Transcriptional activation of cellular oncogenes fos, jun, and myc by human cytomegalovirus.
The mechanisms responsible for the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-induced increase in cellular oncogene RNAs for c-jun, c-fos, and c-myc in human embryo lung cells (I. Boldogh, S. AbuBakar, and T. Albrecht, Science 247:561-564, 1990) were investigated. Results of transcription assays indicated that the rapid increase in RNA levels for the above-noted oncogenes was controlled at the transcriptional level and was related to enhanced transcription. The maximum rates of transcription for c-jun and c-fos genes occurred at 40 min postinfection, while for the c-myc gene the maximum rate occurred at about 60 min. The magnitude of HCMV-induced activation of these cellular genes was similar to the activation induced by serum. The half-lives of the cellular oncogenes showed similar decay rates after either serum or HCMV activation when measured by dactinomycin chase. The half-life for c-fos or c-jun was about 20 min, and that for c-myc was about 40 min. Furthermore, inhibition of the RNA increase by dactinomycin or by alpha-amanitin suggested that the increase in RNA levels was due to an increase in the transcriptional activity of oncogenes triggered by HCMV.
Boldogh
I
I
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
AbuBakar
S
S
Deng
C Z
CZ
Albrecht
T
T
D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D009857:Oncogenes; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
D000199:Actins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases