title: Mitogen-activated protein kinases regulate LSF occupancy at the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 promoter.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) establishes a persistent, nonproductive state within a small population of memory CD4(+) cells. The transcription factor LSF binds to sequences within the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) initiation region and recruits a second factor, YY1, to the LTR. These factors then cooperatively recruit histone deacetylase 1 to the LTR, resulting in inhibition of transcription. This appears to be one mechanism contributing to HIV persistence within resting CD4(+) T cells. We sought to further detail LSF binding to the HIV-1 LTR and factors that regulate LSF occupancy. We find that LSF binds the LTR as a tetramer and that binding is regulated by phosphorylation mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). In vitro, phosphorylation of LSF by Erk decreases binding to the LTR, while binding is increased by p38 phosphorylation. LSF occupancy at LTR chromatin is increased by the p38 agonist anisomycin and decreased by specific p38 inhibition. p38 inhibition also results in increased acetylation of histone H4 at the LTR nucleosome adjacent to the LSF binding site. p38 inhibition also blocked the ability of YY1 to inhibit activation of the integrated HIV promoter. Finally, HIV was recovered from the resting CD4(+) T cells of aviremic, HIV-infected donors upon treatment of these cells with specific inhibitor of p38. These data suggest that the MAPK pathway regulates LSF binding to the LTR and thereby one aspect of the regulation of HIV expression. This mechanism could be exploited as a novel therapeutic target to disrupt latent HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Y9-206a, Dallas, TX 75390-9113, USA.
authors.forename: Loyda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ylisastigui
authors.forename: Rupinderjeet
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Volker
authors.forename: Guocheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Margolis
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C501906:TFCP2 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases