Human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 Rex protein increases stability and promotes nuclear to cytoplasmic transport of gag/pol and env RNAs.
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| Abstract |
The human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) Rex protein is essential for efficient expression of the viral structural and enzymatic gene products. In this study, we assessed the role of the HTLV-2 rex gene in viral RNA expression and Gag protein production. Following transfection of human JM4 T cells with wild-type and rex mutant full-length proviral constructs, PCR was used for semiquantitative analysis of specific viral RNA transcripts. In the presence of Rex, the total amount of steady-state viral RNA was increased fourfold. Rex significantly up-regulated the level of incompletely spliced RNAs by increasing RNA stability and was associated with a twofold down-regulation of the completely spliced tax/rex RNA. PCR analysis of subcellular RNA fractions, isolated from transfected cells, indicated that the level of gag/pol and env cytoplasmic RNAs were increased 7- to 9-fold in the presence of Rex, whereas Gag protein production was increased 130-fold. These data indicate that HTLV-2 Rex increases the stability and promotes nucleus-to-cytoplasm transport of the incompletely spliced viral RNAs, ultimately resulting in increased structural protein production. Moreover, this model system provides a sensitive approach to further characterize HTLV gene expression from full-length proviral clones following transfection of human T cells.
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| Authors | K Kusuhara, M Anderson, S M Pettiford, P L Green |
| Journal | Journal of virology (J Virol) Vol. 73 Issue 10 Pg. 8112-9 (Oct 1999) ISSN: 0022-538X [Print] United States |
| PMID | 10482560 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.) |
| Chemical References |
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