Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1993 Jul;67(7):4205–4213. doi: 10.1128/jvi.67.7.4205-4213.1993

Differential expression of Rel family members in human T-cell leukemia virus type I-infected cells: transcriptional activation of c-rel by Tax protein.

C C Li 1, F W Ruscetti 1, N R Rice 1, E Chen 1, N S Yang 1, J Mikovits 1, D L Longo 1
PMCID: PMC237790  PMID: 8510222

Abstract

The Tax protein of the human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) has been shown to induce nuclear expression of Rel family NF-kappa B-binding proteins. However, under different experimental conditions, different J. H. Kim, Y. Daitoku, and W. G. Greene, J. Virol. 65:6892-6899, 1991). In this study, using specific immunological reagents capable of distinguishing individual members of the Rel family proteins, we show that only c-Rel, not NF-kappa B p50 or p65, is induced in HTLV-I-infected cells. Preferential c-rel induction by HTLV-I infection was detected at the protein and RNA levels as well as in the nuclear NF-kappa B-binding form. Induced c-rel expression was also detected in cells stably transfected with tax cDNA, further correlating the c-rel induction with viral Tax expression. An increase in c-rel mRNA was detected within 3 h after induction of Tax expression, suggesting that this effect is at least partially regulated at the level of transcription. Furthermore, using a particle bombardment method for gene cotransfection, we show that Tax can transcriptionally activate the c-rel promoter in a T-cell line, Jurkat.

Full text

PDF
4205

Images in this article

4207Image
on p.4207
4208Image
on p.4208
4209Image
on p.4209
4209Image
on p.4209
4210Image
on p.4210
4210Image
on p.4210
4211Image
on p.4211

Selected References

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

  1. Arima N., Molitor J. A., Smith M. R., Kim J. H., Daitoku Y., Greene W. C. Human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax induces expression of the Rel-related family of kappa B enhancer-binding proteins: evidence for a pretranslational component of regulation. J Virol. 1991 Dec;65(12):6892–6899. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.12.6892-6899.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. 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]
  3. Ballard D. W., Böhnlein E., Lowenthal J. W., Wano Y., Franza B. R., Greene W. C. HTLV-I tax induces cellular proteins that activate the kappa B element in the IL-2 receptor alpha gene. Science. 1988 Sep 23;241(4873):1652–1655. doi: 10.1126/science.241.4873.1652. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ballard D. W., Dixon E. P., Peffer N. J., Bogerd H., Doerre S., Stein B., Greene W. C. The 65-kDa subunit of human NF-kappa B functions as a potent transcriptional activator and a target for v-Rel-mediated repression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Mar 1;89(5):1875–1879. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.5.1875. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ballard D. W., Walker W. H., Doerre S., Sista P., Molitor J. A., Dixon E. P., Peffer N. J., Hannink M., Greene W. C. The v-rel oncogene encodes a kappa B enhancer binding protein that inhibits NF-kappa B function. Cell. 1990 Nov 16;63(4):803–814. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90146-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Beimling P., Moelling K. Direct interaction of CREB protein with 21 bp Tax-response elements of HTLV-ILTR. Oncogene. 1992 Feb;7(2):257–262. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Brownell E., Mittereder N., Rice N. R. A human rel proto-oncogene cDNA containing an Alu fragment as a potential coding exon. Oncogene. 1989 Jul;4(7):935–942. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cann A. J., Rosenblatt J. D., Wachsman W., Shah N. P., Chen I. S. Identification of the gene responsible for human T-cell leukaemia virus transcriptional regulation. Nature. 1985 Dec 12;318(6046):571–574. doi: 10.1038/318571a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Felber B. K., Derse D., Athanassopoulos A., Campbell M., Pavlakis G. N. Cross-activation of the Rex proteins of HTLV-I and BLV and of the Rev protein of HIV-1 and nonreciprocal interactions with their RNA responsive elements. New Biol. 1989 Dec;1(3):318–328. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Felber B. K., Paskalis H., Kleinman-Ewing C., Wong-Staal F., Pavlakis G. N. The pX protein of HTLV-I is a transcriptional activator of its long terminal repeats. Science. 1985 Aug 16;229(4714):675–679. doi: 10.1126/science.2992082. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Feuillard J., Gouy H., Bismuth G., Lee L. M., Debré P., Körner M. NF-kappa B activation by tumor necrosis factor alpha in the Jurkat T cell line is independent of protein kinase A, protein kinase C, and Ca(2+)-regulated kinases. Cytokine. 1991 May;3(3):257–265. doi: 10.1016/1043-4666(91)90025-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fujii M., Niki T., Mori T., Matsuda T., Matsui M., Nomura N., Seiki M. HTLV-1 Tax induces expression of various immediate early serum responsive genes. Oncogene. 1991 Jun;6(6):1023–1029. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Fujii M., Sassone-Corsi P., Verma I. M. c-fos promoter trans-activation by the tax1 protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type I. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Nov;85(22):8526–8530. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.22.8526. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gazdar A. F., Carney D. N., Bunn P. A., Russell E. K., Jaffe E. S., Schechter G. P., Guccion J. G. Mitogen requirements for the in vitro propagation of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Blood. 1980 Mar;55(3):409–417. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gessain A., Barin F., Vernant J. C., Gout O., Maurs L., Calender A., de Thé G. Antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type-I in patients with tropical spastic paraparesis. Lancet. 1985 Aug 24;2(8452):407–410. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)92734-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Ghosh S., Gifford A. M., Riviere L. R., Tempst P., Nolan G. P., Baltimore D. Cloning of the p50 DNA binding subunit of NF-kappa B: homology to rel and dorsal. Cell. 1990 Sep 7;62(5):1019–1029. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90276-k. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Gilmore T. D. NF-kappa B, KBF1, dorsal, and related matters. Cell. 1990 Sep 7;62(5):841–843. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90257-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Green J. E. trans activation of nerve growth factor in transgenic mice containing the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I tax gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Sep;11(9):4635–4641. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.9.4635. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hannink M., Temin H. M. Structure and autoregulation of the c-rel promoter. Oncogene. 1990 Dec;5(12):1843–1850. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Hatada E. N., Nieters A., Wulczyn F. G., Naumann M., Meyer R., Nucifora G., McKeithan T. W., Scheidereit C. The ankyrin repeat domains of the NF-kappa B precursor p105 and the protooncogene bcl-3 act as specific inhibitors of NF-kappa B DNA binding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Mar 15;89(6):2489–2493. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.6.2489. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Hinrichs S. H., Nerenberg M., Reynolds R. K., Khoury G., Jay G. A transgenic mouse model for human neurofibromatosis. Science. 1987 Sep 11;237(4820):1340–1343. doi: 10.1126/science.2888191. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Inoue J., Kerr L. D., Kakizuka A., Verma I. M. I kappa B gamma, a 70 kd protein identical to the C-terminal half of p110 NF-kappa B: a new member of the I kappa B family. Cell. 1992 Mar 20;68(6):1109–1120. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90082-n. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Inoue J., Seiki M., Taniguchi T., Tsuru S., Yoshida M. Induction of interleukin 2 receptor gene expression by p40x encoded by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1. EMBO J. 1986 Nov;5(11):2883–2888. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04583.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Jacobson S., Raine C. S., Mingioli E. S., McFarlin D. E. Isolation of an HTLV-1-like retrovirus from patients with tropical spastic paraparesis. Nature. 1988 Feb 11;331(6156):540–543. doi: 10.1038/331540a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Jeang K. T., Boros I., Brady J., Radonovich M., Khoury G. Characterization of cellular factors that interact with the human T-cell leukemia virus type I p40x-responsive 21-base-pair sequence. J Virol. 1988 Dec;62(12):4499–4509. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.12.4499-4509.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Kaufman P. A., Weinberg J. B., Greene W. C. Nuclear expression of the 50- and 65-kD Rel-related subunits of nuclear factor-kappa B is differentially regulated in human monocytic cells. J Clin Invest. 1992 Jul;90(1):121–129. doi: 10.1172/JCI115824. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Kieran M., Blank V., Logeat F., Vandekerckhove J., Lottspeich F., Le Bail O., Urban M. B., Kourilsky P., Baeuerle P. A., Israël A. The DNA binding subunit of NF-kappa B is identical to factor KBF1 and homologous to the rel oncogene product. Cell. 1990 Sep 7;62(5):1007–1018. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90275-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Korber B., Okayama A., Donnelly R., Tachibana N., Essex M. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of defective human T-cell leukemia virus type I proviral genomes in leukemic cells of patients with adult T-cell leukemia. J Virol. 1991 Oct;65(10):5471–5476. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.10.5471-5476.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Kunsch C., Ruben S. M., Rosen C. A. Selection of optimal kappa B/Rel DNA-binding motifs: interaction of both subunits of NF-kappa B with DNA is required for transcriptional activation. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Oct;12(10):4412–4421. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.10.4412. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Leung K., Nabel G. J. HTLV-1 transactivator induces interleukin-2 receptor expression through an NF-kappa B-like factor. Nature. 1988 Jun 23;333(6175):776–778. doi: 10.1038/333776a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Lilienbaum A., Duc Dodon M., Alexandre C., Gazzolo L., Paulin D. Effect of human T-cell leukemia virus type I tax protein on activation of the human vimentin gene. J Virol. 1990 Jan;64(1):256–263. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.1.256-263.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Lindholm P. F., Marriott S. J., Gitlin S. D., Bohan C. A., Brady J. N. Induction of nuclear NF-kappa B DNA binding activity after exposure of lymphoid cells to soluble tax1 protein. New Biol. 1990 Nov;2(11):1034–1043. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Marriott S. J., Lindholm P. F., Brown K. M., Gitlin S. D., Duvall J. F., Radonovich M. F., Brady J. N. A 36-kilodalton cellular transcription factor mediates an indirect interaction of human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type I TAX1 with a responsive element in the viral long terminal repeat. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Aug;10(8):4192–4201. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.8.4192. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Miyatake S., Seiki M., Yoshida M., Arai K. T-cell activation signals and human T-cell leukemia virus type I-encoded p40x protein activate the mouse granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor gene through a common DNA element. Mol Cell Biol. 1988 Dec;8(12):5581–5587. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.12.5581. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Miyoshi I., Kubonishi I., Yoshimoto S., Akagi T., Ohtsuki Y., Shiraishi Y., Nagata K., Hinuma Y. Type C virus particles in a cord T-cell line derived by co-cultivating normal human cord leukocytes and human leukaemic T cells. Nature. 1981 Dec 24;294(5843):770–771. doi: 10.1038/294770a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Nerenberg M., Hinrichs S. H., Reynolds R. K., Khoury G., Jay G. The tat gene of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 induces mesenchymal tumors in transgenic mice. Science. 1987 Sep 11;237(4820):1324–1329. doi: 10.1126/science.2888190. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Nolan G. P., Ghosh S., Liou H. C., Tempst P., Baltimore D. DNA binding and I kappa B inhibition of the cloned p65 subunit of NF-kappa B, a rel-related polypeptide. Cell. 1991 Mar 8;64(5):961–969. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90320-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Paskalis H., Felber B. K., Pavlakis G. N. Cis-acting sequences responsible for the transcriptional activation of human T-cell leukemia virus type I constitute a conditional enhancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Sep;83(17):6558–6562. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.17.6558. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Paul N. L., Lenardo M. J., Novak K. D., Sarr T., Tang W. L., Ruddle N. H. Lymphotoxin activation by human T-cell leukemia virus type I-infected cell lines: role for NF-kappa B. J Virol. 1990 Nov;64(11):5412–5419. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.11.5412-5419.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Poiesz B. J., Ruscetti F. W., Gazdar A. F., Bunn P. A., Minna J. D., Gallo R. C. Detection and isolation of type C retrovirus particles from fresh and cultured lymphocytes of a patient with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Dec;77(12):7415–7419. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.12.7415. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Rice N. R., MacKichan M. L., Israël A. The precursor of NF-kappa B p50 has I kappa B-like functions. Cell. 1992 Oct 16;71(2):243–253. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90353-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Ruben S. M., Dillon P. J., Schreck R., Henkel T., Chen C. H., Maher M., Baeuerle P. A., Rosen C. A. Isolation of a rel-related human cDNA that potentially encodes the 65-kD subunit of NF-kappa B. Science. 1991 Mar 22;251(5000):1490–1493. doi: 10.1126/science.2006423. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Ruben S., Poteat H., Tan T. H., Kawakami K., Roeder R., Haseltine W., Rosen C. A. Cellular transcription factors and regulation of IL-2 receptor gene expression by HTLV-I tax gene product. Science. 1988 Jul 1;241(4861):89–92. doi: 10.1126/science.2838905. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Ryseck R. P., Bull P., Takamiya M., Bours V., Siebenlist U., Dobrzanski P., Bravo R. RelB, a new Rel family transcription activator that can interact with p50-NF-kappa B. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Feb;12(2):674–684. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.2.674. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Salahuddin S. Z., Markham P. D., Wong-Staal F., Franchini G., Kalyanaraman V. S., Gallo R. C. Restricted expression of human T-cell leukemia--lymphoma virus (HTLV) in transformed human umbilical cord blood lymphocytes. Virology. 1983 Aug;129(1):51–64. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(83)90395-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Sawada M., Suzumura A., Yoshida M., Marunouchi T. Human T-cell leukemia virus type I trans activator induces class I major histocompatibility complex antigen expression in glial cells. J Virol. 1990 Aug;64(8):4002–4006. doi: 10.1128/jvi.64.8.4002-4006.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Sen R., Baltimore D. Inducibility of kappa immunoglobulin enhancer-binding protein Nf-kappa B by a posttranslational mechanism. Cell. 1986 Dec 26;47(6):921–928. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90807-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Sen R., Baltimore D. Multiple nuclear factors interact with the immunoglobulin enhancer sequences. Cell. 1986 Aug 29;46(5):705–716. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90346-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Siekevitz M., Feinberg M. B., Holbrook N., Wong-Staal F., Greene W. C. Activation of interleukin 2 and interleukin 2 receptor (Tac) promoter expression by the trans-activator (tat) gene product of human T-cell leukemia virus, type I. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Aug;84(15):5389–5393. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.15.5389. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Simek S. L., Stephens R. M., Rice N. R. Localization of the v-rel protein in reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T-transformed lymphoid cells. J Virol. 1986 Jul;59(1):120–126. doi: 10.1128/jvi.59.1.120-126.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Starkebaum G., Loughran T. P., Jr, Waters C. A., Ruscetti F. W. Establishment of an IL-2 independent, human T-cell line possessing only the p70 IL-2 receptor. Int J Cancer. 1991 Sep 9;49(2):246–253. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910490218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Tan T. H., Horikoshi M., Roeder R. G. Purification and characterization of multiple nuclear factors that bind to the TAX-inducible enhancer within the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 long terminal repeat. Mol Cell Biol. 1989 Apr;9(4):1733–1745. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.4.1733. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. Wano Y., Feinberg M., Hosking J. B., Bogerd H., Greene W. C. Stable expression of the tax gene of type I human T-cell leukemia virus in human T cells activates specific cellular genes involved in growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Dec;85(24):9733–9737. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.24.9733. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  54. Watanabe T., Yamaguchi K., Takatsuki K., Osame M., Yoshida M. Constitutive expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein gene in human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) carriers and adult T cell leukemia patients that can be trans-activated by HTLV-1 tax gene. J Exp Med. 1990 Sep 1;172(3):759–765. doi: 10.1084/jem.172.3.759. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  55. Yamaoka S., Tobe T., Hatanaka M. Tax protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type I is required for maintenance of the transformed phenotype. Oncogene. 1992 Mar;7(3):433–437. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  56. Yang N. S., Burkholder J., Roberts B., Martinell B., McCabe D. In vivo and in vitro gene transfer to mammalian somatic cells by particle bombardment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Dec;87(24):9568–9572. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.24.9568. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  57. Yoshida M., Seiki M., Yamaguchi K., Takatsuki K. Monoclonal integration of human T-cell leukemia provirus in all primary tumors of adult T-cell leukemia suggests causative role of human T-cell leukemia virus in the disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Apr;81(8):2534–2537. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.8.2534. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  58. Zabel U., Baeuerle P. A. Purified human I kappa B can rapidly dissociate the complex of the NF-kappa B transcription factor with its cognate DNA. Cell. 1990 Apr 20;61(2):255–265. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90806-p. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  59. Zhao L. J., Giam C. Z. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) transcriptional activator, Tax, enhances CREB binding to HTLV-I 21-base-pair repeats by protein-protein interaction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Aug 1;89(15):7070–7074. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.15.7070. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  60. Zhao L. J., Giam C. Z. Interaction of the human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type I (HTLV-I) transcriptional activator Tax with cellular factors that bind specifically to the 21-base-pair repeats in the HTLV-I enhancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Dec 15;88(24):11445–11449. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.24.11445. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES