Disease relevance of EBI2

• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced receptor 2 (EBI2) is an orphan seven-transmembrane (7TM) receptor originally identified as the most up-regulated gene (>200-fold) in EBV-infected cells [1].
• Here we show that EBI2 signals with constitutive activity through Galpha(i) as determined by a receptor-mediated inhibition of forskolin-induced cAMP production and an induction of the serum response element-driven transcriptional activity in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner [1].

High impact information on EBI2

• EBI2 clustered with the orphan GPR18 by alignment analysis as well as by close proximity in the chromosomal region 13q32 [1].
• Real-time PCR of EBV-infected cells showed high expression of EBI2 during latent and lytic infection, in contrast to the EBV-encoded 7TM receptor BILF1, which was induced during lytic infection [1].
• By using a (32)P-labeled EBI2 probe we found a very high expression in lymphoid tissue (spleen and lymph node) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells and a high expression in lung tissue [1].
• Two novel genes, EBV-induced genes 1 and 2 (EBI 1 and EBI 2, respectively) can be predicted from their cDNA sequences to encode G protein-coupled peptide receptors [2].
• EBI 2 is also expressed at lower levels in a promyelocytic and a histiocytic cell line and in pulmonary tissue [2].

Other interactions of EBI2

• EBI 2 is most closely related to the thrombin receptor [2].
• EBI-2 and EBI-3 antibodies were tested against a smaller set of samples and found to react similarly [3].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of EBI2

• Immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy of FLAG- and green fluorescent protein-tagged EBI2 revealed cell-surface expression [1].

References