Transcriptional regulation of cellular and viral promoters by the hepatitis C virus core protein.
The genomic region encoding the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein was cloned into a mammalian expression vector to study its role on the transcriptional regulation of cellular proto-oncogene and viral promoters. Using a transient transfection assay in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells, we demonstrate that the HCV core protein activates the human c-myc, Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat (LTR), and simian virus 40 (SV40) early promoters; and suppresses the c-fos promoter and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) LTR activity. The transcriptional regulation of cellular proto-oncogenes by the HCV core protein suggests possible involvement of the core protein in the deregulation of normal hepatocyte growth and hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Division of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, MO 63110-0250, USA.
Lagging
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Meyer
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Steele
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Ray
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D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001358:Avian Sarcoma Viruses / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
D017931:DNA Primers; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus