Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr functions as an immediate-early protein during HIV-1 infection.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr is a virion-associated protein which facilitates HIV-1 infection of nondividing cells by contributing to the nuclear transport of the preintegration complex (PIC). Vpr was also shown to induce a cell cycle G2 arrest in infected proliferating cells that optimizes HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR)-directed gene expression and viral production. However, it is unclear whether this activity is mediated primarily early by virion-associated Vpr or alternatively late during infection when Vpr is de novo expressed. We report here that in the absence of de novo expression, virion-associated Vpr induces a transient G2 arrest that can subsequently lead to cell killing by apoptosis. Interestingly, the induction of both cell cycle G2 arrest and apoptosis by virion-associated Vpr requires viral entry but not viral replication, since reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitor treatments do not prevent these Vpr effects. These results raise the possibility that in vivo both infectious and noninfectious viruses contribute to the dysfunction and killing of CD4(+) cells. In addition, our results reveal that virion-associated Vpr stimulates viral replication in proliferating cells after establishing a cell cycle G2 arrest by increasing LTR-directed gene expression. Importantly, this Vpr-mediated LTR activation appears to be a requirement for subsequent optimal Tat transactivation. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that in addition to participating in the HIV PIC nuclear transport in nondividing cells, virion-associated Vpr activates HIV-1 LTR-directed gene expression by manipulating the host cell cycle. From this, we conclude that Vpr functions as an immediate-early protein during HIV-1 infection.
Hrimech
M
M
Laboratoire de Rétrovirologie Humaine, Département de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7.
Yao
X J
XJ
Bachand
F
F
Rougeau
N
N
Cohen
E A
EA
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D002455:Cell Division; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D016195:G2 Phase; D015870:Gene Expression; D016336:Gene Products, vpr / Q000378:metabolism*; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D014771:Virion; D014779:Virus Replication; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000494:pharmacology; D054325:vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D016336:Gene Products, vpr; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D054325:vpr Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D015215:Zidovudine; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase