title: The tax protein-DNA interaction is essential for HTLV-I transactivation in vitro.
abstract: The human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-I)-encoded Tax protein enhances viral gene transcription through interaction with three repeated DNA elements located in the viral promoter. These elements, called viral CREs, are composed of an off-consensus eight base-pair cyclic AMP response element (CRE), immediately flanked by sequences that are rich in guanine and cytosine residues. Recent biochemical experiments have demonstrated that in the presence of the cellular protein CREB, Tax directly binds the viral CRE G+C-rich sequences via interaction with the minor groove. To determine the functional significance of the Tax-DNA interaction, we synthesized minor groove-binding pyrrole-imidazole polyamides which bind specifically to the G+C-rich sequences in the viral CREs. At concentrations where the polyamides specifically protect the G+C-rich sequences from MPE:Fe cleavage, the polyamides block the Tax-DNA interaction. At precisely these same concentrations, the polyamides specifically inhibit Tax transactivation in vitro, without altering CREB-activated transcription or basal transcription from the same promoter. Together, these data provide strong evidence that Tax-viral CRE interaction is essential for Tax function in vitro, and suggest that targeted disruption of the Tax-DNA minor groove interaction with polyamides may provide a novel approach for inhibiting viral replication in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1870, USA.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lenzmeier
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Dervan
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Nyborg
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000378:metabolism*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009757:Nylons / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016356:Gene Products, tax; D009757:Nylons