THE HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-1 VP5 PROMOTER CONTAINS A CIS-ACTING ELEMENT NEAR THE CAP SITE WHICH INTERACTS WITH A CELLULAR PROTEIN

The promoter controlling the expression of the transcript encoding the major herpes simplex virus type 1 capsid protein (VP5, U(L)19) extend s only 60 bases or so from a functional Spl site at -48 to include a c is acting element 3' of the transcript start site, In the present comm unication, we report the generation of recombinant viruses bearing mut ations between -6 and +8 relative to the cap site in the VP5 promoter controlling expression of a reporter gene, Analysis of the effects of these mutations upon reporter gene expression along with the results o f protein binding assays demonstrates that this cap transcription elem ent functionally interacts with a cellular protein of a nominal size o f 40 kDa, Thus, like the strict late U(L)38 promoter characterized ear lier, the late VP5 promoter has the essential properties of a cellular promoter.