This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Howe, J G Articles by Shu, M D Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Howe, J G Articles by Shu, M D

Upstream basal promoter element important for exclusive RNA polymerase III transcription of the EBER 2 gene.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.

ABSTRACT

The Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA (EBER) genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase III, but their transcription unit appears to contain both class II and class III promoter elements. One of these promoter element, a TATA-like box which we call the EBER TATA box, or ETAB, is located in a position typical for a class II TATA box but contains G/C residues in the normal T/A motif and a conserved thymidine doublet. Experiments using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs and mutations in the TATA box of the adenovirus major late promoter showed that the ETAB promoter element does not substitute for a class II TATA box. However, when the ETAB promoter element sequence was changed to a class II TATA box consensus sequence, the EBER 2 gene was transcribed in vitro by both RNA polymerases II and III. From these results, we conclude that the ETAB promoter element is important for the exclusive transcription of the EBER 2 gene by RNA polymerase III.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Felton-Edkins, Z. A., Kondrashov, A., Karali, D., Fairley, J. A., Dawson, C. W., Arrand, J. R., Young, L. S., White, R. J. (2006). Epstein-Barr Virus Induces Cellular Transcription Factors to Allow Active Expression of EBER Genes by RNA Polymerase III. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 33871-33880 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yajima, M., Kanda, T., Takada, K. (2005). Critical Role of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-Encoded RNA in Efficient EBV-Induced B-Lymphocyte Growth Transformation. J. Virol. 79: 4298-4307 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• DUMPELMANN, E., MITTENDORF, H., BENECKE, B.-J. (2003). Efficient transcription of the EBER2 gene depends on the structural integrity of the RNA. RNA 9: 432-442 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kang, M.-S., Hung, S. C., Kieff, E. (2001). Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 activates transcription from episomal but not integrated DNA and does not alter lymphocyte growth. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 10.1073/pnas.211556598v1 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wensing, B., Stuhler, A., Jenkins, P., Hollyoake, M., Karstegl, C. E., Farrell, P. J. (2001). Variant Chromatin Structure of the oriP Region of Epstein-Barr Virus and Regulation of EBER1 Expression by Upstream Sequences and oriP. J. Virol. 75: 6235-6241 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ruf, I. K., Rhyne, P. W., Yang, C., Cleveland, J. L., Sample, J. T. (2000). Epstein-Barr Virus Small RNAs Potentiate Tumorigenicity of Burkitt Lymphoma Cells Independently of an Effect on Apoptosis. J. Virol. 74: 10223-10228 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ellsworth, D., Finnen, R. L., Flint, S. J. (2001). Superimposed Promoter Sequences of the Adenoviral E2 Early RNA Polymerase III and RNA Polymerase II Transcription Units. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 827-834 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kang, M.-S., Hung, S. C., Kieff, E. (2001). Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 activates transcription from episomal but not integrated DNA and does not alter lymphocyte growth. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98: 15233-15238 [Abstract] [Full Text]