Re: [HAPS-L] Viruses and transcription sites

[Ted Namm <Theodore_Namm@xxxxxxx>]

Good evening Ken,

Many viruses, especially the retroviruses (RNA viruses) do, in fact, carry their own "TATA box".  It is the LTR (long tandem repeat) region of the viral genome, and basically acts like a transcription initiator. Therefore, these viruses can replicate themselves no matter where in the genome they land.  Since they carry their own transcription initiator, their insstructions for replication will always be "in phase".

Ted Namm
UMass Lowell

Ken Saladin wrote:

Here's a different DNA-related question. Maybe someone on the list with some microbiology background knows the answer to this.

Presumably a virus wouldn't be replicated if it inserted its genome into a noncoding region of the host DNA. Does viral DNA, therefore, have a way of recognizing transcriptional starter sites such as TATA boxes in the host genome and selectively inserting there, where it "knows" transcription will occur? Are viral insertion sites nonrandom? Or do viral genomes carry their own TATA boxes (or something equivalent) that makes the host RNA polymerase recognize them as transcribable DNA?

Ken