title: HIV Tat activates c-Jun amino-terminal kinase through an oxidant-dependent mechanism.
abstract: The HIV-1 accessory protein Tat has been found to exert profound effects on vascular cell behavior. Recently, Tat has been found to activate the c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK1, SAPK) MAP kinase in lymphoid cells. We found that purified Tat rapidly activated JNK1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and ECV-304 cells, and coculture of ECV-304 cells with Tat-transfected HeLa cells resulted in persistent activation of JNK1. In addition, lower doses of Tat potentiated TNFalpha-induced JNK1 activation, although higher doses paradoxically diminished JNK1 activation by TNFalpha. Treatment of ECV-304 cells with Tat acutely increased intracellular oxidant levels, and Tat-induced oxidant activity was decreased by two structurally distinct NADPH oxidase inhibitors, diphenylene iodonium and apocynin. Both oxidase inhibitors and the thiol antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine decreased Tat-induced JNK1 activation in parallel with reduction in oxidant levels. Activation of JNK1 by Tat was also inhibited by cytochalasin B, suggesting that Tat signaling was dependent upon intact cytoskeletal function. Indeed, JNK1 activation by Tat was associated with actin microfilament rearrangement. We conclude that HIV Tat may cause acute and persistent activation of the JNK MAP kinase through activation of a specific oxidase.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas 75216, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Terada
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000502:physiology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D015696:Gene Products, tat; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases