title: Activation of the herpes simplex virus immediate-early gene promoters by neuronally expressed POU family transcription factors.
abstract: Herpes simplex virus immediate-early (IE) promoters contain the TAATGARAT motif which acts as a target site for the cellular POU family transcription factors Oct-1 and Oct-2. Here we show that other members of the POU family that are expressed in sensory neurons can also affect IE promoter activity. In particular, two members of the Brn-3 family of POU proteins Brn-3a and Brn-3c can activate the IE-1 and IE-3 promoters when co-transfected into fibroblasts and neuronal cells whereas a third member Brn-3b represses IE promoter activity. In contrast, Brn-3 proteins cannot overcome the inhibitory effect of neuronal Oct-2 on IE promoter activity in co-transfections nor do they prevent transactivation of the IE promoters by the Oct-1-Vmw65 complex. The potential regulation of the IE promoters by several different neuronally expressed POU proteins during the initiation, maintenance and re-activation of latent infection in sensory neurons is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, University College London Medical School, U.K.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lillycrop
authors.forename: Y Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Theil
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Möröy
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Latchman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors