INHIBITION OF PSEUDORABIES VIRUS-REPLICATION BY A CHIMERIC TRANS-GENEPRODUCT REPRESSING TRANSCRIPTION OF THE IMMEDIATE-EARLY GENE

A chimeric gene encoding a fusion protein consisting of the DNA-bindin g domain of the immediate-early (IE) protein of pseudorabies virus (PR V) and a tail-truncated Vmw65 of herpes simplex virus I, lacking the t ranscription activation domain, was constructed. The chimeric gene pro duct inhibited transcription from the PRV IE promoter in a transient e xpression assay. A HeLa cell line stably transformed with the chimeric gene showed remarkable resistance to PRV infection. In the transforme d cells infected with PRV, transcription of the PRV IE gene was repres sed, indicating that the resistance of the cells to PRV infection was due to interference with IE gene transcription by the fusion protein. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.