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300: Population-scale WGS links MHC class II antigen presentation to persistent Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA

24 Feb 2026

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Nyeo SS et al., Nature - Population-scale WGS reanalysis quantifies persistent EBV DNA and shows MHC class II–mediated antigen presentation predicts EBV DNAemia and links to autoimmune and respiratory disease. Study Highlights:Using whole-genome sequencing from UK Biobank (n≈490,560) and All of Us (n≈245,394), the authors extracted chrEBV-mapping reads, masked low-mappability regions, and defined EBV DNAemia (>1.2 genomes per 10^4 cells) in 9.7–11.9% of donors. They performed PheWAS, GWAS and ExWAS and identified 22 genome-wide significant loci and 686 missense variants across 148 genes with heritability enrichment in immune regulatory regions and B cells/antigen-presenting cells. Single-cell module scoring, pathway analyses and NetMHCpan/NetMHCIIpan peptide-presentation modeling implicated variable antigen processing and MHC class II presentation as primary determinants of EBV persistence, with stronger predicted presentation linked to lower EBV DNAemia. EBV DNAemia was reproducibly associated with autoimmune, respiratory, neurological and cardiovascular phenotypes across cohorts. Conclusion:Reanalysis of population-scale WGS demonstrates that host genetic variation—predominantly in antigen processing and MHC class II peptide presentation—modulates persistent EBV DNA in blood and associates with multiple complex diseases. Music:Enjoy the music based on this article at the end of the episode. Reference:Nyeo SS, Cumming EM, Burren OS, Pagadala MS, Gutierrez JC, Ali TA, Kida LC, Chen Y, Chu H, Hu F, Zou XZ, Hollis B, Fabre MA, MacArthur S, Wang Q, Ludwig LS, Dey KK, Petrovski S, Dhindsa RS & Lareau CA. Population-scale sequencing resolves determinants of persistent EBV DNA. Nature. 2026 Feb 19;650:664–672. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10020-2 License:This episode is based on an open-access article published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Support:Base by Base – Stripe donations: https://donate.stripe.com/7sY4gz71B2sN3RWac5gEg00 Official website https://basebybase.com On PaperCast Base by Base you’ll discover the latest in genomics, functional genomics, structural genomics, and proteomics. Episode link: https://basebybase.com/episodes/ebv-mhc-class-ii

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3ª PARTE | 17 DIC 2025 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

01 Jan 1970

El Partidazo de COPE

13:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

Fin de Semana

12:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

Fin de Semana

10:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

Fin de Semana

13:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

Fin de Semana

12:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

Fin de Semana

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Base by Base

300: Population-scale WGS links MHC class II antigen presentation to persistent Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

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3ª PARTE | 17 DIC 2025 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

13:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

12:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

10:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

13:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

12:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

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