INVOLVEMENT OF HOST FACTORS IN TRANSCRIPTION FROM BACULOVIRUS VERY LATE PROMOTERS - A REVIEW

The baculovirus expression vector system has emerged as the system of choice for the expression of a number of heterologous genes of both pr okaryotic and eukaryotic origin. This system utilizes the baculovirus very late, hyperactive polyhedrin and p10 promoters to drive the trans cription of foreign genes. Regulation of transcription from these prom oters is presently not well understood even though a number of viral g ene products that may be important for transcription have been identif ied. Fresh insight into host-virus interactions during baculovirus pat hogenesis is now offered by the identification of insect host factors that interact with transcriptionally essential motifs of these promote rs as well as cis-acting enhancer-like elements upstream from the prom oter.