C) metabolism. EBV-encoded EBNA2 and its target MYC were required for upregulation of the central mitochondrial 1C enzyme MTHFD2, which played key roles in EBV-driven B cell growth and survival. MTHFD2 was critical for maintaining elevated NADPH levels in infected cells, and oxidation of mitochondrial NADPH diminished B cell proliferation. Tracing studies underscored contributions of 1C to nucleotide synthesis, NADPH production, and redox defense. EBV upregulated import and synthesis of serine to augment 1C flux. Our results highlight EBV-induced 1C as a potential therapeutic target and provide a new paradigm for viral onco-metabolism.
Related Concept Videos
The Carbon Cycle
Bacterial Transformation
Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
What is Metabolism?
What are Viruses?
Energy to Drive Translocation
Generally, polypeptides are unfolded by two distinct...
Carbon Skeletons

