Because EBNA3A and EBNA3C collaboratively inhibit expression of the Myc-induced pro-apoptotic protein, BIM, in vitro [15], we compared BIM expression in ΔEBNA2 + Myc versus ΔEBNA2 alone lymphomas, as well as in an EBV-negative BL cell line (Akata), which has spontaneously lost the EBV genome. Here, BCL2L11 is linked to lymphoma.