Structure and function of the enhancer 3'' to the human A gamma globin gene.

An enhancer is located immediately 3' to the A gamma globin gene. We have used DNase I footprinting to map the sites of interaction of nuclear proteins with the DNA sequences of this enhancer. Eight footprints were discovered, distributed over 600 base pairs of DNA. Three of these contain a consensus binding site for the erythroid specific factor GATA-I. Each of these GATA-1 sites had an enhancer activity when inserted into a reporter plasmid and tested in human erythroleukemia cells. Other footprints within the enhancer contained consensus binding sequences for the ubiquitous, positive regulatory proteins AP2 and CBP-1. An Sp1-like recognition sequence was also identified. Synthetic oligonucleotides encompassing two of the footprints generated a slowly migrating complex in gel mobility shift assays. The same complex forms on a fragment of the human gamma globin gene promoter extending from -260 to -200. The DNaseI footprint of this protein complex with the enhancer overlapped a sequence, AGGAGGA, found within the binding site for a protein that interacts with the chicken beta globin promoter and enhancer, termed the stage selector element. We propose that this complex of proteins may be involved in the human gamma globin promoter-enhancer interaction.     

Prevalence of the archetypal regulatory region and sequence polymorphisms in nonpassaged BK virus variants.

Since the first isolation and characterization of BK virus (BKV), a number of BKV variants which differ in genomic structure or antigenic determinants have been described. The regulatory region, in particular, the enhancer elements, show the most divergent sequences among different isolates. The structural organization of a putative ancestral prototype or archetype, from which all of the variants are probably derived, has been proposed. By sequencing the regulatory regions of 13 different isolates from the urine of bone marrow transplant recipients, we determined the structures and sequences of BKV variants diffused in the human population. The enhancer region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction to avoid passage in culture, and the product was directly sequenced. The structure most frequently observed is in agreement with the postulated archetype, containing a single enhancer element with no repeats. By sequence analysis we identified four hot spots of nucleotide variation. These variations are consistent with the existence of two consensus sequences. One sequence motif, observed in about 85% of the isolates, is referred to as the archetypal BKV, while a second motif, observed in the remaining 15% of the variants, is highly reminiscent of the AS strain.     

Identification of phorbol ester response elements in the promoter of Epstein-Barr virus putative lytic switch gene BZLF1

The product of the Epstein-Barr virus BZLF1 gene encodes a protein which is related to c-fos, it has been shown to bind specifically to a consensus AP-1 site, and its expression in latently Epstein-Barr virus-infected lymphocytes is sufficient to trigger the viral lytic cycle. We identified several elements within the BZLF1 promoter (Zp) which are responsive to the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), an inducer of the viral lytic cycle. These elements fall into two classes based on the factors which bind to these sequences and their resulting functional behavior. Four of the elements are homologous (ZI elements) and share homology to a protein-binding domain in the promoter region of the coordinately expressed BRLF1 gene. When cloned upstream of heterologous promoters, the ZI elements function as silencers which exhibit TPA-inducible enhancer activity. A distinct TPA-responsive element (ZII) is located near the TATA box and shares homology with the AP-1-binding site in the c-jun promoter. A synthetic oligonucleotide with a sequence corresponding to the ZII element effectively competes for binding of nuclear factors to the c-jun AP-1 site. Furthermore, we found that a complex of c-jun and c-fos bound to the ZII domain.