Chromosomal fragile site breakage by EBV-encoded EBNA1 at clustered repeats.

ABSTRACT: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic herpesvirus associated with several cancers of lymphocytic and epithelial origin^1-3. EBV encodes EBNA1, which binds to a cluster of 20 copies of an 18-base-pair palindromic sequence in the EBV genome^4-6. EBNA1 also associates with host chromosomes at non-sequence-specific sites⁷, thereby enabling viral persistence. Here we show that the sequence-specific DNA-binding domain of EBNA1 binds to a cluster of tandemly repeated copies of an EBV-like, 18-base-pair imperfect palindromic sequence encompassing a region of about 21 kilobases at human chromosome 11q23. In situ visualization of the repetitive EBNA1-binding site reveals aberrant structures on mitotic chromosomes characteristic of inherently fragile DNA. We demonstr

SUBMITTER: Li JSZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10328181 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature