title: The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DR enhancer contains two functionally different domains: domain A is constitutive and cell specific, domain B is transactivated by the EBV early protein R.
abstract: The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DR promoter is located upstream of the PstI repeats, and besides the TATA box, it contains two cis-acting regulatory elements. One of them has enhancer properties. To define more precisely the functional region(s) in the DR enhancer, we generated 5' and 3' deletion mutants. These deletion mutants, which were transfected into various recipient cells of different origins, allowed us to identify two functionally distinct domains, A and B. Domain A was constitutively active in all cell lines tested, except in lymphoid B cells. Domain B was active in lymphoid B cells, and its activity required both EB1 (the BZLF1-encoded EBV trans-acting factor) and the presence of the EBV genome. This suggested that an EBV-encoded, EB1-inducible factor was activating the enhancer B domain. In effect, the B domain was trans-activated by R, an EBV early product encoded by the open reading frame BRLF1, and the activation by R occurred in epithelial, fibroblastic, and lymphoid cells. The R-responsive element has been reduced to 28 base pairs containing the double palindromic sequence TTGTCCCGTGGACAATGTCC. Both domains A and B act by increasing the initiation of specific RNAs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chevallier-Greco
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gruffat
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manet
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calender
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sergeant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D005814:Genes, Viral; D005914:Globins / Q000378:metabolism; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D015696:Gene Products, tat; D014157:Transcription Factors; D005914:Globins