Effect of the BZLF1 Transactivator on Different Classes of EBV Promoters

The EBV immediate-early gene product, BZLF1, can disrupt viral latency when placed under the control of a strong heterologuous promoter and transfected into EBV-positive B-cells. (1,2). The BZLF1 gene encodes a transactivating function which has been previously shown to stimulate the activity of several different EBV early promoters. It seems likely that the ability of BZLP1 to disrupt viral latency is related to its activation of key EBV genes which are required for productive infection.