Trans-Activation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Gene Expression is Mediated by Nuclear Events

Human immunodeficiency virus encodes a gene product termed tat that is able to activate viral gene expression when present in trans. The mechanism of action of the tat gene product appears to be bimodal, resulting in both an increase in the steady-state level of viral mRNA and the enhanced translati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1987-09, Vol.84 (18), p.6364-6368
Main Authors: Hauber, Joachim, Perkins, Ann, Heimer, Edgar P., Cullen, Bryan R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AIDS/HIV
Biological and medical sciences
Cell Compartmentation
Cell nucleus
Cell Nucleus - physiology
COS cells
DNA
DNA-Binding Proteins - physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene expression
Gene Expression Regulation
Genes
HIV
HIV - genetics
human immunodeficiency virus
Messenger RNA
Microbiology
Plasmids
Protein Biosynthesis
Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains
Retroviridae Proteins - physiology
RNA
RNA, Messenger - genetics
RNA, Viral - genetics
tat genes
Transcription Factors - genetics
Transcription, Genetic
Virology
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Summary:Human immunodeficiency virus encodes a gene product termed tat that is able to activate viral gene expression when present in trans. The mechanism of action of the tat gene product appears to be bimodal, resulting in both an increase in the steady-state level of viral mRNA and the enhanced translation of that RNA. In this report we have examined the mechanism by which tat elevates viral mRNA levels. Data are presented demonstrating that tat acts by increasing the rate of viral transcription, rather than by modulating the stability of viral mRNA. Indirect immunofluorescence was used to show that tat is predominantly localized in the nucleus of expressing cells, a location consistent with a role in the regulation of viral transcription. These results suggest that tat could play a role in human immunodeficiency virus replication essentially similar to that proposed for the trans-acting nuclear gene products described for several other virus species.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.84.18.6364