EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS NUCLEAR ANTIGEN-2 AND LATENT MEMBRANE-PROTEIN INDEPENDENTLY TRANSACTIVATE P53 THROUGH INDUCTION OF NF-KAPPA-B ACTIVITY

B-cell immortalization by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is dependent on per manent control of the cellular processes which normally regulate cell division and apoptosis, functions possessed by p53 in a number of norm al cell types, In studies initiated to evaluate relationships between EBV latent genes and p53, p53 levels were found to increase approximat ely Ill-fold 4 to 5 days after EBV infection of purified resting human B cells; the induced p53 was transcriptionally active, Latent membran e protein 1 and, to a Lesser extent, EBV nuclear antigen 2 mediated th e increase in p53 levels via activation of the NF-kappa B transcriptio n factor.