Functional Studies of CCAAT/Enhancer Binding Protein Site Located Downstream of the Transcriptional Start Site. (22nd March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Yujie; Nonnemacher, Michael R; Alexaki, Aikaterini; Pirrone, Vanessa; Banerjee, Anupam; Li, Luna; Kilareski, Evelyn; Wigdahl, Brian
• Is Part Of: Clinical medicine insights. Volume 10(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-03-22
• Subjects: HIV-1 -- C/EBP -- Tat -- transcription; Pathology -- Periodicals; Pathology; Pathology; Pathology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; Periodicals; 616.0705
• DOI: 10.1177/1179555717694556
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1179-5557

Abstract

Previous studies have identified a CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) site located downstream of the transcriptional start site (DS3). The role of the DS3 element with respect to HIV-1 transactivation by Tat and viral replication has not been characterized. We have demonstrated that DS3 was a functional C/EBPβ binding site and mutation of this site to the C/EBP knockout DS3-9C variant showed lower HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) transactivation by C/EBPβ. However, it was able to exhibit similar or even higher transcription levels by Tat compared to the parental LTR. C/EBPβ and Tat together further enhanced the transcription level of the parental LAI-LTR and DS3-9C LTR, with higher levels in the DS3-9C LTR. HIV molecular clone viruses carrying the DS3-9C variant LTR demonstrated a decreased replication capacity and delayed rate of replication. These results suggest that DS3 plays a role in virus transcriptional initiation and provides new insight into C/EBP regulation of HIV-1.