Genetic diversity of the Epstein–Barr virus: a modern view of the problem

Abstract

In general, the characteristic of the genetic diversity of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) underlies the study of pathogenesis, targeted development of laboratory diagnostic methods, vaccines, specific therapy for associated diseases, improving the system of epidemiological surveillance of EBV infection, as well as further detailing the taxonomy and virus classification. The purpose of this review is to summarize and analyze the literature data on the genetic diversity of EBV for the prospective development of the methodology of molecular research in clinical practice and epidemiological surveillance of EBV-associated diseases. The work was carried out based on an analysis of publications in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, eLibrary databases. Special attention was focused on the studies in Russia. It has been shown that approaches based on the analysis of nucleotide and amino acid variability of individual EBV genes or their regions have been used for several decades. However, there is no single, unified system that takes into account the entire genetic diversity of EBV, and the strengths and weaknesses of both earlier and modern classifications. Most publications are devoted to the study of the LMP-1 oncogene. With the development of whole genome sequencing technologies, the search for genovariants and subtypes of EBV has resumed. It is demonstrated that despite the dynamic development of this area, the conclusions of researchers are still based on a relatively small number of genomes sequenced with variable quality, analyzed using different bioinformatic strategies, with an unequal sample in terms of geographical origin. Moreover, some nosological forms of EBV-associated diseases, geographical areas and ethnic groups remain uncharacterized. The development and optimization of methodological approaches based on whole genome sequencing and sequencing of a specific set of genes will contribute to the expansion of existing ideas about the genetic diversity of EBV throughout the world, its relationship with diseases and, possibly, the clinical features of their course, and the improvement of epidemiological surveillance of EBV infection.