Strong trans activation of the human cytomegalovirus major immediate-early enhancer by p40tax of human T-cell leukemia virus type I via two repetitive tax-responsive sequence elements.

Abstract

The immediate-early 1 and 2 gene locus of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) that encodes trans-activator proteins with effects on both homologous and heterologous promoters is expressed under control of a complex enhancer/promoter regulatory region. This enhancer contains four types of repetitive sequence elements with 17, 18, 19, and 21 bp that bind cellular transcription factors. Although the HCMV enhancer acts as a powerful stimulator of transcription in most cell types examined, human T cells do not support strong activity. The present study demonstrates that the tax gene product of human T-cell leukemia virus type I trans activates the major enhancer of HCMV more than 60-fold in the T-cell line Jurkat. When a series of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression plasmids containing synthetic oligonucleotides with the 17-, 18-, 19-, or 21-bp motif upstream of a minimal immediate-early 1 and 2 gene promoter was tested, two of the four repeat motifs could be identified as Tax-responsive elements. Both the 18- and the 19-bp motifs were able to act as strong Tax-responsive elements even when they were present as single copies. Thus, in addition to interacting with human immunodeficiency virus, HCMV is able to interact with a second retrovirus of clinical importance.

• Authors: H Moch, D Lang, T Stamminger
• Journal: Journal of virology (J Virol) Vol. 66 Issue 12 Pg. 7346-54 (Dec 1992) ISSN: 0022-538X [Print] United States
• PMID: 1331524 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Gene Products, tax
• RNA, Viral
• Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase

Topics

• Avian Sarcoma Viruses (genetics)
• Base Sequence
• Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase (genetics, metabolism)
• Cloning, Molecular
• Cytomegalovirus (genetics)
• Enhancer Elements, Genetic
• Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
• Gene Products, tax (genetics, metabolism)
• Genes, pX
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (genetics)
• Humans
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Plasmids
• RNA, Viral (genetics, isolation & purification)
• Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
• T-Lymphocytes
• Transcription, Genetic
• Transcriptional Activation
• Transfection
• Tumor Cells, Cultured