Wl. Marshall et al., Epstein-Barr virus encodes a novel homolog of the bcl-2 oncogene that inhibits apoptosis and associates with Bax and Bak, J VIROLOGY, 73(6), 1999, pp. 5181-5185
The sequenced gammaherpesviruses each contain a single viral bcl-2 homolog
(v-bcl-2) which may encode a protein that functions in preventing the apopt
otic death of virus-infected cells. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a gammaherpes
virus associated with several lymphoid and epithelial malignancies, encodes
the v-Bcl-2 homolog BHRF1. In this report the previously uncharacterized B
ALF1 open reading frame in EBV is identified as having significant sequence
similarity to other v-bcl-2 homologs and cellular bcl-2. Transfection of c
ells with a BALF1 cDNA conferred apoptosis resistance. Furthermore, a recom
binant green fluorescent protein-BALF1 fusion protein suppressed apoptosis
and associated with Bar and Bak These results indicate that EBV encodes a s
econd functional v-bcl-2.