title: Targeting CTCF to Control Virus Gene Expression: A Common Theme amongst Diverse DNA Viruses.
abstract: All viruses target host cell factors for successful life cycle completion. Transcriptional control of DNA viruses by host cell factors is important in the temporal and spatial regulation of virus gene expression. Many of these factors are recruited to enhance virus gene expression and thereby increase virus production, but host cell factors can also restrict virus gene expression and productivity of infection. CCCTC binding factor (CTCF) is a host cell DNA binding protein important for the regulation of genomic chromatin boundaries, transcriptional control and enhancer element usage. CTCF also functions in RNA polymerase II regulation and in doing so can influence co-transcriptional splicing events. Several DNA viruses, including Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) utilize CTCF to control virus gene expression and many studies have highlighted a role for CTCF in the persistence of these diverse oncogenic viruses. CTCF can both enhance and repress virus gene expression and in some cases CTCF increases the complexity of alternatively spliced transcripts. This review article will discuss the function of CTCF in the life cycle of DNA viruses in the context of known host cell CTCF functions.
authors.affiliation: School of Cancer Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. ixp370@bham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ieisha
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pentland
authors.affiliation: School of Cancer Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. j.l.parish@bham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Joanna L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Parish
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000076246:CCCTC-Binding Factor; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000076246:CCCTC-Binding Factor; C000619697:CTCF protein, human; D012097:Repressor Proteins
keywords: CTCF; DNA virus; chromatin organization; cohesin; gene expression