STRUCTURAL GENE ALTERATIONS IN LYMPHOBLASTOID B- AND T-CELL LINES UPON MONO- AND DOUBLE ADENOVIRUS AND EPSTEIN—BARR VIRUS INFECTION

Smirnova I.A., Kishinskaya E.G., Nosach L.N., Povnitsa O.Yu., Zavelevich M.P.*, Butenko Z.A., Diachenko N.S.

The changes in the state of rRNA genes as well as c-sis and c-myb oncogenes have been revealed upon mono- and double infection of T and B lymphoblastoid cells with Epstein—Barr virus (EBV) and type 2 adenovirus (Ad) using molecular hybridization technique. In Ad-infected T cell lines additional 18.3 kb rDNA allele has been registered (Jurkat cells) or standard 14.7 and 3.0 kb fragments have been shown to amplify (CEM cells). rDNA amplified also upon Ad infection of Raji cells containing EBV genes in an integrated state. The profound alteration in the state of rRNA genes accompanied by the loss of one of the alleles have been registered upon Ad superinfection of В95-8 cells which are chronically infected and produce EBV. In T-cell lines CEM and Jurkat Ad2 infection resulted in c-sis amplification at the relatively early stage of infection. In Ad-infected CEM cells c-myb also amplified. Meanwhile Ad infection of lymphoblastoid B-cell lines Raji and В95-8 has not affected the state of c-sis oncogene in these cells. Therefore some new aspects of viral infection, namely alterations in the state of rRNA genes as well as several oncogenes in virus-infected cells have been revealed.