Tax and overlapping rex sequences do not confer the distinct transformation tropisms of human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2

YTHDF1 and YTHDC1 m6A reader proteins regulate HTLV-1 tax and hbz activity

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus responsible for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Regulation of viral gene expression plays a key role in viral persistence and pathogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this fine-tuned regulation remain poorly understood. Little is known regarding RNA chemical modifications of HTLV-1 RNA and how these affect viral biology and disease development. Post-transcriptional chemical modification of RNA is common in eukaryotes, with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) being the most prevalent. In this study, we investigated the role of m6A RNA modifications on HTLV-1 gene expression. Using MeRIP-Seq, we mapped the sites of m6A modification to the 3' end of the viral genome. We found HTLV-1 RNA, as well as viral oncogene transcripts tax and hbz, contained m6A modifications. m6A-depletion in HTLV-1-transformed cells decreased sense-derived viral genes (Tax, Gag, and Env) and increased antisense-derived Hbz expression. Tax and hbz transcripts were bound by reader proteins YTHDF1 and YTHDC1 in a panel of HTLV-1 T-cell lines. Using expression vectors and shRNA-mediated knockdown, we found that YTHDF1 had opposing effects on viral gene expression, decreasing sense-derived viral genes and increasing antisense-derived Hbz. Upon further study, the YTHDF1 effects on tax abundance were dependent on tax m6A deposition. The nuclear m6A reader protein YTHDC1 affected the abundance of both sense- and antisense-derived viral transcripts and specifically enhanced the nuclear export of tax transcript. Collectively, our results demonstrate global m6A levels and m6A reader proteins YTHDF1 and YTHDC1 regulate HTLV-1 gene expression.IMPORTANCEHuman T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) persistence and pathogenesis are controlled through tight regulation of viral gene expression. The fate of RNA can be controlled by epigenetic modifications that impact gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Our study details the impact of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA chemical modifications on HTLV-1 gene expression. We found that reductions in global m6A levels affected viral gene expression, decreasing Tax and other sense-derived viral genes, whereas increasing the antisense-derived Hbz. Our results suggest the oncogenic viral transcripts, tax and hbz, are m6A-modified in cells. We found that these viral RNA modifications are interpreted by reader proteins YTHDF1 and YTHDC1, which dictate the fate of the viral RNA. Understanding HTLV-1 RNA chemical modifications offers potential insights into novel therapeutic strategies for HTLV-1-associated diseases.

PTEN regulation in virus-associated cancers

Despite advancements in science, researchers still face challenges in curing patients with malignancies. This health issue is linked to various risk factors, including alcohol consumption, age, sex, and infectious diseases. Among these, viral agents play a significant role in cancer-related health problems and are currently a subject of ongoing research. In this review, we summarize how several viruses-such as herpesviruses, human papillomavirus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and adenovirus-impact cancer signaling pathways through their effects on the tumor suppressor PTEN.

Alternative NF-κB Signaling Discriminates Induction of the Tumor Marker Fascin by the Viral Oncoproteins Tax-1 and Tax-2 of Human T-Cell Leukemia Viruses

Transcriptional regulation of the actin-bundling protein and tumor marker Fascin is highly diverse depending on cell and tumor type. Previously, we discovered that the viral oncoprotein Tax-1 of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) considerably enhances Fascin expression in T-cells, depending on classical NF-κB signaling. In this study, we asked if the non-oncogenic Tax-2 of the related HTLV-2 is still able to induce Fascin by using luciferase assays, immunoblot, and qPCR. We found that Tax-2 only slightly induces Fascin expression compared to Tax-1; however, both Tax-1 and Tax-2 comparably activated a 1.6 kb fragment in the human Fascin promoter including Tax-responsive elements. Furthermore, we identified a link between Tax-induced activity of the alternative NF-κB pathway and Fascin induction. While treatment with the second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (SMAC)-mimetic AZD5582, a compound known to robustly activate alternative NF-κB signaling, did not induce Fascin, combination of AZD5582 with activation of classical NF-κB signaling by Tax-2 significantly induced Fascin expression. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that both classical and alternative NF-κB activity are necessary for strong Fascin induction by the viral Tax oncoproteins, thus, shedding new light on the regulation of Fascin in T-cells and during viral transformation.

Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Envelope Protein: Post-Entry Roles in Viral Pathogenesis

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an oncogenic retrovirus that is the causative infectious agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), an aggressive and fatal CD4⁺ T-cell malignancy, and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a chronic neurological disease. Disease progression in infected individuals is the result of HTLV-1-driven clonal expansion of CD4⁺ T-cells and is generally associated with the activities of the viral oncoproteins Tax and Hbz. A closely related virus, HTLV-2, exhibits similar genomic features and the capacity to transform T-cells, but is non-pathogenic. In vitro, HTLV-1 primarily immortalizes or transforms CD4⁺ T-cells, while HTLV-2 displays a transformation tropism for CD8⁺ T-cells. This distinct tropism is recapitulated in infected people. Through comparative studies, the genetic determinant for this divergent tropism of HTLV-1/2 has been mapped to the viral envelope (Env). In this review, we explore the emerging roles for Env beyond initial viral entry and examine current perspectives on its contributions to HTLV-1-mediated disease development.

