1
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Tram J, Mesnard JM, Peloponese JM. Alternative RNA splicing in cancer: what about adult T-cell leukemia? Front Immunol 2022; 13:959382. [PMID: 35979354 PMCID: PMC9376482 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.959382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells employ a broad range of mechanisms to regulate gene expression. Among others, mRNA alternative splicing is a key process. It consists of introns removal from an immature mRNA (pre-mRNA) via a transesterification reaction to create a mature mRNA molecule. Large-scale genomic studies have shown that in the human genome, almost 95% of protein-encoding genes go through alternative splicing and produce transcripts with different exons combinations (and sometimes retained introns), thus increasing the proteome diversity. Considering the importance of RNA regulation in cellular proliferation, survival, and differentiation, alterations in the alternative splicing pathway have been linked to several human cancers, including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). ATL is an aggressive and fatal malignancy caused by the Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). HTLV-1 genome encodes for two oncoproteins: Tax and HBZ, both playing significant roles in the transformation of infected cells and ATL onset. Here, we review current knowledge on alternative splicing and its link to cancers and reflect on how dysregulation of this pathway could participate in HTLV-1-induced cellular transformation and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma development.
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2
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D'Agostino DM, Cavallari I, Romanelli MG, Ciminale V. Post-transcriptional Regulation of HTLV Gene Expression: Rex to the Rescue. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1958. [PMID: 31507567 PMCID: PMC6714889 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and other members of the Deltaretrovirus genus code for a regulatory protein named Rex that binds to the Rex-responsive element present on viral mRNAs. Rex rescues viral mRNAs from complete splicing or degradation and guides them to the cytoplasm for translation. The activity of Rex is essential for expression of viral transcripts coding for the virion components and thus represents a potential target for virus eradication. We present an overview of the functional properties of the HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 Rex proteins (Rex-1 and Rex-2), outline mechanisms controlling Rex function, and discuss similarities and differences in the sequences of Rex coded by HTLV-1, -2, -3, and -4 that may influence their molecular anatomy and functional properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maria Grazia Romanelli
- Section of Biology and Genetics, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Ciminale
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy.,Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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3
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Martinez MP, Al-Saleem J, Green PL. Comparative virology of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. Retrovirology 2019; 16:21. [PMID: 31391116 PMCID: PMC6686503 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-019-0483-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was the first discovered human retrovirus and the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. Shortly after the discovery of HTLV-1, human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 (HTLV-2) was isolated from a patient with hairy cell leukemia. Despite possession of similar structural features to HTLV-1, HTLV-2 has not been definitively associated with lymphoproliferative disease. Since their discovery, studies have been performed with the goal of highlighting the differences between HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. A better understanding of these differences will shed light on the specific pathogenic mechanisms of HTLV-1 and lead to novel therapeutic targets. This review will compare and contrast the two oldest human retroviruses with regards to epidemiology, genomic structure, gene products, and pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Martinez
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jacob Al-Saleem
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Patrick L Green
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. .,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. .,Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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4
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Ciminale V, Rende F, Bertazzoni U, Romanelli MG. HTLV-1 and HTLV-2: highly similar viruses with distinct oncogenic properties. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:398. [PMID: 25120538 PMCID: PMC4114287 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 share broad similarities in their overall genetic organization and expression pattern, but they differ substantially in their pathogenic properties. This review outlines distinctive features of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 that might provide clues to explain their distinct clinical outcomes. Differences in the kinetics of viral mRNA expression, functional properties of the regulatory and accessory proteins, and interactions with cellular factors and signal transduction pathways are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Ciminale
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| | - Francesca Rende
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| | - Umberto Bertazzoni
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona Verona, Italy
| | - Maria G Romanelli
