[Epstein-Barr virus and cellular immortalization].

Epstein-Barr virus has been associated to several forms of neoplasia including Burkitt's lymphoma, B lymphomas in immuno-compromised patients and undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Immunodepression, genetic and/or environmental factors and the expression of several viral genes (latent genes mainly) may contribute to these pathologies. In vitro, several latent proteins (EBNA 1, 2, 3A, 3C, 5 et LMP-1) directly or indirectly contribute to the initiation and maintenance of the transformation process. The role of these proteins is discussed in the present article.