TY - JOUR T1 - Epstein-Barr Virus Infection of Polarized Epithelial Cells via the Basolateral Surface by Memory B Cell-Mediated Transfer Infection A1 - Shannon-Lowe, Claire A1 - Rowe, Martin Y1 - 2011/05/05 N2 - Author Summary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an important human pathogen that is carried as a latent infection of B cells by most adults worldwide. Infection of epithelial cells is also believed to be important in the normal life-cycle of EBV, and is certainly associated with the pathogenesis of some epithelial tumours. Whilst EBV binds to and infects B cells that express CD21, a receptor for the gp350 viral glycoprotein, binding of EBV to CD21-negative epithelial cells is inefficient. However, we have identified an efficient process of ‘transfer infection’. This process involves EBV first binding to B cells, resulting in CD21-mediated capping of virus and activation of adhesion molecules, which facilitates conjugate formation between B cells and epithelial cells and the subsequent entry of EBV into epithelial cells. We have characterised the molecular processes involved in transfer infection, both in unpolarized cells modelling pre-malignant epithelial cells, and in normal polarized epithelial cells. The details of the molecular interactions in these infection models led us to identify a subset of B cells, memory B cells, as being the primary vehicles for transfer infection. The results reinforce the likely physiological significance of transfer infection of epithelial cells in healthy persistence and in EBV pathogenesis. JF - PLOS Pathogens JA - PLOS Pathogens VL - 7 IS - 5 UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1001338 SP - e1001338 EP - PB - Public Library of Science M3 - doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001338 ER -