title: Characterization of the promoter region of the viral interferon regulatory factor encoded by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.
abstract: Viral interferon regulatory factor (vIRF) encoded by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) inhibits the expression of interferon-responsive genes, causes cellular transformation and transactivates KSHV genes. In the present study, we characterized the mRNA expression pattern of the vIRF gene and its promoter. A vIRF transcript of 1.7 kb in size was detected in low level in uninduced KSHV-infected cells and its expression was inducible by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), sensitive to cycloheximide and resistant to phosphonoacetic acid. The transcription start site was mapped to 79 nt upstream of the ATG initiation site by 5'-RACE. Mutagenesis analysis identified a region between -56 and the transcription start site (+1) as the minimal promoter region that contains a functional TATA box at -27. A region between -337 and -125 contains a repressor domain negated by sequence from -991 to -499 in BCBL-1 cells, a region which was also identified to be responsive to TPA induction. These results demonstrate vIRF as a KSHV early gene, identify its promoter and define the promoter regions that contain regulatory elements controlling vIRF transcription.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas TX 78229, USA.
authors: X P
authors: XP
authors: Wang
authors: Y J
authors: YJ
authors: Zhang
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Deng
authors: H Y
authors: HY
authors: Pan
authors: F C
authors: FC
authors: Zhou
authors: E A
authors: EA
authors: Montalvo
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Gao
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D016385:TATA Box; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; C413486:viral interferon regulatory factors; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate