title: Epstein-Barr virus small RNA (EBER) genes: unique transcription units that combine RNA polymerase II and III promoter elements.
abstract: The Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA (EBER) genes appear to comprise an interesting subset of class III genes different from any previously identified, including U6 and 7SK. EBER genes have functional A and B box intragenic control regions. In addition, they contain three upstream elements that together stimulate in vivo expression 50-fold and resemble sites associated with typical class II promoters. DNAase I footprinting analyses using purified proteins or oligonucleotide competition demonstrate that nucleotides -40 to -55 bind activating transcription factor (ATF) or a related protein, while nucleotides -56 to -77 bind Sp1 protein or a related protein. The element between positions -23 and -28 resembles a TATA box. EBERs are unusual RNA polymerase III transcripts shown to be controlled by ATF- and Sp1-like promoter elements, suggesting mechanisms for their high level expression in EBV-transformed lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Shu
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005796:Genes; D005814:Genes, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000378:metabolism*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D012320:RNA Polymerase III