Antigens and DNA of a chimpanzee agent related to Epstein-Barr virus

Abstract

Biological and biochemical studies of the herpesvirus of chimpanzees previously demonstrated to be antigenically related to human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) indicated that the agent is similar to EBV in that: (i) leukocyte culture of chimpanzees whose sera contained antibody against EBV capsid antigen could yield long-term lymphoblastoid cell lines (Ch-LCL) with B-cell characteristics; (ii) the DNA of Ch-LCL contained sequences homologous to approximately 35 to 45% of human EBV; (iii) Ch-LCL contained an intranuclear antigen, Ch-NA, that could be identified with some chimpanzee or orangutan serum in anticomplimentary immunofluorescence assays; and (iv) treatment of Ch-LCL with iododeoxyuridine resulted in expression of new antigenic activity that reacted with EA+ but not EA- human sera. Two lines of evidence indicate that the chimpanzee agent, although related to human EBV, is a distinct agent: (i) Ch-NA was antigenically distinct from EBV-rebv infection although it cross-reacts of a limited extent with a minor component of EBNA; and (ii) Ch-LCL are missing 55 to 65% of the DNA sequences of human EBV.