White spot syndrome virus annexes a shrimp STAT to enhance expression of the immediate-early gene ie1.

ABSTRACT: Although the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway is part of the antiviral response in arthropods such as Drosophila, here we show that white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) uses a shrimp STAT as a transcription factor to enhance viral gene expression in host cells. In a series of deletion and mutation assays using the WSSV immediate-early gene ie1 promoter, which is active in shrimp cells and also in insect Sf9 cells, an element containing a STAT binding motif was shown to be important for the overall level of WSSV ie1 promoter activity. In the Sf9 insect cell line, a specific protein-DNA complex was detected by using electrophoresis mobility shift assays (EMSA) with the 32P-labeled STAT binding motif of the WSSV ie1 promoter as the probe.

SUBMITTER: Liu WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1797513 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature