Skip to main content
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1989 Mar;63(3):1181–1187. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.3.1181-1187.1989

Mutational analysis of the conserved basic domain of human immunodeficiency virus tat protein.

J Hauber 1, M H Malim 1, B R Cullen 1
PMCID: PMC247813  PMID: 2536828

Abstract

The tat trans-activators encoded by the known strains of primate immunodeficiency virus share a conserved, highly basic protein domain. Mutagenesis of this sequence in the tat gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is shown here to reduce, but not eliminate, the trans-activation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-specific gene expression. The degree of inhibition is shown to vary in a dose-dependent manner and is most marked at low levels of tat expression. Multiple mutations of the basic domain of tat were found to impair both the in vivo stability and the nuclear localization of the tat protein. It is proposed that this protein domain serves to efficiently target the tat gene product to its appropriate site or substrate within the nucleus of expressing cells.

Full text

PDF
1185

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. Arya S. K., Beaver B., Jagodzinski L., Ensoli B., Kanki P. J., Albert J., Fenyo E. M., Biberfeld G., Zagury J. F., Laure F. New human and simian HIV-related retroviruses possess functional transactivator (tat) gene. Nature. 1987 Aug 6;328(6130):548–550. doi: 10.1038/328548a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. 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]
  3. Berger J., Hauber J., Hauber R., Geiger R., Cullen B. R. Secreted placental alkaline phosphatase: a powerful new quantitative indicator of gene expression in eukaryotic cells. Gene. 1988 Jun 15;66(1):1–10. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(88)90219-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bürglin T. R., De Robertis E. M. The nuclear migration signal of Xenopus laevis nucleoplasmin. EMBO J. 1987 Sep;6(9):2617–2625. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02552.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cullen B. R. Trans-activation of human immunodeficiency virus occurs via a bimodal mechanism. Cell. 1986 Sep 26;46(7):973–982. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90696-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cullen B. R. Use of eukaryotic expression technology in the functional analysis of cloned genes. Methods Enzymol. 1987;152:684–704. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(87)52074-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. 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]
  8. Feinberg M. B., Jarrett R. F., Aldovini A., Gallo R. C., Wong-Staal F. HTLV-III expression and production involve complex regulation at the levels of splicing and translation of viral RNA. Cell. 1986 Sep 12;46(6):807–817. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90062-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. 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]
  10. Frankel A. D., Bredt D. S., Pabo C. O. Tat protein from human immunodeficiency virus forms a metal-linked dimer. Science. 1988 Apr 1;240(4848):70–73. doi: 10.1126/science.2832944. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fukasawa M., Miura T., Hasegawa A., Morikawa S., Tsujimoto H., Miki K., Kitamura T., Hayami M. Sequence of simian immunodeficiency virus from African green monkey, a new member of the HIV/SIV group. Nature. 1988 Jun 2;333(6172):457–461. doi: 10.1038/333457a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Garcia J. A., Harrich D., Pearson L., Mitsuyasu R., Gaynor R. B. Functional domains required for tat-induced transcriptional activation of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat. EMBO J. 1988 Oct;7(10):3143–3147. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03181.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Greenspan D., Palese P., Krystal M. Two nuclear location signals in the influenza virus NS1 nonstructural protein. J Virol. 1988 Aug;62(8):3020–3026. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.8.3020-3026.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Guyader M., Emerman M., Sonigo P., Clavel F., Montagnier L., Alizon M. Genome organization and transactivation of the human immunodeficiency virus type 2. Nature. 1987 Apr 16;326(6114):662–669. doi: 10.1038/326662a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hall M. N., Hereford L., Herskowitz I. Targeting of E. coli beta-galactosidase to the nucleus in yeast. Cell. 1984 Apr;36(4):1057–1065. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90055-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hauber J., Cullen B. R. Mutational analysis of the trans-activation-responsive region of the human immunodeficiency virus type I long terminal repeat. J Virol. 1988 Mar;62(3):673–679. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.3.673-679.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hauber J., Perkins A., Heimer E. P., Cullen B. R. Trans-activation of human immunodeficiency virus gene expression is mediated by nuclear events. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Sep;84(18):6364–6368. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.18.6364. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hirsch V., Riedel N., Mullins J. I. The genome organization of STLV-3 is similar to that of the AIDS virus except for a truncated transmembrane protein. Cell. 1987 May 8;49(3):307–319. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90283-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kalderon D., Roberts B. L., Richardson W. D., Smith A. E. A short amino acid sequence able to specify nuclear location. Cell. 1984 Dec;39(3 Pt 2):499–509. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90457-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kao S. Y., Calman A. F., Luciw P. A., Peterlin B. M. Anti-termination of transcription within the long terminal repeat of HIV-1 by tat gene product. Nature. 1987 Dec 3;330(6147):489–493. doi: 10.1038/330489a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Lanford R. E., Kanda P., Kennedy R. C. Induction of nuclear transport with a synthetic peptide homologous to the SV40 T antigen transport signal. Cell. 1986 Aug 15;46(4):575–582. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90883-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Levy J. A., Cheng-Mayer C., Dina D., Luciw P. A. AIDS retrovirus (ARV-2) clone replicates in transfected human and animal fibroblasts. Science. 1986 May 23;232(4753):998–1001. doi: 10.1126/science.3010461. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Malim M. H., Hauber J., Fenrick R., Cullen B. R. Immunodeficiency virus rev trans-activator modulates the expression of the viral regulatory genes. Nature. 1988 Sep 8;335(6186):181–183. doi: 10.1038/335181a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Moreland R. B., Langevin G. L., Singer R. H., Garcea R. L., Hereford L. M. Amino acid sequences that determine the nuclear localization of yeast histone 2B. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Nov;7(11):4048–4057. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.11.4048. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Muesing M. A., Smith D. H., Capon D. J. Regulation of mRNA accumulation by a human immunodeficiency virus trans-activator protein. Cell. 1987 Feb 27;48(4):691–701. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90247-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Peterlin B. M., Luciw P. A., Barr P. J., Walker M. D. Elevated levels of mRNA can account for the trans-activation of human immunodeficiency virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Dec;83(24):9734–9738. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.24.9734. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Picard D., Yamamoto K. R. Two signals mediate hormone-dependent nuclear localization of the glucocorticoid receptor. EMBO J. 1987 Nov;6(11):3333–3340. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02654.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Richardson W. D., Roberts B. L., Smith A. E. Nuclear location signals in polyoma virus large-T. Cell. 1986 Jan 17;44(1):77–85. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90486-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Rosen C. A., Sodroski J. G., Haseltine W. A. The location of cis-acting regulatory sequences in the human T cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III/LAV) long terminal repeat. Cell. 1985 Jul;41(3):813–823. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(85)80062-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Ruben S., Perkins A., Purcell R., Joung K., Sia R., Burghoff R., Haseltine W. A., Rosen C. A. Structural and functional characterization of human immunodeficiency virus tat protein. J Virol. 1989 Jan;63(1):1–8. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.1.1-8.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sadaie M. R., Rappaport J., Benter T., Josephs S. F., Willis R., Wong-Staal F. Missense mutations in an infectious human immunodeficiency viral genome: functional mapping of tat and identification of the rev splice acceptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Dec;85(23):9224–9228. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.23.9224. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Siomi H., Shida H., Nam S. H., Nosaka T., Maki M., Hatanaka M. Sequence requirements for nucleolar localization of human T cell leukemia virus type I pX protein, which regulates viral RNA processing. Cell. 1988 Oct 21;55(2):197–209. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90043-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Slamon D. J., Boyle W. J., Keith D. E., Press M. F., Golde D. W., Souza L. M. Subnuclear localization of the trans-activating protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type I. J Virol. 1988 Mar;62(3):680–686. doi: 10.1128/jvi.62.3.680-686.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. 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]
  35. Taylor J. W., Ott J., Eckstein F. The rapid generation of oligonucleotide-directed mutations at high frequency using phosphorothioate-modified DNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Dec 20;13(24):8765–8785. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.24.8765. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Wright C. M., Felber B. K., Paskalis H., Pavlakis G. N. Expression and characterization of the trans-activator of HTLV-III/LAV virus. Science. 1986 Nov 21;234(4779):988–992. doi: 10.1126/science.3490693. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES