Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax and cellular transformation.
Infection of T-cells by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes a lymphoproliferative malignancy known as adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). ATL is characterized by abnormal lymphocytes, called flower cells, which have cleaved and convoluted nuclei. Tax, encoded by the HTLV-1 pX region, is a critical nonstructural protein that plays a central role in leukemogenesis; however, the mechanisms of HTLV-1 oncogenesis have not been clarified fully. In this review, we summarize current thinking on how Tax may affect ATL leukemogenesis.
Peloponese
Jean-Marie
JM
Molecular Virology Section, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0460, USA.
Kinjo
Takao
T
Jeang
Kuan-Teh
KT
D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000502:physiology*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000209:etiology; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic
D016356:Gene Products, tax; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic