Objective: To observe Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-dependent transformation of human bronchial epithelium.
Methods: Eukaryotic expression plasmide pBS-LMP-Hyg and pSG5-EBNA2-Hyg were transfected into immortalized human bronchial epithelium cell line TR.
Results: In situ hybridization and Western blot confirmed EBNA2 and LMP1 expression in one hygromycine B resistant cell clone TR/LMP1-EBNA2. Growth curve and MTT value showed that transformed cells grew faster. Soft agar plating rate of TR/LMP1-EBNA2 was 50.1per thousand, 68.2per thousand, empty vector PBs-Hyg transfected cell strain TR/Hyg 2.0per thousand, 3.0per thousand, TR 11.0per thousand, 0.7per thousand.
Conclusion: Expression of both LMP1 and EBNA2 led to decreased anchorage dependence and increased proliferation rate of TR, thereby further transformed immortalized human bronchial epithelium. Our results suggest that EBV may play a role in genesis of lung cancer.