EBV binds to lymphocytes of transgenic mice that express the human CR2 gene

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is unable to bind to or infect normal mouse lymphocytes. A construct containing the human complement receptor type 2 (CR2) gene, the receptor for EBV, was placed under the control of the IgH/c-fos enhancer/promoter and microinjected into single cell embryos. A total of five transgenic mouse lines were established and four expressed hCR2 mRNA. Flow cytometry and immunostaining revealed that approximately 15-30% of the lymphocytes from the thymus, spleen and lymph nodes expressed hCR2 protein on their surface and bound EBV. Despite this binding, less than 1% of the cells showed evidence that the virus was internalized or replicated. Transgenic mouse lymphocytes, expressing hCR2, could not be immortalized with EBV. It is concluded that the simple expression of hCR2 receptor on mouse lymphocytes is not sufficient for efficient infection.