TRANSACTING TRANSCRIPTIONAL ACTIVATION OF HUMAN SPUMARETROVIRUS LTR IN INFECTED-CELLS

The long terminal repeat (LTR) of the human spumaretrovirus (HSRV) was examined with respect to its ability to function as transcriptional promotor in virus-infected and uninfected cells. Transient transfections using a plasmid in which the 3′ LTR of HSRV was coupled to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat) gene revealed that the level of HSRV LTR-directed cat gene expression was markedly increased in HSRV-infected cells compared to uninfected cells. Northern blot analysis of cat mRNA from transfected cultures suggests that transactivation of HSRV-directed gene expression occurs at the transcriptional level. © 1990.