Mapping of transregulatory domains of pseudorabies virus early protein 0 and identification of its dominant-negative mutant.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) early protein 0 (EP0) is a transactivator containing the RING finger domain. Analysis of transactivating activity of truncated forms of the EP0 molecule consisting of 410 amino acids revealed that amino-terminal region containing the RING finger domain, amino acids 1 to 84, and the region between amino acids 114 to 242 containing acidic amino acid sequences were required for the transactivation. On the other hand, the mutant consisting of amino acids 1 to 113 exhibited a dominant-negative property.