Human JC virus nuclear factor 1 binding motifs and large tumor antigen region required for transactivation of late promoter

Kotlo U. Kumar, Laxminarayana R. Devireddy, Shou Ching Tang, Alan Pater, Mary M. Pater

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

The nuclear factor 1 (NF-1) motifs, NF-1 II/III, in the two 98-bp repeats of the transcription-regulatory region of JC virus (JCV), have a critical role in brain-specific transcription from the JCV early promoter- enhancer. In this study, the role of these motifs in transactivation of the JCV late promoter-enhancer (JCVL) was examined in differentiating glial P19 embryonal carcinoma cells. The expression of papovaviral large tumor antigen (T-Ag) in the glial cells was shown by double immunofluorescence assays. By using site-directed mutagenesis and in vivo assays, the two wild-type NF-1 II/III sites, but not the third site, were found to be essential for the transactivation of JCV(L) by JCV T-Ag. In vitro transcription assays confirmed this specific transactivation and the transactivation was abolished by T-Ag antibody. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays, expression of JCV T-Ag increased the binding of a factor(s) to the 98-bp repeat. T-Ag antibody abolished the increase of binding. Binding assays with oligonucleotides of NF-1 II/III motifs showed that the increased binding specifically required the wild-type NF-1 II/III sequences and confirmed the requirement of T-Ag. To determine the region of T-Ag necessary for transactivation of JCV(L), the coding sequences were mutated. The amino-terminal region of JCV Ag in amino acids 1-437 was essentially required for efficient transactivation. These results indicated that transactivation of JCV(L) and increased binding require a factor(s) found specifically in glial cells, the JCV NF-1 II/III sites, and the T-Ag amino-terminal region.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)473-481
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Neurochemistry
Volume67
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1996
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • JC virus
  • Late promoter
  • Nuclear factor 1 sites
  • T-Ag
  • Transactivation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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