Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1991 Feb;65(2):887–896. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.2.887-896.1991

Human cytomegalovirus ie2 negatively regulates alpha gene expression via a short target sequence near the transcription start site.

J M Cherrington 1, E L Khoury 1, E S Mocarski 1
PMCID: PMC239829  PMID: 1846203

Abstract

Repression of human cytomegalovirus alpha (immediate-early) gene expression is under the control of the viral ie2 gene. Here we show that ie2 negatively regulates gene expression directed by the strong cytomegalovirus enhancer via a specific 15-bp target sequence (which we term cis repression signal [crs]). This crs is located between -14 and +1 relative to the transcription start site and will function in an orientation-independent fashion, consistent with repression occurring at the transcriptional level. Repression is dominant over transactivation by ie1 gene products. The crs (5'-CGTTTAGTGAACCGT-3') does not contain previously recognized binding sites for cellular transcription factors, and a precise copy is not found elsewhere in the human cytomegalovirus genome. The position of the signal near the transcription start site appears to be important in function; addition of the crs near the transcription start site of a heterologous promoter, from the thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus type 1, conferred cytomegalovirus ie2-dependent repression upon this promoter. Thus, we propose that an ie2 gene product or an induced cellular protein mediates repression by binding to crs. Negative regulation of alpha gene expression may be important during viral replication or latency.

Full text

PDF
888

Images in this article

890Image
on p.890
891Image
on p.891

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Akrigg A., Wilkinson G. W., Oram J. D. The structure of the major immediate early gene of human cytomegalovirus strain AD169. Virus Res. 1985 Mar;2(2):107–121. doi: 10.1016/0168-1702(85)90242-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berk A. J. Adenovirus promoters and E1A transactivation. Annu Rev Genet. 1986;20:45–79. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.20.120186.000401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Boshart M., Weber F., Jahn G., Dorsch-Häsler K., Fleckenstein B., Schaffner W. A very strong enhancer is located upstream of an immediate early gene of human cytomegalovirus. Cell. 1985 Jun;41(2):521–530. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(85)80025-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brent R., Ptashne M. A bacterial repressor protein or a yeast transcriptional terminator can block upstream activation of a yeast gene. Nature. 1984 Dec 13;312(5995):612–615. doi: 10.1038/312612a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chang C. P., Malone C. L., Stinski M. F. A human cytomegalovirus early gene has three inducible promoters that are regulated differentially at various times after infection. J Virol. 1989 Jan;63(1):281–290. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.1.281-290.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chee M. S., Bankier A. T., Beck S., Bohni R., Brown C. M., Cerny R., Horsnell T., Hutchison C. A., 3rd, Kouzarides T., Martignetti J. A. Analysis of the protein-coding content of the sequence of human cytomegalovirus strain AD169. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1990;154:125–169. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-74980-3_6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cherrington J. M., Mocarski E. S. Human cytomegalovirus ie1 transactivates the alpha promoter-enhancer via an 18-base-pair repeat element. J Virol. 1989 Mar;63(3):1435–1440. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.3.1435-1440.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davis M. G., Kenney S. C., Kamine J., Pagano J. S., Huang E. S. Immediate-early gene region of human cytomegalovirus trans-activates the promoter of human immunodeficiency virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Dec;84(23):8642–8646. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.23.8642. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. DeMarchi J. M., Schmidt C. A., Kaplan A. S. Patterns of transcription of human cytomegalovirus in permissively infected cells. J Virol. 1980 Aug;35(2):277–286. doi: 10.1128/jvi.35.2.277-286.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Depto A. S., Stenberg R. M. Regulated expression of the human cytomegalovirus pp65 gene: octamer sequence in the promoter is required for activation by viral gene products. J Virol. 1989 Mar;63(3):1232–1238. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.3.1232-1238.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Everett R. D. Trans activation of transcription by herpes virus products: requirement for two HSV-1 immediate-early polypeptides for maximum activity. EMBO J. 1984 Dec 20;3(13):3135–3141. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1984.tb02270.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Geballe A. P., Leach F. S., Mocarski E. S. Regulation of cytomegalovirus late gene expression: gamma genes are controlled by posttranscriptional events. J Virol. 1986 Mar;57(3):864–874. doi: 10.1128/jvi.57.3.864-874.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Geballe A. P., Spaete R. R., Mocarski E. S. A cis-acting element within the 5' leader of a cytomegalovirus beta transcript determines kinetic class. Cell. 1986 Sep 12;46(6):865–872. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90068-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gelman I. H., Silverstein S. Identification of immediate early genes from herpes simplex virus that transactivate the virus thymidine kinase gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Aug;82(16):5265–5269. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.16.5265. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gibson W., Murphy T. L., Roby C. Cytomegalovirus-infected cells contain a DNA-binding protein. Virology. 1981 May;111(1):251–262. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(81)90669-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Gibson W. Protein counterparts of human and simian cytomegaloviruses. Virology. 1983 Jul 30;128(2):391–406. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(83)90265-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hadlock K. G., Lutter L. C. T-antigen is not bound to the replication origin of the simian virus 40 late transcription complex. J Mol Biol. 1990 Sep 5;215(1):53–65. doi: 10.1016/S0022-2836(05)80094-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hermiston T. W., Malone C. L., Stinski M. F. Human cytomegalovirus immediate-early two protein region involved in negative regulation of the major immediate-early promoter. J Virol. 1990 Jul;64(7):3532–3536. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.7.3532-3536.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hermiston T. W., Malone C. L., Witte P. R., Stinski M. F. Identification and characterization of the human cytomegalovirus immediate-early region 2 gene that stimulates gene expression from an inducible promoter. J Virol. 1987 Oct;61(10):3214–3221. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.10.3214-3221.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Jahn G., Knust E., Schmolla H., Sarre T., Nelson J. A., McDougall J. K., Fleckenstein B. Predominant immediate-early transcripts of human cytomegalovirus AD 169. J Virol. 1984 Feb;49(2):363–370. doi: 10.1128/jvi.49.2.363-370.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Jaynes J. B., O'Farrell P. H. Activation and repression of transcription by homoeodomain-containing proteins that bind a common site. Nature. 1988 Dec 22;336(6201):744–749. doi: 10.1038/336744a0. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Johnson A. D., Meyer B. J., Ptashne M. Interactions between DNA-bound repressors govern regulation by the lambda phage repressor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Oct;76(10):5061–5065. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.10.5061. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Johnson A. D., Poteete A. R., Lauer G., Sauer R. T., Ackers G. K., Ptashne M. lambda Repressor and cro--components of an efficient molecular switch. Nature. 1981 Nov 19;294(5838):217–223. doi: 10.1038/294217a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Klucher K. M., Rabert D. K., Spector D. H. Sequences in the human cytomegalovirus 2.7-kilobase RNA promoter which mediate its regulation as an early gene. J Virol. 1989 Dec;63(12):5334–5343. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.12.5334-5343.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Kouzarides T., Bankier A. T., Satchwell S. C., Preddy E., Barrell B. G. An immediate early gene of human cytomegalovirus encodes a potential membrane glycoprotein. Virology. 1988 Jul;165(1):151–164. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(88)90668-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Lafemina R. L., Pizzorno M. C., Mosca J. D., Hayward G. S. Expression of the acidic nuclear immediate-early protein (IE1) of human cytomegalovirus in stable cell lines and its preferential association with metaphase chromosomes. Virology. 1989 Oct;172(2):584–600. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(89)90201-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Levine M., Manley J. L. Transcriptional repression of eukaryotic promoters. Cell. 1989 Nov 3;59(3):405–408. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90024-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Malone C. L., Vesole D. H., Stinski M. F. Transactivation of a human cytomegalovirus early promoter by gene products from the immediate-early gene IE2 and augmentation by IE1: mutational analysis of the viral proteins. J Virol. 1990 Apr;64(4):1498–1506. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.4.1498-1506.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Manning W. C., Mocarski E. S. Insertional mutagenesis of the murine cytomegalovirus genome: one prominent alpha gene (ie2) is dispensable for growth. Virology. 1988 Dec;167(2):477–484. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. McKnight S. L., Kingsbury R. Transcriptional control signals of a eukaryotic protein-coding gene. Science. 1982 Jul 23;217(4557):316–324. doi: 10.1126/science.6283634. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Michelson-Fiske S., Horodniceanu F., Guillon J. C. Immediate early antigens in human cytomegalovirus infected cells. Nature. 1977 Dec 15;270(5638):615–617. doi: 10.1038/270615a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Mitchell P. J., Wang C., Tjian R. Positive and negative regulation of transcription in vitro: enhancer-binding protein AP-2 is inhibited by SV40 T antigen. Cell. 1987 Sep 11;50(6):847–861. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90512-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Mocarski E. S., Jr, Abenes G. B., Manning W. C., Sambucetti L. C., Cherrington J. M. Molecular genetic analysis of cytomegalovirus gene regulation in growth, persistence and latency. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1990;154:47–74. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-74980-3_3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Mocarski E. S., Jr Biology and replication of cytomegalovirus. Transfus Med Rev. 1988 Dec;2(4):229–234. doi: 10.1016/s0887-7963(88)70050-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Nelson J. A., Reynolds-Kohler C., Smith B. A. Negative and positive regulation by a short segment in the 5'-flanking region of the human cytomegalovirus major immediate-early gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Nov;7(11):4125–4129. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.11.4125. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Pizzorno M. C., O'Hare P., Sha L., LaFemina R. L., Hayward G. S. trans-activation and autoregulation of gene expression by the immediate-early region 2 gene products of human cytomegalovirus. J Virol. 1988 Apr;62(4):1167–1179. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.4.1167-1179.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Queen C., Baltimore D. Immunoglobulin gene transcription is activated by downstream sequence elements. Cell. 1983 Jul;33(3):741–748. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90016-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Romanczuk H., Thierry F., Howley P. M. Mutational analysis of cis elements involved in E2 modulation of human papillomavirus type 16 P97 and type 18 P105 promoters. J Virol. 1990 Jun;64(6):2849–2859. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.6.2849-2859.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Sambucetti L. C., Cherrington J. M., Wilkinson G. W., Mocarski E. S. NF-kappa B activation of the cytomegalovirus enhancer is mediated by a viral transactivator and by T cell stimulation. EMBO J. 1989 Dec 20;8(13):4251–4258. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb08610.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Sodroski J. G., Rosen C. A., Haseltine W. A. Trans-acting transcriptional activation of the long terminal repeat of human T lymphotropic viruses in infected cells. Science. 