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A trans-acting factor represses the activity of the polyoma virus enhancer in undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma

P Sassone-Corsi1, C Fromental, P Chambon

  • 1Laboratoire de Genetique Moleculaire des Eucaryotes du CNRS, Faculte de Medicine, Strasbourg, France.

Oncogene Research
|July 1, 1987
PubMed

Insights

Undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells resist polyoma virus infection due to an inactive transcriptional enhancer. A trans-acting factor in F9 EC cells represses enhancer activity, unlike in mouse fibroblasts.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Cell Biology

Background:

  • Undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells exhibit resistance to certain viral infections, including some papovaviruses and retroviruses.
  • Polyoma virus expression is blocked in F9 EC cells, seemingly due to transcriptional enhancer inactivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying polyoma virus transcriptional repression in undifferentiated F9 EC cells.
  • To identify the factor responsible for repressing polyoma virus enhancer activity in F9 EC cells.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing cell culture techniques with F9 undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma cells and mouse fibroblasts.
  • Employing molecular biology assays to assess polyoma virus transcriptional enhancer activity.
  • Investigating the role of trans-acting factors in viral gene expression regulation.

Main Results:

  • Polyoma virus transcriptional enhancer activity is significantly repressed in undifferentiated F9 EC cells.
  • This repression is mediated by a specific trans-acting factor present in F9 EC cells.
  • This repressing factor is absent in differentiated mouse fibroblasts, suggesting cell-type specificity.

Conclusions:

  • A novel trans-acting factor present in undifferentiated F9 EC cells actively represses polyoma virus enhancer function.
  • This finding elucidates a key mechanism of viral restriction in specific cancer cell types.
  • Understanding this interaction may offer insights into viral tropism and gene regulation in embryonal carcinoma cells.

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