A 2.9-KILOBASE NONCODING NUCLEAR-RNA FUNCTIONS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PERSISTENT HZ-1 VIRAL-INFECTION

Differential viral gene expression during both productive and persiste nt infections of Hz-l virus in insect cells was elucidated. Despite mo re than 100 viral transcripts being expressed during productive viral infection, massive viral gene shutoff was observed during viral persis tency, leaving the 2.9-kb persistence-associated transcript 1 (PAT1) a s the only detectable viral RNA. Persistence-associated gene 1 (pag1), which encodes PAT1, was cloned and found to contain no significant op en reading frames. PAT1 is not associated with the cellular translatio n machinery and is located exclusively in the nucleus. Further experim ents showed that PAT1 is functional in the establishment of persistent Hz-l viral infection in the cells. AU the evidence collectively indic ates that PAT1 is a novel nuclear transcript of viral origin. Our resu lts showed that although PAT1 and XIST RNA, a mammalian X-inactive spe cific transcript, are transcribed by different genes, they have intere sting similarities.