Requirement for the second coding exon of Tat in the optimal replication of macrophage-tropic HIV-1.
HIV-1 Tat is essential for virus replication and is a potent transactivator of viral gene expression. Evidence suggests that Tat also influences virus infectivity and cytopathicity. Here, we find that the second coding exon of Tat contributes a novel function for the replication/infectivity of macrophage-tropic HIV-1. We show that macrophage-tropic HIV-1 which expresses the full-length two-exon form of Tat replicates better in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) than an otherwise isogenic virus which expresses only the one-exon form of Tat. Similarly, two-exon Tat expressing HIV-1 also replicates better than one-exon Tat expressing HIV-1 in two different models of human cells/tissue reconstituted SCID mice.
Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892-0460, USA.
Christine
C
Neuveut
Robert M
RM
Scoggins
David
D
Camerini
Richard B
RB
Markham
Kuan-Teh
KT
Jeang
D000818:Animals; D005091:Exons; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics*; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D015696:Gene Products, tat; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus