VIRAL TRANSACTIVATING PROTEINS

Many viruses utilize the cellular transcription apparatus to express t heir genomes, and they encode transcriptional regulatory proteins that modulate the process, Here we review the current understanding of thr ee viral regulatory proteins. The adenovirus EIA protein acts within t he nucleus to regulate transcription through its ability to bind to ot her proteins. The herpes simplex type 1 virus VP16 protein acts within the nucleus to control transcription by binding to DNA in conjunction with cellular proteins. The human T-cell leukemia virus Tax protein i nfluences transcription through interactions with cellular proteins in the nucleus as well as the cytoplasm.