Epstein-Barr Virus Stimulates Torque Teno Virus Replication: A Possible Relationship to Multiple Sclerosis

Borkosky, Silvia S.; Whitley, Corinna; Kopp-Schneider, Annette; zur Hausen, Harald; deVilliers, Ethel-Michele

We subsequently demonstrated the helper-dependent long-term replication and propagation of 12 TTV isolates in the 293TT cell line harbouring SV40 large T-antigen [67] . In the present study we analysed whether EBV is also able to exert a helper function for the replication of TTV. We included Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines both positive (P3HR-1, BJAB/EBV, Ramos/EBV) and negative for EBV (BJAB, Ramos), an EBV-immortalized B cell line (ND1) from an MS patient and an EBV-producing B cell line (B95-8). Replication of TTV-HD DNA was confirmed in all tested cell lines by long distance PCR on total cellular DNA. Long distance PCR was performed using back-to-back primers specific for amplifying the full-length genomes of TTV-HD14b and TTV-HD14c. Examples are presented in Figure 1A . Results were comparable between TTV-HD14b and TTV-HD14c and replication was measured up to day 21 after transfection in all cell lines. Replication was also confirmed by electron microscopy ( Figure 1B ).