Synergism between two distinct elements of the HTLV-I enhancer during activation by the trans-activator of HTLV-I

We have conducted functional studies of the enhancer elements of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) using the human T-cell lines Jurkat and MOLT 4, which are negative for HTLV-I, and MT-2 and TL-Mor, which carry the proviral genome of HTLV-I. Two distinct elements have been implicated in function of the HTLV-I enhancer. One is the 21-base-pair (bp) core element that is responsible for trans-activation by the HTLV-I trans-activator p40tax and that has the ability to bind to cyclic-AMP responsive element binding factor (CREB)-like factor(s). The other is a region interposed between the 21-bp elements. In this study we demonstrate that a subfragment (C26) in the region between the 21-bp elements is involved in trans-activation by p40tax, possibly through binding to an NF-kappa B-like nuclear factor or factors. Formation of the protein-DNA complex with the C26 subfragment was positively affected by p40tax. The C26 element conferred partial responsiveness to p40tax when linked to one copy of the 21-bp element that, by itself, showed little activation in response to p40tax. However, the C26 element alone, even when repeated, could not be activated by p40tax, unlike other NF-kappa B-binding elements. In contrast, the C26 element itself was profoundly activated upon stimulation with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. These findings therefore suggest that the HTLV-I enhancer contains multiple functional elements, including binding sites for at least CREB- and NF-kappa B-like factors, which synergistically cooperate in activation of the HTLV-I enhancer in response to p40tax. Our results also demonstrate that TPA-dependent activation of the HTLV-I enhancer may be mediated through the C26 element.     

A single species of pX mRNA of human T-cell leukemia virus type I encodes trans-activator p40x and two other phosphoproteins.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) contains the pX sequence which codes for the trans-activator of the long terminal repeat (LTR) and is thus postulated to be associated with leukemogenesis in adult T-cell leukemia. Overlapping open reading frames (ORF) in the pX sequence were recently found to code for p27x-III and p21x-III by ORF III, in addition to p40x coded for by ORF IV. The mechanism of expression of these newly identified proteins and their possible association with trans-activation were studied. On transfection of an expression plasmid that contains a cDNA sequence of the pX mRNA, products from both ORFs III and IV were detected in the cells. The RNA was synthesized in vitro from the cDNA clone by SP6 RNA polymerase and translated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate. As translation products, two proteins, p27x-III and p21x-III, were detected in addition to p40x. Elimination of the first and second ATG codons in ORF III resulted in loss of the ability to code for p27x-III and p21x-III, respectively, which indicated that the translations from these two ATG codons were independent. A mutant that lacked both ATG codons was fully active in trans-activation of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expression directed by the LTR. These results indicate that a 2.1-kilobase pX mRNA of HTLV-I independently encodes three proteins, p40x, p27x-III, and p21x-III, by different ORFs and that the last two proteins are not involved in trans-activation of the unintegrated LTR.     

Identification of two distinct elements in the long terminal repeat of HTLV-I responsible for maximum gene expression

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I has a unique sequence, pX, between env and the 3' long terminal repeat (LTR). One of its products, p40, activates gene expression directed by the LTR in a trans-acting manner. We have analysed the mechanism of this trans-activation mediated by p40 in human T cells co-transfected with a plasmid expressing p40 using the transient CAT gene expression. We identified two distinct elements in the LTR which are involved in maximum gene expression. The first was present in a 230-bp fragment upstream from TATA box in the U3 region and behaved as a classical enhancer. This region was also shown to be responsible for trans-activation by p40. This element alone together with functional p40 could direct the gene expression at only approximately 10% of the level achieved by the complete LTR and p40. The second element was present within a 300-bp fragment downstream from the RNA start site and profoundly enhanced the gene expression in a way independent from trans-activation mechanism. This enhancement was observed only when the element was located immediately downstream from the RNA start site without orientation preference. These two elements participate independently in the enhancement of gene expression.     

STAT1 pathway is involved in activation of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus long terminal repeat in monocytes.

The caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) long terminal repeat (LTR) is activated by gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in promonocytic cells. We have previously shown that a 70-bp element is necessary and sufficient for the response of the CAEV LTR to this cytokine. At the 5' end, this 70-bp IFN-gamma response element contains sequence similarity to the gamma activated site (GAS). Here we demonstrate that the putative GAS element in the CAEV LTR binds specifically to a cellular factor induced by IFN-gamma in promonocytic cells. Substitution mutations in this consensus sequence eliminate binding of the inducible factor. The GAS element from the 70-bp motif is sufficient to confer responsiveness to IFN-gamma using a heterologous minimal promoter. Consistent with the binding data, the same mutations in the GAS element eliminate responsiveness to IFN-gamma in the context of both a functional CAEV LTR and a heterologous promoter. The cellular factor that binds to the GAS element is present from 5 min to 14 h after stimulation with IFN-gamma. Binding of the nuclear factor to the GAS element in the CAEV LTR is inhibited by antibody directed against STAT1 (p91/84). Thus, the GAS sequence in the CAEV LTR is essential for the response to IFN-gamma and a STAT1-like factor binds to this site. The STAT-1 signaling pathway provides at least one mechanism for activation of the CAEV LTR by IFN-gamma in monocytes. These data are the first demonstration of a role for a STAT family member in the regulation of a viral promoter.     

Complex cell cycle abnormalities caused by human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 Tax

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), a malignancy of CD4(+) T cells whose etiology is thought to be associated with the viral trans-activator Tax. We have shown recently that Tax can drastically upregulate the expression of p27(Kip1) and p21(CIP1/WAF1) through protein stabilization and mRNA trans-activation and stabilization, respectively. The Tax-induced surge in p21(CIP1/WAF1) and p27(Kip1) begins in S phase and results in cellular senescence. Importantly, HeLa and SupT1 T cells infected by HTLV-1 also arrest in senescence, thus challenging the notion that HTLV-1 infection causes cell proliferation. Here we use time-lapse microscopy to investigate the effect of Tax on cell cycle progression in two reporter cell lines, HeLa/18x21-EGFP and HeLa-FUCCI, that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of 18 copies of the Tax-responsive 21-bp repeat element and fluorescent ubiquitin cell cycle indicators, respectively. Tax-expressing HeLa cells exhibit elongated or stalled cell cycle phases. Many of them bypass mitosis and become single senescent cells as evidenced by the expression of senescence-associated β-galactosidase. Such cells have twice the normal equivalent of cellular contents and hence are enlarged, with exaggerated nuclei. Interestingly, nocodazole treatment revealed a small variant population of HeLa/18x21-EGFP cells that could progress into mitosis normally with high levels of Tax expression, suggesting that genetic or epigenetic changes that prevent Tax-induced senescence can occur spontaneously at a detectable frequency.     

Multiple cDNA clones encoding nuclear proteins that bind to the tax-dependent enhancer of HTLV-1: all contain a leucine zipper structure and basic amino acid domain.

A trans-activator protein, p40tax, of human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) activates its own promoter and cellular promoters of IL-2, IL-2 receptor alpha and GM-CSF genes. We isolated three cDNA clones encoding cellular proteins that bind to the p40tax-dependent enhancer of HTLV-1 by screening a lambda gt11 cDNA library of an HTLV-1 infected cell line. All three proteins, TREB5, TREB7 and TREB36, contained a leucine zipper structure and basic amino acid domain, which are conserved in FOS, JUN and CREB, and also had multiple potential phosphorylation sites. The proteins expressed in Escherichia coli bound to the p40tax-dependent enhancer of the 21 bp sequence, but not to an inactive mutant carrying a mutation in the CRE region. In DNase I footprint analysis, all three proteins protected the 21 bp sequences in the LTR; however, the patterns were not identical to each other. TREB7 and TREB36 protected all three repeats of the 21 bp, but TREB5 protected only the second repeat. TREB7 and TREB36 protected the 5' and middle portions of the 21 bp which are essential for p40tax-mediated trans-activation, whereas TREB5 and CREB1 protected a narrower part of the middle region of the second 21 bp repeat containing the CRE consensus sequence. These structural features and DNA binding properties suggest that TREB proteins are members of a CREB protein family and that some of them (i.e., TREB7 and TREB36) may be involved in p40tax-mediated trans-activation.