Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat protein protects lymphoid, epithelial, and neuronal cell lines from death by apoptosis.
We report here that the tat gene product of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 was able to protect lymphoblastoid (Jurkat), epithelial (293) and neuronal (PC12) cell lines from apoptotic death induced by serum withdrawal. The rescue from apoptosis by Tat was reflected by an increased expression of Bcl-2 protein in tat-positive Jurkat cells with respect to mock-transfected Jurkat cells after 3-6 days of serum-free cultures. We propose that the ability of the regulatory human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat protein to suppress apoptosis might have important implications in understanding the pathogenesis of frequent neoplastic disorders observed in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-seropositive individuals.
Zauli
G
G
Institute of Human Anatomy, University of Ferrara, Italy.
Gibellini
D
D
Milani
D
D
Mazzoni
M
M
Borgatti
P
P
La Placa
M
M
Capitani
S
S
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002460:Cell Line; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000378:metabolism*; D015756:Genes, tat; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney; D007700:Kinetics; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases