title: Diminished production of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in astrocytes results from inefficient translation of gag, env, and nef mRNAs despite efficient expression of Tat and Rev.
abstract: Astrocytes infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) produce only minimal quantities of virus. The molecular events that limit acute-phase HIV-1 infection of astrocytes were examined after inducing acute-phase replication by transfection with the pNL4-3 proviral plasmid. The levels of HIV-1 mRNA were similarly high in both astrocytes and HeLa cells, but astrocytes produced approximately 50-fold less supernatant p24 than HeLa cells. We found that diminished HIV-1 production in astrocytes resulted from inefficient translation of gag, env, and nef mRNAs that were efficiently transported to the cytoplasm. Tat- or Rev-dependent reporter constructs showed no defect in Tat or Rev function in astrocytes compared with HeLa cells. HIV-1 mRNAs were correctly spliced, but only Rev and Tat proteins were efficiently translated from their native mRNAs. Pulse-chase labelling and immunoblot experiments revealed no defect in protein processing, but levels of Gag, Env, or Nef protein expressed were dramatically reduced in astrocytes compared to HeLa cells. These results demonstrate that inefficient translation of HIV-1 structural proteins underlies the restricted infection of astrocytes. The efficient expression of functional Tat and Rev by astrocytes may contribute to HIV-1 neuropathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Cellular, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Gorry
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Churchill
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adrian
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: McPhee
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Purcell
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000821:virology*; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015693:Gene Products, nef / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015694:Gene Products, rev / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054321:rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015693:Gene Products, nef; D015694:Gene Products, rev; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054321:rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus