Heterogeneity of Epstein-Barr virus II. Induction of early antigens (EA) by complementation

Abstract

Cells of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-negative human B lymphoma lines BJA and Ramos were converted into EBV genome carriers by virus isolates from P3HR-1 and B 95-8 cells ( Fresen and zur Hausen, 1976). Cloning of P3HR-1 virus-converted BJA cells resulted in clones with two different Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA) patterns: a faint granular EBNA staining and clones with a brilliant EBNA expression ( Fresen et al., 1977 ). The latter always segregated EBNA-negative cells from which one EBNA-negative subclone (B1-28) was isolated. Induction of early antigens (EA) was studied by infecting parental lines (BJA and Ramos), converted lines (BJA-HR1K, BJA-B 95-8, Ramos-HR1K, Ramos-B 95-8), the BJA-HR1K clones A5 (faint granular EBNA expression) and B1-19 (brilliant EBNA expression), the EBNA-negative subclone B1-28, and Raji cells with EBV from P3HR-1 and B 95-8 cells, respectively. The following results were obtained: (1) EA induction by P3HR-1 virus is enhanced on the average 14-fold in EBV genome-harboring cells when compared to genome-negative lines. (2) B 95-8 virus induces EA only in P3HR-1 virus-converted cells and to a small extent also in Raji cells. A significant EA induction occurs in the A5 clone of BJA-HR1K, whereas the brilliantly EBNA-expressing B1-19 clone is not induced. B 95-8 virus-converted cells cannot be induced by B 95-8 virus. (3) EA induction following infection of EBV genome-carrying cells is directly proportional to the dilution of the infecting virus. In EBV genome-free cells, EA induction is reduced by the square of the dilution factor. These results imply that resident genomes complement superinfecting genomes in EA induction by EBV and that two different populations of genomes (present in P3HR-1 virus isolates) are required for EA induction following infection of B lymphoblasts.