title: Reciprocal effects of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and AP1: activation of jun, fos and ATF-2 after VZV infection and their importance for the regulation of viral genes.
abstract: Varicella-zoster virus, an alpha-herpesvirus that is pathogenic for man, encodes its own transcription activators, but ubiquitous cellular transcription factors are of great importance, too. Performing quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) we found an increase of transcription of AP1 components jun, fos and of ATF-2 at different times post infection (p.i.). Jun and ATF-2 proteins were detected in infected cells. To study general effects of AP1 in the regulation of VZV encoded genes, oligonucleotide transfections were performed to knockout jun and ATF-2 transcription followed by infection with cell free VZV. RT-PCR analyses of ORFs 4, 9, 21, 29 and 68 belonging to all three kinetic classes of genes and containing different combinations of AP1/TRE and ATF/CREB sites in their respective promoters were carried out. In all cases a reduction of viral transcription was found. Virions produced after this procedure were still infectious, but the amount of newly synthesized virions was clearly reduced.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Virology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Stockumer Str. 10, D-58448, Witten, Germany
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahaus
authors.forename: Manfred H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wolff
mesh_terms: D051698:Activating Transcription Factor 2; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D018390:Gene Targeting; D005814:Genes, Viral; D016762:Genes, fos; D016758:Genes, jun; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: C497105:ATF2 protein, human; D051698:Activating Transcription Factor 2; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D017931:DNA Primers; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014157:Transcription Factors