Dynamics of sequestering the limiting p300/CBP, viral cis-regulatory elements, and disease

Many studies showed that the p300/CBP coactivator is limiting. Here we review three studies that showed howtranscription complexes formed on viral cis-regulator elements compete with cellular transcription complexesby sequestrating the p300/CBP coactivator. According to the microcompetition model, this sequestering cancause disease. We use the microcompetition model to explain how a specific type of sequestering, caused by alatent virus that has an active cis-regulatory element in its promoter/enhancer that binds the transcriptioncomplex p300/CBPGABP can cause diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and certain autoimmune diseases.

Latent Viruses, Microcompetition, Transcription Factor Deficiency and the Cause of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

The cause of B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) is unknown. Some studies suggested that the cause might be a deficiency in certain transcription factors due to a genetic deletion. We would like to propose a different event that might cause such deficiency. This event is the presence of certain latent viruses in infected cells. The event and its molecular, cellular and clinical consequences have been described by Hanan Polansky in 2003 in his book on Microcompetition.