Epstein-Barr virus LMP2A: regulating cellular ubiquitination processes for maintenance of viral latency?

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a potentially oncogenic herpesvirus that persists in the B lymphocytes of most individuals. LMP2A might function as a central mediator of viral latency, allowing for long-term survival of infected B cells by providing a surrogate B-cell receptor signal. Recent studies support a model in which LMP2A utilizes ubiquitin-dependent processes to modulate cellular signaling pathways, including the Wnt and Notch pathways. Whether these pathways are exploited by LMP2A to maintain cell survival or to regulate viral gene expression during viral latency remains to be determined. These processes must be further explored to identify the factors that contribute to the maintenance of viral latency and possibly the development of EBV-associated malignancies.