
Figure 1
Schematic of the EBNA-1 gene and position of primers aligned with B95-8 strain (V10555). Primer 1: EBNA-1-1; primer 2: EBNA-1-2; primer 3: EBNA-1-3 and primer 4: EBNA-1-4.
Table 1
The sequence of primers used in two stages nested-PCR.
| Stage | Primers | Sequences | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EBNA-1-1 | 5'-TAG TCA GTC ATC ATC ATC CG-3' | 55 °C |
| EBNA-1-2 | 5'-GGG ATT TAT TCT TTA GTG CG-3' | ||
| 2 | EBNA-1-3 | 5'-GCC ATT TTT CCA CCC TGT AG-3' | |
| EBNA-1-4 | 5'-ATT GAG GGC GTC TCC TAA CA-3' | 60 °C | |

Figure 2
Electrophoresis of nested-PCR products of the represented NPC biopsy samples. T91, T92, T93, T94, T95, T96: clinical biopsy samples; N: negative control; MW: molecular weight 100 bp.

Figure 3
Represented sequence identification of EBNA-1 subtype based on the amino acid at position 487. A) T91: V-Val subtype; B) V-Leu subtype; C) P-Thr subtype; D) P-Ala subtype.
Table 2
Nucleotide and amino acid substitution in EBNA-1 C-terminal domain compared to B95-8B sequence.
| B95-8 | 109408 | 109409 | 109410 | 109423 | 109424 | 109425 | 109444 | 109445 | 109446 | 109447 | 109448 | 109449 | 109453 | 109454 | 109455 | 109507 | 109508 | 109509 | 109519 | 109520 | 109521 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 487 | 492 | 499 | 500 | 502 | 520 | 524 | |||||||||||||||
| G | C | T | A | G | T | G | A | C | G | A | A | A | C | T | C | T | A | A | C | T | |
| Ala | Ser | Asp | Glu | Thr | Leu | Thr | |||||||||||||||
| T5 | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | C | ⋅ | T | ⋅ |
| Val | * | Glu | * | Asn | + | Ile | |||||||||||||||
| T6 | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | C | ⋅ | T | ⋅ |
| Val | * | Glu | * | Asn | + | Ile | |||||||||||||||
| T77 | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | c | ⋅ | T | ⋅ |
| Val | * | Glu | * | Asn | + | Ile | |||||||||||||||
| T70 | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | c | ⋅ | T | ⋅ |
| Val | * | Glu | * | Asn | + | Ile | |||||||||||||||
| T75 | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | c | ⋅ | T | ⋅ |
| Val | Cys | Glu | * | Asn | + | Ile | |||||||||||||||
| B95-8 | 109531 | 109532 | 109533 | 109534 | 109535 | 109536 | 109546 | 109547 | 109548 | 109606 | 109607 | 109608 | 109702 | 109703 | 109704 | 109711 | 109712 | 109713 | 109729 | 109730 | 109731 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 528 | 529 | 533 | 553 | 585 | 588 | 594 | |||||||||||||||
| A | T | T | C | C | A | C | T | T | C | C | G | A | C | A | G | C | T | A | G | G | |
| Ile | Pro | Leu | Pro | Thr | Ala | Arg | |||||||||||||||
| T5 | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ |
| Val | * | Ile | + | * | * | Lys | |||||||||||||||
| T6 | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ |
| Val | * | Ile | + | Ile | * | Lys | |||||||||||||||
| T77 | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | C | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ |
| * | Gin | * | + | Ile | Pro | Lys | |||||||||||||||
| T70 | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | C | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ |
| Val | * | Ile | + | Ile | Pro | Lys | |||||||||||||||
| T75 | G | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ | T | ⋅ | C | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | A | ⋅ |
| Val | * | Ile | + | Ile | Pro | Lys | |||||||||||||||
[i] NB: The top four rows correspond to the nucleotide, amino acid position, nucleotide and amino acid of B95-8 prototype sequence. In each row, the upper character denoted the nucleotide that is different to the B95-8 prototype sequence. Conversely, the dot (•) denotes the same nucleotide compared to the referent sequence. The characters below indicate the amino acid written in the three letter code that is different to the reference sequence, while the asterisk (*) indicates the unchanged amino acid, and the plus sign (+) indicates the silent amino acid changes.

Figure 4
Represented nucleotide substitution consensus changes indicated by T5. Amino acid at position: A) codon 497; B) codon 499; C) codon 502; D) codon 520; E) codon 524; F) codon 553; G) codon 594.

Figure 5
Represented nucleotide/amino acid additional changes: A) codon 585 by T6; B) codons 528 and 529 by T77; C) codon 588 by T77; D) codon 492 by T75.
Table 3
The comparison between the patterns of the current study and the previous sequences.
| Codon | 487 | 492 | 499 | 502 | 520 | 524 | 528 | 529 | 533 | 553 | 585 | 588 | 594 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern 1 | T5 | Val | Ser | Glu | Asn | Leu | Ile | Val | Pro | Ile | Pro | Thr | Ala | Lys |
| Pattern 2 | T6 | ⋅ | · | · | · | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | Ile | ⋅ | ⋅ |
| Pattern 3 | T77 | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | Ile | Gin | Leu | ⋅ | Ile | Pro | ⋅ |
| Pattern 4 | T70 | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | Ile | Pro | ⋅ |
| Pattern 5 | T75 | ⋅ | •/Cys | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | Ile | Pro | ⋅ |
| Study 1 | GC4 | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ |
| Study 2 | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | Thr | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ | |