H2O2 inhibits BCR-dependent immediate early induction of EBV genes in Burkitt's lymphoma cells.

The critical step in the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transition from latency to lytic replication is activation of the viral immediate early (IE) genes, BZLF1 and BRLF1. Their induction in Burkitt's lymphoma Akata cells is directly targeted by B cell receptor (BCR) signaling. On the other hand, BCR stimulation causes an outwardly directed superoxide (O(2)(*-)) burst leading to massive generation of reactive oxygen species in the cell environment.