Abstract

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) exhibits considerable sequence heterogeneity among EBV isolates. Seven distinct EBV strains have been defined based on sequence polymorphisms in the LMP1 gene, which are designated China 1, China 2, China 3, Alaskan, Mediterranean, NC, and the B95-8 strains. In this study, we analyzed a 30-bp deletion and sequence variations in the carboxy-terminal region of the LMP1 gene in 12 EBV isolates from spontaneous lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from individuals with non-EBV associated cancers in Korea. Eleven of the 12 isolates showed a 30-bp deletion spanning LMP1 amino acids 342 to 353, suggesting a high prevalence of the LMP1 30-bp deletion variant among EBV isolates in Korea. In addition, all 12 isolates had a 15-bp common deletion in the 33-bp repeat region and multiple base-pair changes relative to the prototype B95-8 EBV strain along with variations in the number of the 33-bp repeats. The bp changes at positions 168746, 168694, 168687, 168395, 168357, 168355, 168631, 168320, 168308, 168295, and 168225 were highly conserved among the isolates. Comparative analysis of sequence change patterns in the LMP1 carboxy-terminal coding region identified nine 30-bp deletion variants as China 1, two deletion variants as a possible interstrain between the Alaskan and China 1 strains, and a single undeleted variant as a possible variant of the Alaskan strain. These results suggest the predominance of the China 1 EBV strain in the Korean population.

• Keywords: Epstein-Barr virus; latent membrane protein 1; sequence polymorphism; China 1 strain; a 30-bp deletion variant