RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Jenkins, Darlene E. A1 Martens, Christine L. A1 Mocarski, Edward S.YR 1994 T1 Human cytomegalovirus late protein encoded by ie2: a trans-activator as well as a repressor of gene expression JF Journal of General Virology, VO 75 IS 9 SP 2337 OP 2348 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-75-9-2337 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB In order to study the function of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate early gene 2 (ie2) (UL122) gene products made at late times during infection, cDNA clones were isolated from an expression library made with 74 h post-infection mRNA. Based on screening of the library, 1 % of transcripts in infected cells at this time were ie2 region-specific, and transcripts encoding γIE2338aa, a 40K late gene product, were more abundant than those encoding IE2 579aa, an a gene product made throughout infection. As expected, the cDNA capable of directing the expression of γIE2338aa was derived from a contiguous genomic region within exon 5 of the ie1/ie2 region. The cDNA clones encoding γIE2338aa and IE2579aa were compared for their ability to trans-activate viral and cellular promoters and to repress expression from the ie1/ie2 promoter via the ie2 cis-repression signal. Unexpectedly, γIE2338aa trans-activated a variety of test promoters when cotransfected with the major a gene product, IE1491aa. Promoters derived from the cellular β-actin gene, the simian virus 40 early region and the human immunodeficiency virus were all responsive to γIE2338aa plus IE1491aa, although several β promoters derived from the HCMV genome were unresponsive. Thus, this abundant late product from the ie2 region may play a role in trans-activation in addition to its role as a repressor of α gene expression., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-75-9-2337