Increased levels of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins in human cytomegalovirus-infected cells

Increased levels of active sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins, AP-1, CRE/B, and NF kappa B were observed in nuclear lysates of human cytomegalovirus-infected cells from 15 min postinfection. The activation of these cellular factors did not require infectious virus or de novo viral protein synthesis, but their abundance was significantly reduced by inhibitors of protein kinase C and/or A. These data suggest that formation of these transcription factors resulted from the virus-cell membrane interaction and/or through the action of virion structural proteins on cytoplasmic forms of these cellular factors.