High-Resolution Labeling and Functional Manipulation of Specific Neuron Types in Mouse Brain by Cre-Activated Viral Gene Expression

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the cause of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), is a retrovirus, which integrates into the host genome and persistently infects CD4+ T-cells. Virus propagation is stimulated by (1) clonal expansion of infected cells and (2) de novo infection. Viral gene expression is induced by the transactivator protein Tax, which recruits host factors like positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) to the viral promoter. Since HTLV-1 gene expression is repressed in vivo by viral, cellular, and epigenetic mechanisms in late phases of infection, HTLV-1 avoids an efficient CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) response directed against the immunodominant viral Tax antigen. Hence, therapeutic strategies using latency reversing agents (LRAs) sought to transiently activate viral gene expression and antigen presentation of Tax to enhance CTL responses towards HTLV-1, and thus, to expose the latent HTLV-1 reservoir to immune destruction. Here, we review strategies that aimed at enhancing Tax expression and Tax-specific CTL responses to interfere with HTLV-1 latency. Further, we provide an overview of LRAs including (1) histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and (2) activators of P-TEFb, that have mainly been studied in context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but which may also be powerful in the context of HTLV-1.

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The [KIL-d] Element Specifically Regulates Viral Gene Expression in Yeast

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/155.2.601 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 155 (2) ◽

pp. 601-609 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zsolt Tallóczy ◽

Rebecca Mazar ◽

Denise E Georgopoulos ◽

Fausto Ramos ◽

Michael J Leibowitz

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Phenotypic Expression ◽

Viral Gene Expression ◽

Virus Genome ◽

Viral Rna ◽

High Rate ◽

Viral Gene ◽

Double Stranded Rna ◽

Yeast Prions ◽

Killer Virus

Abstract The cytoplasmically inherited [KIL-d] element epigenetically regulates killer virus gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. [KIL-d] results in variegated defects in expression of the M double-stranded RNA viral segment in haploid cells that are “healed” in diploids. We report that the [KIL-d] element is spontaneously lost with a frequency of 10−4–10−5 and reappears with variegated phenotypic expression with a frequency of ≥10−3. This high rate of loss and higher rate of reappearance is unlike any known nucleic acid replicon but resembles the behavior of yeast prions. However, [KIL-d] is distinct from the known yeast prions in its relative guanidinium hydrochloride incurability and independence of Hsp104 protein for its maintenance. Despite its transmissibility by successive cytoplasmic transfers, multiple cytoplasmic nucleic acids have been proven not to carry the [KIL-d] trait. [KIL-d] epigenetically regulates the expression of the M double-stranded RNA satellite virus genome, but fails to alter the expression of M cDNA. This specificity remained even after a cycle of mating and meiosis. Due to its unique genetic properties and viral RNA specificity, [KIL-d] represents a new type of genetic element that interacts with a viral RNA genome.

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Viral Gene Expression Patterns in Human Herpesvirus 6B-Infected T Cells

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.76.15.7578-7586.2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 76 (15) ◽

pp. 7578-7586 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Bodil Øster ◽

Per Höllsberg

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

T Cells ◽

Protein Synthesis ◽

De Novo ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Human Herpesvirus ◽

Viral Gene Expression ◽

Polymerase Activity ◽

Viral Gene ◽

De Novo Protein Synthesis

ABSTRACT Herpesvirus gene expression is divided into immediate-early (IE) or α genes, early (E) or β genes, and late (L) or γ genes on the basis of temporal expression and dependency on other gene products. By using real-time PCR, we have investigated the expression of 35 human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) genes in T cells infected by strain PL-1. Kinetic analysis and dependency on de novo protein synthesis and viral DNA polymerase activity suggest that the HHV-6B genes segregate into six separate kinetic groups. The genes expressed early (groups I and II) and late (groups V and VI) corresponded well with IE and L genes, whereas the intermediate groups III and IV contained E and L genes. Although HHV-6B has characteristics similar to those of other roseoloviruses in its overall gene regulation, we detected three B-variant-specific IE genes. Moreover, genes that were independent of de novo protein synthesis clustered in an area of the viral genome that has the lowest identity to the HHV-6A variant. The organization of IE genes in an area of the genome that differs from that of HHV-6A underscores the distinct differences between HHV-6B and HHV-6A and may provide a basis for further molecular and immunological analyses to elucidate their different biological behaviors.

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