The trans-activator gene of the human T cell lymphotropic virus type III is required for replication.
The trans-activator gene (tat-III) of the human T lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III/LAV) is shown to regulate positively the expression of viral proteins. Viruses in which the tat-III gene is deleted are incapable of prolific replication and do not demonstrate cytopathic effects in T4+ cell lines. These defects can be fully complemented in cell lines that constitutively express the tat-III gene product. We conclude that the tat-III gene product is required for efficient replication of HTLV-III in T4+ cells, and for that reason is important for the cytopathic effects of virus infection. These observations predict that inhibitors of the tat-III gene product may constitute effective therapeutic agents.
A I
AI
Dayton
J G
JG
Sodroski
C A
CA
Rosen
W C
WC
Goh
W A
WA
Haseltine
D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014162:Transfection; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014779:Virus Replication
D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase