Transactivation of the human endogenous retrovirus K long terminal repeat by herpes simplex virus type 1 immediate early protein 0.

We found that LTR-directed transcription of the human endogenous retrovirus K can be induced by HSV-1 infection. The effect was mediated by the action of a HSV-1 immediate early protein, ICP0 and required the AP-1 binding site present on the HERV-K LTR. In addition, ICP0 could up-regulate AP-1 activity, suggesting that ICP0 increases transcription of HERV-K through AP-1 site. This effect might be important to understand both HERV-K- and HSV-1-mediated pathogenesis because HERV-K LTR represents an important class of retrotranspositional mutagens and also could provide a new regulatory element for the linked DNA sequences.