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Journal of Virology, July 2007, p. 7805-7810, Vol. 81, No. 14
0022-538X/07/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.02388-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Institute for Virology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
Received 31 October 2006/ Accepted 30 April 2007
Enhancers are defined as DNA elements that increase transcription when placed in any orientation relative to a promoter. The major immediate-early (MIE) enhancer region of murine cytomegalovirus is flanked by transcription units ie1/3 and ie2, which are transcribed in opposite directions. We have addressed the fundamental mechanistic question of whether the enhancer synchronizes transcription of the bidirectional gene pair (synchronizer model) or whether it operates as a genetic switch, enhancing transcription of either gene in a stochastic alternation (switch model). Clonal analysis of cytokine-triggered, transcription factor-mediated MIE gene expression from latent viral genomes provided evidence in support of the switch model.
Published ahead of print on 9 May 2007.
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