Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1994 Jun;68(6):3971–3981. doi: 10.1128/jvi.68.6.3971-3981.1994

Central nervous system-derived cells express a kappa B-binding activity that enhances human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transcription in vitro and facilitates TAR-independent transactivation by Tat.

J P Taylor 1, R J Pomerantz 1, G V Raj 1, F Kashanchi 1, J N Brady 1, S Amini 1, K Khalili 1
PMCID: PMC236903  PMID: 8189531

Abstract

The Tat protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a potent activator of long terminal repeat-directed transcription. While in most cell types, activation requires interaction of Tat with the unusual transcription element TAR, astrocytic glial cells support TAR-independent transactivation of HIV-1 transcription by Tat. This alternative pathway of Tat activation is mediated by the viral enhancer, a kappa B domain capable of binding the prototypical form of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) present in many cell types, including T lymphocytes. Tat transactivation mediated by the kappa B domain is sufficient to allow replication of TAR-deleted mutant HIV-1 in astrocytes. The present study demonstrates the existence of kappa B-specific binding factors present in human glial astrocytes that differ from prototypical NF-kappa B. The novel astrocyte-derived kappa B-binding activity is retained on an HIV-1 Tat affinity column, while prototypical NF-kappa B from Jurkat T cells is not. In vitro transcription studies demonstrate that astrocyte-derived kappa B-binding factors activate transcription of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat and that this activation is dependent on the kappa B domain. Moreover, TAR-independent transactivation of HIV-1 transcription is reproduced in vitro in an astrocyte factor-dependent manner which correlates with kappa B-binding activity. The importance of the central nervous system-enriched kappa B transcription factor in the regulation of HIV-1 expression is discussed.

Full text

PDF
3971

Images in this article

3973Image
on p.3973
3974Image
on p.3974
3975Image
on p.3975
3975Image
on p.3975
3976Image
on p.3976
3977Image
on p.3977
3978Image
on p.3978

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arya S. K., Guo C., Josephs S. F., Wong-Staal F. Trans-activator gene of human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III). Science. 1985 Jul 5;229(4708):69–73. doi: 10.1126/science.2990040. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baeuerle P. A., Baltimore D. A 65-kappaD subunit of active NF-kappaB is required for inhibition of NF-kappaB by I kappaB. Genes Dev. 1989 Nov;3(11):1689–1698. doi: 10.1101/gad.3.11.1689. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baeuerle P. A., Baltimore D. Activation of DNA-binding activity in an apparently cytoplasmic precursor of the NF-kappa B transcription factor. Cell. 1988 Apr 22;53(2):211–217. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90382-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baeuerle P. A., Baltimore D. I kappa B: a specific inhibitor of the NF-kappa B transcription factor. Science. 1988 Oct 28;242(4878):540–546. doi: 10.1126/science.3140380. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bagasra O., Khalili K., Seshamma T., Taylor J. P., Pomerantz R. J. TAR-independent replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in glial cells. J Virol. 1992 Dec;66(12):7522–7528. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.12.7522-7528.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Berkhout B., Gatignol A., Rabson A. B., Jeang K. T. TAR-independent activation of the HIV-1 LTR: evidence that tat requires specific regions of the promoter. Cell. 1990 Aug 24;62(4):757–767. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90120-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Berkhout B., Silverman R. H., Jeang K. T. Tat trans-activates the human immunodeficiency virus through a nascent RNA target. Cell. 1989 Oct 20;59(2):273–282. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90289-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Bohan C. A., Kashanchi F., Ensoli B., Buonaguro L., Boris-Lawrie K. A., Brady J. N. Analysis of Tat transactivation of human immunodeficiency virus transcription in vitro. Gene Expr. 1992;2(4):391–407. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Buonaguro L., Barillari G., Chang H. K., Bohan C. A., Kao V., Morgan R., Gallo R. C., Ensoli B. Effects of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat protein on the expression of inflammatory cytokines. J Virol. 1992 Dec;66(12):7159–7167. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.12.7159-7167.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Böhnlein E., Lowenthal J. W., Siekevitz M., Ballard D. W., Franza B. R., Greene W. C. The same inducible nuclear proteins regulates mitogen activation of both the interleukin-2 receptor-alpha gene and type 1 HIV. Cell. 1988 Jun 3;53(5):827–836. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90099-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Calnan B. J., Biancalana S., Hudson D., Frankel A. D. Analysis of arginine-rich peptides from the HIV Tat protein reveals unusual features of RNA-protein recognition. Genes Dev. 1991 Feb;5(2):201–210. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.2.201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Calnan B. J., Tidor B., Biancalana S., Hudson D., Frankel A. D. Arginine-mediated RNA recognition: the arginine fork. Science. 1991 May 24;252(5009):1167–1171. doi: 10.1126/science.252.5009.1167. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Cheng-Mayer C., Rutka J. T., Rosenblum M. L., McHugh T., Stites D. P., Levy J. A. Human immunodeficiency virus can productively infect cultured human glial cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 May;84(10):3526–3530. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.10.3526. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Chiodi F., Fuerstenberg S., Gidlund M., Asjö B., Fenyö E. M. Infection of brain-derived cells with the human immunodeficiency virus. J Virol. 1987 Apr;61(4):1244–1247. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.4.1244-1247.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Dayton A. I., Sodroski J. G., Rosen C. A., Goh W. C., Haseltine W. A. The trans-activator gene of the human T cell lymphotropic virus type III is required for replication. Cell. 1986 Mar 28;44(6):941–947. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90017-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Dewhurst S., Bresser J., Stevenson M., Sakai K., Evinger-Hodges M. J., Volsky D. J. Susceptibility of human glial cells to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). FEBS Lett. 1987 Mar 9;213(1):138–143. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(87)81479-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Ensoli B., Barillari G., Salahuddin S. Z., Gallo R. C., Wong-Staal F. Tat protein of HIV-1 stimulates growth of cells derived from Kaposi's sarcoma lesions of AIDS patients. Nature. 1990 May 3;345(6270):84–86. doi: 10.1038/345084a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Feinberg M. B., Baltimore D., Frankel A. D. The role of Tat in the human immunodeficiency virus life cycle indicates a primary effect on transcriptional elongation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 May 1;88(9):4045–4049. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.9.4045. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Fisher A. G., Feinberg M. B., Josephs S. F., Harper M. E., Marselle L. M., Reyes G., Gonda M. A., Aldovini A., Debouk C., Gallo R. C. The trans-activator gene of HTLV-III is essential for virus replication. 1986 Mar 27-Apr 2Nature. 320(6060):367–371. doi: 10.1038/320367a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Formosa T., Barry J., Alberts B. M., Greenblatt J. Using protein affinity chromatography to probe structure of protein machines. Methods Enzymol. 1991;208:24–45. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(91)08005-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Frankel A. D. Activation of HIV transcription by Tat. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 1992 Apr;2(2):293–298. doi: 10.1016/s0959-437x(05)80287-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Fujita T., Nolan G. P., Ghosh S., Baltimore D. Independent modes of transcriptional activation by the p50 and p65 subunits of NF-kappa B. Genes Dev. 1992 May;6(5):775–787. doi: 10.1101/gad.6.5.775. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ghosh S., Baltimore D. Activation in vitro of NF-kappa B by phosphorylation of its inhibitor I kappa B. Nature. 1990 Apr 12;344(6267):678–682. doi: 10.1038/344678a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Gyorkey F., Melnick J. L., Gyorkey P. Human immunodeficiency virus in brain biopsies of patients with AIDS and progressive encephalopathy. J Infect Dis. 1987 May;155(5):870–876. doi: 10.1093/infdis/155.5.870. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Harrich D., Garcia J., Mitsuyasu R., Gaynor R. TAR independent activation of the human immunodeficiency virus in phorbol ester stimulated T lymphocytes. EMBO J. 1990 Dec;9(13):4417–4423. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07892.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Hohmann H. P., Remy R., Scheidereit C., van Loon A. P. Maintenance of NF-kappa B activity is dependent on protein synthesis and the continuous presence of external stimuli. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Jan;11(1):259–266. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.1.259. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Jeang K. T., Berkhout B. Kinetics of HIV-1 long terminal repeat trans-activation. Use of intragenic ribozyme to assess rate-limiting steps. J Biol Chem. 1992 Sep 5;267(25):17891–17899. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Jeyapaul J., Reddy M. R., Khan S. A. Activity of synthetic tat peptides in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat-promoted transcription in a cell-free system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Sep;87(18):7030–7034. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.18.7030. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Kamine J., Subramanian T., Chinnadurai G. Sp1-dependent activation of a synthetic promoter by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Oct 1;88(19):8510–8514. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.19.8510. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Korner M., Rattner A., Mauxion F., Sen R., Citri Y. A brain-specific transcription activator. Neuron. 1989 Nov;3(5):563–572. doi: 10.1016/0896-6273(89)90266-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Li Y. C., Ross J., Scheppler J. A., Franza B. R., Jr An in vitro transcription analysis of early responses of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat to different transcriptional activators. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Apr;11(4):1883–1893. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.4.1883. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Liu J., Perkins N. D., Schmid R. M., Nabel G. J. Specific NF-kappa B subunits act in concert with Tat to stimulate human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transcription. J Virol. 1992 Jun;66(6):3883–3887. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.6.3883-3887.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Manley J. L., Fire A., Cano A., Sharp P. A., Gefter M. L. DNA-dependent transcription of adenovirus genes in a soluble whole-cell extract. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jul;77(7):3855–3859. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.7.3855. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Marciniak R. A., Calnan B. J., Frankel A. D., Sharp P. A. HIV-1 Tat protein trans-activates transcription in vitro. Cell. 1990 Nov 16;63(4):791–802. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90145-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Marshall N. F., Price D. H. Control of formation of two distinct classes of RNA polymerase II elongation complexes. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 May;12(5):2078–2090. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.5.2078. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Molitor J. A., Walker W. H., Doerre S., Ballard D. W., Greene W. C. NF-kappa B: a family of inducible and differentially expressed enhancer-binding proteins in human T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Dec;87(24):10028–10032. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.24.10028. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Müller W. E., Okamoto T., Reuter P., Ugarkovic D., Schröder H. C. Functional characterization of Tat protein from human immunodeficiency virus. Evidence that Tat links viral RNAs to nuclear matrix. J Biol Chem. 1990 Mar 5;265(7):3803–3808. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Nabel G. J., Rice S. A., Knipe D. M., Baltimore D. Alternative mechanisms for activation of human immunodeficiency virus enhancer in T cells. Science. 1988 Mar 11;239(4845):1299–1302. doi: 10.1126/science.2830675. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Nabel G., Baltimore D. An inducible transcription factor activates expression of human immunodeficiency virus in T cells. Nature. 1987 Apr 16;326(6114):711–713. doi: 10.1038/326711a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Navia B. A., Cho E. S., Petito C. K., Price R. W. The AIDS dementia complex: II. Neuropathology. Ann Neurol. 1986 Jun;19(6):525–535. doi: 10.1002/ana.410190603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Osborn L., Kunkel S., Nabel G. J. Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 stimulate the human immunodeficiency virus enhancer by activation of the nuclear factor kappa B. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Apr;86(7):2336–2340. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.7.2336. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Perkins N. D., Schmid R. M., Duckett C. S., Leung K., Rice N. R., Nabel G. J. Distinct combinations of NF-kappa B subunits determine the specificity of transcriptional activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Mar 1;89(5):1529–1533. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.5.1529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Pomerantz R. J., Feinberg M. B., Trono D., Baltimore D. Lipopolysaccharide is a potent monocyte/macrophage-specific stimulator of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 expression. J Exp Med. 1990 Jul 1;172(1):253–261. doi: 10.1084/jem.172.1.253. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Pontén J., Macintyre E. H. Long term culture of normal and neoplastic human glia. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand. 1968;74(4):465–486. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1968.tb03502.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Price R. W., Brew B. J., Rosenblum M. The AIDS dementia complex and HIV-1 brain infection: a pathogenetic model of virus-immune interaction. Res Publ Assoc Res Nerv Ment Dis. 1990;68:269–290. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Roy S., Parkin N. T., Rosen C., Itovitch J., Sonenberg N. Structural requirements for trans activation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat-directed gene expression by tat: importance of base pairing, loop sequence, and bulges in the tat-responsive sequence. J Virol. 1990 Mar;64(3):1402–1406. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.3.1402-1406.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Sastry K. J., Reddy H. R., Pandita R., Totpal K., Aggarwal B. B. HIV-1 tat gene induces tumor necrosis factor-beta (lymphotoxin) in a human B-lymphoblastoid cell line. J Biol Chem. 1990 Nov 25;265(33):20091–20093. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Schmid R. M., Perkins N. D., Duckett C. S., Andrews P. C., Nabel G. J. Cloning of an NF-kappa B subunit which stimulates HIV transcription in synergy with p65. Nature. 1991 Aug 22;352(6337):733–736. doi: 10.1038/352733a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Selby M. J., Peterlin B. M. Trans-activation by HIV-1 Tat via a heterologous RNA binding protein. Cell. 1990 Aug 24;62(4):769–776. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90121-t. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Sharp P. A., Marciniak R. A. HIV TAR: an RNA enhancer? Cell. 1989 Oct 20;59(2):229–230. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90279-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Sodroski J., Patarca R., Rosen C., Wong-Staal F., Haseltine W. Location of the trans-activating region on the genome of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III. Science. 1985 Jul 5;229(4708):74–77. doi: 10.1126/science.2990041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Southgate C., Zapp M. L., Green M. R. Activation of transcription by HIV-1 Tat protein tethered to nascent RNA through another protein. Nature. 1990 Jun 14;345(6276):640–642. doi: 10.1038/345640a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. Spencer C. A., Kilvert M. A. Transcription elongation in the human c-myc gene is governed by overall transcription initiation levels in Xenopus oocytes. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Feb;13(2):1296–1305. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.2.1296. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  54. Stoler M. H., Eskin T. A., Benn S., Angerer R. C., Angerer L. M. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III infection of the central nervous system. A preliminary in situ analysis. JAMA. 1986 Nov 7;256(17):2360–2364. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  55. Taylor J. P., Cupp C., Diaz A., Chowdhury M., Khalili K., Jimenez S. A., Amini S. Activation of expression of genes coding for extracellular matrix proteins in Tat-producing glioblastoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Oct 15;89(20):9617–9621. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.20.9617. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  56. Taylor J. P., Kundu M., Khalili K. TAR-independent activation of HIV-1 requires the activation domain but not the RNA-binding domain of Tat. Virology. 1993 Aug;195(2):780–785. doi: 10.1006/viro.1993.1430. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  57. Taylor J. P., Pomerantz R., Bagasra O., Chowdhury M., Rappaport J., Khalili K., Amini S. TAR-independent transactivation by Tat in cells derived from the CNS: a novel mechanism of HIV-1 gene regulation. EMBO J. 1992 Sep;11(9):3395–3403. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05418.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  58. Tornatore C., Nath A., Amemiya K., Major E. O. Persistent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in human fetal glial cells reactivated by T-cell factor(s) or by the cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 beta. J Virol. 1991 Nov;65(11):6094–6100. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.11.6094-6100.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  59. Viscidi R. P., Mayur K., Lederman H. M., Frankel A. D. Inhibition of antigen-induced lymphocyte proliferation by Tat protein from HIV-1. Science. 1989 Dec 22;246(4937):1606–1608. doi: 10.1126/science.2556795. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  60. Vogel J., Hinrichs S. H., Reynolds R. K., Luciw P. A., Jay G. The HIV tat gene induces dermal lesions resembling Kaposi's sarcoma in transgenic mice. Nature. 1988 Oct 13;335(6191):606–611. doi: 10.1038/335606a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  61. Zimmermann K., Dobrovnik M., Ballaun C., Bevec D., Hauber J., Böhnlein E. trans-activation of the HIV-1 LTR by the HIV-1 Tat and HTLV-I Tax proteins is mediated by different cis-acting sequences. Virology. 1991 Jun;182(2):874–878. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(91)90633-m. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES