Eric Johannsen

LAB WEBSITE: Johannsen Lab

FOCUS GROUPS:

Virology; Cancer Biology

RESEARCH DESCRIPTION:

EBV latent infection drives B lymphocytes to proliferate as immortalized lymphoblastoid cell
lines (LCLs). By studying how EBV accomplishes this, we have learned a tremendous amount
about B cell biology. By combining multi-omics approaches (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, etc) with
EBV reverse genetics we have defined the mechanisms of growth transformation by this virus.
For example, using ChIP-seq we have demonstrated that multiple EBV nuclear antigens
(EBNAs) that interact with RBPJ, a transcription factor in the Notch signaling pathway bind to
partially overlapping sites in the host genome. We further showed that this differential binding
results from interactions with additional host transcription factors and provides a molecular basis
for the differential gene regulations by each of the individual EBNA proteins.

ALSO A TRAINER IN THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:

Cancer Biology Training Program, Microbiology Doctoral Training Program (MDTP), Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program (MCP), Cellular & Molecular Pathology Graduate Program (CMP)

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