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Morphological transformation of human keratinocytes expressing the LMP gene of Epstein Barr virus

Nature volume 345, pages 447–449 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

THE association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been known for some time1,2, but the precise role of EBV in this cancer is poorly understood, due partly to the lack of an in vitro system for studying NPC cells and the effect of EBV on epithelial cells. Biopsies of NPC tumours have revealed expression of the EBV latent membrane protein (LMP) in 65% of cases3, suggesting that in at least some NPC tumours LMP may contribute to cell transformation. Here we address the question of the effect of LMP expression on epithelial cells. Transfection of an immortalized, non-tumorigenic keratinocyte cell line (RHEK-1) with the LMP gene causes a striking morphological transformation: the originally flat, polygonal colonies change to bundles of spindle-shaped cells that form multilayer foci, and cytokeratin expression is down-regulated. Our results suggest that LMP expression may be an important causal factor in the development of NPC.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Tumor Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Box 60400, S-104 01, Stockholm, Sweden

    Robin Fhraeus & George Klein

  2. Department of Medical Chemistry, Gothenburg University, S-400 33, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Lars Rymo

  3. Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA

    Johng S. Rhim

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  1. Robin Fhraeus
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  2. Lars Rymo
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  4. George Klein
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Fhraeus, R., Rymo, L., Rhim, J. et al. Morphological transformation of human keratinocytes expressing the LMP gene of Epstein Barr virus. Nature 345, 447–449 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/345447a0

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