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PubMedDate not supplied

Anti-termination of transcription within the long terminal repeat of HIV-1 by tat gene product.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) gene expression is controlled by cellular transcription factors and by virally encoded trans-activation proteins of the HIV-1 tat and art/trs genes, which are essential for viral replication. Tat trans-activates HIV-1 gene expression by interacting with the trans-acting response element (TAR) located within the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) (ref. 2). In transient expression assays, tat mediates its effects largely by increasing the steady-state levels of messenger RNA species that contain the TAR sequence at or near their 5' ends, suggesting a function for tat either in transcription or in subsequent RNA processing. The tat gene could also facilitate translation of mRNA containing the TAR sequence. To determine the mechanism of trans-activation by tat, we analysed the structure and rate of synthesis of RNA species directed by the HIV-1 LTR in transient expression assays both in the presence and absence of tat. Although the rate of HIV-1 transcription initiation was not affected by tat, transcriptional elongation beyond position +59 was seen only in the presence of tat. Thus, tat trans-activates HIV-1 transcription by relieving a specific block to transcriptional elongation within the TAR sequence.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1993

Phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis activates NF-kappa B and increases human immunodeficiency virus replication in human monocytes and T lymphocytes.

We have tested whether breakdown of phosphatidylcholine (PC) initiated by exogenous addition of a PC-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) from Bacillus cereus or by endogenous overexpression of PC-PLC induces functional activation of NF-kappa B and increases human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) enhancer activity. PC-PLC-activated hydrolysis of PC was found to induce bona fide p50/p65 NF-kappa B binding activity in three different cell lines of human or murine origin. No significant changes in the turnover of other cellular phospholipids were detected in PC-PLC-treated cells. Induction of NF-kappa B by PC-PLC did not depend on de novo synthesis of proteins or autocrine secretion of either tumor necrosis factor or interleukin 1. In human monocytic and lymphoblastoid T-cell lines, induction of NF-kappa B by PC-PLC resulted in clear induction of luciferase expression vectors placed under the control of synthetic kappa B enhancers or wild type, but not kappa B-mutated, HIV long terminal repeat constructs. HIV replication was increased by PC-PLC in chronically infected monocytes and T lymphocytes. NF-kappa B activation promoted by addition of exogenous PC-PLC correlated with an intense production of diacylglycerol. However, addition of a phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC from B. cereus also induced diacylglycerol but did not activate kappa B enhancer-directed vectors. PC-PLC-induced NF-kappa B activation could not be blocked by a specific inhibitor of phorbol ester-inducible protein kinases C. These results indicate that a cellular transduction pathway, dependent on specific PC breakdown, is functional in T lymphocytes and monocytes and may be used by various transmembrane receptors to activate HIV transcription through NF-kappa B-dependent induction of the HIV enhancer.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1996

Evaluation of relative promoter strengths of the HIV-1-LTR and a chimeric RSV-LTR in T lymphocytic cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells: promoters for anti-HIV-1 gene therapies.

Gene therapy approaches for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections focus on the transfer of critical genetic elements into CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD34+ stem cells. Ideally, expression of the anti-HIV-1 gene constructs should be induced during early stages of infection to combat high turnover of the replicating virus. In this study, we investigated the activity of two promoters, HIV-1 long terminal repeat (HIV-1-LTR) and Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) LTR fused with the transactivation response element (TAR) from the HIV-1-LTR (ie RSV-TAR) in presence of Tat, the major HIV-1 transcriptional transactivator and an early gene product in HIV-1 infection. Comparative expression from both of these plasmids was analyzed by measuring expression of a reporter gene, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), after transfection of the promoter-CAT constructs and a Tat-expressing plasmid into CEM T lymphocytic cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The HIV-1-LTR could be transactivated by Tat in both unstimulated and stimulated cells. Although the RSV-TAR had a relatively high basal level of expression, Tat transactivation of this chimeric promoter occurred only in unstimulated cells. These results suggest that the HIV-1-LTR may be a better promoter for therapeutic gene expression in anti-HIV-1 intracellular immunization approaches.

Avian Sarcoma Viruses↗
PubMed1998

Amino acid analogs activate NF-kappaB through redox-dependent IkappaB-alpha degradation by the proteasome without apparent IkappaB-alpha phosphorylation. Consequence on HIV-1 long terminal repeat activation.

We report here that amino acid analogs, which activate hsp70 promoter, are powerful transcriptional activators of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR), an activation which was impaired when the two kappaB sites present in the LTR were mutated or deleted. Amino acid analogs also stimulated the transcription of a kappaB-controlled reporter gene. Upon treatment with amino acid analogs, the two NF-kappaB subunits (p65 and p50), which are characterized by a relatively long half-life, redistributed into the nucleus where they bound to kappaB elements. This phenomenon, which began to be detectable after 1 h of treatment, was concomitant with the degradation of the short lived inhibitory subunit IkappaB-alpha by the proteasome. However, contrasting with other NF-kappaB inducers that trigger IkappaB-alpha degradation through a phosphorylation step, amino acid analogs did not change IkappaB-alpha isoform composition. Antioxidant conditions inhibited amino acid analog stimulatory action toward NF-kappaB. This suggests that aberrant protein conformation probably generates a pro-oxidant state that is necessary for IkappaB-alpha proteolysis by the proteasome. Moreover, this activation of NF-kappaB appeared different from that mediated by endoplasmic reticulum overload as it was not inhibited by calcium chelation.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2003

Bioluminescent detection of endotoxin effects on HIV-1 LTR-driven transcription in vivo.

We investigated the effects of Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on luciferase expression in transgenic reporter mice in which luciferase expression is driven by the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB)-dependent portion of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (HIV-1 LTR). Using these mice, we dissected the sources of luciferase activity at the organ level by (a) assessing luciferase activity in organ homogenates, (b) bioluminescence imaging in vivo, and (c) bioluminescence imaging of individual organs ex vivo. Luciferin dosage was a critical determinant of the magnitude of photon emission from these reporter mice. Photon emission increased at doses from 0.5-6 mg of luciferin given by intraperitoneal (IP) injection. The differential between basal and LPS-induced bioluminescence was maximal at 3-6 mg of luciferin. Luciferase expression was highly inducible in lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys after a single IP injection of LPS, as assessed by luciferase activity measurements in organ homogenates. Luciferase activity was also induced in the forebrain by treatment with IP LPS. In contrast, aerosolized LPS produced a response localized to the lungs as assessed by both bioluminescence and ex vivo luciferase assay measurements. These studies demonstrate the utility of luciferase reporter mice for determining organ-specific gene expression in response to local and systemic stimuli.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Natural variants of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat: analysis of promoters with duplicated DNA regulatory motifs.

Sequence variation in the long terminal repeat (LTR) region of HIV-1 was analyzed in viral isolates of 17 infected individuals. Two classes of LTR size variants were found. One HIV-1 variant was detected containing an additional binding site for the transcription factor Sp1. Another LTR size variation was observed in four patients in a region just upstream of the NF-kappa B enhancer. This variation was the result of a duplication of a short DNA sequence (CTG-motif). Cell culture experiments demonstrated that the natural variant with four Sp1 sites had a slightly higher promoter activity and viral replication rate than the isogenic control LTR with three Sp1 sites. No positive effect of the duplicated CTG-motif could be detected. In order to measure small differences in virus production more accurately, equal amounts of a size variant and the wild-type plasmid were cotransfected into T-cells. The virus with four Sp1 sites did outgrow the three Sp1 virus in 35 days of culture and CTG-monomer virus outcompeted the CTG-dimer virus in 42 days. Based on these results we estimate a 5-10% difference in virus production of the LTR variants when compared to that of wild-type.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Jembrana disease virus Tat can regulate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) long terminal repeat-directed gene expression and can substitute for HIV Tat in viral replication.

Jembrana disease virus (JDV) is a bovine lentivirus genetically similar to bovine immunodeficiency virus; it causes an acute and sometimes fatal disease in infected animals. This virus carries a very potent Tat that can strongly activate not only its own long terminal repeat (LTR) but also the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) LTR. In contrast, HIV Tat cannot reciprocally activate the JDV LTR (H. Chen, G. E. Wilcox, G. Kertayadnya, and C. Wood, J. Virol. 73:658-666, 1999). This indicates that in transactivation JDV Tat may utilize a mechanism similar to but not the same as that of the HIV Tat. To further study the similarity of JDV and HIV tat in transactivation, we first tested the responses of a series of HIV LTR mutants to the JDV Tat. Cross-transactivation of HIV LTR by JDV Tat was impaired by mutations that disrupted the HIV type 1 transactivation response element (TAR) RNA stem-loop structure. Our results demonstrated that JDV Tat, like HIV Tat, transactivated the HIV LTR at least partially in a TAR-dependent manner. However, the sequence in the loop region of TAR was not as critical for the function of JDV Tat as it was for HIV Tat. The competitive inhibition of Tat-induced transactivation by the truncated JDV or HIV Tat, which consisted only of the activation domain, suggested that similar cellular factors were involved in both JDV and HIV Tat-induced transactivation. Based on the one-round transfection assay with HIV tat mutant proviruses, the cotransfected JDV tat plasmid can functionally complement the HIV tat defect. To further characterize the effect of JDV Tat on HIV, a stable chimeric HIV carrying the JDV tat gene was generated. This chimeric HIV replicated in a T-cell line, C8166, and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which suggested that JDV Tat can functionally substitute for HIV Tat. Further characterization of this chimeric virus will help to elucidate how JDV Tat functions and to explain the differences between HIV and JDV Tat transactivation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Transcription of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) promoter in central nervous system cells: effect of YB-1 on expression of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat.

Transcription of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is regulated by a series of host DNA-binding proteins which interact with the upstream viral promoter sequences, and the viral regulatory protein Tat which associates with TAR RNA sequences located in the leader of the viral transcript. Here we have examined the ability of the cellular protein YB-1 to modulate transcription of the HIV-1 promoter in a human astrocytic cell line (U-87MG), a neuronal cell line (SK-N-MC) and lymphoid cells (Jurkat) by transfection assay. Ectopic expression of YB-1 in U-87MG and SK-N-MC augments basal transcriptional activity of the viral sequence located between -80 and -43, which encompasses the GC-rich motif. In accord with the previous report, in Jurkat cells YB-1-mediated activation of the HIV-1 promoter required sequences which are located further upstream from the GC-rich motif. Combined overexpression of YB-1 and the GC-rich binding protein, SP1, in the transfected cells decreased the level of activation of the viral promoter, suggesting that YB-1 and SP1 may exert negative effects on each other's function. Results from band shift assay with purified YB-1 and SP1 indicated that SP1 and YB-1 bind to the GC-rich DNA sequence in the double-stranded and single-stranded configurations, respectively. However, efficient binding of SP1 to the double-stranded GC-rich motif corresponding to the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) is diminished in the presence of YB-1. Similarly, in the presence of SP1, YB-1 loses its ability to become associated with its target single-stranded DNA probe. No evidence for direct association of YB-1 and SP1 either in the presence or in the absence of DNA was observed. These data suggest that while YB-1 stimulates expression of the LTR in central nervous system cells, the level of activity of other cellular proteins, such as SP1, may dictate binding of YB-1 to its target sequence, and therefore affect the regulatory function of this protein.

Astrocytes↗
PubMed1994

Elements in the long terminal repeat of HIV-1 that interact with nuclear extracts from Jurkat cells persistently infected with vaccinia virus.

Previous reports showed transactivation of the long terminal repeat (LTR) of HIV-1 in Jurkat cells persistently infected with vaccinia virus. In this communication, electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to characterize the elements in HIV-1 LTR which might be responsible for the mechanism of transactivation. The results indicated that two elements, those for binding NF-kB and NFAT-1, were able to interact with nuclear extracts derived from Jurkat cells persistently infected with vaccinia virus, suggesting that they may play a role in the transactivation of HIV-1 LTR.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Strand displacement synthesis of the long terminal repeats by HIV reverse transcriptase.

According to the current model for retroviral replication, strand displacement of the long terminal repeat (LTR) is a necessary step during plus strand DNA synthesis in vivo. We have investigated the ability of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase (HIV-RT) to synthesize in vitro over a 634-nucleotide HIV LTR DNA template, having or lacking a single full-length DNA downstream primer. The presence of the downstream primer resulted in an approximately 12-fold reduction in the rate of upstream primer elongation. Addition of Escherichia coli single-stranded binding protein (SSB) or human replication protein A (RP-A) enhanced strand displacement synthesis; however, addition of HIV nucleocapsid protein (NC) did not. The presence of excess single-stranded DNA complementary to the downstream primer did not stimulate displacement synthesis. Interestingly, we observed that the elongating upstream primer could readily transfer to this DNA. This observation suggests that recombination is favored during strand displacement synthesis in vivo.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Functional domains required for tat-induced transcriptional activation of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat.

The transcriptional regulation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type I involves the interaction of both viral and cellular proteins. The viral protein tat is important in increasing the amount of viral steady-state mRNA and may also play a role in regulating the translational efficiency of viral mRNA. To identify distinct functional domains of tat, oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of the tat gene was performed. Point mutations of cysteine residues in three of the four Cys-X-X-Cys sequences in the tat protein resulted in a marked decrease in transcriptional activation of the HIV long terminal repeat. Point mutations which altered the basic C-domain of the protein also resulted in decreases in transcriptional activity, as did a series of mutations that repositioned either the N or C termini of the protein. Conservative mutations of other amino acids in the cysteine-rich or basic regions and in a series of proline residues in the N terminus of the molecule resulted in minimal changes in tat activation. These results suggest that several domains of tat protein are involved in transcriptional activation with the cysteine-rich domain being required for complete activity of the tat protein.

DNA Mutational Analysis↗
PubMed1995

p53 and Sp1 interact and cooperate in the tumor necrosis factor-induced transcriptional activation of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) is a potent activator of transcription directed by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR). We have recently reported that the p53 tumor suppressor gene product binds to a site within the Sp1 binding region of the HIV-1 LTR and contributes to the TNF induction of this promoter. In this study we show that the transcription factor Sp1 cooperates with p53 in the transcriptional activation directed by the HIV-1 LTR. The presence of Sp1 increased p53 binding to its recognition sequence in the HIV-1 LTR, and experiments in Drosophila cells show that Sp1 is necessary for full transactivation by mutant p53. Importantly, TNF induced the association between p53 and Sp1 in Jurkat T cells. These data demonstrate a synergistic role for these proteins in the mechanism of TNF induction of HIV-1 LTR-mediated transcription and suggest that Sp1 may play an important role in modulating certain functions of p53.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

CD8+ T cell-mediated suppression of HIV long terminal repeat-driven gene expression is not associated with improved clinical status.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the associations between the suppression of HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR)-mediated gene expression by CD8+ T-cell supernatants and clinical correlates of well-being, including CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts, beta-chemokine production and clinical stage of disease. METHODS: Culture supernatants of activated CD8+ T cells derived from a panel of HIV-1-infected subjects were assessed for their ability to suppress HIV-1 LTR-mediated chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) expression. The percentage suppression of gene expression was correlated with CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts and clinical stage of infection. Some individuals within this group were followed at 2-3 month intervals over time to assess the consistency of the suppression. Selected CD8+ T-cell culture supernatants of diverse suppressive ability were screened for the levels of the beta-chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha, MIP-1 beta and RANTES. RESULTS: The ability of CD8+ T cells of HIV-1 infected subjects to suppress HIV-1 LTR-mediated gene expression did not show a dependence upon high CD4+ T-cell counts or on the clinical stage or duration of infection. The ability to suppress gene expression did show a relationship with higher CD8+ T-cell counts and correlated with the levels of beta-chemokines in the culture supernatants. In contrast, strong suppression was mediated by CD8+ T-cell supernatants from some subjects with very low CD8+ T-cell counts and relatively low chemokine levels. CONCLUSIONS: Although the suppression of gene expression by CD8+ T-cell culture supernatants showed statistical correlation with beta-chemokine levels and with higher CD8+ T-cell count, no correlation could be found with correlates of clinical well-being.

CD4-CD8 Ratio↗
PubMed1991

DNA CpG methylation inhibits binding of NF-kappa B proteins to the HIV-1 long terminal repeat cognate DNA motifs.

The regulation of cellular or viral gene expression is directly influenced by the pattern of methylated cytosine residues localized in the DNA of enhancer/promoter sequences. The mechanism of transcriptional silencing has been explained on the basis of either an indirect model, in which densely methylated DNA is recognized by proteins that may displace crucial transcription factors, or a direct model, in which binding of a single transcription protein is prevented by the presence of a methylated CpG dinucleotide localized in a sensitive region of a DNA motif. In this study, we have determined that methylation of the core CpG dinucleotide located within the NF-kappa B repeated motifs of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat can inhibit the binding of the NF-kappa B protein complex from crude nuclear extracts or from purified bovine spleen and specifically inhibit the binding of recombinant p50 protein. We have used the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and DNaseI footprinting analysis to demonstrate that binding of the NF-kappa B proteins to their cognate motifs can be inhibited via the direct model proposed for methylation-mediated inhibition of DNA-protein interaction.

5-Methylcytosine↗
PubMed2004

Identification of mutations in proviral long terminal repeats of HIV type 1-infected subjects naive to drug therapy.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA sequences in the 5' long terminal repeat (LTR) were examined among 28 drug-naive individuals. Twenty-four subjects had highly conserved LTR sequences, however, more significant changes were observed in the remaining four LTR sequences. These included a 9-bp deletion preceding the NF kappa B elements and a duplication of the RBF-2 motif. A higher overall frequency of mutations within the LTR occurred within NFAT-1 and Sp-1 sequences. Importantly, a novel 16-bp deletion was found in the distal NFAT-1 site.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1998

p53 transactivation of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat is blocked by PD 144795, a calcineurin-inhibitor with anti-HIV properties.

Previous reports have indicated that benzothiophenes exhibit broad anti-inflammatory properties and inhibit human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) replication. We show that the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA) and benzothiophene-2-carboxamide, 5-methoxy-3-(1-methyl ethoxy)-1-oxide (PD 144795) block the induction of p53 and NF-kappaB binding to the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) by the T cell receptor activator phytohemagglutinin. CsA and PD 144795 also inhibit the induction by phytohemagglutinin of the transcription mediated by an HIV-1 LTR fragment containing the p53 and NF-kappaB sites. These effects of PD 144795 on HIV-1 transcription correlate with its ability to inhibit the phosphatase activity of calcineurin and are similar to those previously described for CsA. Moreover, a constitutive active form of calcineurin is able to induce expression from the HIV-1 LTR in a p53- and NF-kappaB-dependent manner and PD 144795 is able to block this induction. These results demonstrate that the DNA binding of p53 to the HIV-1 LTR can be modulated by calcineurin and provide a framework to understand the anti-HIV properties of benzothiophene derivatives.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed1998

Hematopoietic transcription factor GATA-2 activates transcription from HIV-1 long terminal repeat.

OBJECTIVES: To study the role of the hematopoietic transcription factor GATA-2 in long terminal repeat (LTR)-directed transcriptional activation of HIV-1 in hematopoietic progenitor cells, and to investigate possible GATA-2 binding sites in HIV-1 LTR. DESIGN AND METHODS: Wild-type HIV-1 LTR, or mutants, ligated to a luciferase reporter gene with or without a GATA-2 expression vector, were transfected into COS cells, and standardized luciferase activity was examined. The binding activity of GATA-2 to these sites was examined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. These wild-type or mutant reporter genes were also transfected into the murine hematopoietic progenitor cells, BAF3, in which GATA-2 was the predominantly expressed transcription factor of the GATA family, to assay LTR-directed transcription in intact hematopoietic machinery. Using a Tat expression plasmid for cotransfection, the influence of Tat protein on GATA-2-induced transactivation was determined. RESULTS: In COS cells, LTR-dependent transactivation was highly enhanced by the coexpression of GATA-2. Experiments with mutant LTR suggested the presence of multiple GATA-2 binding sites, of which the major sites were identified. Cotransfection of Tat with GATA-2 indicated that GATA-2 and Tat synergistically enhanced the transcriptional activity. Transfection experiments in BAF3 cells showed that the disruption of these GATA sites diminished LTR-driven activity to 40% of the wild-type. CONCLUSIONS: GATA-2 may be a key host cell regulator of HIV-1 expression in hematopoietic stem cells. Manipulating this transactivation may represent a valuable approach to controlling virus production in infected hematopoietic progenitors. To elucidate the possible interaction between GATA-2 and Tat protein in vivo might give new insights to the mechanism of impaired hematopoiesis in AIDS patients.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

The hepatitis B virus X protein induces HIV-1 replication and transcription in synergy with T-cell activation signals: functional roles of NF-kappaB/NF-AT and SP1-binding sites in the HIV-1 long terminal repeat promoter.

Co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) is relatively common. However, the impact of this co-infection on the clinical outcome of HIV infection has not been elucidated. We herein demonstrate that the HBV X protein (HBx) superinduces ongoing HIV-1 replication and HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) transcription by synergizing with Tat protein and with T-cell activation signals. Although HBx cooperated with mitogenic stimuli in the induction of reporter plasmids harboring the HIV-1 kappaB enhancer, in both a NF-kappaB-dependent manner and a NF-AT-dependent manner, deletion of this element from the LTR did not affect the HBx-mediated up-regulation in the presence of Tat and/or mitogens. In contrast, mutation of the proximal LTR Sp1-binding sites abolished the HBx-mediated synergistic activation, but only when it was accompanied by deletion of the kappaB enhancer. When HBx was targeted to the nucleus, its ability to synergize with cellular activation stimuli was maintained. Furthermore, mutations of HBx affecting its interaction with the basal transcription machinery abrogated the synergistic activation by HBx, suggesting that this protein exerts its function by acting as a nuclear co-activator. These results indicate that HBx could contribute to a faster progression to AIDS in HBV-HIV co-infected individuals.

Base Sequence↗