This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Chang, P.-J.
Right arrow Articles by Liu, S.-T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Chang, P.-J.
Right arrow Articles by Liu, S.-T.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Virol, June 1998, p. 5128-5136, Vol. 72, No. 6
0022-538X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Role of Rta in the Translation of Bicistronic BZLF1 of Epstein-Barr Virus

Pey-Jium Chang,1,2 Yu-Sun Chang,2 and Shih-Tung Liu2,*

Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Shih-Pai, Taipei 112,1 and Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chang-Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan 333,2 Taiwan

Received 9 January 1998/Accepted 17 March 1998

The BZLF1 gene of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which encodes a transcription factor, Zta, is transcribed into monocistronic and bicistronic mRNAs from two different promoters during the immediate-early stage of the EBV lytic cycle. It is generally accepted that the Zta protein translated from the monocistronic mRNA profoundly influences the activation of the EBV lytic cycle. In this study, we constructed a plasmid, pCMV-RZLUC, which can transcribe a bicistronic mRNA consisting of BRLF1 and a BZLF1-luc fusion gene under latent conditions. P3HR1 cells transfected with this plasmid produce a luciferase activity which is approximately 17-fold higher than the activity exhibited by pRZLUC, a plasmid incapable of transcribing the bicistronic mRNA. Genetic analyses indicated that mutations in BRLF1 not only can decrease the translation of the fusion gene from the bicistronic mRNA but can also be complemented by a functional BRLF1 gene in cis. This observation implies that the product of BRLF1, Rta, is involved in the translation of the downstream gene. Results presented herein also demonstrate that these mutations cannot be complemented in trans with a plasmid overexpressing Rta, suggesting that the amount of Rta in the vicinity of the intercistronic region may be crucial for the translation. Furthermore, our results correspond to those of previous investigations indicating that the Zta protein can be translated from the bicistronic mRNA and that, similar to the translation of bicistronic ZLUC, mutations in BRLF1 also hinder the translation of Zta from the BRLF1-BZLF1 bicistronic mRNA. Translation of Zta from the bicistronic mRNA may play an essential role in the activation of the EBV lytic cycle.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chang-Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. Phone and fax: 886-3-328-0292. E-mail: cgliu{at}cguaplo.cgu.edu.tw.

J Virol, June 1998, p. 5128-5136, Vol. 72, No. 6
0022-538X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Nakayama, S., Murata, T., Murayama, K., Yasui, Y., Sato, Y., Kudoh, A., Iwahori, S., Isomura, H., Kanda, T., Tsurumi, T. (2009). Epstein-Barr Virus Polymerase Processivity Factor Enhances BALF2 Promoter Transcription as a Coactivator for the BZLF1 Immediate-Early Protein. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 21557-21568 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lee, Y.-H., Chiu, Y.-F., Wang, W.-H., Chang, L.-K., Liu, S.-T. (2008). Activation of the ERK signal transduction pathway by Epstein-Barr virus immediate-early protein Rta. J. Gen. Virol. 89: 2437-2446 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chang, L.-K., Chung, J.-Y., Hong, Y.-R., Ichimura, T., Nakao, M., Liu, S.-T. (2005). Activation of Sp1-mediated transcription by Rta of Epstein-Barr virus via an interaction with MCAF1. Nucleic Acids Res 33: 6528-6539 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chen, L.-W., Chang, P.-J., Delecluse, H.-J., Miller, G. (2005). Marked Variation in Response of Consensus Binding Elements for the Rta Protein of Epstein-Barr Virus. J. Virol. 79: 9635-9650 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chang, L.-K., Lee, Y.-H., Cheng, T.-S., Hong, Y.-R., Lu, P.-J., Wang, J. J., Wang, W.-H., Kuo, C.-W., Li, S. S.-L., Liu, S.-T. (2004). Post-translational Modification of Rta of Epstein-Barr Virus by SUMO-1. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 38803-38812 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Liang, C.-L., Chen, J.-L., Hsu, Y.-P. P., Ou, J. T., Chang, Y.-S. (2002). Epstein-Barr Virus BZLF1 Gene Is Activated by Transforming Growth Factor-beta through Cooperativity of Smads and c-Jun/c-Fos Proteins. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 23345-23357 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wu, C.-Y., Fu, J.-F., Liu, S.-T. (2001). The replicon of pSW800 from Pantoea stewartii. Microbiology 147: 2757-2767 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chang, P.-J., Liu, S.-T. (2001). Function of the Intercistronic Region of BRLF1-BZLF1 Bicistronic mRNA in Translating the Zta Protein of Epstein-Barr Virus. J. Virol. 75: 1142-1151 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chang, L.-K., Liu, S.-T. (2000). Activation of the BRLF1 promoter and lytic cycle of Epstein-Barr virus by histone acetylation. Nucleic Acids Res 28: 3918-3925 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Segouffin-Cariou, C., Farjot, G., Sergeant, A., Gruffat, H. (2000). Characterization of the Epstein-Barr virus BRRF1 gene, located between early genes BZLF1 and BRLF1. J. Gen. Virol. 81: 1791-1799 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hung, C.-H., Liu, S.-T. (1999). Characterization of the Epstein-Barr virus BALF2 promoter. J. Gen. Virol. 80: 2747-2750 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • You, L.-R., Chen, C.-M., Yeh, T.-S., Tsai, T.-Y., Mai, R.-T., Lin, C.-H., Lee, Y.-H. W. (1999). Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein Interacts with Cellular Putative RNA Helicase. J. Virol. 73: 2841-2853 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»