title: Characterization of the minimal replicator of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus latent origin.
abstract: The latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) binds to two sites within the 801-bp-long terminal repeat (TR) and is the only viral protein required for episomal maintenance. While two or more copies of TR are required for long-term maintenance, a single TR confers LANA-dependent origin activity on plasmid DNA. Deletion mapping revealed a 71-bp-long minimal replicator containing two distinctive sequence elements: LANA binding sites (LBS1/2) and an adjacent 29- to 32-bp-long GC-rich sequence which we termed the replication element. Furthermore, the transcription factor Sp1 can bind to TR outside the minimal replicator and contributes to TR's previously reported enhancer activity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology and Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jianhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renne
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000502:physiology; D004261:DNA Replication; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018741:Replication Origin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000821:virology; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D017735:Virus Latency / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C109540:latency-associated nuclear antigen