Regulation of EBV Latency by Viral Lytic Proteins
Zhen Lin and Erik K. Flemington
from: Epstein-Barr Virus: Latency and Transformation (Edited by: Erle S. Robertson). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2010)
Abstract
Similar to other herpesviruses, EBV exhibits a biphasic life cycle involving a replicative phase and a latency phase. Following initial infection, EBV preferentially exists in host cells in a state of "latency" in which no viral production occurs. Upon receiving certain activation signals, latency can be disrupted and entry into the productive replicative stage of the life cycle ensues. Following the initial triggering of the lytic cycle, progression of the lytic cascade is manifested by the expression of the viral immediate-early (IE) and early viral regulatory proteins, Zta, Rta, and Mta. In this chapter, we will focus on the biological roles of these key EBV lytic cycle regulators and we will discuss the interplay between the lytic and latent phases of the EBV life cycle.
