Identification of a virus trans-acting regulatory element on the latent DNA replication of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus

Latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 (LANA1) of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of the virus genome in latently infected cells. LANA1 links virus genomes to host chromosomes via a C-terminal DNA-binding domain which interacts with the sequences located in terminal repeats (TRs) of the virus genome and via an N-terminal chromosome-binding sequence which associates with the host chromosomes, respectively. Recent data suggest that LANA1 also actively participates in the replication of KSHV TR-containing plasmid in the transient DNA replication assay. In this report, it was found that C33A and COS-1, but not NIH/3T3, cell lines are permissive for the transient replication of KSHV TR-containing plasmid. Using several LANA1-deletion mutants, the minimum domain of LANA1 required for replication activity was also determined. In addition, the N terminus of LANA1 inhibited the transient replication systems of KSHV and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in transiently transfected 293 and 293T cells, but the C terminus of LANA1 specifically inhibited the transient replication system of KSHV in other cell lines. Consistent with previous reports, these data further emphasize the functional importance of the N terminus of LANA1 on replication from the KSHV latent origin of DNA replication.