Interaction of cell and virus proteins with DNA sequences encompassing the promoter/regulatory and leader regions of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene

During the course of a productive infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV), gene expression is coordinately regulated in a cascade fashion. Three major kinetic classes of genes, termed alpha, beta, and gamma, are sequentially activated. The mechanism responsible for repression and subsequent activation of beta and gamma genes is not known. A mobility-shift electrophoresis assay was used to examine DNA fragments containing the promoter/regulatory and the mRNA leader regions of the thymidine kinase gene (TK, a model beta gene) for their ability to bind proteins present in nuclear extracts prepared from uninfected and infected cells. Specific complexes unique to each extract were formed. Using a monoclonal antibody specific for ICP4 (the major regulatory protein of HSV) we demonstrated that this protein is present in the complexes formed between probes encompassing either the promoter/regulatory or leader sequence DNAs and proteins in infected-cell extracts. These complexes formed despite the lack of a high affinity binding site for ICP4 in either of these regions. The stability of complexes formed in infected-cell extracts with DNA probes containing the promoter/regulatory, leader region, and a high affinity ICP4-binding site were compared by dissociation analysis. The relative kd(obs) for these DNA-protein complexes was in the order: TK-leader region much greater than TK-promoter/regulatory region greater than or equal to high affinity ICP4-binding site. Cu+/1,10-phenanthroline footprinting revealed that infected-cell complexes which form on a probe containing a high affinity ICP4-binding site generate a protection pattern, whereas those formed on a probe containing the TK-leader sequence do not. In contrast, complexes formed with the latter probe in extracts from uninfected cells are kinetically stable and refractile to cleavage. A model for activation of the TK gene which incorporates these results is presented.     

Expression of the herpes thymidine kinase gene in Xenopus laevis oocytes: an assay for the study of deletion mutants constructed in vitro.

When Xenopus laevis oocyte nuclei are injected with a recombinant plasmid containing the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (tk) gene, a 100-fold increase in tk enzymatic activity is observed. Three lines of evidence show that this increase in tk activity is a result of the expression of the HSV tk gene. First, the enzymatic activity is selectively inactivated by the IgG fraction of antiserum raised against HSV tk protein. Second, a polypeptide that comigrates with authentic HSV tk on polyacrylamide gels is synthesized uniquely by oocytes injected with the HSV tk gene. Third, the induced tk activity found in injected oocytes is capable of phosphorylating deoxycytidine, a substrate that is utilized by HSV tk but not by cellular tk. We have used these observations to establish an assay for examining the activity of mutated variants of the HSV tk gene. Two sets of deletion mutants of the tk gene were constructed in vitro. In one set varying amounts of 5' flanking and intragenic sequences are deleted. The other set is deleted at the 3' end of the gene. By testing the activity of each mutant in the oocyte injection assay we have delimited functional boundaries corresponding to the 5' and 3' termini of the HSV tk gene.     

Bipartite structure of the proximal promoter of a human H4 histone gene

The proximal promoter of the human H4 histone gene FO108 contains two regions of in vivo protein-DNA interaction, Sites I and II. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays using a radiolabeled DNA probe revealed that several proteins present in HeLa cell nuclear extracts bound specifically to Site I (nt-125 to nt-86). The most prominent complex, designated HiNF-C, and a complex of greater mobility, HiNF-C′, were specifically compatable by an Sp1 consensus oligonucleotide. Fractionation of HiNF-C using wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography suggested that, like Sp1, HiNF-C contains N-acetylglucosamine moieties. Two minor complexes of even greater mobility, designated HiNF-E and F, were compatable by ATF consensus oligonucleotides. A DNA probe carrying a site-specific mutation in the distal portion of Site I failed to bind HiNF-E, indicating that this protein associated specifically to this region. UV cross-linking analysis showed that several proteins of different molecular weights interact specifically with Site I. These data indicate that Site I possesses a bipartite structure and that multiple proteins present in HeLa cell nuclear extracts specifically with Site I sequences.     

Wright KL,Birnbaum MJ,van Wijnen AJ,Stein GS,Stein JL (1995): Bipartite structure of the proximal promoter of a human H4 histone gene. J Cell Biochem 58:372–379.

The proximal promoter of the human H4 histone gene FO108 contains two regions of in vivo protein-DNA interaction, Sites I and II. electrophoretic, mobility shift assays using a radiolabeled DNA probe revealed that several proteins present in HeLa cell nuclear extracts bound specifically to Site 1 (nt-125 to nt-86). The most prominent complex, designated HiNF-C, and a complex of greater mobility, HiNF-C′, using were specifically competed by an Sp1 consensus oligonucleotide. Fractionation of HiNF-C using wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography suggested that, like Sp1, HiNF-C contains N-acetylglucosamine moieties. Two minor complexes of even greater mobility, designated HiNF-E and F, were competed by ATF consensus oligonucleotides. A DNA probe carrying a site-specific mutation in the distal portion of Site I failed to bind HiNF-E, indicating that this protein associated specifically to this region. UV cross-linking analysis showed that several proteins of different molecular wieghts interact specifically with Site I. These data indicate that Site I possesses as bipartite structure and that multiple proteins present in HeLa cell nuclear extracts interact specifically with Site I sequences. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.