Zinc Finger Protein 271 (ZNF271)

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects the majority of humans in adolescence, establishes latency in a small subset of B lymphocytes, and transforms cells through the coordinate expression of a selected repertoire of EBV-encoded latency genes. The deduced 423-amino acid protein contains 5 putative zinc-binding, Kruppel-type finger domains in its C-terminal portion, each separated by 7 amino acids. Expression in tonsillar B cells was low but increased transiently after B-cell receptor stimulation and mitogenic activation. After EBV infection, however, levels continued to rise, approximating the kinetics of viral latency genes. Treatment of tonsillar B cells with antisense to ZNFEB inhibited EBV-induced growth transformation and ZNFEB expression, similar to the effects of antisense to viral EBNA1 or EBNA2 or cellular LCK. ZNFEB is essential in the EBV-mediated transformation process.