Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-2 (
EBNA-2) plays a key role in B-cell growth transformation by initiating and maintaining the proliferation of infected B-cells upon EBV infection
in vitro. EBNA-2 is one of the first viral genes expressed after virus infection.
By activating viral as well as cellular target genes EBNA-2 initiates the transcription of a cascade of primary and secondary target genes, which eventually govern the activation of the resting B-cell, cell cycle entry and proliferation of the growth transformed cells. The growth transformed B-cells exhibit a phenotype reminiscent of antigen activated B-cells.
In addition, EBNA-2's anti-apoptotic activities protect the infected B-cell. The multiple mechanisms by which EBNA-2 exerts its function are reflected by the association of EBNA-2 with several cellular and viral proteins as well as a rapidly growing spectrum of activated cellular target genes. The finding that EBNA-2 and activated Notch signalling both converge on the cellular DNA binding and repressor protein CBF1 has raised the question, to which extent the functions of both proteins overlap.
from Epstein-Barr Virus: Latency and TransformationFurther reading:Labels: Apoptotic activities, B-cell growth transformation, CBF1, Notch signalling