Isolation of Epstein Barr-virus and studies of its neutralization by human IgG and complement

An isolation procedure for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) that yields substantial quantities of purified infectious virus is described. The transforming strain of EBV was obtained from the marmoset lymphoma cell line B95-8 after stimulation with the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Purification was achieved by dextran density gradient ultracentrifugation in the presence of bacitracin, which was included to prevent viral aggregation. When assayed in cord blood leukocytes, isolated EBV stimulated DNA synthesis and induced the formation of colonies of transformed cells. The yield of infectious virus as determined by these assays was 13 to 29%. Electron microscopic (EM) examination of negatively stained virions revealed the presence of 115-nm spherical enveloped particles containing an internal 55-nm ring-shaped nucleoid. Interactions between 3H-thymidine labeled EBV, IgG and complement (C) were examined by rate zonal ultracentrifugation. High concentrations of immune IgG aggregated the virus whereas IgG together with C induced lysis as demonstrated by release of labeled EBV nucleic acid. EM studies of the IgG and C mixtures performed in parallel revealed accumulation of protein on the viral envelope, progressive separation of the envelope from the nucleocapsid, and disintegration of the nucleoid. Approximately 25-fold less IgG was required for neutralization than for viral aggregation. Although C did not enhance the IgG dependent neutralization, physiologic concentrations of C in normal nonimmune human serum also inactivated the virus.