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J Virol, July 1998, p. 6073-6082, Vol. 72, No. 7
Department of Molecular Biology and
Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston,
Massachusetts 02111
Received 31 December 1997/Accepted 9 April 1998
Expression of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-encoded
superantigens in B lymphocytes is required for viral transmission and pathogenesis. The mechanism of superantigen expression from the viral
sag gene in B cells is largely unknown, due to problems with detection and quantification of these low-abundance proteins. We
have established a sensitive superantigen-luciferase reporter assay to
study the expression and regulation of the MMTV sag gene in
B-cell lymphomas. The regulatory elements for retroviral gene expression are generally located in the 5' long terminal repeat (LTR)
of the provirus. However, we found that neither promoters nor enhancers
in the MMTV 5' LTR play a significant role in superantigen expression
in these cells. Instead, the essential regulatory regions are located
in the pol and env genes of MMTV. We report
here that maximal sag expression in B-cell lines depends on
an enhancer within the viral pol gene which can be
localized to a minimal 183-bp region. Regulation of sag
gene expression differs between B-cell lymphomas and pro-B cells, where
an enhancer within the viral LTRs is involved. Thus, MMTV
sag expression during B-cell development is achieved
through the use of two separate enhancer elements.
0022-538X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Superantigen
Expression in B Cells Is Regulated by a Central Enhancer within
the pol Gene
and
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of
Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02111. Phone: (617) 636-6528. Fax: (617) 636-8086. E-mail:
jcoffin_par{at}opal.tufts.edu.
Present address: Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum,
Forschungsschwerpunkt Angewandte Tumorvirologie F0400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
J Virol, July 1998, p. 6073-6082, Vol. 72, No. 7
0022-538X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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