Infections with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are associated with cancer development, and EBV lytic replication (the process that generates virus progeny) is a strong risk factor for some cancer types. Here we report that EBV infection of B-lymphocytes (in vitro and in a mouse model) leads to an increased rate of centrosome amplification, associated with chromosomal instability. This effect can be reproduced with virus-like particles devoid of EBV DNA, but not with defective virus-like particles that cannot infect host cells. Viral protein BNRF1 induces centrosome amplification, and BNRF1-deficient viruses largely lose this property. These findings identify a new mechanism by which EBV particles can induce chromosomal instability without establishing a chronic infection, thereby conferring a risk for development of tumours that do not necessarily carry the viral genome.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
4
4%
Other
7
7%
Unknown
32
32%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 130. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 16 September 2025.
All research outputs
#382,678
of 31,346,776 outputs
Outputs from Nature Communications
#5,816
of 76,048 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#6,771
of 448,470 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Nature Communications
#111
of 879 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 31,346,776 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 98th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 76,048 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 51.3. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 92% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 448,470 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 879 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 87% of its contemporaries.