HTLV-1 intragenic viral enhancer influences immortalization phenotype in vitro, but is dispensable for persistence and disease development in animal models

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative infectious agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and chronic neurological disease. The disparity between silenced sense transcription versus constitutively active antisense (Hbz) transcription from the integrated provirus is not fully understood. The presence of an internal viral enhancer has recently been discovered in the Tax gene near the 3' long terminal repeat (LTR) of HTLV-1. In vitro, this enhancer has been shown to bind SRF and ELK-1 host transcription factors, maintain chromatin openness and viral gene transcription, and induce aberrant host gene transcription near viral integration sites. However, the function of the viral enhancer in the context of early HTLV-1 infection events remains unknown. In this study, we generated a mutant Enhancer virus (mEnhancer) and evaluated its effects on HTLV-1-mediated in vitro immortalization, establishment of persistent infection with an in vivo rabbit model, and disease development in a humanized immune system (HIS) mouse model. The mEnhancer virus was able to establish persistent infection in rabbits, and there were no significant differences in proviral load or HTLV-1-specific antibody responses over a 25-week study. However, rabbits infected with the mEnhancer virus had significantly decreased sense and antisense viral gene expression at 12-weeks post-infection. HIS mice infected with wt or mEnhancer virus showed similar disease progression, proviral load, and viral gene expression. While mEnhancer virus was able to sufficiently immortalize primary T-lymphocytes in cell culture, the immortalized cells had an altered phenotype (CD8⁺ T-cells), decreased proviral load, decreased sense and anti-sense gene expression, and altered cell cycle progression compared to HTLV-1.wt immortalized cells (CD4⁺ T-cells). These results suggest that the HTLV-1 enhancer element alone does not determine persistence or disease development but plays a pivotal role in regulating viral gene expression.

Role of Wild-type and Recombinant Human T-cell Leukemia Viruses in Lymphoproliferative Disease in Humanized NSG Mice

Chronic infection with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV1) can lead to adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). In contrast, infection with HTLV2 does not lead to leukemia, potentially because of distinct virus-host interactions and an active immune response that controls virus replication and, therefore, leukemia development. We created a humanized mouse model by injecting human umbilical-cord stem cells into the livers of immunodeficient neonatal NSG mice, resulting in the development of human lymphocytes that cannot mount an adaptive immune response. We used these mice to compare the ability of molecular clones of HTLV1, HTLV2, and select recombinant viruses to induce leukemia-lymphoma in vivo. Infection with HTLV1 strongly stimulated the proliferation of CD4+ T cells, whereas HTLV2 preferentially stimulated the proliferation of CD8+ T cells; both HTLV1 and HTLV2 induced lymphoproliferative disease. Uninfected and HTLV-infected humanized mice both showed granulomatous inflammation as a background lesion. Similarly, recombinant viruses that expressed the HTLV1 envelope protein (Env) on an HTLV2 background (HTLV2-Env1) or Env2 on an HTLV1 background (HTLV1-Env2) induced lymphoproliferative disease. HTLV2-Env1 stimulated the proliferation of CD4+ T cells, whereas HTLV1-Env2 stimulated both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets. Our results show that T-cell transformation in vivo is guided by the Env protein of the virus. Furthermore, our humanized mouse model is useful for exploring the preferred T-cell tropisms of HTLV1 and HTLV2.

Dnmt3a Is a Haploinsufficient Tumor Suppressor in CD8+ Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma

DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) is an enzyme involved in DNA methylation that is frequently mutated in human hematologic malignancies. We have previously shown that inactivation of Dnmt3a in hematopoietic cells results in chronic lymphocytic leukemia in mice. Here we show that 12% of Dnmt3a-deficient mice develop CD8+ mature peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCL) and 29% of mice are affected by both diseases. 10% of Dnmt3a^+/- mice develop lymphomas, suggesting that Dnmt3a is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in PTCL. DNA methylation was deregulated genome-wide with 10-fold more hypo- than hypermethylated promoters and enhancers, demonstrating that hypomethylation is a major event in the development of PTCL. Hypomethylated promoters were enriched for binding sites of transcription factors AML1, NF-κB and OCT1, implying the transcription factors potential involvement in Dnmt3a-associated methylation. Whereas 71 hypomethylated genes showed an increased expression in PTCL, only 3 hypermethylated genes were silenced, suggesting that cancer-specific hypomethylation has broader effects on the transcriptome of cancer cells than hypermethylation. Interestingly, transcriptomes of Dnmt3a^+/- and Dnmt3a^Δ/Δ lymphomas were largely conserved and significantly overlapped with those of human tumors. Importantly, we observed downregulation of tumor suppressor p53 in Dnmt3a^+/- and Dnmt3a^Δ/Δ lymphomas as well as in pre-tumor thymocytes from 9 months old but not 6 weeks old Dnmt3a^+/- tumor-free mice, suggesting that p53 downregulation is chronologically an intermediate event in tumorigenesis. Decrease in p53 is likely an important event in tumorigenesis because its overexpression inhibited proliferation in mouse PTCL cell lines, suggesting that low levels of p53 are important for tumor maintenance. Altogether, our data link the haploinsufficient tumor suppressor function of Dnmt3a in the prevention of mouse mature CD8+ PTCL indirectly to a bona fide tumor suppressor of T cell malignancies p53.

Global deregulation of cytosine methylation is an epigenetic hallmark of hematologic malignancies that may promote tumorigenesis by silencing tumor suppressor genes, upregulating oncogenes, and inducing genomic instability. DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3A) is one of the three catalytically active enzymes responsible for cytosine methylation and one of the most frequently mutated genes in myeloid and T cell malignancies. Its role in malignant hematopoiesis, however, remains poorly understood. Here we show that Dnmt3a is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in the prevention of peripheral T cell lymphomas in mice. Our molecular studies identified a large number of genes deregulated in the absence of Dnmt3a that may be putative drivers of oncogenesis. We also show that downregulation of the tumor suppressor p53 is an important event in the development of mouse T cell lymphomas. Thus, this study establishes a novel mouse model to elucidate how epigenetic deregulation of transcription contributes to the pathogenesis of T cell lymphomas.

Functional Comparison of HBZ and the Related APH-2 Protein Provides Insight into Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Pathogenesis

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and type 2 (HTLV-2) are highly related retroviruses that transform T cells in vitro but have distinct pathological outcomes in vivo. HTLV-1 encodes a protein from the antisense strand of its proviral genome, the HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper factor (HBZ), which inhibits Tax-1-mediated viral transcription and promotes cell proliferation, a high proviral load, and persistence in vivo. In adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) cell lines and patient T cells, hbz is often the only viral gene expressed. The antisense strand of the HTLV-2 proviral genome also encodes a protein termed APH-2. Like HBZ, APH-2 is able to inhibit Tax-2-mediated viral transcription and is detectable in most primary lymphocytes from HTLV-2-infected patients. However, unlike HBZ, the loss of APH-2 in vivo results in increased viral replication and proviral loads, suggesting that HBZ and APH-2 modulate the virus and cellular pathways differently. Herein, we examined the effect of APH-2 on several known HBZ-modulated pathways: NF-κB (p65) transactivation, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling, and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) transactivation. Like HBZ, APH-2 has the ability to inhibit p65 transactivation. Conversely, HBZ and APH-2 have divergent effects on TGF-β signaling and IRF-1 transactivation. Quantitative PCR and protein half-life experiments revealed a substantial disparity between HBZ and APH-2 transcript levels and protein stability, respectively. Taken together, our data further elucidate the functional differences between HBZ and APH-2 and how these differences can have profound effects on the survival of infected cells and, ultimately, pathogenesis.

IMPORTANCE

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and type 2 (HTLV-2) are highly related retroviruses that have distinct pathological outcomes in infected hosts. Functional comparisons of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 proteins provide a better understanding about how HTLV-1 infection is associated with disease and HTLV-2 infection is not. The HTLV genome antisense-strand genes hbz and aph-2 are often the only viral genes expressed in HTLV-infected T cells. Previously, our group found that HTLV-1 HBZ and HTLV-2 APH-2 had distinct effects in vivo and hypothesized that the differences in the interactions of HBZ and APH-2 with important cell signaling pathways dictate whether cells undergo proliferation, apoptosis, or senescence. Ultimately, these functional differences may affect how HTLV-1 causes disease but HTLV-2 generally does not. In the current study, we compared the effects of HBZ and APH-2 on several HTLV-relevant cellular pathways, including the TGF-β signaling, NF-κB activation, and IRF-1 transactivation pathways.

Functional comparison of antisense proteins of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 in viral pathogenesis

The production of antisense transcripts from the 3′ long terminal repeat (LTR) in human T-lymphotropic retroviruses has now been clearly demonstrated. After the identification of the antisense strand-encoded human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) bZIP (HBZ) factor, we reported that HBZ could interact with CRE-binding protein (CREB) transcription factors and consequently turn off the important activating potential of the viral Tax protein on HTLV-1 5′ LTR promoter activity. We have recently accumulated new results demonstrating that antisense transcripts also exist in HTLV-2, -3, and -4. Furthermore, our data have confirmed the existence of encoded proteins from these antisense transcripts (termed antisense proteins of HTLVs or APHs). APHs are also involved in the down-regulation of Tax-dependent viral transcription. In this review, we will focus on the different molecular mechanisms used by HBZ and APH-2 to control viral expression. While HBZ interacts with CREB through its basic zipper domain, APH-2 binds to this cellular factor through a five amino acid motif localized in its carboxyl terminus. Moreover, unlike APH-2, HBZ possesses an N-terminal activation domain that also contributes to the inhibition of the viral transcription by interacting with the KIX domain of p300/CBP. On the other hand, HBZ was found to induce T cell proliferation while APH-2 was unable to promote such proliferation. Interestingly, HTLV-2 has not been causally linked to human T cell leukemia, while HTLV-1 is responsible for the development of the adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma. We will further discuss the possible role played by antisense proteins in the establishment of pathologies induced by viral infection.

Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 SU residue 195 plays a role in determining the preferential CD4+ T cell immortalization/transformation tropism

Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) mainly causes adult T cell leukemia and predominantly immortalizes/transforms CD4(+) T cells in culture. HTLV-2 is aleukemic and predominantly immortalizes/transforms CD8(+) T cells in culture. We have shown previously that the viral envelope is the genetic determinant of the differential T cell tropism in culture. The surface component (SU) of the HTLV-1 envelope is responsible for binding to the cellular receptors for entry. Here, we dissect the HTLV-1 SU further to identify key domains that are involved in determining the immortalization tropism. We generated HTLV-1 envelope recombinant virus containing the HTLV-2 SU domain. HTLV-1/SU2 was capable of infecting and immortalizing freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in culture. HTLV-1/SU2 shifted the CD4(+) T cell immortalization tropism of wild-type HTLV-1 (wtHTLV-1) to a CD8(+) T cell preference. Furthermore, a single amino acid substitution, N195D, in HTLV-1 SU (Ach.195) resulted in a shift to a CD8(+) T cell immortalization tropism preference. Longitudinal phenotyping analyses of the in vitro transformation process revealed that CD4(+) T cells emerged as the predominant population by week 5 in wtHTLV-1 cultures, while CD8(+) T cells emerged as the predominant population by weeks 4 and 7 in wtHTLV-2 and Ach.195 cultures, respectively. Our results indicate that SU domain independently influences the preferential T cell immortalization tropism irrespective of the envelope counterpart transmembrane (TM) domain. We further showed that asparagine at position 195 in HTLV-1 SU is involved in determining this CD4(+) T cell immortalization tropism. The slower emergence of the CD8(+) T cell predominance in Ach.195-infected cultures suggests that other residues/domains contribute to this tropism preference.

