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Journal of Virology, February 2006, p. 1385-1392, Vol. 80, No. 3
0022-538X/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.80.3.1385-1392.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Transcriptional Regulation of the Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus K15 Gene

Emily L. Wong1 and Blossom Damania2*

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases,1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 275992

Received 1 August 2005/ Accepted 14 November 2005

The K15 gene product of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a transmembrane protein that is encoded by the last open reading frame of the KSHV genome. The K15 protein has been implicated in modulation of B-cell signal transduction and activation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-{kappa}B signal transduction pathways. Here we report the identification of the transcriptional start site of the full-length K15 gene in KSHV-positive BCBL-1 cells. We have mapped the K15 transcriptional start site to a position 152 nucleotides upstream from the translation start site by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and RNase protection assays. We have also characterized the K15 promoter element. To analyze the cis-acting elements necessary to regulate K15 gene expression, a series of 5' promoter deletion constructs were generated and subcloned upstream of the luciferase reporter gene. Transcriptional assays with these mutant promoters demonstrated that chemical induction in latently infected KSHV-positive BCBL-1 cells activated K15 transcription. In addition, K15 promoter transactivation was also mediated by the viral immediate-early protein Orf50/Rta, suggesting that the K15 gene is actively transcribed during lytic replication.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, CB 7295, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. Phone: (919) 843-6011. Fax: (919) 966-9673. E-mail: damania{at}med.unc.edu.

Journal of Virology, February 2006, p. 1385-1392, Vol. 80, No. 3
0022-538X/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.80.3.1385-1392.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Wang, L., Pietrek, M., Brinkmann, M. M., Havemeier, A., Fischer, I., Hillenbrand, B., Dittrich-Breiholz, O., Kracht, M., Chanas, S., Blackbourn, D. J., Schulz, T. F. (2009). Identification and functional characterization of a spliced rhesus rhadinovirus gene with homology to the K15 gene of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. J. Gen. Virol. 90: 1190-1201 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brinkmann, M. M., Pietrek, M., Dittrich-Breiholz, O., Kracht, M., Schulz, T. F. (2007). Modulation of Host Gene Expression by the K15 Protein of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus. J. Virol. 81: 42-58 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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