Wild-type mouse p53 down-regulates transcription from different virus enhancer/promoters

The protein encoded by the tumour-suppressor gene p53 can complex with SV40 virus large T antigen, the adenovirus E1B 58-kDa protein and the E6 protein of human papillomavirus type 16. The functions of these complexes are unclear, but there is some evidence to suggest that binding of p53 to these viral proteins may inactivate p53 function. Recent reports have shown that p53 is involved in regulation of transcription. We have considered the possibility that p53 may regulate transcription of viral genes important for virus replication and/or transformation. Inactivation of p53 function by formation of such complexes might then permit correct expression of these viral genes. Since p53 can bind to the SV40 virus enhancer/promoter, we have investigated the effect of p53 on transcription from this promoter and report here that mouse p53 is a potent repressor of the SV40 enhancer/promoter. Mutations within p53 severely inhibited this activity and provided some evidence to show that the N-terminus of p53 contains residues essential for this function. We also show that mouse p53 represses transcription from the promoters of viruses that do not express proteins that complex with p53: the human cytomegalovirus early promoter and the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat. By studying the effect of p53 on transcription in different cell lines, we show that the effects of p53 on promoters may be cell type specific.