title: Virion-associated trans-regulatory protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type I.
abstract: Western blot analysis of HTLV-I virus particles from HUT-102 cells revealed a 40-kD protein strongly reactive with Tax-specific rabbit antisera. This protein subsequently was isolated from density gradient purified virions by preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), purified from comigrating Gag and human cellular proteins by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified as the tax-encoded gene product by amino acid composition analysis. Among extracellular virions from five HTLV-I producing cell lines, only those from HUT-102 and C10MJ cells contained a detectable Tax protein, although all cells expressed Tax mRNA and protein intracellularly. To investigate the diagnostic implications of virion-associated Tax protein, sera from HTLV-I-infected individuals were compared on HUT-102 and MT-2 virus Western blots. The seroprevalence of antibodies to Tax, but not Gag or Env proteins, was substantially higher among adult T-cell leukemia and tropical spastic paraparesis patients using HUT-102 viral proteins. Thus, immunoassays utilizing HUT-102 virus are most sensitive for detection of Tax-reactive antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Cambridge Biotech Corporation, Rockville, MD 20850.
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Lillehoj
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000276:immunology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015531:Radioimmunoprecipitation Assay; D014771:Virion / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016356:Gene Products, tax