title: Activation of the human immunodeficiency virus type I long terminal repeat by 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.
abstract: The genetic predisposition of the host and the virus is the most important determinant for prediction of the course of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) viral infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) progression. Transcription from the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) is a crucial step for viral replication. Here, we describe a stimulatory role of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) on HIV-1 LTR transactivation. Transient transfections reveal that VDR activates the LTR in HeLa, U937, and Cos-1 cells in a ligand-dependent manner. 1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (vitD3) promotes activation of a minimal LTR construct (from nucleotides -35 to +89), lacking a previously described hormone response element that binds several nuclear receptors. NF-kappaB (nuclear factor-kappa B) and Sp1-binding sites, which are responsible for most basal LTR activity in HeLa cells, are also dispensable for vitD3-dependent HIV-1 transcription. Although the tat response element element is not required for VDR-mediated HIV-1 gene expression, the viral protein Tat acts in a synergistic manner with the receptor to stimulate LTR activity. Furthermore, our data also show cooperation of the receptor with various cellular coactivators for HIV-1 transactivation by vitD3. Paradoxically, mutations in the VDR ligand-dependent transcriptional activation function-2 that abrogate vitD3-dependent stimulation through classical vitamin D response elements, do not reduce vitD3-mediated LTR transactivation. Furthermore, point mutations in the DNA-binding domain that abolish receptor binding to consensus DNA sequences do not affect ligand-dependent HIV-1 stimulation. These results show that VDR activates the HIV-1 LTR through different mechanisms, including non-classical nuclear receptor transcriptional actions that may ensure viral transcription under different physiological scenarios.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas--Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nevado
authors.forename: Stephan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Tenbaum
authors.forename: Ana Isabel
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Pacheco
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aranda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat / Q000235:genetics*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D051381:Rats; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics; D020298:U937 Cells; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; C076210:1 alpha-(hydroxymethyl)-25-hydroxyvitamin D3; D002117:Calcitriol