Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of viral gene expression in the gamma-herpesvirus Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.

Purpose Of Review: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the etiological agent of the AIDS-associated tumor Kaposi's sarcoma, is a complex virus that expresses ~90 proteins in a regulated temporal cascade during its replication cycle. Although KSHV relies on cellular machinery for gene expression, it also uses specialized regulators to control nearly every step of the process. In this review we discuss the current understanding of KSHV gene regulation.

Recent Findings: High-throughput sequencing and a new robust system to mutate KSHV have paved the way for comprehensive studies of KSHV gene expression, leading to the characterization of new viral factors that control late gene expression and post-transcriptional steps of gene regulation. They have also revealed key aspects of chromatin-based control of gene expression in the latent and lytic cycle.

Summary: The combination of mutant analysis and high-throughput sequencing will continue to expand our model of KSHV gene regulation and point to potential new targets for anti-KSHV drugs.