Biology Department Seminar

Transcription elongation is an important control point for regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. Our work demonstrates that postreplicative gene transcription elongation is regulated during vaccinia virus infection. A study of this regulation is important for understanding regulation of vaccinia virus gene expression in particular, and the system may prove to be an important model for study of regulation of transcription elongation in eukaryotes in general. Our research currently centers on four vaccinia genes, A18R, G2R, J3R and H5R, which seem to regulate postreplicative gene transcription elongation with complementing activities. Genetic and biochemical experiments suggest that A18R is a transcription termination factor and that G2R, J3R and H5R are positive transcription elongation factors. Our working hypothesis is that these gene products work together, perhaps as a transcription elongation complex, to regulate formation of 3' ends of intermediate and late vaccinia viral mRNAs. Efforts are underway to test, refine, and extend this hypothesis using a combined biochemical and genetic approach.