1984 Jul 27;225(4660):381–385. doi: 10.1126/science.6330891. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Spaete R. R., Mocarski E. S. Regulation of cytomegalovirus gene expression: alpha and beta promoters are trans activated by viral functions in permissive human fibroblasts. J Virol. 1985 Oct;56(1):135–143. doi: 10.1128/jvi.56.1.135-143.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Stamminger T., Fickenscher H., Fleckenstein B. Cell type-specific induction of the major immediate early enhancer of human cytomegalovirus by cyclic AMP. J Gen Virol. 1990 Jan;71(Pt 1):105–113. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-71-1-105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Staprans S. I., Rabert D. K., Spector D. H. Identification of sequence requirements and trans-acting functions necessary for regulated expression of a human cytomegalovirus early gene. J Virol. 1988 Sep;62(9):3463–3473. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.9.3463-3473.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Stenberg R. M., Depto A. S., Fortney J., Nelson J. A. Regulated expression of early and late RNAs and proteins from the human cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene region. J Virol. 1989 Jun;63(6):2699–2708. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.6.2699-2708.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Stenberg R. M., Fortney J., Barlow S. W., Magrane B. P., Nelson J. A., Ghazal P. Promoter-specific trans activation and repression by human cytomegalovirus immediate-early proteins involves common and unique protein domains. J Virol. 1990 Apr;64(4):1556–1565. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.4.1556-1565.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Stenberg R. M., Stinski M. F. Autoregulation of the human cytomegalovirus major immediate-early gene. J Virol. 1985 Dec;56(3):676–682. doi: 10.1128/jvi.56.3.676-682.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Stenberg R. M., Thomsen D. R., Stinski M. F. Structural analysis of the major immediate early gene of human cytomegalovirus. J Virol. 1984 Jan;49(1):190–199. doi: 10.1128/jvi.49.1.190-199.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Stenberg R. M., Witte P. R., Stinski M. F. Multiple spliced and unspliced transcripts from human cytomegalovirus immediate-early region 2 and evidence for a common initiation site within immediate-early region 1. J Virol. 1985 Dec;56(3):665–675. doi: 10.1128/jvi.56.3.665-675.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Stenlund A., Botchan M. R. The E2 trans-activator can act as a repressor by interfering with a cellular transcription factor. Genes Dev. 1990 Jan;4(1):123–136. doi: 10.1101/gad.4.1.123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Stinski M. F., Roehr T. J. Activation of the major immediate early gene of human cytomegalovirus by cis-acting elements in the promoter-regulatory sequence and by virus-specific trans-acting components. J Virol. 1985 Aug;55(2):431–441. doi: 10.1128/jvi.55.2.431-441.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Struhl K. Negative control at a distance mediates catabolite repression in yeast. 1985 Oct 31-Nov 6Nature. 317(6040):822–824. doi: 10.1038/317822a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Tevethia M. J., Spector D. J. Complementation of an adenovirus 5 immediate early mutant by human cytomegalovirus. Virology. 1984 Sep;137(2):428–431. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(84)90236-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. Tevethia M. J., Spector D. J. Heterologous transactivation among viruses. Prog Med Virol. 1989;36:120–190. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  54. Tevethia M. J., Spector D. J., Leisure K. M., Stinski M. F. Participation of two human cytomegalovirus immediate early gene regions in transcriptional activation of adenovirus promoters. Virology. 1987 Dec;161(2):276–285. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(87)90119-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  55. Thomsen D. R., Stenberg R. M., Goins W. F., Stinski M. F. Promoter-regulatory region of the major immediate early gene of human cytomegalovirus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Feb;81(3):659–663. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.3.659. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  56. Thomsen D. R., Stinski M. F. Cloning of the human cytomegalovirus genome as endonuclease XbaI fragments. Gene. 1981 Dec;16(1-3):207–216. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(81)90077-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  57. Wathen M. W., Stinski M. F. Temporal patterns of human cytomegalovirus transcription: mapping the viral RNAs synthesized at immediate early, early, and late times after infection. J Virol. 1982 Feb;41(2):462–477. doi: 10.1128/jvi.41.2.462-477.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  58. Weston K. An enhancer element in the short unique region of human cytomegalovirus regulates the production of a group of abundant immediate early transcripts. Virology. 1988 Feb;162(2):406–416. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(88)90481-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  59. Wilkinson G. W., Akrigg A., Greenaway P. J. Transcription of the immediate early genes of human cytomegalovirus strain AD169. Virus Res. 1984;1(2):101–106. doi: 10.1016/0168-1702(84)90067-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  60. Youderian P., Vershon A., Bouvier S., Sauer R. T., Susskind M. M. Changing the DNA-binding specificity of a repressor. Cell. 1983 Dec;35(3 Pt 2):777–783. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90110-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES