Sequence variation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BCRF1 in lymphomas in non-endemic areas of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

• DOI: 10.1007/s00705-014-2279-9
• Publication Date: 2014-11-14T15:16:16Z
• Authors: Lu Han; Lingling Sun; Zhenzhen Zhao; Yan Chao; Zhifu Sun; Hui Li; Bing Luo
• Keywords: Gammaherpesvirinae; Coding region

To characterize the sequence variation and the potential implication of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) oncogene in lymphoma, BamHI-C fragment rightward reading frame 1 (BCRF1) was sequenced in different types of EBV-positive lymphoma in northern China, and polymorphisms were compared with previous variation data from other malignancies. The dominate subtype of BCRF1 in EBV-positive lymphoma was the B95-8 prototype, and a mutation in the signal peptide was more strongly associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The high conservation of BCRF1 in EBV-positive lymphoma suggests its important role in maintaining the basic biological activity and immunosuppressive functions of the virus.