The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) small RNA EBER1 binds and relocalizes ribosomal protein L22 in EBV-infected human B lymphocytes. In situ hybridization indicates that the EBER RNPs are predominantly nucleoplasmic, suggesting that L22 relocalization correlates with binding to EBER1 in vivo.
Electrophoretic mobility-shift assays(EMSAs) show that recombinant L22(rL22) and maltose-binding protein(MBP)-tagged L22 protein bind EBER 1 in vitro, both forming three specific protein-dependent mobility shifts.