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Effects of long terminal repeat mutations on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication.

The effects of deletions within three functional regions of the long terminal repeat of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 upon the ability of the long terminal repeat to direct production of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene product and upon the ability of viruses that carry the mutations to replicate in human cell lines was investigated. The results show that the enhancer and TATAA sequences were required for efficient virus replication. Deletion of the negative regulatory element (NRE) yielded a virus that replicated more rapidly than did an otherwise isogeneic NRE-positive virus. The suppressive effect of the NRE did not depend upon the negative regulatory gene (nef), as both NRE-positive and NRE-negative viruses were defective for nef. We conclude that factors specified by the cell interact with the NRE sequences to retard human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication.

Genes, Viral↗

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat specifies two different transcription complexes, only one of which is regulated by Tat.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat sets up two different transcription complexes, which have been called processive and nonprocessive complexes. By mutating and substituting cis-acting sequences, we mapped elements of the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat that are responsible for creating each transcription complex. Whereas processive complexes are efficiently assembled by upstream promoter elements in the absence of the TATA box, nonprocessive complexes absolutely require the TATA box. Moreover, the TATA box alone can set up these nonprocessive complexes, and nonprocessive but not processive complexes are trans activated by Tat. Finally, a strong DNA-binding site between the TATA box and trans-activation-responsive region interferes with either the assembly or movement of these nonprocessive complexes and diminishes the effects of Tat. Thus, Tat affects a critical step in the formation of elongation-competent transcription complexes.

Animals↗

Diversity of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat following mother-to-child transmission.

A study of the human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) 5' long terminal repeat (LTR) was performed to determine the extent of variation found within the LTR from 19 mother-infant pairs in Tanzania and to assess whether the LTR is useful in distinguishing maternal sequences that were transmitted to infants. HIV-1 subtypes A, C, and D as well as intersubtype recombinant LTR sequences were detected in mothers and infants. The LTR subtype was 100% concordant between mothers and their infants. Diversity calculations showed a significant reduction in LTR variation in infants compared to their mothers. However, the overall magnitude of LTR variation was less than that found in the env gene from the same individuals. These data suggest a selective constraint active upon the 5' long terminal repeat that is distinct from immune selective pressure(s) directed against HIV-1 structural genes. Detection of maternal LTR variants that were transmitted to infants may yield important information concerning nonstructural determinants of HIV-1 transmission from mother to infant.

Adult↗

Functional analysis of the human annexin A5 gene promoter: a downstream DNA element and an upstream long terminal repeat regulate transcription.

Human annexin A5 is a ubiquitous protein implicated in diverse signal transduction processes associated with cell growth and differentiation, and its gene regulation is an important component of this function. Promoter transcriptional activity was determined for a wide 5' portion of the human annexin A5 gene, from bp -1275 to +79 relative to the most 5' of several discrete transcription start points. Transfection experiments carried out in HeLa cells identified the segment from bp -202 to +79 as the minimal promoter conferring optimal transcriptional activity. Two canonical Sp1 sites in the immediate 5' flanking region of a CpG island were required for significant transcription. Strong repressive activity in the distal promoter region between bp -717 to -1153 was attributed to the presence of an endogenous retroviral long terminal repeat, homologous with long terminal repeat 47B. The downstream sequence from bp position +31 to +79 in untranslated exon 1 was also essential for transcription, as its deletion from any of the plasmid constructs abolished activity in transfection assays. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assays, Southwestern-blot analysis and affinity chromatography were used to identify a protein doublet of relative molecular mass 35 kDa that bound an octanucleotide palindromic sequence in exon 1. The DNA cis-element resembled an E-box, but did not bind higher molecular mass transcription factors, such as upstream stimulatory factor or activator protein 4. The discovery of a downstream element crucial for annexin A5 gene transcription, and its interaction with a potentially novel transcription factor or complex, may provide a clue to understanding the initiation of transcription by TATA-less, multiple start site promoters.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Conditional regulatory elements of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 long terminal repeat.

Mutational analysis of the human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) long terminal repeat (LTR) revealed a novel cis-acting positive and a negative regulatory element in the U3 region, located upstream of the enhancer-promoter region. These elements acted in a cell type-specific manner, being most active in human lymphocytic CEM cells, more active in Jurkat cells than in human monocytic U937 cells and least active in epithelioid HeLa cells. The down-modulatory effect of the negative regulatory element was abolished by HIV-2 Tat, suggesting the involvement of upstream DNA elements in optimal Tat-mediated trans-activation. The sequence elements that respond to T cell activation signals were also located in the upstream U3 region. Notably, the magnitude of the effect of the upstream regulatory elements depended on the basal activity of the LTR, which was also cell type-dependent. This emphasizes the importance of the cell-specific transcriptional factors and other effectors in regulating HIV gene expression. These observations may be relevant to the cell type-specific restriction of virus replication in vivo.

Base Sequence↗

Activation of the HIV type 1 long terminal repeat and viral replication by dimethylsulfoxide and related solvents.

The HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) introduced into the macrophage cell line THP-1 and the T lymphocyte cell line Jurkat in association with the luciferase reporter gene is activated by the polar, aprotic solvents dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), and dimethylformamide (DMF). These solvents also greatly potentiated the activation of the LTR in THP-1 cells by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), H202, and a Staphylococcus epidermidis product. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) at 1 microg/ml had no effect on the LTR in THP-1 cells unless the solvents were added. The aprotic solvents also greatly potentiated the activation of the LTR in Jurkat cells by PMA, TNF-alpha, and H202, whereas LPS, LTA, or the S. epidermidis product had no effect in the presence or absence of the solvents. DMSO, DMAC, and DMF also increased the production of intact virions by latently HIV-1-infected ACH-2, J1.1, U1, and OM10.1 cells under some experimental conditions. The use of the polar aprotic solvents DMSO, DMAC, and DMF, by amplification, may allow the better detection of a weak activator of the LTR and facilitate studies of the mechanism of activation.

Acetamides↗

Analysis of the primary structure of the long terminal repeat and the gag and pol genes of the human spumaretrovirus.

The nucleotide sequence of the human spumaretrovirus (HSRV) genome was determined. The 5' long terminal repeat region was analyzed by strong stop cDNA synthesis and S1 nuclease mapping. The length of the RU5 region was determined and found to be 346 nucleotides long. The 5' long terminal repeat is 1,123 base pairs long and is bound by an 18-base-pair primer-binding site complementary to the 3' end of mammalian lysine-1,2-specific tRNA. Open reading frames for gag and pol genes were identified. Surprisingly, the HSRV gag protein does not contain the cysteine motif of the nucleic acid-binding proteins found in and typical of all other retroviral gag proteins; instead the HSRV gag gene encodes a strongly basic protein reminiscent of those of hepatitis B virus and retrotransposons. The carboxy-terminal part of the HSRV gag gene products encodes a protease domain. The pol gene overlaps the gag gene and is postulated to be synthesized as a gag/pol precursor via translational frameshifting analogous to that of Rous sarcoma virus, with 7 nucleotides immediately upstream of the termination codons of gag conserved between the two viral genomes. The HSRV pol gene is 2,730 nucleotides long, and its deduced protein sequence is readily subdivided into three well-conserved domains, the reverse transcriptase, the RNase H, and the integrase. Although the degree of homology of the HSRV reverse transcriptase domain is highest to that of murine leukemia virus, the HSRV genomic organization is more similar to that of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses. The data justify classifying the spumaretroviruses as a third subfamily of Retroviridae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Functional analysis of the glucocorticoid regulatory elements present in the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat. A synthetic distal binding site can replace the proximal binding domain.

Transcription of mouse mammary tumor virus DNA is stimulated by steroid hormones. The DNA sequences involved in this regulation are located in the viral long terminal repeat between positions -200 and -50 with respect to the transcription initiation site. In this region four, one distal and three proximal, in vitro binding sites for the glucocorticoid hormone-receptor complexes have been identified. We have prepared a series of 5' and 3' deletions of this region, using the exonuclease ExoIII. Combination of suitable 5' and 3' fragments enabled us to reconstitute the entire long terminal repeat with small internal deletions. The mutated long terminal repeats linked to the coding region of the Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene were introduced into LTK- aprt- cells by transfection. Transcription from the mouse mammary tumor virus promoter in the presence or absence of hormone was assayed by nuclease S1 mapping. Deletion of the proximal in vitro binding sites resulted in a decrease in hormonal inducibility. When a synthetic oligonucleotide harboring the sequence of the distal in vitro binding site was inserted at the site of the proximal ones, hormone response was restored. This indicated that the distal binding site can replace the proximal ones in their hormone-regulatory function. However, insertion at the same site of an oligonucleotide containing the sequence 5' TGTTCT 3' found in all four binding sites, did not restore the hormone response, indicating that sequences flanking the TGTTCT motif are required for hormone response. Insertion of an unrelated DNA fragment at the site of the proximal binding element deletion completely abolished the hormone response. Analyses of different proximal binding-site deletion and insertion mutants suggested the presence of a transcriptional element located downstream from the most proximal hormone-receptor binding site.

Animals↗

Hormone Receptor Regulation of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and Type 2 Long Terminal Repeats.

Both host cell and viral transcription factors regulate the long terminal repeat (LTR) of human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) activity and viral replication. Using transient transfection, ligand-activated thyroid hormone and 9-cis-retinoic acid receptors (T(3)R and RXR) were found to stimulate HIV-1 and HIV-2 LTR activities. They also stimulated HIV-1 viral production. Drosophila SL2 cells that lack Sp1 and T(3)R were used to study HIV-1 and HIV-2 LTR activities. Both activities were stimulated by cotransfection of SP1 (120- and 180-fold, respectively); HIV LTR activities were also stimulated approximately 5-fold by ligand-activated T(3)R, approximately 10-fold by ligand-activated RXR and 20- to 30-fold by both receptors and their cognate ligands. T(3)R.RXR heterodimers bound to NF-kappaB and Sp1 response elements in both HIV LTRs having highest affinity for the HIV-1 NF-kappaB region. When U937 monocytic cells were cotransfected with HIV-1 viral DNA and T(3)R, RXR and retinoic acid receptor (RAR) expression plasmids, hormonal treatment increased viral replication up to 5-fold. Hormonal signals thus have the potential to regulate HIV transcription and viral production. Copyright 1996 S. Karger AG, Basel

Journal Article↗

Expression of a mouse long terminal repeat is cell cycle-linked.

The expression of the long terminal repeat (LTR) of intracisternal A particle retroviral sequences which are endogenous to the mouse genome has been shown to be linked to the early G1 phase of the cell cycle in Friend erythroleukemia cells synchronized by density arrest and also in logarithmically growing cells fractionated into cell-cycle compartments by centrifugal elutriation. Regions of homology were found in comparing the LTR sequence to a repetitive Syrian hamster sequence specifically expressed in early G1 in hamster cells.

Animals↗

Endogenous retroviral long terminal repeats within the HLA-DQ locus.

Two endogenous retroviral long terminal repeats (LTRs) were found in the human major histocompatibility complex locus HLA-DQ. The solo LTRs, unlinked to retrovirus structural genes, are located approximately 5 kilobases apart from each other and in the same transcriptional orientation, which is opposite to that for the HLA-DQB1 gene. These elements exhibit greater than 90% homology to the LTRs of the human endogenous retrovirus HERV-K10. The conservation of putative regulatory elements found within the LTRs and their position relative to the HLA-DQB1 gene suggest that these elements may confer distinct regulatory properties on genes in the HLA-DQ region. Polymorphic variation between different HLA haplotypes for the presence of the LTRs at this location and of the molecular architecture within this subregion is supported by polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis. Comparisons of chromosomes with and without the LTRs in this region will provide a unique opportunity in the human genome to analyze transposition or integration of retroviral sequences.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Cisplatin stimulates the expression from the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat sequences in human fibroblasts.

A recombinant plasmid carrying the long terminal repeat (LTR) of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) linked to the reporter chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene was stably introduced into human fibroblasts. The transfectant cells expressed CAT activity from the HIV LTR. The response to anti-neoplastic drugs, i.e. cisplatin, a platin derivative, and hexadecylphosphocholine, was studied. It was found that at 5 x 10(-6) M concentrations cisplatin stimulates by 2.2-fold the expression of CAT from the HIV LTR. Our results extend our observations on the effect of cisplatin on HIV LTR in rodent fibroblast cells and suggest caution against therapy including cisplatin in the treatment of AIDS patients.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Analysis of transcriptional regulatory sequences in the human endogenous retrovirus W long terminal repeat.

The U3 region of the human endogenous retrovirus W long terminal repeat (HERV-W LTR) contains several putative regulatory sequences that might not only regulate transcription of viral genes but also influence the expression of neighbouring cellular genes. In this study, we analysed the U3 region in detail in order to understand the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of HERV-W. Two transcription factor (TF) binding sites for Oct-1 and C/EBP were important as a silencer and an enhancer, respectively, for transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, it was possible to divide the HERV-W LTR isolates into two groups depending on their promoter strength, which might be determined by the integrity of the two TF binding sites. However, neither the Oct-1 binding site nor the CAAT-box was required for the cell type-specific activity of the HERV-W LTR. Instead, the 3' terminus of U3 from 191 to 260, which includes a TATA box, was sufficient for specificity, suggesting that the efficiency of assembly of basic transcription machinery at the TATA box of HERV-W LTR might determine the cell type specificity.

Binding Sites↗

The self primer of the long terminal repeat retrotransposon Tf1 is not removed during reverse transcription.

The long terminal repeat retrotransposon Tf1 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe uses a unique mechanism of self priming to initiate reverse transcription. Instead of using a tRNA, Tf1 primes minus-strand synthesis with an 11-nucleotide RNA removed from the 5' end of its own transcript. We tested whether the self primer of Tf1 was similar to tRNA primers in being removed from the cDNA by RNase H. Our analysis of Tf1 cDNA extracted from virus-like particles revealed the surprising observation that the dominant species of cDNA retained the self primer. This suggests that integration of the cDNA relies on mechanisms other than reverse transcription to remove the primer.

DNA, Complementary↗

Structure and function of endogenous feline leukemia virus long terminal repeats and adjoining regions.

The nucleotide sequence of the 5' long terminal repeat (LTR) of three independent loci (CFE-6, CFE-16, and CF-14) of endogenous feline leukemia virus (FeLV) DNAs of the domestic cat genome was determined. The 3' LTR of the CFE-6 clone was also sequenced. The endogenous FeLV LTRs, which were very similar to each other in sequence and in organization of the functional domains, differed considerably from the exogenous FeLV LTR in the U3 region. The major differences in U3 included variations in sets of small (14 to 19 base pair) direct repeats, altered location of the simian virus 40 core enhancer-like sequence, and occurrence of three segments of largely nonhomologous sequences. There was extensive homology between endogenous and exogenous FeLV LTRs in sequences beginning from the TATA box through the R region down to the 3' end of the U5 region. The DNA sequence downstream of the 5' LTR encompassing the primer-binding site, leader, and almost to the end of the p15gag coding region, a point up to which the sequencing was carried out, also revealed a high degree of conservation. However, the detection of frameshift and nonsense mutations in this region of a nearly full-length endogenous provirus sequence (CFE-6) predicted its defectiveness and correlated with the lack of infectivity of this DNA. The functional studies of the endogenous LTRs, based on linkage to the bacterial cat gene and transient expression in feline cell lines, indicated that although the basic characteristics for promotion and enhancement of transcription were retained in each LTR, there was a significant variation in the activity of the cat constructs. Reconstruction and deletion analyses with the CFE-6 5' LTR revealed the presence of strong transcription regulatory sequences in the 702-base-pair region immediately upstream of the 5' boundary of the endogenous LTR. These and related data suggest that in addition to the transcription-modulating elements occurring within the LTR, the cis-acting nucleotide sequences in the upstream cellular DNA may determine the overall efficiency of transcription of the defective endogenous FeLV provirus loci of the felid genome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of a U5-specific sequence required for efficient polyadenylation within the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat.

Retrovirus mRNAs are normally polyadenylated within the proviral 3' long terminal repeat (LTR). The site of retrovirus transcript polyadenylation is flanked 3' by an LTR-specific sequence termed the U5 region, but the role of U5 in the determination of polyadenylation efficiency has not been addressed. We have used site-directed mutagenesis of a human immunodeficiency virus LTR to map U5 sequences which are required for efficient polyadenylation within the LTR. These LTR U5 region sequences display homology to a motif termed the G-T cluster, which is known to facilitate the efficient polyadenylation of mRNAs encoded by several cellular and viral genes. These results suggest that the LTR U5 region functions in vivo to permit efficient polyadenylation within the proviral 3' LTR.

Base Sequence↗

Differential DNA binding of nuclear proteins to a long terminal repeat region of the MCF13 and Akv murine leukemia viruses.

Long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences of murine leukemia viruses (MLVs) have been demonstrated to be mainly responsible for the pathogenic differences in these retroviruses. A region of the LTR which is downstream of the enhancer elements has been shown to contribute both to enhancer activity as well as to disease specificity of MLVs. We have identified protein-DNA complexes generated by this region of a lymphomagenic MLV (MCF13) and one which is nonpathogenic (Akv). One protein-DNA complex we have observed for this region is unique to MCF13 DNA sequences. Detection of protein involved in this unique MCF13 complex in different cell lines revealed that it was ubiquitous.

Animals↗

CArG, CCAAT, and CCAAT-like protein binding sites in avian retrovirus long terminal repeat enhancers.

A strong enhancer element is located within the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of exogenous, oncogenic avian retroviruses, such as Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and the avian leukosis viruses. The LTRs of a second class of avian retroviruses, the endogenous viruses (evs), lack detectable enhancer function, a property that correlates with major sequence differences between the LTRs of these two virus groups. Despite this lack of independent enhancer activity, we previously identified sequences in ev LTRs that were able to functionally replace essential enhancer domains from the RSV enhancer with which they share limited sequence similarity. To identify candidate enhancer domains in ev LTRs that are functionally equivalent to those in RSV LTRs, we analyzed and compared ev and RSV LTR-specific DNA-protein interactions. Using this approach, we identified two candidate enhancer domains and one deficiency in ev LTRs. One of the proposed ev enhancer domains was identified as a CArG box, a motif also found upstream of several muscle-specific genes, and as the core sequence of the c-fos serum response element. The RSV LTR contains two CArG motifs, one at a previously identified site and one identified in this report at the same relative location as the ev CArG motif. A second factor binding site that interacts with a heat-stable protein was also identified in ev LTRs and, contrary to previous suggestions, appears to be different from previously described exogenous virus enhancer binding proteins. Finally, a deficiency in factor binding was found within the one inverted CCAAT box in ev LTRs, affirming the importance of sequences that flank CCAAT motifs in factor binding and providing a candidate defect in the ev enhancer.

Animals↗