title: Role of regulatory elements and the MAPK/ERK or p38 MAPK pathways for activation of human cytomegalovirus gene expression.
abstract: A series of recombinant viruses with either site-specific mutations or various deletions of the early UL4 promoter of human cytomegalovirus were used to determine the roles of regulatory elements and the effects of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Viral gene expression was regulated by upstream cis-acting sites and by basic promoter elements that respond to the MAPK signal transduction pathways. Inhibitors of either the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway or the p38 MAPK pathway affected expression equally with either wild-type or mutant early UL4 promoters in the viral genome, indicating that the effects of the inhibitors are not exclusive for a single transcription factor. The minimal responsive element is the TATA box-containing early viral promoter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Jiping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Stinski
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006801:Humans; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D050807:ets-Domain Protein Elk-1; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C082590:UL4 protein, Human cytomegalovirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D050807:ets-Domain Protein Elk-1; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases