Maize streak virus (MSV) is transcribed bidirectionally from an intergenic region and rightward transcription produces an RNA that encodes the coat protein. The intergenic region contains promoter elements required for rightward transcription including an upstream activating sequence (UAS) which endows the promoter with full activity in a maize transient expression system. The UAS contains two GC-rich repeats (GC boxes) and a long inverted repeat or hairpin with a loop harboring a TAATATTAC sequence common to all geminiviruses. Deletions through the UAS demonstrated the presence of an element, called the rightward promoter element (rpe1), which is responsible for transcriptional activation. Rpe1 includes the two GC-rich boxes, which are similar in sequence to Sp1 binding sites in mammalian cells, but not the conserved hairpin loop. Rpe1 binds maize nuclear factors in vitro and the characteristics of the binding interaction have been determined by 1) binding competition with oligonucleotides, 2) methidiumpropyl-EDTA footprinting and 3) methylation interference assays. Binding of maize nuclear factors to the UAS generates two major bands, slow and fast migrating bands, in gel retardation assays. Footprinting and factor titration data suggest that the fast bands arise by the binding of factors to one GC box while the slow bands are generated by factors binding to both boxes. The data further indicate that the factors bind to the two GC-rich boxes with little cooperativity and bind on opposite faces of the DNA helix.