Date of Submission

5-5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Biology and Environmental Sciences

Advisor

Anna Kloc, Ph.D.

Keywords

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Viral Myocarditis, Intrinsic Apoptotic Response, BRF1 Gene, Bcl-2 Protein, Anti-Apoptotic Survival Factor

MeSH

Epstein-Barr Virus Infections, Myocarditis, Apoptosis, bcl-Associated Death Protein

LCSH

Epstein-Barr virus, Myocarditis, Apoptosis, Bcl-2 protein family

Abstract

The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a latent virus that stays in the body after the initial acute infection. In severe cases, this virus can lead to viral myocarditis and can cause life-threatening health issues. One reason this virus is impactful is its ability to suppress the intrinsic apoptotic response through a gene called BHRF1. This gene is an early lytic gene that encodes a homolog of a human pro-survival protein named Bcl-2. This allows the gene to act as an anti-apoptotic survival factor, facilitating the viral persistence inside the host without premature death of the host’s cells. Here, the BHRF1 gene was expressed in human cells, allowing us to learn about its impact on gene expression levels and cellular function. Genes that play a role in the cell cycle progression; Cdc25, CDK1, and Cytochrome C, were evaluated in the presence of extrinsic BHRF1. The cell line utilized in this experiment was the HEK293 cell line, which is derived from a Human Embryonic Kidney in the 1970’s. This research provided information on how the BHRF1 gene of EBV could impact gene expression and contribute to disease.

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