title: Molecular cloning, expression, and biological characterization of an HTLV-II envelope glycoprotein: HIV-1 expression is permissive for HTLV-II-induced cell fusion.
abstract: The human T cell leukemia virus II (HTLV-II) is a type C retrovirus closely related to the human transforming retrovirus HTLV-I. In contrast to HTLV-I, the role of HTLV-II in human disease is controversial. However, HTLV-II infection has been documented in several cases of a clinically benign hairy cell leukemia and has also been suggested as a cofactor for HIV-1 disease progression. We report that an HTLV-II isolate (designated FLW) derived from a serum-positive white male can induce cell fusion and significant cytopathic effects in tissue culture. This HTLV-II isolate induced syncytium formation with human T and B cell lines, several human fibroblast cell lines, and, interestingly, HIV-1- and HIV-2-infected cell lines. To elucidate the role in the FLW envelope in this phenomenon, we have cloned the envelope glycoproteins gp46 and gp21 of this isolate. The envelope glycoproteins expressed in the absence of the rest of the viral genome were sufficient to drive syncytium formation in vitro, and preserved the cellular tropism for syncytium formation observed with the native retroviral isolate. Amino acid (aa) sequence analysis demonstrated 88% overall similarity with other HTLV-II envelope glycoproteins. Interestingly, only cells infected by HIV-I, but not parental H9 cells, form syncytia with FLW env-transfected cells as well as with HTLV-II/FLW-infected BJAB-WH cells. Furthermore, antibodies directed at the CD4 receptor failed to inhibit the induction of giant cell formation, implying that the FLW envelope protein was responsible for driving syncytium formation in this system. These observations may be important for the understanding of the processes involved in human retroviral-mediated syncytium formation and may suggest a mechanism whereby HTLV-II could influence the disease process in individuals dually infected with HIV-1 and HTLV-II.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology and Advanced Molecular Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Agadjanyan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Srikantan
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Ugen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: W V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Weiner
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002459:Cell Fusion; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000382:microbiology; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000502:physiology; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D015686:Gene Products, env; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C069568:gp46 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 2; C069569:human T-cell leukemia virus type-II protein gp21