Human T cell leukemia virus type 2 (HTLV-2) Tax2 has a dominant activity over HTLV-1 Tax1 to immortalize human CD4+ T cells

While human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of adult T cell leukemia, a close relative, HTLV-2, is not associated with any leukemia. HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 encode the Tax1 and Tax2 proteins, respectively, which are essential for the immortalization of human T cells by the respective viruses, thereby causing persistent infection. In this study, we compared Tax1 and Tax2 with respect to their immortalization activity in human T cells. Lentivirus-mediated transduction of the tax2 gene into human peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and interleukin-2 in 96-well plates induced outgrowing T cells in most wells, but the cells infected with the control viruses died within 3 weeks. Surprisingly, the number of outgrowing cells induced by Tax2 was much higher than that induced by Tax1, and the appearance of outgrowing cells by Tax2 was earlier than that induced by Tax1. Nevertheless, both Tax2 and Tax1 preferentially immortalized CD4(+) T cells, but not CD8(+) T cells. Our study showed that HTLV-2 Tax2 can immortalize human CD4(+) T cells, and the activity is much higher than that of Tax1. The distinct T cell immortalization activities of Tax2 and Tax1 might therefore play a role in the different pathogeneses observed for these two viruses.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 antisense viral protein 2 is dispensable for in vitro immortalization but functions to repress early virus replication in vivo

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 are closely related but pathogenically distinct human retroviruses. The antisense strand of the HTLV-1 genome encodes HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper (b-ZIP) protein (HBZ), a protein that inhibits Tax-mediated viral transcription, enhances T-cell proliferation, and promotes viral persistence. Recently, an HTLV-2 antisense viral protein (APH-2) was identified. Despite its lack of a typical b-ZIP domain, APH-2, like HBZ, interacts with cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) and downregulates Tax-mediated viral transcription. Here, we provide evidence that the APH-2 C-terminal LXXLL motif is important for CREB binding and Tax repression. In order to investigate the functional role of APH-2 in the HTLV-2-mediated immortalization of primary T lymphocytes in vitro and in HTLV-2 infection in vivo, we generated APH-2 mutant viruses. In cell cultures, the immortalization capacities of APH-2 mutant viruses were indistinguishable from that of wild-type HTLV-2 (wtHTLV-2), indicating that, like HBZ, APH-2 is dispensable for viral infection and cellular transformation. In vivo, rabbits inoculated with either wtHTLV-2 or APH-2 mutant viruses established a persistent infection. However, the APH-2 knockout virus displayed an increased replication rate, as measured by an increased viral antibody response and a higher proviral load. In contrast to HTLV-1 HBZ, we show that APH-2 is dispensable for the establishment of an efficient infection and persistence in a rabbit animal model. Therefore, antisense proteins of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 have evolved different functions in vivo, and further comparative studies will provide fundamental insights into the distinct pathobiologies of these two viruses.

Cotranscriptional Chromatin Remodeling by Small RNA Species: An HTLV-1 Perspective

Cell type specificity of human T cell leukemia virus 1 has been proposed as a possible reason for differential viral outcome in primary target cells versus secondary. Through chromatin remodeling, the HTLV-1 transactivator protein Tax interacts with cellular factors at the chromosomally integrated viral promoter to activate downstream genes and control viral transcription. RNA interference is the host innate defense mechanism mediated by short RNA species (siRNA or miRNA) that regulate gene expression. There exists a close collaborative functioning of cellular transcription factors with miRNA in order to regulate the expression of a number of eukaryotic genes including those involved in suppression of cell growth, induction of apoptosis, as well as repressing viral replication and propagation. In addition, it has been suggested that retroviral latency is influenced by chromatin alterations brought about by miRNA. Since Tax requires the assembly of transcriptional cofactors to carry out viral gene expression, there might be a close association between miRNA influencing chromatin alterations and Tax-mediated LTR activation. Herein we explore the possible interplay between HTLV-1 infection and miRNA pathways resulting in chromatin reorganization as one of the mechanisms determining HTLV-1 cell specificity and viral fate in different cell types.

Distinct transformation tropism exhibited by human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 is the result of postinfection T cell clonal expansion

Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 are related but pathogenically distinct viruses. HTLV-1 mainly causes adult T cell leukemia, while HTLV-2 is not associated with leukemia. In vitro, HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 predominantly transform CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, respectively: the genetic determinant maps to the viral envelope. Herein, we investigate whether this transformation tropism occurs during initial infection or subsequently during the cellular transformation process. Since most individuals are chronically infected at the time of detection, we utilized an established rabbit model to longitudinally measure the early HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection and replication kinetics in purified CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 were detected in both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells within 1 week postinoculation. In HTLV-1-infected rabbit CD4(+) T cells, proviral burden and tax/rex mRNA expression peaked early, and expression levels were directly proportional to each other. The late expression of the antisense transcript (Hbz or Aph-2) correlated directly with a late proviral burden peak in HTLV-1- or HTLV-2-infected rabbit CD8(+) T cells, respectively. This study provides the first in vivo evidence that these viruses do not exhibit cellular preference during initial infection. We further evaluated the transformation tropism of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 over a 9-week period using in vitro cell growth/immortalization assays. At the early weeks, both HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 showed proportionate growth of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. However, beyond week 5, the predominance of one particular T cell type emerged, supporting the conclusion that transformation tropism is a postinfection event due to selective clonal expansion over time.

Molecular determinants of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 transmission and spread

Human T-lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infects approximately 15 to 20 million people worldwide, with endemic areas in Japan, the Caribbean, and Africa. The virus is spread through contact with bodily fluids containing infected cells, most often from mother to child through breast milk or via blood transfusion. After prolonged latency periods, approximately 3 to 5% of HTLV-1 infected individuals will develop either adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), or other lymphocyte-mediated disorders such as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The genome of this complex retrovirus contains typical gag, pol, and env genes, but also unique nonstructural proteins encoded from the pX region. These nonstructural genes encode the Tax and Rex regulatory proteins, as well as novel proteins essential for viral spread in vivo such as, p30, p12, p13 and the antisense encoded HBZ. While progress has been made in the understanding of viral determinants of cell transformation and host immune responses, host and viral determinants of HTLV-1 transmission and spread during the early phases of infection are unclear. Improvements in the molecular tools to test these viral determinants in cellular and animal models have provided new insights into the early events of HTLV-1 infection. This review will focus on studies that test HTLV-1 determinants in context to full length infectious clones of the virus providing insights into the mechanisms of transmission and spread of HTLV-1.

Intracellular localization and cellular factors interaction of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 Tax proteins: similarities and functional differences

Human T-lymphotropic viruses type 1 (HTLV-1) and type 2 (HTLV-2) present very similar genomic structures but HTLV-1 is more pathogenic than HTLV-2. Is this difference due to their transactivating Tax proteins, Tax-1 and Tax-2, which are responsible for viral and cellular gene activation? Do Tax-1 and Tax-2 differ in their cellular localization and in their interaction pattern with cellular factors? In this review, we summarize Tax-1 and Tax-2 structural and phenotypic properties, their interaction with factors involved in signal transduction and their localization-related behavior within the cell. Special attention will be given to the distinctions between Tax-1 and Tax-2 that likely play an important role in their transactivation activity.

Human T Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1): Molecular Biology and Oncogenesis

Human T lymphotropic viruses (HTLVs) are complex deltaretroviruses that do not contain a proto-oncogene in their genome, yet are capable of transforming primary T lymphocytes both in vitro and in vivo. There are four known strains of HTLV including HTLV type 1 (HTLV-1), HTLV-2, HTLV-3 and HTLV-4. HTLV-1 is primarily associated with adult T cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). HTLV-2 is rarely pathogenic and is sporadically associated with neurological disorders. There have been no diseases associated with HTLV-3 or HTLV-4 to date. Due to the difference in the disease manifestation between HTLV-1 and HTLV-2, a clear understanding of their individual pathobiologies and the role of various viral proteins in transformation should provide insights into better prognosis and prevention strategies. In this review, we aim to summarize the data accumulated so far in the transformation and pathogenesis of HTLV-1, focusing on the viral Tax and HBZ and citing appropriate comparisons to HTLV-2.

Phosphorylation regulates human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Rex function

Background

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a pathogenic complex deltaretrovirus, which is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. In addition to the structural and enzymatic viral gene products, HTLV-1 encodes the positive regulatory proteins Tax and Rex along with viral accessory proteins. Tax and Rex proteins orchestrate the timely expression of viral genes important in viral replication and cellular transformation. Rex is a nucleolar-localizing shuttling protein that acts post-transcriptionally by binding and facilitating the export of the unspliced and incompletely spliced viral mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. HTLV-1 Rex (Rex-1) is a phosphoprotein and general protein kinase inhibition correlates with reduced function. Therefore, it has been proposed that Rex-1 function may be regulated through site-specific phosphorylation.

Results

We conducted a phosphoryl mapping of Rex-1 over-expressed in transfected 293 T cells using a combination of affinity purification and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. We achieved 100% physical coverage of the Rex-1 polypeptide and identified five novel phosphorylation sites at Thr-22, Ser-36, Thr-37, Ser-97, and Ser-106. We also confirmed evidence of two previously identified residues, Ser-70 and Thr-174, but found no evidence of phosphorylation at Ser-177. The functional significance of these phosphorylation events was evaluated using a Rex reporter assay and site-directed mutational analysis. Our results indicate that phosphorylation at Ser-97 and Thr-174 is critical for Rex-1 function.

Conclusion

We have mapped completely the site-specific phosphorylation of Rex-1 identifying a total of seven residues; Thr-22, Ser-36, Thr-37, Ser-70, Ser-97, Ser-106, and Thr-174. Overall, this work is the first to completely map the phosphorylation sites in Rex-1 and provides important insight into the regulation of Rex-1 function.

Site-specific phosphorylation regulates human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 Rex function in vivo

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 (HTLV-2) Rex is a transacting regulatory protein required for efficient cytoplasmic expression of the unspliced and incompletely spliced viral mRNA transcripts encoding the structural and enzymatic proteins. Previously, it was demonstrated that phosphorylation of Rex-2, predominantly on serine residues, is correlated with an altered conformation, as observed by a gel mobility shift and the detection of two related protein species (p24(Rex) and p26(Rex)). Rex-2 phosphorylation is required for specific binding to its viral-mRNA target sequence and inhibition of mRNA splicing and may be linked to subcellular compartmentalization. Thus, the phosphorylation-induced structural state of Rex in the infected cell may be a switch that determines whether HTLV exists in a latent or productive state. We conducted a phosphoryl and functional mapping of both structural forms of mammalian-cell-expressed Rex 2 using affinity purification, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and site-directed substitutional mutational analysis. We identified two phosphorylation sites in p24(Rex) at Ser-117 and Thr-164. We also identified six phosphorylation sites in p26(Rex) at Thr-19, Ser-117, Ser-125, Ser-151, Ser-153, and Thr-164. We evaluated the functional significance of these phosphorylation events and found that phosphorylation on Thr-164, Ser-151, and Ser-153 is critical for Rex-2 function in vivo and that phosphorylation of Ser-151 is correlated with nuclear/nucleolar subcellular localization. Overall, this work is the first to completely map the phosphorylation sites in Rex-2 and provides important insight into the phosphorylation continuum that tightly regulates Rex-2 structure, cellular localization, and function.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 Rex carboxy terminus is an inhibitory/stability domain that regulates Rex functional activity and viral replication

Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) regulatory protein, Rex, functions to increase the expression of the viral structural and enzymatic gene products. The phosphorylation of two serine residues (S151 and S153) at the C terminus is important for the function of HTLV-2 Rex (Rex-2). The Rex-2 phosphomimetic double mutant (S151D, S153D) is locked in a functionally active conformation. Since rex and tax genes overlap, Rex S151D and S153D mutants were found to alter the Tax oncoprotein coding sequence and transactivation activities. Therefore, additional Rex-2 mutants including P152D, A157D, S151Term, and S158Term were generated and characterized ("Term" indicates termination codon). All Rex-2 mutants and wild-type (wt) Rex-2 localized predominantly to the nucleus/nucleolus, but in contrast to the detection of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of wt Rex-2 (p26 and p24), mutant proteins were detected as a single phosphoprotein species. We found that Rex P152D, A157D, and S158Term mutants are more functionally active than wt Rex-2 and that the Rex-2 C terminus and its specific phosphorylation state are required for stability and optimal expression. In the context of the provirus, the more active Rex mutants (A157D or S158Term) promoted increased viral protein production, increased viral infectious spread, and enhanced HTLV-2-mediated cellular proliferation. Moreover, these Rex mutant viruses replicated and persisted in inoculated rabbits despite higher antiviral antibody responses. Thus, we identified in Rex-2 a novel C-terminal inhibitory domain that regulates functional activity and is positively regulated through phosphorylation. The ability of this domain to modulate viral replication likely plays a key role in the infectious spread of the virus and in virus-induced cellular proliferation.

Construction and characterization of a full-length infectious simian T-cell lymphotropic virus type 3 molecular clone

Together with their simian T-cell lymphotropic virus (STLV) equivalent, human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), HTLV-2, and HTLV-3 form the primate T-cell lymphotropic virus (PTLV) group. Over the years, understanding the biology and pathogenesis of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 has been widely improved by the creation of molecular clones. In contrast, so far, PTLV-3 experimental studies have been restricted to the overexpression of the tax gene using reporter assays. We have therefore decided to construct an STLV-3 molecular clone. We generated a full-length STLV-3 proviral clone (8,891 bp) by PCR amplification of overlapping fragments. This STLV-3 molecular clone was then transfected into 293T cells. Reverse transcriptase PCR experiments followed by sequence analysis of the amplified products allowed us to establish that both gag and tax/rex mRNAs were transcribed. Western blotting further demonstrated the presence of the STLV-3 p24gag protein in the cell culture supernatant from transfected cells. Transient transfection of 293T cells and of 293T-long terminal repeat-green fluorescent protein cells with the STLV-3 clone promoted syncytium formation, a hallmark of PTLV Env expression, as well as the appearance of fluorescent cells, also demonstrating that the Tax3 protein was expressed. Virus particles were visible by electron microscopy. These particles are infectious, as demonstrated by our cell-free-infection experiments with purified virions. All together, our data demonstrate that the STLV-3 molecular clone is functional and infectious. This clone will give us a unique opportunity to study in vitro the different pX transcripts and the putative presence of antisense transcripts and to evaluate the PTLV-3 pathogenicity in vivo.

Detection and quantitation of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 mRNA species by real-time RT-PCR

HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 are highly related delta-retroviruses that infect and transform T-lymphocytes, but have distinct pathogenic properties. HTLV replication and survival requires the expression of multiple gene products from an unspliced and a series of highly related alternatively spliced mRNA species. To date, the comparative levels of all known HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 viral mRNAs in different transformed cell lines and at different stages of virus infection have not been assessed. In this study, we compiled a series of oligonucleotide primer pairs and probes to quantify both HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 mRNA species using real-time RT-PCR. The optimized reaction for detection of each mRNA had amplification efficiency greater than 90% with a linear range spanning 25-2.5 x 10(7) copies. The R(2)'s of all standard curves were greater than 0.97. Quantitation of HTLV mRNAs between different cell lines showed variability (gag/pol>or=tax/rex>env>or=accessory proteins), but the overall levels of each mRNA relative to each other within a cell line were similar. These results provide a method to quantify all specific mRNAs from both HTLV-1 and HTLV-2, which can be used to evaluate further viral gene expression and correlate transcript levels to key stages of the virus life cycle and ultimately, pathogenesis.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 use different receptor complexes to enter T cells

Studies using adherent cell lines have shown that glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) can function as a receptor for human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV). In primary CD4(+) T cells, heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are required for efficient entry of HTLV-1. Here, the roles of HSPGs and GLUT-1 in HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 Env-mediated binding and entry into primary T cells were studied. Examination of the cell surface of activated primary T cells revealed that CD4(+) T cells, the primary target of HTLV-1, expressed significantly higher levels of HSPGs than CD8(+) T cells. Conversely, CD8(+) T cells, the primary target of HTLV-2, expressed GLUT-1 at dramatically higher levels than CD4(+) T cells. Under these conditions, the HTLV-2 surface glycoprotein (SU) binding and viral entry were markedly higher on CD8(+) T cells while HTLV-1 SU binding and viral entry were higher on CD4(+) T cells. Binding studies with HTLV-1/HTLV-2 SU recombinants showed that preferential binding to CD4(+) T cells expressing high levels of HSPGs mapped to the C-terminal portion of SU. Transfection studies revealed that overexpression of GLUT-1 in CD4(+) T cells increased HTLV-2 entry, while expression of HSPGs on CD8(+) T cells increased entry of HTLV-1. These studies demonstrate that HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 differ in their T-cell entry requirements and suggest that the differences in the in vitro cellular tropism for transformation and in vivo pathobiology of these viruses reflect different interactions between their Env proteins and molecules on CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells involved in entry.

PDZ binding motif of HTLV-1 Tax promotes virus-mediated T-cell proliferation in vitro and persistence in vivo

HTLV-1 cellular transformation and disease induction is dependent on expression of the viral Tax oncoprotein. PDZ is a modular protein interaction domain used in organizing signaling complexes in eukaryotic cells through recognition of a specific binding motif in partner proteins. Tax-1, but not Tax-2, contains a PDZ-binding domain motif (PBM) that promotes the interaction with several cellular PDZ proteins. Herein, we investigate the contribution of the Tax-1 PBM in HTLV-induced proliferation and immortalization of primary T cells in vitro and viral survival in an infectious rabbit animal model. We generated several HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 Tax viral mutants, including HTLV-1deltaPBM, HTLV-2+C22(+PBM), and HTLV-2+ C18(deltaPBM). All Tax mutants maintained the ability to significantly activate the CREB/ATF or NFkappaB signaling pathways. Microtiter proliferation assays revealed that the Tax-1 PBM significantly increases both HTLV-1- and HTLV-2-induced primary T-cell proliferation. In addition, Tax-1 PBM was responsible for the micronuclei induction activity of Tax-1 relative to that of Tax-2. Viral infection and persistence were severely attenuated in rabbits inoculated with HTLV-1deltaPBM. Our results provide the first direct evidence suggesting that PBM-mediated associations between Tax-1 and cellular proteins play a key role in HTLV-induced cell proliferation and genetic instability in vitro and facilitate viral persistence in vivo.

Envelope is a major viral determinant of the distinct in vitro cellular transformation tropism of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 are related deltaretroviruses but are distinct in their disease-inducing capacity. These viruses can infect a variety of cell types, but only T lymphocytes become transformed, which is defined in vitro as showing indefinite interleukin-2-independent growth. Studies have indicated that HTLV-1 has a preferential tropism for CD4+ T cells in vivo and is associated with the development of leukemia and neurological disease. Conversely, the in vivo T-cell tropism of HTLV-2 is less clear, although it appears that CD8+ T cells preferentially harbor the provirus, with only a few cases of disease association. The difference in T-cell transformation tropism has been confirmed in vitro as shown by the preferential transformation of CD4+ T cells by HTLV-1 versus the transformation of CD8+ T cells by HTLV-2. Our previous studies showed that Tax and overlapping Rex do not confer the distinct T-cell transformation tropisms between HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. Therefore, for this study HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 recombinants were generated to assess the contribution of LTR and env sequences in T-cell transformation tropism. Both sets of proviral recombinants expressed p19 Gag following transfection into cells. Furthermore, recombinant viruses were replication competent and had the capacity to transform T lymphocytes. Our data showed that exchange of the env gene resulted in altered T-cell transformation tropism compared to wild-type virus, while exchange of long terminal repeat sequences had no significant effect. HTLV-2/Env1 preferentially transformed CD4+ T cells similarly to wild-type HTLV-1 (wtHTLV-1), whereas HTLV-1/Env2 had a transformation tropism similar to that of wtHTLV-2 (CD8+ T cells). These results indicate that env is a major viral determinant for HTLV T-cell transformation tropism in vitro and provides strong evidence implicating its contribution to the distinct pathogenesis resulting from HTLV-1 versus HTLV-2 infections.

Enhancement of infectivity and persistence in vivo by HBZ, a natural antisense coded protein of HTLV-1

Natural antisense viral transcripts have been recognized in retroviruses, including human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), HIV-1, and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and have been postulated to encode proteins important for the infection cycle and/or pathogenesis of the virus. The antisense strand of the HTLV-1 genome encodes HBZ, a novel nuclear basic region leucine zipper (b-ZIP) protein that in overexpression assays down-regulates Tax oncoprotein-induced viral transcription. Herein, we investigated the contribution of HBZ to HTLV-1-mediated immortalization of primary T lymphocytes in vitro and HTLV-1 infection in a rabbit animal model. HTLV-1 HBZ mutant viruses were generated and evaluated for viral gene expression, protein production, and immortalization capacity. Biologic properties of HBZ mutant viruses in vitro were indistinguishable from wild-type HTLV-1, providing the first direct evidence that HBZ is dispensable for viral replication and cellular immortalization. Rabbits inoculated with irradiated cells expressing HTLV-1 HBZ mutant viruses became persistently infected. However, these rabbits displayed a decreased antibody response to viral gene products and reduced proviral copies in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as compared with wild-type HTLV-1-infected animals. Our findings indicated that HBZ was not required for in vitro cellular immortalization, but enhanced infectivity and persistence in inoculated rabbits. This study demonstrates that retroviruses use negative-strand-encoded proteins in the establishment of chronic viral infections.

Comparative biology of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2

HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 are highly related complex retroviruses that have been studied intensely for nearly three decades because of their association with neoplasia, neuropathology, and/or their capacity to transform primary human T lymphocytes. The study of HTLV also represents an attractive model that has allowed investigators to dissect the mechanism of various cellular processes, several of which may be critical steps in HTLV-mediated pathogenesis. Both HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 can efficiently immortalize and transform T lymphocytes in cell culture and persist in infected individuals or experimental animals. However, the clinical manifestations of these two viruses differ significantly. HTLV-1 is associated with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and a variety of immune-mediated disorders including the chronic neurological disease termed HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). In contrast, HTLV-2 is much less pathogenic with reports of only a few cases of variant hairy cell leukemia and neurological disease associated with infection. The limited number of individuals shown to harbor HTLV-2 in association with specific diseases has, to date, precluded convincing epidemiological demonstration of a definitive etiologic role of HTLV-2 in human disease. Therefore, it has become clear that comparative studies designed to elucidate the mechanisms by which HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 determine distinct outcomes are likely to provide fundamental insights into the initiation of multistep leukemogenesis.

Isolation and confirmation of human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 from peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 (HTLV-2) was first isolated from leukemia patients, but has been found to be endemic among asymptomatic groups worldwide, including certain American Indian tribes. The virus infection is associated with a low incidence of disease among infected subjects, but has been found in patients with neurologic disorders and contributes to bacterial sepsis in AIDS patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation techniques revealed that a high percentage of HTLV seroreactivity among intravenous drug users and blood donors in the United States is caused by HTLV-2. Among serologic methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using whole virus preparations or in combination with recombinant and synthetic peptides are used as a primary screen for the infection. Antigen-capture systems have increased the sensitivity and accuracy in verification of HTLV-2 culture systems. The verification of HTLV-2 infection and detection of new strains of related viruses has been enhanced by employing virus-isolation methods using primary lymphocytes. Lymphocyte culture methods have also been used to test transformation properties of the virus and create stably expressing cell lines. This chapter briefly summarizes the biology of HTLV-2 infection and disease and details methods to isolate and verify the virus in lymphocyte cultures.

The human T-cell leukemia virus Rex protein

A critical step in the life cycle of complex retroviruses, including HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 is the ability of these viruses to adopt a mechanism by which the genome-length unspliced mRNA as well as the partially spliced mRNAs are exported from the nucleus instead of being subjected to splicing or degradation. In HTLV, this is accomplished through the expression of the viral Rex, which recognizes a specific response element on the incompletely spliced mRNAs, stabilizes them, inhibits their splicing, and utilizes the CRM1-dependent cellular pathway for transporting them from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Rex itself is regulated by phosphorylation, which implies that proper activation of the protein in response to certain cellular cues is an important tool for the virus to ensure that specific viral gene expression is allowed only when the host cell can provide the best conditions for virion production. Having such a critical role in HTLV life cycle, Rex is indispensable for efficient viral replication, infection and spread. Indeed, Rex is considered to regulate the switch between the latent and productive phases of the HTLV life cycle. Without a functional Rex, the virus would still produce regulatory and some accessory gene products; however, structural and enzymatic post-transcriptional gene expression would be severely repressed, essentially leading to non-productive viral replication. More detailed understanding of the exact molecular mechanism of action of Rex will thus allow for better design of therapeutic drugs against Rex function and ultimately HTLV replication. Herein we summarize the progress made towards understanding Rex function and its role in the HTLV life cycle.

Ubiquitination of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 tax modulates its activity

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) encodes a 40-kDa Tax phosphoprotein. Tax is a transcriptional activator which modulates expression of the viral long terminal repeat and transcription of many cellular genes. Because Tax is a critical HTLV-1 factor which mediates viral transformation of T cells during the genesis of adult T-cell leukemia, it is important to understand the processes which can activate or inactivate Tax function. Here, we report that ubiquitination of Tax is a posttranscriptional mechanism which regulates Tax function. We show that ubiquitination does not target Tax for degradation by the proteasome. Rather, ubiquitin addition modifies Tax in a proteasome-independent manner from an active to a less-active transcriptional form.

Repression of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 and type 2 replication by a viral mRNA-encoded posttranscriptional regulator

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 are complex retroviruses that persist in the host, eventually causing leukemia and neurological disease in a small percentage of infected individuals. In addition to structural and enzymatic proteins, HTLV encodes regulatory (Tax and Rex) and accessory (open reading frame I and II) proteins. The viral Tax and Rex proteins positively regulate virus production. Tax activates viral and cellular transcription to promote T-cell growth and, ultimately, malignant transformation. Rex acts posttranscriptionally to facilitate cytoplasmic expression of viral mRNAs that encode the structural and enzymatic gene products, thus positively controlling virion expression. Here, we report that both HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 have evolved accessory genes to encode proteins that act as negative regulators of both Tax and Rex. HTLV-1 p30(II) and the related HTLV-2 p28(II) inhibit virion production by binding to and retaining tax/rex mRNA in the nucleus. Reduction of viral replication in a cell carrying the provirus may allow escape from immune recognition in an infected individual. These data are consistent with the critical role of these proteins in viral persistence and pathogenesis in animal models of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection.

Role of accessory proteins of HTLV-1 in viral replication, T cell activation, and cellular gene expression

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), causes adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), and initiates a variety of immune mediated disorders. The viral genome encodes common structural and enzymatic proteins characteristic of all retroviruses and utilizes alternative splicing and alternate codon usage to make several regulatory and accessory proteins encoded in the pX region (pX ORF I to IV). Recent studies indicate that the accessory proteins p12I, p27I, p13II, and p30II, encoded by pX ORF I and II, contribute to viral replication and the ability of the virus to maintain typical in vivo expression levels. Proviral clones that are mutated in either pX ORF I or II, while fully competent in cell culture, are severely limited in their replicative capacity in a rabbit model. These HTLV-1 accessory proteins are critical for establishment of viral infectivity, enhance T-lymphocyte activation and potentially alter gene transcription and mitochondrial function. HTLV-1 pX ORF I expression is critical to the viral infectivity in resting primary lymphocytes suggesting a role for the calcineurin-binding protein p12I in lymphocyte activation. The endoplasmic reticulum and cis-Golgi localizing p12I activates NFAT, a key T cell transcription factor, through calcium-mediated signaling pathways and may lower the threshold of lymphocyte activation via the JAK/STAT pathway. In contrast p30II localizes to the nucleus and represses viral promoter activity, but may regulate cellular gene expression through p300/CBP or related co-activators of transcription. The mitochondrial localizing p13II induces morphologic changes in the organelle and may influence energy metabolism infected cells. Future studies of the molecular details HTLV-1 "accessory" proteins interactions will provide important new directions for investigations of HTLV-1 and related viruses associated with lymphoproliferative diseases. Thus, the accessory proteins of HTLV-1, once thought to be dispensable for viral replication, have proven to be directly involved in viral spread in vivo and represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention against HTLV-1 infection and disease.

HTLV-1 Rex is required for viral spread and persistence in vivo but is dispensable for cellular immortalization in vitro

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with leukemia/lymphoma and neurologic disorders. Although the viral transcriptional activator Tax is the critical viral oncoprotein, Rex, which regulates the expression of the viral structural and enzymatic genes, is essential for efficient viral replication. Herein, we investigate the contribution of Rex in HTLV-1 immortalization of primary T cells in vitro and viral survival in an infectious rabbit animal model. A Rex-deficient HTLV-1 (HTLVRex-) was constructed and characterized for viral gene expression, protein production, and immortalization capacity. Cells transiently transfected with the HTLVRex- proviral clone produced low detectable levels of p19 Gag. 729HTLVRex- stable transfectants produced functional Tax, but undetectable levels of Rex or p19 Gag. Coculture of irradiated 729HTLVRex- cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) resulted in sustained interleukin-2 (IL-2)-dependent growth of primary T lymphocytes. These cells carried the HTLVRex- genome and expressed tax/rex mRNA but produced no detectable Rex or p19 Gag. Rabbits inoculated with irradiated 729HTLVRex- cells or 729HTLVRex- cells transiently transfected with a Rex cDNA expression plasmid failed to become persistently infected or mount a detectable antibody response to the viral gene products. Together, our results provide the first direct evidence that Rex and its function to modulate viral gene expression and virion production is not required for in vitro immortalization by HTLV-1. However, Rex is critical for efficient infection of cells and persistence in vivo.