Differential patterns of human cytomegalovirus gene expression in various T-cell lines carrying human T-cell leukemia-lymphoma virus type I: Role of tax-activated cellular transcription factors

✍ Scribed by Zoltán Beck; Attila Bácsi; Xiangdong Liu; Peter Ebbesen; István Andirkó; Eszter Csoma; József Kónya; Etelka Nagy; Ferenc D. Tóth

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 373 KB
• Volume: 71
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.10447

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Replication of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was investigated in various T‐cell lines expressing the tax gene product of human T‐cell leukemia‐lymphoma virus type I (HTLV‐I). Differential patterns of HCMV replication were found in HTLV‐I‐carrying cell lines. HCMV gene expression was restricted to the immediate‐early genes in MT‐2 and MT‐4 cells, whereas full replication cycle of the virus was observed in C8166‐45 cells. Productive HCMV infection induced a cytopathic effect resulting in the lysis of infected cells. The results of electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed high levels of NF‐κB‐, CREB/ATF‐1‐, and SRF‐specific DNA binding activity in all Tax‐positive cell lines. In contrast, SP1 activity could be detected only in C8166‐45 cells. Using an inducible system (Jurkat cell line JPX‐9), a dramatic increase in NF‐κB, CREB/ATF‐1, SRF, and SP1 binding activity, as well as productive HCMV infection, were observed upon Tax expression. Overexpression of SP1 in MT‐2 and MT‐4 cells converted HCMV infection from an abortive to a productive one. These data suggest that the stimulatory effect of Tax protein on HCMV in T cells is accomplished through at least five host‐related transcription factor pathways. The results of this study provide possible mechanisms whereby HCMV infections might imply suppression of adult T‐cell leukemia. J. Med. Virol. 71:94–104, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.