Patent · US Expired

Inhibition of tax-mediated increase in DNA binding

US5895747A · kind A · utility

0Cited by
6References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 24, 1995
Grant dateApr 20, 1999
Priority date—
Expiry dateAug 24, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC12N2740/14022
  • WIPO fieldBiotechnology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The Tax protein of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-I) transcriptionally activated the HTLV-I promoter through binding sites for ATF, a family of cellular bZIP transcription factors. In this disclosure, it is reported that Tax dramatically increases the in vitro DNA binding activity of multiple ATF proteins. Tax also stimulates DNA binding of related bZIP proteins but does not affect the activity of proteins lacking a bZIP domain. The increased DNA binding activity occurs by a novel mechanism in which Tax promotes homodimerization in the absence of DNA. The elevated concentration of the bZIP homodimer results in increased DNA binding.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.