INDUCTION OF G PROTEIN-COUPLED PEPTIDE RECEPTOR EBI-1 BY HUMAN HERPESVIRUS-6 AND HERPESVIRUS-7 INFECTION IN CD4+ T-CELLS

EBI 1, a putative lymphocyte-specific G protein-coupled peptide receptor, was induced by human herpesvirus 6 or 7 infection in CD4(+) T cells, and its expression increased early after infection and reached a plateau at 48 h. The induction of the EBI 1 gene by human herpesvirus 6 or 7 infection was not mediated by soluble factors but by the virus itself. Deduced from comparisons of the amino acid sequences among members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, these findings suggest that EBI 1 may be a member of the leukocyte chemotactic peptide receptor family.