A FUNCTIONALLY DISTINCT TATA BOX REQUIRED FOR LATE PROGRESSION THROUGH THE EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS LIFE-CYCLE

During EBV infection, lytic DNA replication activates late gene expres sion in trans via an uncharacterized pathway. In this study, we mapped the target of this regulatory cascade to a variant TATA box (TATTAAA) and the 3' flanking region within the core promoter of the BcLF1 gene . The inherent late activity of this core promoter is, surprisingly, d isrupted by a heterologous enhancer, suggesting that late gene express ion is regulated through core promoter sequences located in a transcri ptionally inert environment.