Human foamy virus genome possesses an internal, Bel-1-dependent and functional promoter
Open accessAbstract
The human foamy or spumaretrovirus (HSRV) is a complex retrovirus that encodes the three retroviral genes gag, pol, and env and, in addition, at least three bel genes. The HSRV Bel-1 protein was identified as a transcriptional trans-activator. HSRV transcription starts in the 5' long terminal repeat at a defined guanine residue. We report here that a second efficiently utilized start site of transcription is contained within a HSRV env DNA sequence upstream of the bel genes. Bel-specific transcripts that initiate at the internal transcriptional start site at nt 9196 were identified in HSRV-infected cells by primer extension and S1 nuclease analysis, and the intragenic promoter was shown to be constitutively activated by Bel-1 in the HSRV provirus. In transient expression assays with indicator gene constructs, expression by the HSRV intragenic promoter/enhancer is Bel-1 dependent. The data provide evidence for an intragenic start site of transcription in the genome of a complex, exogenous human retrovirus and are discussed in terms of a model for regulating spumaretroviral gene expression.
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Tas can activate both the LTR and IPs using cis-acting response elements, an activity that is tissue specific.
“Interestingly, Tas can activate both the LTR and IPs using cis-acting response elements, an activity that is tissue specific (Löchelt et al. 1993, Campbell et al. 1994, Mergia 1994, Wei et al. 2022).”
From Beyond reverse transcription: molecular mechanisms and emerging paradigms in retroviral replication (2026) · cites this paper as Löchelt et al. 1993
Similar to MMTV, the basal activity of the foamy virus IP is stronger than the LTR promoter due to the presence of an NRE in the LTR promoter.
“Similar to MMTV, the basal activity of the IP is stronger than the LTR promoter due to the presence of an NRE in the LTR promoter.”
From Beyond reverse transcription: molecular mechanisms and emerging paradigms in retroviral replication (2026) · cites this paper as Löchelt et al. 1993
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Foamy virus nuclear RNA export is distinct from that of other retroviruses
Bodem, J., Schied, T., Gabriel, R., Rammling, M., & Rethwilm, A. (2011) · Journal of Virology · doi:10.1128/jvi.01518-10 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Feline foamy virus Tas protein is a DNA-binding transactivator
Omoto, S., Brisibe, E. A., Okuyama, H., & Fujii, Y. R. (2004) · Journal of General Virology · doi:10.1099/vir.0.80088-0 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Beyond reverse transcription: molecular mechanisms and emerging paradigms in retroviral replication
Jehad, M. A., Ali, L. M., Pillai, V. N., Prabhu, S. G., Mustafa, F., & Rizvi, T. A. (2026) · FEMS Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1093/femsre/fuaf066 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Interestingly, Tas can activate both the LTR and IPs using cis -acting response elements, an activity that is tissue specific (Löchelt et al. 1993 , Campbell et al. 1994 , Mergia 1994 , Wei et al. 2022 ).”
- Authors
- Löchelt, M., Muranyi, W., & Flügel, R. M.
- Affiliations
- Abteilung Retrovirale Genexpression, Forschungsschwerpunkt Angewandte Tumorvirologie, Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
- ORCID
- Muranyi, W
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 1993-08
- Volume
- 90
- Issue
- 15
- Pages
- 7317-7321
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC47128
- OpenAlex
- W1985707992
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 4.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and Retrovirus Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › HIV Research and Treatment
- Keywords
- human foamy virus, intragenic promoters, transcription start sites, long terminal repeat, env gene, provirus
- MeSH terms
- Base Sequence, Cells, Cultured, DNA-Binding Proteins, Enhancer Elements, Genetic, Genes, Viral, Molecular Sequence Data, Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Retroviridae Proteins, RNA, Messenger, RNA, Viral, Transcription, Genetic, Transcriptional Activation, Trans-Activators, Viral Structural Proteins, Genes, env, Gene Expression Regulation, Viral, Spumavirus, In Vitro Techniques
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