Direct BRLF1 binding is required for cooperative BZLF1/BRLF1 activation of the Epstein-Barr virus early promoter, BMRF1.
Disruption of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latency is mediated through the activation of the viral immediate-early proteins, BZLF1 (Z) and BRLF1 (R).i.; (Chevallier-Greco, A., et al., (1986) EMBO J., 5, 3243-9; Countryman, and Miller, G. (1985) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 82, 4085-4089). We have previously demonstrated that these proteins cooperatively activate the EBV early promoter BMRF1 in lymphoid cells but not in epithelial cells. Although cooperative transactivation by these proteins has been demonstrated with a number of EBV promoters, the mechanism of this interaction is not well understood. We now show that the cooperative activation of the BMRF1 promoter by Z-plus-R requires an intact R binding site and at least one functional Z response element (ZRE). Despite the presence of an R binding site, the BMRF1 promoter is only moderately responsive to R alone in either HeLa or Jurkat cells. Efficient activation of the BMRF1 promoter by Z alone in HeLa cells requires two ZREs (located at -59 and -106), whereas two additional Z binding sites (located at -42 and -170) contribute very little to Z-induced activation. In the absence of ZREs, Z acted as a repressor of R-induced transactivation. These observations, along with observations made by other investigators (Giot, J.F. et al., (1991) Nucleic Acids Res., 19, 1251-8), suggest that Z-plus-R cooperative activation is dependent upon 1) direct binding by R and Z to responsive promoter elements and 2) contributions by cell-specific factors.
Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599.
E B
EB
Quinlivan
E A
EA
Holley-Guthrie
M
M
Norris
D
D
Gutsch
S L
SL
Bachenheimer
S C
SC
Kenney
D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006367:HeLa Cells; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
C068382:BRLF1 protein, Human herpesvirus 4; C063676:BZLF1 protein, Herpesvirus 4, Human; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins