Transcribed B lymphocyte genes and multiple sclerosis risk genes are underrepresented in Epstein-Barr Virus hypomethylated regions.

ABSTRACT: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection appears to be necessary for the development of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), although the specific mechanisms are unknown. More than 200 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are known to be associated with the risk of developing MS. About a quarter of these are also highly associated with proximal gene expression in B cells infected with EBV (lymphoblastoid cell lines-LCLs). The DNA of LCLs is hypomethylated compared with both uninfected and activated B cells. Since methylation can affect gene expression, and so cell differentiation and immune evasion, we hypothesised that EBV-driven hypomethylation may affect the interaction between EBV infection and MS. We interrogated an existing dataset comprising three individuals with whole-genome bisulfite sequencing

SUBMITTER: Ong LTC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7182534 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature