Antibody to HIV-1 Tat protein inhibits the replication of virus in culture.
The HIV-1 transactivator protein Tat is essential for viral replication. Tat is released from infected cells and can be taken up and transactivate HIV-LTR in LTR-CAT transfected cell lines. The present study shows that the addition of monoclonal antibody to Tat in IIIB and MN-infected cultures reduces the HIV antigen production in a concentration dependent manner. These data suggest that external Tat might be important in the replication of HIV, exerting the effect in a paracrine fashion. Using 1 microgram/ml of anti-Tat antibody resulted in a decline of HIV antigen production to 33% and 45% of controls in IIIB and MN infected H9 cells, respectively. A time course experiment showed progressively increased inhibition of replication during 7 days of exposure to anti-Tat antibody, which could be due to increasing Tat concentration. The inhibitory effect of anti-Tat antibodies on the replication of HIV could play an important regulatory role during infection in vivo.
Department of Infectious Disease, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
L
L
Steinaa
A M
AM
Sørensen
J O
JO
Nielsen
J E
JE
Hansen
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D014779:Virus Replication; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus