E2F1-3 activate Merkel cell polyomavirus early transcription and replication.

ABSTRACT: Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is a DNA virus that establishes a persistent asymptomatic infection during childhood and can cause Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) later in life. Its Large and Small Tumor antigens (LT, ST), splice variants of a common viral early transcript, drive viral replication and tumorigenesis by binding to and perturbing the function of host proteins. LT binds and inhibits RB1, deregulating E2F activity and host cell cycle control to permit viral replication during S phase. While the functions of LT and ST are relatively well characterized, how their expression is controlled is poorly defined. Here, we discovered that E2F1-3/DP1 dimers bind the MCPyV Non-Coding Control Region (NCCR) via a consensus E2 site close to the LT/ST transcriptional start site. Inhibiting E2F-NC

SUBMITTER: Salisbury NJH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12642449 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature