Repression of adenovirus early gene expression by coinfection with a temperature-sensitive mutant in the immediate-early gene of pseudorabies virus.

Wild-type adenovirus was coinfected with a mutant temperature sensitive for the immediate-early gene of pseudorabies virus. At the nonpermissive temperature, this mutant, tsG, strongly inhibited the transcription of all adenovirus early genes, including E1A. This inhibition was not observed with wild-type pseudorabies virus coinfection or with tsG coinfection at the permissive temperature. The level of repression was dependent upon the ratio of tsG to adenovirus in the infection. The results suggest that the temperature-sensitive protein may be interacting with transcription factors on the viral DNA or with the DNA itself to inhibit adenovirus transcription.