CD8(+) cell noncytotoxic anti-human immunodeficiency virus response inhibits expression of viral RNA but not reverse transcription or provirus integration.
CD8(+) T cells from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals can suppress HIV replication in CD4(+) cells by a noncytotoxic mechanism that inhibits the expression of viral RNA. The present study examined whether other step(s) in the virus replicative cycle could be affected by the CD8(+) cells. Culturing HIV-infected CD4(+) T cells with antiviral CD8(+) T cells did not significantly reduce the amounts of (i) early HIV DNA reverse transcripts (detected by LTR-U3/R), (ii) total nuclear HIV gag DNA, or (iii) integrated proviral DNA. However, exposure to the CD8(+) T cells did cause a reduction in the amount of multiply spliced tat and full-length gag mRNA expressed by the infected CD4(+) T cells, confirming previous observations. The levels of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and interleukin-2 receptor-alpha mRNA were not affected. The results support the conclusion that the noncytotoxic anti-HIV response of CD8(+) T cells, demonstrable in vitro, does not affect any of the virus replication steps leading to the integration of proviral HIV, but specifically interrupts the expression of viral RNA.
Mackewicz
C E
CE
Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Patterson
B K
BK
Lee
S A
SA
Levy
J A
JA
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000502:physiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011533:Proviruses / Q000502:physiology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016662:Virus Integration; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral