Epstein-Barr virus lytic antigens (null)

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic antigens are a diverse set of proteins expressed sequentially during the virus's productive replication cycle in B cells and epithelial cells, divided into immediate-early (e.g., BZLF1/Zta and BRLF1/Rta transactivators), early (e.g., BMRF1, BMLF1 involved in DNA replication), and late (e.g., structural viral capsid antigens) phases.[3][6] These antigens drive genome linearization, viral DNA synthesis, virion assembly, and host cell lysis, enabling viral spread while employing immune evasion tactics like MHC class I downregulation to avoid CD8+ T-cell detection.[1][4][7] In disease, lytic antigens contribute to EBV-associated pathologies including infectious mononucleosis, lymphomas, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders by supporting viral persistence and oncogenesis, with immunodominant epitopes in immediate-early/early proteins eliciting strong CD8+ T-cell responses.[2][5][9][10] Therapeutically, they serve as targets for antiviral drugs like acyclovir, which inhibit lytic progression, and emerging T-cell therapies co-targeting lytic and latent antigens for EBV+ cancers.[10][12] Their expression is tightly regulated, with spontaneous low-level reactivation in latency-maintaining hosts.[3][12]

Other names

EBV lytic cycle antigensEBV productive cycle antigens

Inhibition of viral thymidine kinase and DNA polymerase to halt early-to-late lytic progression and virion assembly