CELL-TYPE-SPECIFIC REPRESSION OF THE VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS IMMEDIATE-EARLY GENE-62 PROMOTER BY THE CELLULAR OCT-2 TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR

The cellular transcription factor Oct-2.1 has previously been shown to repress the transactivation of the varicella tester virus (VZV) immed iate early gene promoter by viral transactivators but not to inhibit i ts basal activity, In the case of the related virus herpes simplex vir us (HSV), the effect of Oct-2 on the IE promoters has been shown to be cell type specific and to differ between the different alternatively spliced forms of Oct-2. Here we show that as well as Oct-2.1, the Oct- 2.4 and 2.5 isoforms which are expressed in neuronal cells can inhibit transactivation of the VZV immediate early promoter regardless of the cell type used. In contrast, all the isoforms of Oct-2 can inhibit ba sal activity of the VZV promoter in neuronal cells but not in other ce ll types indicating that this effect is cell type specific. These effe cts are discussed in terms of the differential regulation of latent in fections with HSV or VZV in dorsal root ganglia. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence B.V.