The E2 "gene" of bovine papillomavirus encodes an enhancer-binding protein.

The E2 early open reading frame (presumably gene) of bovine papillomavirus-1 was fused in frame with the collagen-beta-galactosidase-encoding region of the vector pJG200 and was expressed in and partially purified from Escherichia coli. The hybrid protein specifically bound to the enhancer region of bovine papillomavirus at several sites. DNase I-cleavage protection analysis of one such site revealed the protected sequence. A comparison of the protected sequence with the remainder of the DNA sequences that also have affinity for the protein revealed a consensus sequence having the motif AATTGGCGGNNCG, in which N is any nucleotide. The protected region also includes a sequence with 2-fold rotational symmetry--ATCGGTG/CACCGAT.