SearchPublisher and Institutes
You are here: Home :: Area NEM :: Life sciences :: Biochemistry
Maria Takacs, Daniel Salamon, Sanna Myöhänen, Hui Li, Judit Segesdi, Dorina Ujvari, Joerg Uhlig, Hans-Helmut Niller, Hans Wolf, George Berencsi, Janos Minarovits
Epigenetics of Latent Epstein-Barr Virus Genomes: High Resolution Methylation Analysis of the Bidirectional Promoter Region of Latent Membrane Protein 1 and 2B Genes
We analysed the methylation patterns of CpG dinucleotides in a bidirectional promoter region (LRS, LMP 1 regulatory sequences) of latent EpsteinBarr virus (EBV) genomes using automated fluorescent genomic sequencing after bisulfiteinduced modification of DNA. Transcripts for two latent membrane proteins, LMP 1 (a transforming protein) and LMP 2B, are initiated in this region in opposite directions. We found that B cell lines and a clone expressing LMP 1 carried EBV genomes with unmethylated or hypomethylated LRS, while highly methylated CpG dinucleotides were present at each position or at discrete sites and within hypermethylated regions in LMP 1 negative cells. Comparison of high resolution methylation maps suggests that CpG methylationmediated direct interference with binding of nuclear factors LBF 2, 3, 7, AML1/LBF1, LBF5 and LBF6 or methylation of CpGs within an Ebox sequence (where activators as well as repressors can bind) is not the major mechanism in silencing of the LMP 1 promoter. Although a role for CpG methylation within binding sites of Sp1 and 3, ATF/CRE and a sisinducible factor (SIF) cannot be excluded, hypermethylation of LRS or regions within LRS in LMP 1 negative cells suggests a role for an indirect mechanism, via methylcytosine binding proteins, in silencing of the LMP 1 promoter.
Biological Chemistry, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1431-6730
Volume: 382, 04/2001
Pages: 699 - 705