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Expression And Function Of Zebra: The Epstein-Barr Viral Replication Activator, Naomi Taylor

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encodes a protein, ZEBRA, which enables the virus to switch from a latent to a lytic life cycle. ZEBRA expression was studied in lymphoid cells harboring either standard virus or a mixture of standard and defective viruses. ZEBRA protein could not be detected in cells latently infected with standard EBV but was constitutively expressed in cells containing both defective and standard EBV genomes. Experiments indicated that regulation of transcription of the ZEBRA gene (BZLF1) is a pivotal event in the control of EBV replication. ZEBRA specific BZLF1 transcripts were spontaneously expressed in cells harboring defective virus but …