The HIV-1 Vpr displays strong anti-apoptotic activity.
Mutations in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vpr gene only slightly reduce the replication rate of the virus. To study the role of HIV-1 Vpr in biological effects on cells, HEp-2 cells, which express HIV-1 Vpr constitutively but at a low level, were established. While control HEp-2 cells underwent apoptosis when incubated with sorbitol, the morphological and biochemical apoptotic changes were inefficiently induced in the HIV-1 Vpr-expressing cells by the same treatment. These results clearly indicate that HIV-1 Vpr has anti-apoptotic activity, and raise the possibility that Vpr acts as a weak activator of virus replication through anti-apoptosis.
Fukumori
T
T
Department of Virology, The University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Japan.
Akari
H
H
Iida
S
S
Hata
S
S
Kagawa
S
S
Aida
Y
Y
Koyama
A H
AH
Adachi
A
A
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D019556:COS Cells; D016336:Gene Products, vpr / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D054325:vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D016336:Gene Products, vpr; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D054325:vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus