title: CCAAT box-dependent activation of the TATA-less human DNA polymerase alpha promoter by the human cytomegalovirus 72-kilodalton major immediate-early protein.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate-early (IE) proteins are known potent transregulators of viral and cellular gene expression upon HCMV infection. HCMV is known to activate a number of cellular genes intimately associated with the cell cycle and DNA replication by mechanisms involving the viral major IE 86-kDa protein (IE2). We have recently shown that IE2 mediates this activation in a TATA-dependent manner and interacts directly with the TATA-binding protein. However, a number of TATA-less cellular promoters, e.g., DNA polymerase alpha and dihydrofolate reductase, are also activated by HCMV infection. Consequently, we have asked how HCMV mediates this activation. We show that, consistent with its known TATA dependency, IE2 does not activate the DNA polymerase alpha promoter. In contrast, this promoter is strongly activated by the major IE 72-kDa protein (IE1). Whilst deletion of ATF or E2F sites within the DNA polymerase alpha promoter had little effect on IE1-mediated activation, removal of the CCAAT box appeared to abolish high levels of activation by IE1. Consistent with this observation, we also find that IE1 interacts directly with the CCAAT box binding factor CTF1 in vitro and massively augments CTF1-mediated activation of the DNA polymerase alpha promoter in transient transfection assays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Hayhurst
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Caswell
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sinclair
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000378:metabolism*; D004257:DNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016385:TATA Box; D014764:Viral Proteins
chemical_list: C088645:IE1 protein, cytomegalovirus; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D014764:Viral Proteins; D004257:DNA Polymerase II