Viral Pathogenesis and Persistence of Epstein-Barr Virus (II)
Immunocompetent individuals remain EBV in B lymphocytes as a latent chronic infection which helps them survive and spread to new host cells. This long coexistence is possible because the virus develops different mechanisms to evade the immune system. During the acute phase the virus expresses gene products of about 90 while in the latent phase antigens are expressed only EBNA and LPM2 (EBNA 1,2,3 A, 3B, 3C and the LPM associated with cell transformation 2b Ay 1.2 ).
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EBNA1 is required for that automantenga DNA in lymphocytes that are activated and allows the virus to remain LPM2 limiting latent gene expression in the membrane. This minimal expression of the repertoire of viral proteins allows the virus to minimize the number of targets for the immune system. (more…)
