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J. Virol., May 1995, 2998-3006, Vol 69, No. 5
ED Fixman, GS Hayward and SD Hayward
Using a transient replication assay in which cosmid DNAs were cotransfected
into Vero cells, we had previously demonstrated that oriLyt replication
required six Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded replication genes. No oriLyt
origin-binding protein was identified in this study, but oriLyt replication
in the cotransfection assay was also dependent on the three lytic cycle
transactivators Zta, Rta, and Mta and an activity encoded by the EBV Sal/I
F fragment. We have now used expression plasmids for the six known
replication proteins to further examine the question of the requirement for
an oriLyt origin-binding protein. The activity in Sal/I-F was shown to be
encoded by BKRF3. The predicted product of this open reading frame is an
enzyme, uracyl DNA glycosylase, not an origin-binding protein, and is
dispensable for replication in assays using expression plasmids. BBLF2,
which is positionally related to the gene for the herpes simplex virus
(HSV) UL9 origin-binding protein, was confirmed to be expressed as a
spliced transcript with BBLF3 and not as an independent product.
Examination of the requirement for the EBV transactivators revealed that
Rta, while contributing to replication efficiency, was dispensable. Mta
could be substituted by HSV IE63, and in complementation experiments with
HSV replication genes, Mta was no longer required for replication of EBV
oriLyt, suggesting that the contribution of Mta to replication may be
indirect. Zta continued to be required for detectable oriLyt replication
both with the EBV replication proteins and in the complementation assays
with HSV replication proteins. We conclude that EBV does not encode an
equivalent of HSV UL9 and that Zta is the sole virally encoded protein
serving an essential origin-binding function.
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology
Replication of Epstein-Barr virus oriLyt: lack of a dedicated virally encoded origin-binding protein and dependence on Zta in cotransfection assays
Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
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