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. 1989 Mar;63(3):1435–1440. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.3.1435-1440.1989

Human cytomegalovirus ie1 transactivates the alpha promoter-enhancer via an 18-base-pair repeat element.

J M Cherrington 1, E S Mocarski 1
PMCID: PMC247847  PMID: 2536844

Abstract

The expression of alpha (immediate-early) genes of cytomegalovirus is regulated via a complex enhancer that consists of several different repeat elements. We describe here the autoinduction of expression from the alpha promoter-enhancer by the most abundant alpha gene product, a 491-amino-acid nuclear phosphoprotein referred to as ie1. We defined the 18-base-pair repeat element within the alpha enhancer as the signal through which ie1 acts to regulate gene expression. This element contains an NF kappa B site that may play an important role in ie1 autoregulation. Our analysis, which relied on deletions through the enhancer as well as reconstitution of responsiveness to a promoter with synthetic 18-base-pair repeats, strongly implicated ie1 in the transcriptional transactivation of the alpha promoter through its enhancer.

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Selected References

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