A role for natural simian immunodeficiency virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 nef alleles in lymphocyte activation.
A T-lymphoid cell line termed 221 was derived from a rhesus monkey infected with herpesvirus saimiri. Growth of 221 cells was dependent on the addition of interleukin-2 (IL-2) to the culture medium. In the absence of IL-2, 221 cells arrested in G0-G1 but did not die. Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) replicated efficiently in IL-2-stimulated 221 cells whether or not the nef gene was present. In the absence of IL-2, nef-containing SIV replicated 8 to 100 times more efficiently in 221 cells than did the same virus lacking nef. nef-containing virus preferentially stimulated the production of IL-2 from 221 cells. HIV-1 nef and v-ras genes, but not the c-ras gene, were shown to substitute functionally for SIV nef when tested as recombinant viruses in this assay system. These results demonstrate a role for natural nef in causing lymphoid cell activation, and they provide a system for delineating the biochemical mechanisms responsible for this activation.
Alexander
L
L
New England Regional Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Southborough, Massachusetts 01772-9102, USA.
Du
Z
Z
Rosenzweig
M
M
Jung
J U
JU
Desrosiers
R C
RC
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D015754:Genes, nef / Q000502:physiology*; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication
D007376:Interleukin-2