Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 mitochondrion-localizing protein p13(II) is required for viral infectivity in vivo

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the etiological agent of adult T-cell leukemia, encodes unique regulatory and accessory proteins in the pX region of the provirus, including the open reading frame II product p13(II). p13(II) localizes to mitochondria, binds farnesyl pyrophosphate synthetase, an enzyme involved in posttranslational farnesylation of Ras, and alters Ras-dependent cell signaling and control of apoptosis. The role of p13(II) in virus infection in vivo remains undetermined. Herein, we analyzed the functional significance of p13(II) in HTLV-1 infection. We compared the infectivity of a human B-cell line that harbors an infectious molecular clone of HTLV-1 with a selective mutation that prevents the translation of p13(II) (729.ACH.p13) to the infectivity of a wild-type HTLV-1-expressing cell line (729.ACH). 729.ACH and 729.ACH.p13 producer lines had comparable infectivities for cultured rabbit peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and the fidelity of the start codon mutation in ACH.p13 was maintained after PBMC passage. In contrast, zero of six rabbits inoculated with 729.ACH.p13 cells failed to establish viral infection, whereas six of six rabbits inoculated with wild-type HTLV-1-expressing cells (729.ACH) were infected as measured by antibody responses, proviral load, and HTLV-1 p19 matrix antigen production from ex vivo-cultured PBMC. Our data are the first to indicate that the HTLV-1 mitochondrion-localizing protein p13(II) has an essential biological role during the early phase of virus infection in vivo.     

In vitro CD4+ lymphocyte transformation and infection in a rabbit model with a molecular clone of human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type 1.

We transfected human and rabbit peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with the ACH molecular clone of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) to study its in vitro and in vivo properties. PBMC transfected with ACH were shown to transfer infection to naive PBMC. ACH transformed rabbit PBMC, as indicated by interleukin-2-independent proliferation of a transfectant culture. This transformant culture was shown by flow cytometric analysis to be a CD4+ CD25+ T-lymphocyte population containing, as determined by Southern blot analysis, at least three integrated HTLV-1 proviral copies. HTLV-1 infection was produced in rabbits inoculated with ACH-transfected, irradiated PBMC. Inoculated rabbits seroconverted to positivity for antibodies against HTLV-1 and had steady or rising HTLV-1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay antibody titers. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis revealed sustained seroconversion of rabbits to positivity for antibodies against all major viral antigenic determinants. Infection of rabbits was further demonstrated by antigen capture assay of p24 in PBMC and lymph node cultures and PCR amplification of proviral sequences from PBMC. These data suggest that ACH, like wild-type HTLV-1, infects and transforms primary CD4+ T lymphocytes and is infectious in vivo. This clone will facilitate investigations into the role of viral genes on biological properties of HTLV-1 in vitro and in vivo.     

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 mitochondrion-localizing protein p13II sensitizes Jurkat T cells to Ras-mediated apoptosis

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiological agent of adult T-cell leukemia. In addition to typical retroviral structural and enzymatic gene products, HTLV-1 encodes unique regulatory and accessory proteins, including a singly spliced pX open reading frame II (ORF II) product, p13(II). We have demonstrated that proviral clones of HTLV-1 which are mutated in pX ORF II fail to obtain typical proviral loads and antibody responses in a rabbit animal model. p13(II) localizes to mitochondria and reduces cell growth and tumorigenicity in mice, but its function in human lymphocytes remains undetermined. For this study, we analyzed the functional properties of Jurkat T cells expressing p13(II), using both transient and stable expression vectors. Our data indicate that p13(II)-expressing Jurkat T cells are sensitive to caspase-dependent, ceramide- and FasL-induced apoptosis. p13(II)-expressing Jurkat T cells also exhibited reduced proliferation when cultured at a high density. Furthermore, preincubation of the p13(II)-expressing cells with a farnesyl transferase inhibitor, which blocks the posttranslational modification of Ras, markedly reduced FasL-induced apoptosis, indicating the participation of the Ras pathway in p13(II)'s influence on lymphocyte survival. Our data are the first to demonstrate that p13(II) alters Ras-mediated apoptosis in T lymphocytes, and they reveal a potential mechanism by which HTLV-1 alters lymphocyte proliferation.     

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 open reading frame I p12(I) is required for efficient viral infectivity in primary lymphocytes

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a complex retrovirus encoding regulatory and accessory genes in four open reading frames (ORF I to IV) of the pX region. Emerging evidence indicates an important role for the pX ORF I-encoded accessory protein p12(I) in viral replication, but its contribution to viral pathogenesis remains to be defined. p12(I) is a conserved, membrane-associated protein containing four SH3-binding motifs (PXXP). Its interaction with the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor beta- and gamma-chains implies an involvement of p12(I) in intracellular signaling pathways. In addition, we have demonstrated that expression of pX ORF I p12(I) is essential for persistent infection in rabbits. In contrast, standard in vitro systems have thus far failed to demonstrate a contribution of p12(I) to viral infectivity and ultimately cellular transformation. In this study we developed multiple in vitro coculture assays to evaluate the role of p12(I) in viral infectivity in quiescent peripheral blood mononuclear cells to more accurately reflect the virus-cell interactions as they occur in vivo. Using these assays, we demonstrate a dramatic reduction in viral infectivity in quiescent T lymphocytes for a p12 mutant viral clone (ACH.p12) in comparison to the wild-type clone ACH. Moreover, addition of IL-2 and phytohemagglutinin during the infection completely rescued the ability of ACH.p12 to infect primary lymphocytes. When newly infected primary lymphocytes are used to passage virus, ACH.p12 also exhibited a reduced ability to productively infect activated lymphocytes. Our data are the first to demonstrate a functional role for pX ORF I in the infection of primary lymphocytes and suggest a role for p12(I) in activation of host cells during early stages of infection.     

Passage of human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 during progression to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma results in myelopathic disease in an HTLV-1 infection model

Studies comparing functional differences in human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) clones that mediate distinct outcomes in experimentally infected rabbits, resulted in a dermatopathic smoldering adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma following chronic infection with HTLV-1 strain RH/K34. During the 3.5 years' follow-up, HTLV-1 skin disease progressed to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. When infection was passed to several naive rabbits, progressive paraparesis due to myelopathic neurodegeneration, analogous to HTLV-associated myelopathy, resulted in one of 4 transfusion recipients. Similar proviral loads were detected in the two diseases, regardless of stage of progression or tissue compartment of infection. Complete proviral sequences obtained from the donor and affected recipient aligned identically with each other and with the inoculated virus clone. Existence of disparate pathogenic outcomes following infectious transmission further extends the analogy of using rabbits to model human infection and disease. Although the experimental outcomes shown are limited by numbers of animals affected, they mimic the infrequency of HTLV-1 disease and authenticate epidemiological evidence of virus sequence stability regardless of disease phenotype. The findings suggest that further investigation of a possible role for HTLV-1 in some forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is warranted.     

Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 pX-I and pX-II Open Reading Frames Are Dispensable for the Immortalization of Primary Lymphocytes

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects and transforms CD4⁺ T-lymphocytes both in vivo and in vitro. Although the Tax protein of HTLV-1 has been strongly implicated as a transforming agent, other virally encoded proteins may also play a role in the transformation process. In addition to the rex and tax genes, the pX region of the HTLV-1 genome contains two open reading frames (pX-I and pX-II) which encode the putative viral accessory proteins known as p12^I, p30^II, and p13^II. Mutations in the ACH molecular clone of HTLV-1 that are predicted to abrogate the expression of p12^I, p13^II and p30^II were constructed. These mutations had no effect on viral replication or the immortalization of primary lymphocytes. Although these proteins are dispensable for viral replication and immortalization in vitro, it remains possible that they alter infection in vivo.     

Reduction of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) proviral loads in rats orally infected with HTLV-1 by reimmunization with HTLV-1-infected cells

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) persistently infects humans, and the proviral loads that persist in vivo vary widely among individuals. Elevation in the proviral load is associated with serious HTLV-1-mediated diseases, such as adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. However, it remains controversial whether HTLV-1-specific T-cell immunity can control HTLV-1 in vivo. We previously reported that orally HTLV-1-infected rats showed insufficient HTLV-1-specific T-cell immunity that coincided with elevated levels of the HTLV-1 proviral load. In the present study, we found that individual HTLV-1 proviral loads established in low-responding hosts could be reduced by the restoration of HTLV-1-specific T-cell responses. Despite the T-cell unresponsiveness for HTLV-1 in orally infected rats, an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction in the splenocytes and a contact hypersensitivity response in the skin of these rats were comparable with those of naive rats. HTLV-1-specific T-cell response in orally HTLV-1-infected rats could be restored by subcutaneous reimmunization with mitomycin C (MMC)-treated syngeneic HTLV-1-transformed cells. The reimmunized rats exhibited lower proviral loads than untreated orally infected rats. We also confirmed that the proviral loads in orally infected rats decreased after reimmunization in the same hosts. Similar T-cell immune conversion could be reproduced in orally HTLV-1-infected rats by subcutaneous inoculation with MMC-treated primary T cells from syngeneic orally HTLV-1-infected rats. The present results indicate that, although HTLV-1-specific T-cell unresponsiveness is an underlying risk factor for the propagation of HTLV-1-infected cells in vivo, the risk may potentially be reduced by reimmunization, for which autologous HTLV-1-infected cells are a candidate immunogen.     

Isolation,characterization, and transmission of human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II in culture

Highly sensitive coculture methods were developed both for isolation of human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-1 and HTLV-II) from infected individuals and for productive infection of lymphoid cells. Mitogen-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 13 HTLV-I- and 20 HTLV-II-positive specimens were cocultured with an equal number of mitogen-activated PBMC from HTLV-seronegative individuals, and culture supernatants were tested for the presence of soluble p24^gag antigens at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. Eleven of 13 (85%) HTLV-I and 14 of 20 (70%) HTLV-II cultures were positive for p24 antigens. None of the 17 HTLV-seroindeterminate or six HTLV-seronegative specimens were positive for the presence of p24 antigen. The isolation rates for HTLV-I and HTLV-II by an alternative whole-blood lysis procedure were comparable to those obtained by standard PBMC cultures. Furthermore, cocultivation of PHA-stimulated PBMC from healthy donors with lethally irradiated HTLV-I- and HTLV-II-infected cell lines (SP and Mo-T, respectively) resulted in productive viral infection, as reflected by the appearance of p24^gag antigens concomitant with specific genomic amplification of HTLV proviral DNA after 3 weeks of cocultivation. Thus, the cocultivation technique provides a highly sensitive and specific procedure both for HTLV isolation and for infection of target cells.     

Proliferation Response to Interleukin-2 and Jak/Stat Activation of T Cells Immortalized by Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Is Independent of Open Reading Frame I Expression

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), a complex retrovirus, encodes a hydrophobic 12-kD protein from pX open reading frame (ORF) I that localizes to cellular endomembranes and contains four minimal SH3 binding motifs (PXXP). We have demonstrated the importance of ORF I expression in the establishment of infection and hypothesize that p12(I) has a role in T-cell activation. In this study, we tested interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor expression, IL-2-mediated proliferation, and Jak/Stat activation in T-cell lines immortalized with either wild-type or ORF I mutant clones of HTLV-1. All cell lines exhibited typical patterns of T-cell markers and maintained mutation fidelity. No significant differences between cell lines were observed in IL-2 receptor chain (alpha, beta, or gamma(c)) expression, in IL-2-mediated proliferation, or in IL-2-induced phosphorylated forms of Stat3, Stat5, Jak1, or Jak3. The expression of ORF I is more likely to play a role in early HTLV-1 infection, such as in the activation of quiescent T cells in vivo.     

Construction and characterization of a human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 3 infectious molecular clone

We and others have uncovered the existence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 3 (HTLV-3). We have now generated an HTLV-3 proviral clone. We established that gag, env, pol, pro, and tax/rex as well as minus-strand mRNAs are present in cells transfected with the HTLV-3 clone. HTLV-3 p24(gag) protein is detected in the cell culture supernatant. Transfection of 293T-long terminal repeat (LTR)-green fluorescent protein (GFP) cells with the HTLV-3 clone promotes formation of syncytia, a hallmark of Env expression, together with the appearance of fluorescent cells, demonstrating that Tax is expressed. Viral particles are visible by electron microscopy. These particles are infectious, as demonstrated by infection experiments with purified virions.     

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 p13II protein: effects on mitochondrial function and cell growth

p13(II) of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an 87-amino-acid protein that is targeted to the inner mitochondrial membrane. p13(II) alters mitochondrial membrane permeability, producing a rapid, membrane potential-dependent influx of K(+). These changes result in increased mitochondrial matrix volume and fragmentation and may lead to depolarization and alterations in mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake/retention capacity. At the cellular level, p13(II) has been found to interfere with cell proliferation and transformation and to promote apoptosis induced by ceramide and Fas ligand. Assays carried out in T cells (the major targets of HTLV-1 infection in vivo) demonstrate that p13(II)-mediated sensitization to Fas ligand-induced apoptosis can be blocked by an inhibitor of Ras farnesylation, thus implicating Ras signaling as a downstream target of p13(II) function.