Transcription from BamHI A in NPC

Abstract

Recent studies have identified several EBV-specific transcripts in C15, an NPC passaged in nude mice^1,2. These transcripts include both of the EBER RNAs, two related transcripts encoding LMP and several RNAs transcribed rightward from BamHI A³. Early replicative messages were not detected in C15, suggesting that this tumor is latently infected; therefore, the viral RNAs expressed from BamHI A are latent transcripts. The detection of transcription from BamHI A in latently infected epithelial cells is interesting because this region has not previously been identified as being transcriptionally active in latently infected lymphoid cells either by Northern blot or in situ hybridization^4,5. This study investigates whether transcription from BamHI A is a consistent feature in NPC and attempts to determine whether these RNAs could possibly encode one or more viral antigens which are expressed in NPC.