Lymphoid hyperplasia and lymphoma in transgenic mice expressing the small non-coding RNA, EBER1 of Epstein-Barr virus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Non-coding RNAs have critical functions in diverse biological processes, particularly in gene regulation. Viruses, like their host cells, employ such functional RNAs and the human cancer associated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is no exception. Nearly all EBV associated tumours express the EBV small, non-coding RNAs (EBERs) 1 and 2, however their role in viral pathogenesis remains largely obscure.

Methodology/principal findings

To investigate the action of EBER1 in vivo, we produced ten transgenic mouse lines expressing EBER1 in the lymphoid compartment using the mouse immunoglobulin heavy chain intronic enhancer Emicro. Mice of several of these EmicroEBER1 lines developed lymphoid hyperplasia which in some cases proceeded to B cell malignancy. The hallmark of the tran

SUBMITTER: Repellin CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2817001 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature