ROLE OF SINGLE-STRANDED-DNA REGIONS AND Y-BOX PROTEINS IN TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF VIRAL AND CELLULAR GENES

Single-stranded regions, known to be important for optimal rates of tr anscription, have been observed in the promoters of several cellular g enes as well as in the promoters of many pathogenic viruses. Several h ost-encoded, single-stranded DNA binding proteins capable of binding t hese regions have been purified and their genes isolated. In this revi ew, information available about single-stranded regions present within various promoters and the interaction of a novel class of single-stra nded DNA binding transcription factors belonging to the Y-box family o f proteins is reviewed. Mechanisms by which these proteins influence t ranscription of both cellular and viral genes are proposed.