Reciprocal effects of Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and AP1: activation of jun, fos and ATF-2 after VZV infection and their importance for the regulation of viral genes

Varicella-zoster virus, an alpha-herpesvirus that is pathogenic for man, encodes its own transcription activators, but ubiquitous cellular transcription factors are of great importance, too. Performing quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) we found an increase of transcription of AP1 components jun, fos and of ATF-2 at different times post infection (p.i.). Jun and ATF-2 proteins were detected in infected cells. To study general effects of AP1 in the regulation of VZV encoded genes, oligonucleotide transfections were performed to knockout jun and ATF-2 transcription followed by infection with cell free VZV. RT-PCR analyses of ORFs 4, 9, 21, 29 and 68 belonging to all three kinetic classes of genes and containing different combinations of AP1/TRE and ATF/CREB sites in their respective promoters were carried out. In all cases a reduction of viral transcription was found. Virions produced after this procedure were still infectious, but the amount of newly synthesized virions was clearly reduced.