A Single Amino Acid in EBNA-2 Determines Superior B Lymphoblastoid Cell Line Growth Maintenance by Epstein-Barr Virus Type 1 EBNA-2

Abstract

The EBNA-2 transcription factor plays a key role in B cell transformation by EBV and defines the two EBV types. Here we identify a single amino acid (Ser in type 1 EBV, Asp in type 2 EBV) of EBNA-2 that determines the superior ability of type 1 EBNA-2 to induce a key group of cell genes and the EBV LMP-1 gene, which mediate the growth advantage of B cells infected with type 1 EBV. The EBNA-2 binding sites in these cell genes have a sequence motif similar to the sequence known to mediate regulation of the EBV LMP-1 promoter. Further detailed analysis of transactivation and promoter binding provides new insight into the physiological regulation of cell genes by EBNA-2.