Activation of HIV-1 long terminal repeat transcription and virus replication via NF-kappaB-dependent and -independent pathways by potent phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitors, the peroxovanadium compounds

CDK8 inhibitors antagonize HIV-1 reactivation and promote provirus latency in T cells

Latent HIV-1 provirus represents the barrier toward a cure for infection and is dependent upon the host RNA Polymerase (Pol) II machinery for reemergence. Here, we find that inhibitors of the RNA Pol II mediator kinases CDK8/19, Senexin A and BRD6989, inhibit induction of HIV-1 expression in response to latency-reversing agents and T cell signaling agonists. These inhibitors were found to impair recruitment of RNA Pol II to the HIV-1 LTR. Furthermore, HIV-1 expression in response to several latency reversal agents was impaired upon disruption of CDK8 by shRNA or gene knockout. However, the effects of CDK8 depletion did not entirely mimic CDK8/19 kinase inhibition suggesting that the mediator kinases are not functionally redundant. Additionally, treatment of CD4+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from people living with HIV-1 and who are receiving antiretroviral therapy with Senexin A inhibited induction of viral replication in response to T cell stimulation by PMA and ionomycin. These observations indicate that the mediator kinases, CDK8 and CDK19, play a significant role for regulation of HIV-1 transcription and that small molecule inhibitors of these enzymes may contribute to therapies designed to promote deep latency involving the durable suppression of provirus expression. IMPORTANCE A cure for HIV-1 infection will require novel therapies that can force elimination of cells that contain copies of the virus genome inserted into the cell chromosome, but which is shut off, or silenced. These are known as latently-infected cells, which represent the main reason why current treatment for HIV/AIDS cannot cure the infection because the virus in these cells is unaffected by current drugs. Our results indicate that chemical inhibitors of Cdk8 also inhibit the expression of latent HIV provirus. Cdk8 is an important enzyme that regulates the expression of genes in response to signals to which cells need to respond and which is produced by a gene that is frequently mutated in cancers. Our observations indicate that Cdk8 inhibitors may be employed in novel therapies to prevent expression from latent provirus, which might eventually enable infected individuals to cease treatment with antiretroviral drugs.

Innate Immune Response Against HIV-1

The innate immune system is comprised of both cellular and humoral players that recognise and eradicate invading pathogens. Therefore, the interplay between retroviruses and innate immunity has emerged as an important component of viral pathogenesis. HIV-1 infection in humans that results in hematologic abnormalities and immune suppression is well represented by changes in the CD4/CD8 T cell ratio and consequent cell death causing CD4 lymphopenia. The innate immune responses by mucosal barriers such as complement, DCs, macrophages, and NK cells as well as cytokine/chemokine profiles attain great importance in acute HIV-1 infection, and thus, prevent mucosal capture and transmission of HIV-1. Conversely, HIV-1 has evolved to overcome innate immune responses through RNA-mediated rapid mutations, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) modification, down-regulation of NK cell activity and complement receptors, resulting in increased secretion of inflammatory factors. Consequently, epithelial tissues lining up female reproductive tract express innate immune sensors including anti-microbial peptides responsible for forming primary barriers and have displayed an effective potent anti-HIV activity during phase I/II clinical trials.

A Stronger Transcription Regulatory Circuit of HIV-1C Drives the Rapid Establishment of Latency with Implications for the Direct Involvement of Tat

The magnitude of transcription factor binding site variation emerging in HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C), especially the addition of NF-κB motifs by sequence duplication, makes the examination of transcriptional silence challenging. How can HIV-1 establish and maintain latency despite having a strong long terminal repeat (LTR)? We constructed panels of subgenomic reporter viral vectors with varying copy numbers of NF-κB motifs (0 to 4 copies) and examined the profile of latency establishment in Jurkat cells. Surprisingly, we found that the stronger the viral promoter, the faster the latency establishment. Importantly, at the time of commitment to latency and subsequent points, Tat levels in the cell were not limiting. Using highly sensitive strategies, we demonstrate the presence of Tat in the latent cell, recruited to the latent LTR. Our data allude, for the first time, to Tat establishing a negative feedback loop during the late phases of viral infection, leading to the rapid silencing of the viral promoter.IMPORTANCE Over the past 10 to 15 years, HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) has been evolving rapidly toward gaining stronger transcriptional activity by sequence duplication of major transcription factor binding sites. The duplication of NF-κB motifs is unique and exclusive to HIV-1C, a property not shared with any of the other eight HIV-1 genetic families. What mechanism(s) does HIV-1C employ to establish and maintain transcriptional silence despite the presence of a strong promoter and concomitant strong, positive transcriptional feedback is the primary question that we attempted to address in the present manuscript. The role that Tat plays in latency reversal is well established. Our work with the most common HIV-1 subtype, HIV-1C, offers crucial leads toward Tat possessing a dual role in serving as both a transcriptional activator and repressor at different phases of viral infection of the cell. The leads that we offer through the present work have significant implications for HIV-1 cure research.

Retinoic acid pre-treatment down regulates V. cholerae outer membrane vesicles induced acute inflammation and enhances mucosal immunity

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles have been extensively investigated and considered as a next generation vaccine. Recently, we have demonstrated that the cholera pentavalent outer membrane vesicles (CPMVs) immunogen induced adaptive immunity and had a strong protective efficacy against the circulating V. cholerae strains in a mouse model. In this present study, we are mainly focusing on reducing outer membrane vesicle (OMV) -mediated toxicity without altering its antigenic property. Therefore, we have selected All-trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA), active metabolites of vitamin A, which have both anti-inflammatory and mucosal adjuvant properties. Pre-treatment of ATRA significantly reduced CPMVs induced TLR2 mediated pro-inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we also found ATRA pre-treatment significantly induced mucosal immune response and protective efficacy after two doses of oral immunization with CPMVs (75µg). This study can help to reduce OMV based vaccine toxicity and induce better protective immunity where children and men suffered from malnutrition mainly in developing countries.

HIV-1 Structural Proteins Serve as PAMPs for TLR2 Heterodimers Significantly Increasing Infection and Innate Immune Activation

Immune activation is critical to HIV infection and pathogenesis; however, our understanding of HIV innate immune activation remains incomplete. Recently we demonstrated that soluble TLR2 (sTLR2) physically inhibited HIV-induced NFκB activation and inflammation, as well as HIV-1 infection. In light of these findings, we hypothesized that HIV-1 structural proteins may serve as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) for cellular TLR2 heterodimers. These studies made use of primary human T cells and TZMbl cells stably transformed to express TLR2 (TZMbl-2). Our results demonstrated that cells expressing TLR2 showed significantly increased proviral DNA compared to cells lacking TLR2, and mechanistically this may be due to a TLR2-mediated increased CCR5 expression. Importantly, we show that HIV-1 structural proteins, p17, p24, and gp41, act as viral PAMPs signaling through TLR2 and its heterodimers leading to significantly increased immune activation via the NFκB signaling pathway. Using co-immunoprecipitation and a dot blot method, we demonstrated direct protein interactions between these viral PAMPs and TLR2, while only p17 and gp41 bound to TLR1. Specifically, TLR2/1 heterodimer recognized p17 and gp41, while p24 lead to immune activation through TLR2/6. These results were confirmed using TLR2/1 siRNA knock down assays which ablated p17 and gp41-induced cellular activation and through studies of HEK293 cells expressing selected TLRs. Interestingly, our results show in the absence of TLR6, p24 bound to TLR2 and blocked p17 and gp41-induced activation, thus providing a novel mechanism by which HIV-1 can manipulate innate sensing. Taken together, our results identified, for the first time, novel HIV-1 PAMPs that play a role in TLR2-mediated cellular activation and increased proviral DNA. These findings have important implications for our fundamental understanding of HIV-1 immune activation and pathogenesis, as well as HIV-1 vaccine development.

Vanadium Compounds as Pro-Inflammatory Agents: Effects on Cyclooxygenases

This paper discusses how the activity and expression of cyclooxygenases are influenced by vanadium compounds at anticancer concentrations and recorded in inorganic vanadium poisonings. We refer mainly to the effects of vanadate (orthovanadate), vanadyl and pervanadate ions; the main focus is placed on their impact on intracellular signaling. We describe the exact mechanism of the effect of vanadium compounds on protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), PLCγ, Src, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, transcription factor NF-κB, the effect on the proteolysis of COX-2 and the activity of cPLA₂. For a better understanding of these processes, a lot of space is devoted to the transformation of vanadium compounds within the cell and the molecular influence on the direct targets of the discussed vanadium compounds.

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of Shigella flexneri 2a induces TLR2-mediated activation of B cells: involvement of protein tyrosine kinase, ERK and NF-κB

B cells are critically important in combating bacterial infections and their differentiation into plasma cells and memory cells aids bacterial clearance and long-lasting immunity conferred by essentially all vaccines. Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of Shigella flexneri 2a has been demonstrated to induce the production of IgG and IgA in vivo following immunization of mice through intranasal route, but the direct involvement of B cells in OmpA-mediated immune regulation was not determined. Consequently, we investigated whether OmpA can modulate B cell functions and identified the molecular events involved in OmpA-induced B cell immune response in vitro. We show that OmpA of S. flexneri 2a activates B cells to produce protective cytokines, IL-6 and IL-10 as well as facilitates their differentiation into antibody secreting cells (ASCs). The immunostimulatory properties of OmpA are attributed to the increased surface expression of MHCII and CD86 on B cells. We also report here that B cell activation by OmpA is mediated strictly through recognition by TLR2, resulting in initiation of cascades of signal transduction events, involving increased phosphorylation of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), ERK and IκBα, leading to nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Importantly, a TLR2 antibody diminishes OmpA-induced upregulation of MHCII and CD86 on B cell surface as well as significantly inhibits B cell differentiation and cytokine secretion. Furthermore, we illustrate that B cell differentiation into ASCs and induction of cytokine secretion by OmpA are dependent on PTKs activity. Moreover, we identify that OmpA-induced B cell differentiation is entirely dependent on ERK pathway, whereas both NF-κB and ERK are essential for cytokine secretion by B cells. Overall, our data demonstrate that OmpA of S. flexneri 2a amplifies TLR signaling in B cells and triggers B cell immune response, which is critical for the development of an effective adaptive immunity to an optimal vaccine antigen.

NF-κB inhibition by bortezomib permits IFN-γ-activated RIP1 kinase-dependent necrosis in renal cell carcinoma

Advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an invariably fatal cancer. Currently, small-molecule inhibitors that target cell growth, angiogenesis, or nutrient-sensing pathways represent the primary pharmacologic interventions for this disease, but these inhibitors only delay tumor progression and are not curative. The cytokine IFN-γ showed the potential to provide lasting remission in several phase I/II trials for advanced RCCs, but subsequent trials, including a multicenter phase III study using IFN-γ as a monotherapy for RCCs, were less promising. Notably, these trials were designed to exploit the indirect immunomodulatory effects of IFN-γ, whereas its direct antitumor properties--including its ability to trigger programmed cell death in tumors-remain mostly untapped. Here, we show that the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (PS-341, Velcade) sensitizes otherwise resistant RCC cells to direct necrotic death by IFN-γ. Mechanistically, we show that bortezomib functions, at least in part, by inhibiting prosurvival NF-κB signaling. In the absence of this signal, IFN-γ triggers programmed necrosis (or "necroptosis") dependent on the kinase RIP1. When taken together with the observation that NF-κB signaling is elevated in RCCs, these results provide rationale for the combined use of IFN-γ and bortezomib in the treatment of metastatic RCCs.

Use of antimony in the treatment of leishmaniasis: current status and future directions

In the recent past the standard treatment of kala-azar involved the use of pentavalent antimonials Sb(V). Because of progressive rise in treatment failure to Sb(V) was limited its use in the treatment program in the Indian subcontinent. Until now the mechanism of action of Sb(V) is not very clear. Recent studies indicated that both parasite and hosts contribute to the antimony efflux mechanism. Interestingly, antimonials show strong immunostimulatory abilities as evident from the upregulation of transplantation antigens and enhanced T cell stimulating ability of normal antigen presenting cells when treated with Sb(V) in vitro. Recently, it has been shown that some of the peroxovanadium compounds have Sb(V)-resistance modifying ability in experimental infection with Sb(V) resistant Leishmania donovani isolates in murine model. Thus, vanadium compounds may be used in combination with Sb(V) in the treatment of Sb(V) resistance cases of kala-azar.

Induction of galectin-1 expression by HTLV-I Tax and its impact on HTLV-I infectivity

Background

Cell-free Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type I (HTLV-I) virions are poorly infectious and cell-to-cell contact is often required to achieve infection. Other factors might thus importantly contribute in increasing infection by HTLV-I. Galectin-1 is a galactoside-binding lectin which is secreted by activated T lymphocytes. Several functions have been attributed to this protein including its capacity to increase cell-to-cell adhesion. Based on previous studies, we postulated that this protein could also accentuate HTLV-I infection.

Results

Herein, we demonstrate that galectin-1 expression and release are higher in HTLV-I-infected T cells in comparison to uninfected T cells. Furthermore, galectin-1 expression was activated in various cell lines expressing the wild type viral Tax protein while this induction was minimal upon expression of NF-κB activation-defective TaxM22. Cotransfection of these Tax expression vectors with galectin-1 promoter-driven luciferase constructs confirmed that Tax upregulated galectin-1 promoter activity. However, a NF-κB-independent mechanism was strongly favoured in this induction of galectin-1 expression as no activation of the promoter was apparent in Jurkat cells treated with known NF-κB activators. Using HTLV-I envelope pseudotyped HIV-1 virions, galectin-1 was shown to increase infectivity. In addition, a co-culture assay with HTLV-I-infected cells also indicated an increase in cell fusion upon addition of galectin-1. This effect was not mediated by factors present in the supernatant of the HTLV-I-infected cells.

Conclusion

These data suggest that HTLV-I Tax increases galectin-1 expression and that this modulation could play an important role in HTLV-I infection by stabilizing both cell-to-cell and virus-cell interactions.

Discrimination between exosomes and HIV-1: purification of both vesicles from cell-free supernatants

Although enveloped retroviruses bud from the cell surface of T lymphocytes, they use the endocytic pathway and the internal membrane of multivesicular bodies for their assembly and release from macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). Exosomes, physiological nanoparticles produced by hematopoietic cells, egress from this same pathway and are similar to retroviruses in terms of size, density, the molecules they incorporate and their ability to activate immune cells. Retroviruses are therefore likely to contaminate in vitro preparations of exosomes and vice versa and sucrose gradients are inefficient at separating them. However, we have found that their sedimentation velocities in an iodixanol (Optiprep) velocity gradient are sufficiently different to allow separation and purification of both vesicles. Using acetylcholinesterase as an exosome marker, we demonstrate that Optiprep velocity gradients are very efficient in separating exosomes from HIV-1 particles produced on 293T cells, primary CD4(+) T cells, macrophages or DCs, with exosomes collecting at 8.4-12% iodixanol and HIV-1 at 15.6%. We also show that immunodepletion with an anti-acetylcholinesterase antibody rapidly produces highly purified preparations of HIV-1 or exosomes. These findings have applications in fundamental research on exosomes and/or AIDS, as well as in clinical applications where exosomes are involved, more specifically in tumour therapy or in gene therapy using exosomes generated from DCs genetically modified by transfection with virus.

A Clathrin, Caveolae, and Dynamin-independent Endocytic Pathway Requiring Free Membrane Cholesterol Drives HIV-1 Internalization and Infection in Polarized Trophoblastic Cells

In human trophoblastic cells, a correlation between early endosomal trafficking of HIV-1 and virus infection was previously documented. However, if HIV-1 is massively internalized in these cells, the endocytic pathway(s) responsible for viral uptake is still undefined. Here we address this vital question. Amongst all the putative endocytic pathways present in polarized trophoblastic cells, we demonstrate that HIV-1 infection of these cells is independent of clathrin-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis. Importantly, treatment with the cholesterol-sequestering drug filipin severely impairs virus internalization, whereas the cholesterol-depleting compound methyl-beta-cyclodextrin has no impact on this pathway. Moreover, viral internalization is unaffected by overexpression of a mutant dynamin 2 or treatment with a kinase or tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. Thus, HIV-1 infection in polarized trophoblastic cells occurs primarily via a clathrin, caveolae, and dynamin-independent pathway requiring free cholesterol. Notably, even though HIV-1 did not initially co-localize with transferrin, some virions migrate at later time points to transferrin-enriched endosomes, suggesting an unusual transit from the non-classical pathway to early endosomes. Finally, virus internalization in these cells does not involve the participation of microtubules but relies partly on actin filaments. Collectively these findings provide unprecedented information on the route of HIV-1 internalization in polarized human trophoblasts.

T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase, distinctively expressed in activated-B-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, is the nuclear phosphatase of STAT6

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) consist of clinically distinct subtypes: germinal center B-cell (GCB)-like and activated-B-cell (ABC)-like tumors, characterized by long and short survival, respectively. We reported distinct interleukin 4 (IL-4) responsiveness and STAT6 signaling in these DLBCL subtypes. Increased nuclear dephosphorylation of phospho-STAT6 (pSTAT6) was observed in ABC-like tumors, which exhibited a different expression profile of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Among the differentially expressed PTPs, only T-cell PTP (TCPTP) localizes to the nucleus. Herein, we report that the elevated expression of TCPTP in ABC- versus GCB-like DLBCL tumors is not due to the distinct ontogeny of these neoplasms but rather may be an acquired feature of the tumors. Moreover, we report that STAT6 may serve as a physiological nuclear substrate for TCPTP. We demonstrate interactions between endogenous TCPTP and STAT6 and delineate the domains responsible for the interaction. Overexpression of TCPTP ameliorates IL-4-induced STAT6 phosphorylation and associated gene transcription, whereas knockdown of endogenous TCPTP results in increased IL-4-induced STAT6 signaling. Moreover, we report that TCPTP protein levels may be increased in response to IL-4 and that TCPTP may serve in a negative feedback loop for the suppression of IL-4-induced signaling. Taken together, these results identify TCPTP as a physiological regulator of STAT6 phosphorylation and suggest that specific increases in TCPTP expression in ABC-like DLBCLs may contribute to the different biological characteristics of these tumors.

Role of protein tyrosine phosphatases in the regulation of interferon-γ-induced macrophage nitric oxide generation: implication of ERK pathway and AP-1 activation

NO is a potent molecule involved in the cytotoxic events mediated by macrophages (MØ) against microorganisms. We reported previously that inhibition of MØ protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) mediates a protective effect against Leishmania infection, which was NO-dependent. Herein, we show that the PTP inhibitors of the peroxovanadium (pV) class, bpV(phen) and bpV(pic), can similarly increase murine MØ IFN-gamma-induced NO generation. Using various second messenger (JAK2, MEK, Erk1/Erk2, and p38) antagonists, we found that the Erk1/Erk2 pathway was the principal pathway submitted to regulation by PTPs in the context of IFN-gamma-driven MØ activation and increase in NO production. We observed that bpV(phen) increases inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression, resulting in enhanced NO production, whereas the bpV(pic) increase of NO production does not seem to result from a modulation of iNOS expression. Transcription factors STAT-1alpha and NF-kappaB, recognized for their importance in NO generation, were not affected by the pV treatment. However, AP-1 was strongly activated by bpV(phen) but not by bpV(pic). Collectively, our results suggest that increased IFN-gamma-induced NO production, observed after bpV(phen) treatment, involves the activation of the transcription factor AP-1 by Erk1/Erk2- and stress-activated protein kinase/JNK-dependent transduction mechanisms.

Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication in latently infected cells by a novel IkappaB kinase inhibitor

In human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) latently infected cells, NF-kappaB plays a major role in the transcriptional induction of HIV-1 replication. Hence, downregulation of NF-kappaB activation has long been sought for effective anti-HIV therapy. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) stimulates IkappaB kinase (IKK) complex, a critical regulator in the NF-kappaB signaling pathway. A novel IKK inhibitor, ACHP {2-amino-6-[2-(cyclopropylmethoxy)-6-hydroxyphenyl]-4-piperidin-4-yl-nicotinonitrile}, was developed and evaluated as a potent and specific inhibitor for IKK-alpha and IKK-beta. In this study, we examined the ability of this compound to inhibit HIV-1 replication in OM10.1 cells latently infected with HIV. When these cells were pretreated with ACHP, TNF-alpha-induced HIV-1 replication was dramatically inhibited, as measured by the HIV p24 antigen levels in the culture supernatants. Its 50% effective concentration was approximately 0.56 microM, whereas its 50% cytotoxic concentration was about 15 microM. Western blot analysis revealed inhibition of IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, IkappaBalpha degradation, p65 nuclear translocation, and p65 phosphorylation. ACHP was also found to suppress HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR)-driven gene expression through the inhibition of NF-kappaB activation. Furthermore, ACHP inhibited TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB (p65) recruitment to the HIV-1 LTR, as assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. These findings suggest that ACHP acts as a potent suppressor of TNF-alpha-induced HIV replication in latently infected cells and that this inhibition is mediated through suppression of IKK activity.

HIV-1-mediated syncytium formation promotes cell-to-cell transfer of Tax protein and HTLV-I gene expression

An important increase in luciferase activity was detected following co-culture of Jurkat T cells transiently transfected with an HTLV-I-LTR-driven reporter construct with HIV-1- and HTLV-I-infected cells. Production of infectious HTLV-I and expression of the HTLV-I envelope were not required for this HIV-1-dependent induction while it was severely hampered by anti-gp120 and anti-CD4 antibodies. The HTLV-I Tax protein and the TRE1 repeats were found to be necessary for the HIV-1-mediated enhancement of HTLV-I LTR activity in the co-culture assay. As these results suggested triple fusion events involving all three cell types and the intracellular transfer of Tax, we labelled each cell line with a distinct fluorescent probe. Through confocal microscopy, a number of resulting syncytia and cell clusters were indeed observed to be positive for all three probes. We are proposing a model in which HIV-1-mediated syncytium formation between HIV-1- and HTLV-I-infected cells and uninfected T cells forms a "bridge" or "tunnel" through which Tax from the HTLV-I-infected cells can diffuse and activate HTLV-I-LTR transcription.

Rab5 and Rab7, but Not ARF6, Govern the Early Events of HIV-1 Infection in Polarized Human Placental Cells

Trophoblasts, the structural cells of the placenta, are thought to play a determinant role in in utero HIV type 1 (HIV-1) transmission. We have accumulated evidence suggesting that HIV-1 infection of these cells is associated with uptake by an unusual clathrin/caveolae-independent endocytic pathway and that endocytosis is followed by trafficking through multiple organelles. Furthermore, part of this trafficking involves the transit of HIV-1 from transferrin-negative to EEA1 and transferrin-positive endosomes, suggesting a merger from nonclassical to classical endocytic pathways in these cells. In the present article, the relationship between the presence of HIV-1 within specific endosomes and infection was studied. We demonstrate that viral infection is virtually lost when endosome inhibitors are added shortly after exposure to HIV-1. Thus, contrary to what is seen in CD4+ T lymphocytes, the initial presence of HIV-1 within the endosomes is mandatory for infection to take place. Importantly, this process is independent of the viral envelope proteins gp120 and gp41. The Rab family of small GTPases coordinates the vesicular transport between the different endocytic organelles. Experiments performed with various expression vectors indicated that HIV-1 infection in polarized trophoblasts relies on Rab5 and Rab7 without the contribution of Arf6 or Rab11. Furthermore, we conclude that Rab5 drives movements from raft-rich region to early endosomes, and this transit is required for subsequently reaching late endosomes via Rab7. This complex trafficking is mandatory for HIV-1 infection to proceed in human polarized trophoblasts.

A new sensitive and quantitative HTLV-I-mediated cell fusion assay in T cells

Similar to several other viruses, human T cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) induces the formation of multinucleated giant cells (also known as syncytium) when amplified in tissue culture. These syncytia result from the fusion of infected cells with uninfected cells. Due to the intrinsic difficulty of infecting cells with cell-free HTLV-I virions, syncytium formation has become an important tool in the study of HTLV-I infection and transmission. Since most HTLV-I-based cell fusion assays rely on the use of non-T cells, the aim of this study was to optimize a new HTLV-I-induced cell fusion assay in which HTLV-I-infected T cell lines are co-cultured with T cells that have been transfected with an HTLV-I long terminal repeat (LTR) luciferase reporter construct. We demonstrate that co-culture of various HTLV-I-infected T cells with different transfected T cell lines resulted in induction of luciferase activity. Cell-to-cell contact and expression of the viral gp46 envelope protein was crucial for this induction while other cell surface proteins (including HSC70) did not have a significant effect. This quantitative assay was shown to be very sensitive. In this assay, the cell fusion-mediated activation of NF-kappaB and the HTLV-I LTR occurred through previously described Tax-dependent signaling pathways. This assay also showed that cell fusion could activate Tax-inducible cellular promoters. These results thus demonstrate that this new quantitative HTLV-I-dependent cell fusion assay is versatile, highly sensitive, and can provide an important tool to investigate cellular promoter activation and intrinsic signaling cascades that modulate cellular gene expression.

HIV Type 1 Can Act as an APC upon Acquisition from the Host Cell of Peptide-Loaded HLA-DR and CD86 Molecules

It is well documented that a wide range of host-derived cell surface constituents is inserted within HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and located on the exterior of the virion. Although no virus-associated protein of host origin has been shown to be absolutely required for virus replication, studies have revealed that many of these proteins are functional and can affect several steps of the virus life cycle. In this study, we found that HIV-1 acquires peptide-loaded class II MHC (MHC-II) and the costimulatory CD86 molecules from the host cell. Moreover, we present evidence that virions bearing such peptide-loaded MHC-II and CD86 proteins can lead to activation of the transcription factors NF-kappa B and NF-AT in an Ag-specific human T cell line. A linear correlation was found between activation of NF-kappa B and the amount of peptide-loaded MHC-II molecules inserted within HIV-1. Finally, transcription of unintegrated and integrated HIV-1 DNA was promoted upon exposure of peptide-specific human T cells to viruses bearing both peptide-loaded MHC-II and CD86 proteins. These data suggest that HIV-1 can operate as an APC depending on the nature of virus-anchored host cell membrane components. It can be proposed that HIV-1 can manipulate one of its primary targets through the process of incorporation of host-derived proteins.

Influenza virus activates human immunodeficiency virus type-1 gene expression in human CD4-expressing T cells through an NF-κB-dependent pathway

Influenza virus infection can cause severe complications in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals leading to an increased risk of complications and death compared to that seen in uninfected individuals. We assessed the capacity of influenza virus (Flu) to modulate transcription of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) in human CD4+ T cells. We found that Flu is able to promote expression of both the transiently transfected and stably integrated HIV-1 LTR-driven reporter gene. Experiments performed with Arthrobacter-derived neuraminidase and ammonium chloride revealed that Flu-dependent activation of HIV-1 transcription required an intimate contact between Flu and the target cell and efficient entry of Flu inside human CD4+ T cells. Amplification of a Flu-specific mRNA by RT-PCR indicated that human T cells were indeed productively infected with Flu. Virus preparations rendered noninfectious after UV irradiation could no longer upregulate HIV-1 LTR activity. Furthermore, experiments conducted with wild type and NF-kappaB-mutated HIV-1 LTR-directed reporter vectors suggested that the positive action of Flu on HIV-1 LTR activity was mediated through the induction of NF-kappaB. Our data show that fully competent Flu can lead to NF-kappaB-dependent activation of HIV-1 transcription in CD4+ T cells.

Activation of HTLV-I gene transcription by protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) transcription generally depends on the ability of the viral Tax protein to bind the CREB transcription factor and form an active complex by recruiting CBP/p300 coactivators to the long terminal repeat (LTR). Studies have demonstrated that T-cell activating agents that stimulate CREB are potent inducers of HTLV-I transcription. Herein, we demonstrate that bpV[pic], a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor activates the HTLV-I LTR in the presence and absence of Tax expression. Optimal activation occurred at 8 h and was synergistic with forskolin or PGE(2). Infected cell lines and cells transfected with HTLV-I proviral DNA were equally responsive to the synergistic effect of bpV and forskolin on HTLV-I gene expression. Activation of the LTR by bpV[pic] was T-cell receptor-independent, but required ZAP70, calcineurin activity and functional calcium entry. Inhibition of the SHP-1 PTP was suggested to be important. Transfection experiments with a CREB dominant-negative mutant and with isolated TRE1- or CREB-responsive reporter constructs and treatment with the MDL-12,330A adenylate cyclase inhibitor all supported the involvement of a CREB/ATF family member in this bpV-dependent activation of the HTLV-I LTR, although CREB itself did not seem to be involved. Analysis of HTLV-I reporter constructs containing mutated CREB-binding sites also implied the involvement of another element in this activation. These results demonstrate for the first time a powerful effect of PTP inhibitors on HTLV-I LTR activity and suggest participation of both CREB-dependent and -independent pathways in this activation.

Hemozoin Induces Macrophage Chemokine Expression through Oxidative Stress-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms

Chemokine production has been associated with the immunopathology related to malaria. Previous findings indicated that hemozoin (HZ), a parasite metabolite released during schizogeny, might be an important source of these proinflammatory mediators. In this study we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying HZ-inducible macrophage (Mphi) chemokine mRNA expression. We found that both Plasmodium falciparum HZ and synthetic HZ increase mRNA levels of various chemokine transcripts (MIP-1alpha/CCL3, MIP-1beta/CCL4, MIP-2/CXCL2, and MCP-1/CCL2) in murine B10R Mphi. The cellular response to HZ involved ERK1/2 phosphorylation, NF-kappaB activation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and ROS-dependent protein-tyrosine phosphatase down-regulation. Selective inhibition of either IkappaBalpha or the ERK1/2 pathway abolished both NF-kappaB activation and chemokine up-regulation. Similarly, blockage of HZ-inducible Mphi ROS with superoxide dismutase suppressed chemokine induction, strongly reduced NF-kappaB activation, and restored HZ-mediated Mphi protein-tyrosine phosphatase inactivation. In contrast, superoxide dismutase had no effect on EKR1/2 phosphorylation by HZ. Collectively, these data indicate that HZ triggers ROS-dependent and -independent signals, leading to increased chemokine mRNA expression in Mphi. Overall, our findings may help to better understand the molecular mechanisms through which parasite components, such as HZ, modulate the immune response during malaria infection.

Distinct IL-4-induced gene expression, proliferation, and intracellular signaling in germinal center B-cell-like and activated B-cell-like diffuse large-cell lymphomas

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) can be subclassified into germinal center B-cell (GCB)-like and activated B-cell (ABC)-like tumors characterized by long and short survival, respectively. In contrast to ABC-like DLBCL, GCB-like tumors exhibit high expression of components of the interleukin 4 (IL-4) signaling pathway and of IL-4 target genes such as BCL6 and HGAL, whose high expression independently predicts better survival. These observations suggest distinct activity of the IL-4 signaling pathway in DLBCL subtypes. Herein, we demonstrate similar IL-4 expression but qualitatively different IL-4 effects on GCB-like and ABC-like DLBCL. In GCB-like DLBCL, IL-4 induces expression of its target genes, activates signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 (STAT6) signaling, and increases cell proliferation. In contrast, in the ABC-like DLBCL, IL-4 activates AKT, decreases cell proliferation by cell cycle arrest, and does not induce gene expression due to aberrant Janus kinase (JAK)-STAT6 signaling attributed to STAT6 dephosphorylation. We found distinct expression profiles of tyrosine phosphatases in DLBCL subtypes and identified putative STAT6 tyrosine phosphatases-protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 1 (PTPN1) and PTPN2, whose expression is significantly higher in ABC-like DLBCL. These differences in tyrosine phosphatase expression might underlie distinct expression profiles of some of the IL-4 target genes and could contribute to a different clinical outcome of patients with GCB-like and ABC-like DLBCLs.

Endocytic host cell machinery plays a dominant role in intracellular trafficking of incoming human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in human placental trophoblasts

Vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the primary cause of infection by this retrovirus in infants. In this study, we report for the first time that there is a correlation between endocytic uptake of HIV-1 and virus gene expression in polarized trophoblasts. To shed light on the relationship between endocytosis and the fate of HIV-1 in polarized trophoblasts, the step-by-step movements of HIV-1 within the endocytic compartments were tracked by confocal imaging. Incoming virions were initially located in early endosomes. As time progressed, virions accumulated in late endosomes. HIV-1 was also found in apical recycling endosomes and at the basolateral pole. Experiments performed with indicator cells revealed that HIV-1 is recycled and transcytosed. These data indicate that the intracellular trafficking of HIV-1 upon entry into polarized human trophoblasts is a complex process which requires the active participation of the endocytic host cell machinery.

T-cell activation leads to poor activation of the HIV-1 clade E long terminal repeat and weak association of nuclear factor-kappaB and NFAT with its enhancer region

The enhancer region in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) 5'-long terminal repeat (LTR) is very important for viral transcription. This promoter sequence binds both nuclear factor-kappaB and NFAT, two important modulators of HIV-1 gene expression. Previous studies have indicated that the enhancer regions of the different HIV-1 clade LTRs differ in their number of NF-kappaB-binding sites. In this study, we have compared the activation potential of the different HIV-1 clade and HIV-2 LTRs and assessed their interaction with NFAT and NF-kappaB. In T-cell lines and primary CD4(+) T-cells, the results showed that the HIV-1 clade E LTR (with a single NF-kappaB-binding site) was the weakest LTR regardless of the tested activators, whereas the HIV-2 LTR was the most responsive LTR. The clade E enhancer region was also demonstrated to be the weakest enhancer region in transfection experiments with luciferase reporter-based vectors. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with extracts from activated CD4(+) T-cells indicated that, although NF-kappaB and NFAT bound all enhancers, HIV-1 clade E and HIV-2 LTR enhancers were poor binding targets for these two factors. Weak NFAT binding to clade E enhancers was also confirmed using NFAT1-expressing 293T cells in competition experiments. We have also shown the absence of interaction of NF-kappaB or NFAT with the third NF-kappaB repeat present in clade C. However, the clade C enhancer bound NFAT more efficiently than all other enhancer regions tested. Our results hence demonstrate for the first time that differences in the binding of NF-kappaB and NFAT to the enhancer regions could be responsible for some of the observed variation in HIV-1 clade LTR activation, whereas HIV-2 LTR activation seems mostly independent of these interactions.

Curcumin inhibits ultraviolet light induced human immunodeficiency virus gene expression

Recently, we reported that the herbal drug St. John's Wort is a potent inhibitor of UV-induced HIV-LTR activation in stably transfected HIVcat/HeLa cells. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the activation of p38 MAP kinase (stress-activated protein kinase-2) and NF-kappaB are both required for a full UV-induced HIV gene expression response. In this study we have investigated the mechanism by which curcumin inhibits UV-activated HIV-LTR gene expression. We found that treatment of HIVcat/HeLa cells with micromolar concentrations of curcumin completely abolished UV activation of HIV gene expression. Curcumin treatment at similar doses as those used to inhibit HIV gene expression also effectively blocked UV activation of NF-kappaB, as demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. In contrast, curcumin did not inhibit UV-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase. This observation was also supported by findings that curcumin did not inhibit UV-induced phosphorylation of CREB/ATF-1 and ATF-2. Although curcumin was ineffective in preventing UV-induced p44/42 MAP kinase phosphorylation, the JNK (1 and 2) and AP-1 activation were efficiently blocked by curcumin in HeLa cells. We conclude that the mechanism by which curcumin modulates UV activation of HIV-LTR gene expression mainly involves the inhibition of NF-kappaB activation.

Hyper-responsiveness to stimulation of human immunodeficiency virus-infected CD4+ T cells requires Nef and Tat virus gene products and results from higher NFAT, NF-kappaB, and AP-1 induction

A chronic state of immune hyperactivation is a feature of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection. Studies on the molecular mechanisms by which HIV-1 can modulate the activation state of T cells indicate that both Nef and Tat can alter T cell activation. However, the vast majority of data has been obtained from experiments performed with vectors encoding a single virus protein. We demonstrate that infection of human CD4(+) T lymphocytes with fully infectious HIV-1 leads to a hyper-responsiveness of the interleukin-2 promoter. Hypersensitivity in HIV-1-infected T cells was observed upon stimulation with various agents that are engaging different signal transduction pathways. Experiments performed with recombinant heat stable antigen-encoding HIV-1 indicated that the virus-infected cells are the cells with an enhanced response. Both Nef and Tat are involved in this virus-mediated enhancing effect on interleukin-2 promoter activity. Interestingly, whereas Nef seems to be acting mainly through hyperactivation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), Tat acts in an NFAT-independent manner. Mobility shift experiments demonstrated that the HIV-1-associated priming of human T cells for stimulation results in a greater induction of transcription factors recognized as essential players in T cell activation, i.e. NFAT, NF-kappaB, and AP-1. A hyper-responsive state was also established upon HIV-1 infection of a more natural cellular reservoir, i.e. primary CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Considering that the HIV-1 life cycle is tightly regulated by the T cell signaling machinery, the priming for activation of a major viral reservoir represents a means by which this retrovirus can create an ideal cellular microenvironment for its propagation and maintenance.

Quantification of virus-envelope-mediated cell fusion using a tetracycline transcriptional transactivator: fusion does not correlate with syncytium formation

Cell fusion occurs in many cellular processes and viral infections. We developed a new, quantitative cell fusion assay based on the tetracycline-controlled transactivator (tTA)-induced expression of a luciferase reporter gene. The assay is objective, sensitive, linear over 2-3 orders of magnitude, amenable to microtiter-plate format, and generalizable to study fusion mediated by a variety of genes. Applied to HIV and MLV, cell fusion paralleled virus entry in terms of co-receptor requirements, need for post-translational processing of envelope, and complementation of SU mutations by soluble receptor-binding domain. However, biochemically measured fusion did not correlate with syncytia detected by standard light microscopy. When the assay indicated cell fusion occurred but overt syncytia were not observed, confocal microscopy using fluorescent protein markers showed that fusion was limited mainly to pairs of cells. Such nonprogressive cell fusion suggests that post-translational processing of envelope may be altered in heterokaryons co-expressing envelope and receptor.

Leishmania infantum promotes replication of HIV type 1 in human lymphoid tissue cultured ex vivo by inducing secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-1 alpha

Parasitic infections such as leishmaniasis can modulate the life cycle of HIV-1 and disease progression. Coinfection with HIV-1 and Leishmania has emerged as a serious threat in countries where both pathogenic agents are widespread. Although there are numerous clinical reports illustrating the cofactor role played by Leishmania in HIV-1-infected patients, there is still no information on the contribution of Leishmania to the biology of HIV-1 in human lymphoid tissue that is considered a major in vivo site of virus production. In this study we explored the modulatory effect of Leishmania on the process of HIV-1 infection using ex vivo cultured human tonsillar tissue. We found that the protozoan parasite Leishmania enhances both HIV-1 transcription and virus production after infection of human tonsillar tissue infected ex vivo with viral strains bearing various coreceptor usage profiles. Studies conducted with pentoxifylline and neutralizing Abs revealed that the Leishmania-mediated increase in HIV-1 production was linked to a higher production of TNF-alpha and IL-1alpha. Our findings help to unravel the molecular mechanism(s) through which the two microorganisms interact and provide information that may be useful for the design of more effective therapeutic strategies aimed at controlling disease progression in persons dually infected with HIV-1 and Leishmania. This work also indicates that histocultures of human lymphoid tissue infected by both pathogens represent an ideal experimental cell system to dissect interactions occurring between HIV-1 and an opportunist pathogen in a human microenvironment that approximates conditions prevailing under physiological situations.

Protein tyrosyl phosphatases in T cell activation: implication for human immunodeficiency virus transcriptional activity

The protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) superfamily is a large group of enzymes showing a wide diversity of structure and biological functions. Their implication in the regulation of signal transduction processes is critical for homeostasis and efficient cellular activation. Disturbance of the delicate balance between protein tyrosine kinase and protein tyrosine phosphatase activities is at the heart of a large number of diseases. Control of cellular activation is especially important for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) since this retrovirus requires activated T cells in order to replicate efficiently. Identification of PTPs implicated in signaling pathways leading to upregulation of HIV-1 gene transcription therefore contributes to the general understanding of cellular factors needed for strong HIV-1 replication and progression to AIDS. The use of bisperoxovanadium compounds as potent, specific, and highly purified PTP inhibitors releases HIV-1 from PTP control and strongly increases HIV-1 gene expression. These inhibitors can thus be used to study signal transduction mechanisms regulated by PTP activity that are important for HIV-1 replication and provide new and interesting therapeutic avenues for the efficient control of this debilitating retroviral infection.

T-cell receptor/CD28 engagement when combined with prostaglandin E2 treatment leads to potent activation of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1

Infection with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is characterized by long latency periods, indicating that viral gene expression is under tight control. There is presently little information available regarding the nature of extracellular stimuli that can transactivate the regulatory elements of HTLV-1 (i.e., long terminal repeat [LTR]). To gain insight into the biological importance of externally induced activation pathways in virus gene expression, primary and established T cells were transfected with HTLV-1-based reporter gene vectors and then were treated with agents that cross-linked the T-cell receptor (TCR) or the costimulatory CD28 molecule with prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). We demonstrated that a potent induction of HTLV-1 LTR-driven reporter gene activity was seen only when the three agents were used in combination. Interestingly, similar observations were made when using C91/PL, a cell line that carries integrated HTLV-1 proviral DNA. This TCR-CD28-PGE(2)-mediated increase in virus transcription was dependent on protein kinase A activation and induction of the cAMP response element binding protein. Experiments with a mutated reporter construct further revealed the importance of the Tax-responsive elements in the HTLV-1 LTR in the observed up regulation of virus gene expression when TCR/CD28 engagement was combined with PGE(2) treatment. The protein tyrosine kinases p56(lck) and the transmembrane tyrosine phosphatase CD45 were all found to be involved in TCR-CD28-PGE(2)-directed increase in HTLV-1 LTR activity. This study presents new information on the possible mechanisms underlying reactivation of this retrovirus.

NF-kappaB induction by bisperoxovanadium compounds requires CD45, p36(LAT), PKC, and IKK activity and exhibits kinetics of activation comparable to those of TCR/CD28 coengagement

We have previously shown that bisperoxovanadium (bpV) phosphotyrosyl phosphatase inhibitors can potently activate NF-kappaB. We have already determined that p56(lck), ZAP-70, SLP-76, capacitative entry of calcium, and calcium-regulated effectors are important in bpV-induced NF-kappaB activation. In this study, we evaluated whether other signal transducers previously reported in NF-kappaB induction by T cell activating stimuli are also activated by bpV compounds. Nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB was evaluated in cell lines deficient for either CD45 or p36(LAT) to assess the role of these signal transducers in bpV-mediated NF-kappaB activation. A deficiency of either protein greatly reduced the extent of NF-kappaB nuclear translocation following bpV treatment. Isoform-specific PKC inhibitors were then used to show that bpV compounds activate NF-kappaB through both calcium-sensitive and -insensitive PKC isoforms. The implication of the IkappaB-kinase complex was then investigated through the use of an IkappaBalpha-specific kinase assay and plasmids expressing catalytically inactive forms of IKKalpha and IKKbeta. Upstream kinases involved in IKK complex activation such as TPL-2/COT, NIK, and IKKepsilon were also shown to play an important role in bpV-mediated NF-kappaB activation. Finally, reporter gene transcriptional assays and gel shift assays were performed to compare the kinetics of activation of NF-kappaB by bpV with those of antigenic and TNFalpha stimulation. We demonstrate, both in Jurkat cells and in primary T cells, that bpV-mediated NF-kappaB activation kinetics are comparable to those of an antigenic stimulation but occur much slower than the kinetics seen upon TNFalpha treatment.

The low viral production in trophoblastic cells is due to a high endocytic internalization of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and can be overcome by the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1

Maternal-infant transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) is the primary cause of this retrovirus infection in neonates. Trophoblasts have been proposed to play a critical role in modulating virus spread to the fetus. This paper addresses the mechanism of HIV-1 biology in trophoblastic cells. The trophoblastic cell lines BeWo, JAR, and JEG-3 were infected with reporter HIV-1 particles pseudotyped with envelope glycoproteins from the vesicular stomatitis virus or various strains of HIV-1. We demonstrate that despite a high internalization process of HIV-1 and no block in viral production, HIV-1 established a limited infection of trophoblasts with the production of very few progeny viruses. The factor responsible for this restriction to virus replication in such a cellular microenvironment is that the intracellular p24 is concentrated predominantly in endosomal vesicles following HIV-1 entry. HIV-1 transcription and virus production of infectious particles were both augmented upon treatment of trophoblasts with tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1. However, the amount of progeny virions released by trophoblasts infected with native HIV-1 virions was so low even in the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines that a co-culture step with indicator cells was necessary to detect virus production. Collectively these data illustrate for the first time that the natural low permissiveness of trophoblasts to productive HIV-1 infection is because of a restriction in the mode of entry, and such a limitation can be overcome with physiologic doses of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1, which are both expressed by the placenta, in conjunction with cell-cell contact. Considering that there is a linear correlation between viral load and HIV-1 vertical transmission, the environment may thus contribute to the propagation of HIV-1 across the placenta.

Treatment of human T cells with bisperoxovanadium phosphotyrosyl phosphatase inhibitors leads to activation of cyclooxygenase-2 gene

Protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitors are potent activators of T lymphocytes, most likely by affecting the early steps of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. We have analyzed the effect of the PTP inhibitor bisperoxovanadium (bpV) on expression of the human cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) gene, which is induced following TCR triggering. Here we show that COX-2 promoter activity is markedly up-regulated following exposure of Jurkat T cells to bpV(pic). Interestingly enough, treatment of Jurkat cells with cyclic AMP-elevating agents such as forskolin, in combination with bpV, resulted in a more important COX-2 transcriptional activation. Such activation is inhibited by the immunosuppressive drugs FK506 and cyclosporin A. The two nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) binding sites located within the COX-2 promoter region are involved in bpV-mediated positive effect on COX-2 promoter. Electromobility shift assays showed that NFAT1 and activator protein-1 are both translocated to the nucleus following bpV treatment. The active participation of p56(lck), ZAP-70, p36(LAT), and calcium in the bpV-dependent signaling cascade leading to COX-2 transcriptional activation was demonstrated using deficient cell lines and specific inhibitors. Although several PTPs are most likely targeted by bpV, our data suggest that the bpV-mediated signaling cascade is initiated by inhibition of SHP-1, which leads to phosphorylation of p56(lck) and ZAP-70 and, ultimately, to NFAT and activator protein-1 nuclear translocation. These results suggest that PTP inhibitors can activate COX-2 gene expression in a manner very similar to the stimulation induced by TCR triggering.

Activation of JNK by vanadate induces a Fas-associated death domain (FADD)-dependent death of cerebellar granule progenitors in vitro

Apoptosis is a highly regulated process that plays a critical role in neuronal development as well as the homeostasis of the adult nervous system. Vanadate, an environmental toxicant, causes developmental defects in the central nervous system. Here, we demonstrated that vanadate induced apoptosis in cultured cerebellar granule progenitors (CGPs). Treatment of cultured CGPs with vanadate activated ERKs and JNKs but not p38 MAPK and also induced c-Jun phosphorylation. In addition, vanadate induced FasL production, Fas (CD95) aggregation, and its association with the Fas-associated death domain (FADD), as well as the activation of caspase-8. Furthermore, vanadate generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in CGPs; however, ROS was not involved in vanadate-mediated MAPK activation. Vanadate-induced FasL expression was ROS-dependent but JNK-independent. In contrast, vanadate-elicited Fas aggregation and Fas-FADD association, as well as caspase-8 activation, were dependent on JNK activation but were minimally regulated by ROS generation. The hydrogen peroxide scavenger, catalase, blocked vanadate-induced FasL expression and partially mitigated vanadate-induced cell death. On the other hand, dominant negative FADD and caspase-8 inhibitor completely eliminated vanadate-induced apoptosis. Thus, JNK signaling plays a major role in vanadate-mediated activation of the Fas-FADD-caspase-8 pathway that accounts for vanadate-induced apoptosis of CGPs.

HIV-1 transcription and virus production are both accentuated by the proinflammatory myeloid-related proteins in human CD4+ T lymphocytes

S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12, collectively known as myeloid-related proteins (MRPs), are highly expressed by the myeloid cell lineage and are found in the extracellular milieu during infections and inflammatory conditions. Recent data showed high levels of MRPs in the serum of HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients which correlated with disease progression and low CD4(+) counts. Therefore, we set out to investigate the effect of MRPs on HIV-1 replication. We observed a 4- to 5-fold induction of virus production in J1.1, a human T lymphoid cell line latently infected with HIV-1, following treatment with MRPs. Using luciferase-based reporter gene assays, we demonstrated that MRPs induce a dose- and time-dependent activation of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat promoter region that could be blocked by specific anti-MRP polyclonal Abs and by physical denaturation of these proteins. The MRP-mediated induction was acting through the HIV-1 enhancer sequence and was dependent upon NF-kappaB activity. These latter results were also confirmed by EMSA experiments conducted in Jurkat cells and freshly isolated PBMCs. In conclusion, we demonstrate that MRPs induce HIV-1 transcriptional activity and viral replication in infected CD4(+) T-lymphocytes at concentrations similar to those found in the serum of HIV-1-infected patients.

Engagement of CD43 enhances human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transcriptional activity and virus production that is induced upon TCR/CD3 stimulation

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transcriptional activity is regulated by several cytokines and T cell activators. CD43 (sialophorin) is a sialoglycoprotein expressed on the surface of a wide variety of blood cells including T lymphocytes. Several studies have shown that CD43 ligation induces proliferation and activation of human T lymphocytes. We were thus interested in defining whether CD43-mediated signaling events can modulate the life cycle of HIV-1. We demonstrate here that CD43 cross-linking potentiates HIV-1 promoter-driven activity and virus production that is seen following the engagement of the T-cell receptor (TCR).CD3 complex. This effect is independent of the CD28 co-stimulatory molecule and is mediated by both NF-kappaB and NFAT transcription factors. A number of signal transducers known to be involved in the TCR/CD3-dependent signal transduction pathway, including p56(lck), p36(lat), and SLP-76, as well as capacitative entry of calcium, are crucial for the noticed CD43 co-stimulatory effect. Calcium mobilization studies indicate that a synergy is occurring between CD43- and TCR/CD3-mediated signaling events leading to an augmented calcium release. These data suggest that CD43 can be seen as a co-stimulatory cell surface constituent that can modulate HIV-1 expression in T lymphocytes.

Nuclear factor of activated T cells is a driving force for preferential productive HIV-1 infection of CD45RO-expressing CD4+ T cells

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) preferentially replicates in CD4-expressing T cells bearing a "memory" (CD45RO+) rather than a "naive" (CD45RA+/CD62L+) phenotype. Yet the basis for the higher susceptibility of these cells to HIV-1 infection remains unclear. Because the nature of the CD45 isoform itself can affect biochemical events in T cells, we set out to determine whether these isoforms could differently modulate HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) activity and thereby replication. Through the use of CD4+ Jurkat T cells specifically expressing distinct CD45 isoforms (i.e. CD45RABC or CD45RO), we demonstrated that a difference in CD45 isoform expression conferred preferential replication of HIV-1 to CD45RO-expressing T cell clones following a physiological CD3/CD28 stimulation. Closer analysis indicated that higher HIV-1 LTR activation levels were consistently observed in CD45RO-positive cells, which was paralleled by more pronounced nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) activation in these same cells. Specific involvement of NFAT1 was revealed in studied Jurkat clones by mobility shift analyses. In addition, preferential activation of the LTR and viral replication in CD45RO T cells was FK506- and cyclosporin A-sensitive. These results underscore the importance of NFAT in HIV-1 regulation and for the first time identify the role of the CD45 isoform in limiting productive HIV-1 replication to the human CD4 memory T cell subset.

Intracellular signal transduction of cells in response to carcinogenic metals

Epidemiological and animal studies suggest that several metals and metal-containing compounds are potent mutagens and carcinogens. These metals include chromium, arsenic, vanadium, nickel, and others. During the last two decades, chemical and cellular studies have contributed enormously to our understanding of the mechanisms of metal-induced pathophysiological processes. Although each of these metals is unique in its mechanism of action, some common signaling molecules, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), may be shared by many of the carcinogenic metals. New techniques are now available to reveal the mechanisms of carcinogenesis in precise molecular terms. In this review, we focused our attentions on carcinogenic metal-induced signal transduction pathways leading to the activation of NF-kappaB, cell apoptosis and cell cycle progression, three crucial steps or events involved in the transformation and carcinogenesis. This review summarizes current knowledge and our recent studies concerning intracellular signal transduction pathways initiated by carcinogenic metals and the cross-talk that occurs among these pathways in cells in response to metals.

Prostaglandin E(2)-mediated activation of HIV-1 long terminal repeat transcription in human T cells necessitates CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) binding sites in addition to cooperative interactions between C/EBPbeta and cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate response element binding protein

Previous work indicates that treatment of human T cells with PGE(2) results in an increase of HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) transcriptional activity. The noticed PGE(2)-mediated activation of virus gene activity required the participation of specific intracellular second messengers such as calcium and two transcription factors, i.e., NF-kappaB and CREB. We report in this work that the nuclear transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) is also important for PGE(2)-dependent up-regulation of HIV-1 LTR-driven gene activity. The implication of C/EBP was shown by using a trans-dominant negative inhibitor of C/EBP (i.e., liver-enriched transcriptional inhibitory protein) and several molecular constructs carrying site-directed mutations in the C/EBP binding sites located within the HIV-1 LTR. Mutated HIV-1 LTR constructs also revealed the involvement of the two most proximal C/EBP binding sites. Data from cotransfection experiments with vectors coding for dominant negative mutants and gel mobility shift assays indicated that PGE(2)-mediated induction of HIV-1 LTR activity results from a cooperative interaction between C/EBPbeta and CREB, two members of the basic leucine zipper family of transcription factors. Altogether these findings indicate that treatment of human T cells with PGE(2) induces HIV-1 LTR activity through a complex interplay between C/EBPbeta and CREB. Such a combinatorial regulation may represent a mechanism that permits a fine regulation of HIV-1 expression by PGE(2) in human T cells.

Negative regulation of the NFAT1 factor by CD45: implication in HIV-1 long terminal repeat activation

HIV-1 gene regulation is greatly dependent on the presence of the -104/-81 enhancer region which is regulated by both NF-kappaB and NFAT transcription factors. We have found that a greater induction in HIV-1 long terminal repeat-driven gene expression was observed upon PMA/ionomycin (Iono) stimulation of a CD45-deficient cell line (J45.01) in comparison to the parental Jurkat cells. Unlike NF-kappaB which was not affected by the absence of CD45, NFAT showed a much greater augmentation in nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity in J45.01 cells upon PMA/Iono stimulation. PMA/Iono-induced NFAT activation, NFAT translocation and calcium influx peaked at similar time points for both Jurkat and J45.01 cell lines. The NFAT-dependent promoters from the IL-2 and TNF-alpha genes were also more potently activated by PMA/Iono in J45.01 cells. Interestingly, higher levels of intracellular calcium were consistently demonstrated in PMA/Iono-induced CD45-deficient cell lines (J45.01 and HPB45.0). Furthermore, PMA/Iono induction of calcium mobilization in both Jurkat and J45.01 cell lines was observed to be EGTA-sensitive. Mechanistic studies revealed that CD3zeta and ZAP-70 were more heavily tyrosine phosphorylated in J45.01 cells than Jurkat cells. Analysis of the HIV-1 enhancer by EMSAs demonstrated that the bound NFAT complex was present at higher levels in J45.01 nuclear extracts and that the NFAT1 member was predominant. In conclusion, our results indicate that NFAT activation by stimuli acting in a more distal fashion from the TCR-mediated signaling pathway can be down-regulated by CD45 and that this CD45-dependent regulation in turn affects HIV-1 long terminal repeat activation.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) gene expression in human T cells is regulated by phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activity. Involvement of NF-kappaB, Ets, and palindromic interferon-gamma-responsive element-binding sites

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays an important role in adhesion phenomena involved in the immune response. The strength of adhesion has been shown to be modulated by changes in ICAM-1 gene expression. In T cells, signaling pathways are intimately regulated by an equilibrium between protein-tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP). The use of bis-peroxovanadium (bpV) compounds, a class of potent PTP inhibitors, enabled us to investigate the involvement of phosphotyrosyl phosphatases in the regulation of ICAM-1 gene expression in human T cells. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that inhibition of PTP results in an increase of ICAM-1 surface expression on both human T lymphoid and primary mononuclear cells. The crucial role played by the NF-kappaB-, Ets-, and pIgammaRE-binding sites in bpV[pic]-mediated activation of ICAM-1 was demonstrated using various 5' deletion and site-specific mutants of the ICAM-1 gene promoter driving the luciferase reporter gene. Co-transfection experiments with trans-dominant mutants and electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed the importance of constitutive and inducible transcription factors that bind to specific responsive elements in bpV-dependent up-regulation of ICAM-1 surface expression. Altogether, these observations suggest that expression of ICAM-1 in human T cells is regulated by phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activity through NF-kappaB-, Ets-, and STAT-1-dependent signaling pathways.

Regulation of nuclear factor of activated T cells by phosphotyrosyl-specific phosphatase activity: a positive effect on HIV-1 long terminal repeat-driven transcription and a possible implication of SHP-1

Although protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitors used in combination with other stimuli can induce interleukin 2 (IL-2) production in T cells, a direct implication of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) has not yet been demonstrated. This study reports that exposure of leukemic T cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to bis-peroxovanadium (bpV) PTP inhibitors markedly induce activation and nuclear translocation of NFAT. NFAT activation by bpV was inhibited by the immunosuppressive drugs FK506 and cyclosporin A, as well as by a specific peptide inhibitor of NFAT activation. Mobility shift assays showed specific induction of the NFAT1 member by bpV molecules. The bpV-mediated NFAT activation was observed to be important for the up-regulation of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR) and the IL-2 promoter; NFAT1 was demonstrated to be particularly important in bpV-dependent positive action on HIV-1 LTR transcription. The active participation of p56(lck), ZAP-70, p21(ras), and calcium in the bpV-mediated signaling cascade leading to NFAT activation was confirmed, using deficient cell lines and dominant-negative mutants. Finally, overexpression of wild-type SHP-1 resulted in a greatly diminished activation of NFAT by bpV, suggesting an involvement of SHP-1 in the regulation of NFAT activation. These data were confirmed by constitutive NFAT translocation observed in Jurkat cells stably expressing a dominant-negative version of SHP-1. The study proposes that PTP activity attenuates constitutive kinase activities that otherwise would lead to constant NFAT activation and that this activation is participating in HIV-1 LTR stimulation by PTP inhibition.

Tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent activation of NF-kappa B. Requirement for p56 LCK and ZAP-70 protein tyrosine kinases

Phosphorylation of the N-terminal domain of I kappa B inhibitory subunits induces activation of the transcription factor NF-kappa B. Although serine phosphorylation has been shown to induce ubiquitination and subsequent proteasome-mediated degradation of I kappa B-alpha, little is known about the mechanisms that lead to release of active NF-kappa B in T cells as a consequence of tyrosine phosphorylation of I kappa B-alpha [Imbert, V., Rupec, R.A., Livolsi, A., Pahl, H.L., Traenckner, B.M., Mueller-Dieckmann, C., Farahifar, D., Rossi, B., Auberger, P., Baeuerle, P. & Peyron, J.F. (1996) Cell 86, 787--798]. The involvement of the tyrosine kinases p56(lck) and ZAP-70 in this reaction is demonstrated here using specific pharmacological inhibitors and Jurkat mutants unable to express these kinases. Although the inhibitors prevented both pervanadate-induced phosphorylation of I kappa B-alpha on Tyr42 and NF-kappa B activation, we observed that, in p56(lck)-deficient Jurkat mutants, NF-kappa B could still associate with I kappa B-alpha despite phosphorylation on Tyr42. Furthermore, the SH2 domain of p56(lck) appeared to be required for pervanadate-induced NF-kappa B activation but not for Tyr42 phosphorylation. These results show that p56(lck) and ZAP-70 are key components of the signaling pathway that leads to phosphotyrosine-dependent NF-kappa B activation in T cells and confirm that tyrosine kinases must control at least two different steps to induce activation of NF-kappa B. Finally, we show that H(2)O(2), which stimulates p56(lck) and ZAP-70 in T cells, is an activator of NF-kappa B through tyrosine phosphorylation of I kappa B-alpha.