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.
Division of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, MO 63110-0250, USA.
R B
RB
Ray
L M
LM
Lagging
K
K
Meyer
R
R
Steele
R
R
Ray
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