ORGANISM: Human herpesvirus 8

LINEAGE: Viruses; dsDNA viruses, no RNA stage; Herpesviridae; Gammaherpesvirinae; Rhadinovirus

PRODUCT: putative purine binding site

GENE: ORF K8 (K-bZIP, K basic leucine zipper)

FUNCTION: is on of the trans-acting factors required for lytic DNA replication. These factors consist of homologues to the core replication proteins.

CONSERVED DOMAIN: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) K8 protein. This family consists of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) K8 proteins. KSHV open reading frame K8 encodes a basic region-leucine zipper protein of 237 aa that homodimerises. K8 interacts and co-localises with human pfam04855, a cellular chromatin-remodelling factor, both in vivo and in vitro. K8 is thought to function as a transcriptional activator under specific conditions and its transactivation activity requires its interaction with the cellular chromatin remodelling factor hSNF5.

PAPER: Amplification of the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus 8 lytic origin of DNA replication is dependent upon a cis-acting AT-rich region and an ORF50 response element and the trans-acting factors ORF50 (K-Rta) and K8 (K-bZIP).AuCoin DP, Colletti KS, Cei SA, Papouskova I, Tarrant M, Pari GS.Virology. 2004 Jan 20;318(2):542-55.