The Brd4 acetyllysine-binding protein is involved in activation of polyomavirus JC

Brd4 is an epigenetic reader protein and a member of the BET (bromodomain and extra terminal domain) family of proteins with two bromodomains that recognize acetylated lysine residues. Brd4 specifically binds to acetylated transcription factor NF-κB p65 and coactivates transcription. Polyomavirus JC (JCV) is regulated by a noncoding control region (NCCR) containing promoter/enhancer elements for viral gene expression including a binding site for NF-κB, which responds to proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, the DNA damage response, calcium signaling and acetylation of the NF-κB p65 subunit on lysine residues K218 and K221. Earlier studies indicated that NF-κB is involved in the reactivation of persistent/latent JCV in glial cells to cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a severe demyelinating disease of the brain caused by replication of JCV in glial cells. To investigate the mechanism of action of NF-κB acetylation on JCV transcription, we examined Brd4 and found that JCV early transcription was stimulated by Brd4 via the JCV NF-κB site and that p65 K218 and K221 were involved. Treatment with the Brd4 inhibitor JQ1(+) or mutation of either K218 or K221 to glutamine (K218R or K221) inhibited this stimulation and decreased the proportion of p65 in the nucleus. We conclude that Brd4 is involved in the regulation of the activation status of JCV in glial cells.