| Abstract: | Most human lymphoid cell lines contain multiple copies of circular, nonintegrated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA molecules as well as viral DNA sequences with properties of integrated DNA. The physical state of the EBV DNA in a human lymphoma line that only contains one virus genome equivalent per cell has now been studied by three different methods, neutral CsCl density gradient centrifugation, actinomycin D-CsCl gradient centrifugation, and Hirt fractionation. This cell line, AW-Ramos, has been obtained by EBV infection in vitro of the apparently EBV-negative Ramos lymphoma line. The results indicate that the EBV DNA in AW-Ramos is present exclusively in a linearly integrated form. Similar data were obtained with two other EBV-converted sublines of Ramos cells. |
