Function
Promotes latency by binding operators O1 and O2 in the enhancer/operator region, thereby repressing the transcription from the Pe (early) promoter and blocking the expression of the genes required for replication (lytic growth). Competes with DDE-recombinase A for binding to the internal activation sequence (IAS), which overlaps O1 and O2. The outcome of this competition determines if the virus enters latency or starts replication. Makes the cell immune to superinfection by repressing genes expression of any subsequent incoming viral genome.