[Neurotoxicity in mice due to cysteine-rich parts of visna virus and HIV-1 Tat proteins].
The trans-activating visna virus and HIV-1 Tat proteins share, at their amino-acid sequence level, a significant 60% analogy on 17 consecutive residues. These homologous sequences are also found in a part of the short neurotoxin sequence from snake venom. Synthetic peptides representative of the two analogous viral sequences are, after intracerebroventricular injection at doses of 200 micrograms per 20 g mouse, responsible for the death of the injected animal in few hours. The HIV-1 recombinant Tat protein has the same effect. Such observation suggests a direct role of the Tat lentiviral protein in the origin of the neurologic effects associated with visna and HIV-1 infections.
Gourdou
I
I
Laboratoire de Virologie, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Marseille.
Mabrouk
K
K
Harkiss
G
G
Marchot
P
P
Watt
N
N
Hery
F
F
Vigne
R
R
D000818:Animals; D003545:Cysteine / Q000032:analysis*; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000633:toxicity; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000032:analysis*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D051379:Mice; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000633:toxicity; D014790:Visna-maedi virus / Q000032:analysis*; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D004546:Elapid Venoms; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D003545:Cysteine
Neurotoxicité chez la souris de portions riches en cystéines des protéines Tat du virus visna et de VIH-1.