P53 facilitates degradation of human T-cell leukaemia virus type I Tax-binding protein through a proteasome-dependent pathway

KSHV reactivation and novel implications of protein isomerization on lytic switch control

In Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) oncogenesis, both latency and reactivation are hypothesized to potentiate tumor growth. The KSHV Rta protein is the lytic switch for reactivation. Rta transactivates essential genes via interactions with cofactors such as the cellular RBP-Jk and Oct-1 proteins, and the viral Mta protein. Given that robust viral reactivation would facilitate antiviral responses and culminate in host cell lysis, regulation of Rta’s expression and function is a major determinant of the latent-lytic balance and the fate of infected cells. Our lab recently showed that Rta transactivation requires the cellular peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase Pin1. Our data suggest that proline‑directed phosphorylation regulates Rta by licensing binding to Pin1. Despite Pin1’s ability to stimulate Rta transactivation, unchecked Pin1 activity inhibited virus production. Dysregulation of Pin1 is implicated in human cancers, and KSHV is the latest virus known to co-opt Pin1 function. We propose that Pin1 is a molecular timer that can regulate the balance between viral lytic gene expression and host cell lysis. Intriguing scenarios for Pin1’s underlying activities, and the potential broader significance for isomerization of Rta and reactivation, are highlighted.

Localization and sub-cellular shuttling of HTLV-1 tax with the miRNA machinery

The innate ability of the human cell to silence endogenous retroviruses through RNA sequences encoding microRNAs, suggests that the cellular RNAi machinery is a major means by which the host mounts a defense response against present day retroviruses. Indeed, cellular miRNAs target and hybridize to specific sequences of both HTLV-1 and HIV-1 viral transcripts. However, much like the variety of host immune responses to retroviral infection, the virus itself contains mechanisms that assist in the evasion of viral inhibition through control of the cellular RNAi pathway. Retroviruses can hijack both the enzymatic and catalytic components of the RNAi pathway, in some cases to produce novel viral miRNAs that can either assist in active viral infection or promote a latent state. Here, we show that HTLV-1 Tax contributes to the dysregulation of the RNAi pathway by altering the expression of key components of this pathway. A survey of uninfected and HTLV-1 infected cells revealed that Drosha protein is present at lower levels in all HTLV-1 infected cell lines and in infected primary cells, while other components such as DGCR8 were not dramatically altered. We show colocalization of Tax and Drosha in the nucleus in vitro as well as coimmunoprecipitation in the presence of proteasome inhibitors, indicating that Tax interacts with Drosha and may target it to specific areas of the cell, namely, the proteasome. In the presence of Tax we observed a prevention of primary miRNA cleavage by Drosha. Finally, the changes in cellular miRNA expression in HTLV-1 infected cells can be mimicked by the add back of Drosha or the addition of antagomiRs against the cellular miRNAs which are downregulated by the virus.

Activation of p53 stimulates proteasome-dependent truncation of eIF4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The translational inhibitor protein 4E-BP1 [eIF4E (eukaryotic initiation factor 4E)-binding protein 1] regulates the availability of polypeptide chain initiation factor eIF4E for protein synthesis. Initiation factor eIF4E binds the 5' cap structure present on all cellular mRNAs. Its ability to associate with initiation factors eIF4G and eIF4A, forming the eIF4F complex, brings the mRNA to the 43S complex during the initiation of translation. Binding of eIF4E to eIF4G is inhibited in a competitive manner by 4E-BP1. Phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 decreases the affinity of this protein for eIF4E, thus favouring the binding of eIF4G and enhancing translation. We have previously shown that induction or activation of the tumour suppressor protein p53 rapidly leads to 4E-BP1 dephosphorylation, resulting in sequestration of eIF4E, decreased formation of the eIF4F complex and inhibition of protein synthesis.

RESULTS

We now report that activation of p53 also results in modification of 4E-BP1 to a truncated form. Unlike full-length 4E-BP1, which is reversibly phosphorylated at multiple sites, the truncated protein is almost completely unphosphorylated. Moreover, the latter interacts with eIF4E in preference to full-length 4E-BP1. Inhibitor studies indicate that the p53-induced cleavage of 4E-BP1 is mediated by the proteasome and is blocked by conditions that inhibit the dephosphorylation of full-length 4E-BP1. Measurements of the turnover of 4E-BP1 indicate that the truncated form is much more stable than the full-length protein.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest a model in which proteasome activity gives rise to a stable, hypophosphorylated and truncated form of 4E-BP1, which may exert a long-term inhibitory effect on the availability of eIF4E, thus contributing to the inhibition of protein synthesis and the growth-inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects of p53.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax activates cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21/Waf1/Cip1 expression through a p53-independent mechanism: Inhibition of cdk2

We investigated the possible involvement of HTLV-1 Tax in the transcriptional activation of p21/Waf1/Cip1 (hereafter p21), a potent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases and cell growth. Tax transfection resulted in enhanced expression of p21 protein in T and fibroblastoid cells. Similarly, Tax-expressing cells have higher amounts of endogenous p21 protein and RNA. However, neither Tax-negative, HTLV-1 transformed cells or HTLV-1-negative T cell lines had detectable levels of p21 protein and RNA. Cotransfection of Tax strongly activated the p21 promoter. CREB/ATF defective Tax mutant (M47) activated the p21 promoter significantly less efficiently. Tax activated wild type (wt) p21 promoter in p53-negative Jurkat and p53-positive A301cells, irrespective of endogenous p53 status, and activated a mutant p21 promoter containing a p53 responsive element (p53RE) deletion as strongly as wt promoter. Of importance, cdk2 activity was almost completely abolished in Tax-induced p21-expressing MT-2 cells, suggesting that Tax-induced p21 predominantly affects the activity of cdk2, a late G1 and S phase kinase. Taken together, these findings suggest that HTLV-1 Tax activates p21/Waf1/Cip1, a cell growth inhibitor, in a p53-independent mechanism through CREB/ATF-related transcription factors, and inhibits cdk2. Tax induction of p21 may balance the T-cell proliferation function of Tax and may contribute to the long clinical latency of HTLV-1 infection and the delayed development of adult T-cell leukemia.