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1: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Jul 22;94(15):8116-20.Click here to read Click here to read Links

Tat protein induces self-perpetuating permissivity for productive HIV-1 infection.

Li CJ, Ueda Y, Shi B, Borodyansky L, Huang L, Li YZ, Pardee AB.

Division of Cell Growth and Regulation, Harvard Medical School, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. cjli-mbcrr.harvard.edu

We report that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has evolved a self-perpetuating mechanism to actively generate cells permissive for productive and cytopathic infection. Only activated T cells can be productively infected, which leads to their rapid depletion (2 x 10(9)/day in an infected individual). Establishment of productive HIV-1 infection therefore requires continual activations from the large pool of quiescent T cells. Tat protein, which is secreted by infected cells, activated uninfected quiescent T cells in vitro and in vivo. These Tat-activated uninfected cells became highly permissive for productive HIV-1 infection. Activation of primary T cells by Tat protein involved integrin receptors and was associated with activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, including ERK1 and JNK kinase. Accordingly, these primary T cells progressed from G0 to the late G1 phase of the cell cycle.

PMID: 9223324 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC21566