Functional relation between HTLV-II x and adenovirus E1A proteins in transcriptional activation.

Abstract

The mechanism of cellular transformation by the human T-cell leukemia viruses (HTLV) is thought to involve a novel gene known as the x gene. This gene is essential for HTLV replication and acts by enhancing transcription from the HTLV long terminal repeat. The HTLV x gene product may also cause aberrant transcription of normal cellular genes, resulting in transformation of the infected cells. Although there is no evidence as yet for such a mechanism, it was shown that the HTLV-II x gene product can activate transcription from adenovirus E1A-dependent early promoters and therefore has the potential to activate cellular genes. It was also shown that the adenovirus and herpes pseudorabies immediate early proteins activate expression from the HTLV-I and HTLV-II long terminal repeats, though at lower levels than with the x gene product. These findings indicate possible common mechanisms of action for transcription-regulatory genes of distinct viruses.

• Authors: I S Chen, A J Cann, N P Shah, R B Gaynor
• Journal: Science (New York, N.Y.) (Science) Vol. 230 Issue 4725 Pg. 570-3 (Nov 01 1985) ISSN: 0036-8075 [Print] United States
• PMID: 2996140 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Viral Proteins
• Endonucleases
• Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases

Topics

• Adenoviridae (genetics)
• Cell Transformation, Viral
• Deltaretrovirus (genetics)
• Endonucleases (metabolism)
• HeLa Cells
• Herpesvirus 4, Human
• Humans
• Operon
• Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
• Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases
• Transcription, Genetic (drug effects)
• Transfection
• Viral Proteins (pharmacology)