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona Verona, Italy
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5
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Cavallari I, Rende F, Bender C, Romanelli MG, D'Agostino DM, Ciminale V. Fine tuning of the temporal expression of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. Front Microbiol 2013; 4:235. [PMID: 24032027 PMCID: PMC3759025 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2013.00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) are delta retroviruses that share a common overall genetic organization, splicing pattern, and ability to infect and immortalize T-cells in vitro. However, HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 exhibit a clearly distinct pathogenic potential in infected patients. To find clues to the possible viral determinants of the biology of these viruses, recent studies investigated the timing of expression and the intracellular compartmentalization of viral transcripts in ex-vivo samples from infected patients. Results of these studies revealed a common overall pattern of expression of HTLV-1 and -2 with a two-phase kinetics of expression and a nuclear accumulation of minus-strand transcripts. Studies in cells transfected with HTLV-1 molecular clones demonstrated the strict Rex-dependency of this "two-phase" kinetics. These studies also highlighted interesting differences in the relative abundance of transcripts encoding the Tax and Rex regulatory proteins, and that of the accessory proteins controlling Rex expression and function, thus suggesting a potential basis for the different pathobiology of the two viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Cavallari
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova Padova, Italy
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6
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Bender C, Rende F, Cotena A, Righi P, Ronzi P, Cavallari I, Casoli C, Ciminale V, Bertazzoni U. Temporal regulation of HTLV-2 expression in infected cell lines and patients: evidence for distinct expression kinetics with nuclear accumulation of APH-2 mRNA. Retrovirology 2012; 9:74. [PMID: 22973907 PMCID: PMC3468393 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-9-74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) are delta retroviruses with similar genetic organization. Although both viruses immortalize T-cells in vitro, they exhibit distinct pathogenic potential in vivo. To search for possible differences in its expression strategy with respect to HTLV-1, we investigated the pattern of HTLV-2 expression in infected cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from infected patients using splice site-specific quantitative RT-PCR. Findings A novel alternative splice acceptor site for exon 2 was identified; its usage in env transcripts was found to be subtype-specific. Time-course analysis revealed a two-phase expression kinetics in an infected cell line and in PBMCs of two of the three patients examined; this pattern was reminiscent of HTLV-1. In addition, the minus-strand APH2 transcript was mainly detected in the nucleus, a feature that was similar to its HTLV-1 orthologue HBZ. In contrast to HTLV-1, expression of the mRNA encoding the main regulatory proteins Tax and Rex and that of the mRNAs encoding the p28 and truncated Rex inhibitors is skewed towards p28/truncated Rex inhibitors in HTLV-2. Conclusion Our data suggest a general converging pattern of expression of HTLV-2 and HTLV-1 and highlight peculiar differences in the expression of regulatory proteins that might influence the pathobiology of these viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Bender
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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7
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Nakano K, Watanabe T. HTLV-1 Rex: the courier of viral messages making use of the host vehicle. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:330. [PMID: 22973269 PMCID: PMC3434621 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 08/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus causing an aggressive T-cell malignancy, adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Although HTLV-1 has a compact RNA genome, it has evolved elaborate mechanisms to maximize its coding potential. The structural proteins Gag, Pro, and Pol are encoded in the unspliced form of viral mRNA, whereas the Env protein is encoded in singly spliced viral mRNA. Regulatory and accessory proteins, such as Tax, Rex, p30II, p12, and p13, are translated only from fully spliced mRNA. For effective viral replication, translation from all forms of HTLV-1 transcripts has to be achieved in concert, although unspliced mRNA are extremely unstable in mammalian cells. It has been well recognized that HTLV-1 Rex enhances the stability of unspliced and singly spliced HTLV-1 mRNA by promoting nuclear export and thereby removing them from the splicing site. Rex specifically binds to the highly structured Rex responsive element (RxRE) located at the 3' end of all HTLV-1 mRNA. Rex then binds to the cellular nuclear exporter, CRM1, via its nuclear export signal domain and the Rex-viral transcript complex is selectively exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm for effective translation of the viral proteins. Yet, the mechanisms by which Rex inhibits the cellular splicing machinery and utilizes the cellular pathways beneficial to viral survival in the host cell have not been fully explored. Furthermore, physiological impacts of Rex against homeostasis of the host cell via interactions with numerous cellular proteins have been largely left uninvestigated. In this review, we focus on the biological importance of HTLV-1 Rex in the HTLV-1 life cycle by following the historical path in the literature concerning this viral post-transcriptional regulator from its discovery to this day. In addition, for future studies, we discuss recently discovered aspects of HTLV-1 Rex as a post-transcriptional regulator and its use in host cellular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumi Nakano
- Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiki Watanabe
- Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
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8
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Li M, Kannian P, Yin H, Kesic M, Green PL. Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 regulatory and accessory gene transcript expression and export are not rex dependent. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2012; 28:405-10. [PMID: 21819218 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2011.0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) requires regulated gene expression from unspliced and alternatively spliced transcripts for efficient replication and persistence. HTLV-1 Rex is known to facilitate cytoplasmic export of unspliced, gag/pol and incompletely spliced env mRNAs, but its contribution to the expression of other viral transcripts has not been experimentally assessed. In this study, we utilized HTLV-1 proviral clones, cellular fractionation, and real-time reverse transcriptase PCR to determine the role of Rex on the expression and export of all viral mRNAs. Our results indicate that the steady-state levels of the different viral mRNAs are modulated by Rex, which we attribute to a redistribution of completely spliced mRNAs toward incompletely spliced mRNAs. Furthermore, we confirmed the positive effect of Rex on the unspliced gag/pol mRNA and singly spliced env mRNA, resulting in increased cytoplasmic expression. However, the cytoplasmic export of the alternatively spliced HTLV-1 mRNAs encoding the accessory proteins and the antisense Hbz mRNA are independent of direct Rex regulation. This is consistent with the conclusion that viral mRNAs that contain the cis-acting repressive sequence (CRS) and/or a fully functional splice donor site require a Rex/RxRE interaction for efficient cytoplasmic expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Priya Kannian
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Han Yin
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Matthew Kesic
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Patrick L. Green
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Comprehensive Cancer Center and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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9
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Comparison of the Genetic Organization, Expression Strategies and Oncogenic Potential of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. LEUKEMIA RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2011; 2012:876153. [PMID: 23213551 PMCID: PMC3504254 DOI: 10.1155/2012/876153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2011] [Accepted: 09/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human T cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) are genetically related complex retroviruses that are capable of immortalizing human T-cells in vitro and establish life-long persistent infections in vivo. In spite of these apparent similarities, HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 exhibit a significantly different pathogenic potential. HTLV-1 is recognized as the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM). In contrast, HTLV-2 has not been causally linked to human malignancy, although it may increase the risk of developing inflammatory neuropathies and infectious diseases. The present paper is focused on the studies aimed at defining the viral genetic determinants of the pathobiology of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 through a comparison of the expression strategies and functional properties of the different gene products of the two viruses.
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10
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Human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 Rex carboxy terminus is an inhibitory/stability domain that regulates Rex functional activity and viral replication. J Virol 2009; 83:5232-43. [PMID: 19279097 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02271-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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11
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Li M, Green PL. Detection and quantitation of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 mRNA species by real-time RT-PCR. J Virol Methods 2007; 142:159-68. [PMID: 17337070 PMCID: PMC2048902 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2007.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2006] [Revised: 01/18/2007] [Accepted: 01/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Ohio State Biochemistry Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Patrick L. Green
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Department of Molecular Virology Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Comprehensive Cancer Center and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Ohio State Biochemistry Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- * Corresponding Author: Patrick L. Green, The Ohio State University, 1925 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, Tel: (614)-688-4899, Fax: (614)-292-6473,
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12
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Younis I, Yamamoto B, Phipps A, Green PL. Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 expressing nonoverlapping tax and rex genes replicates and immortalizes primary human T lymphocytes but fails to replicate and persist in vivo. J Virol 2006; 79:14473-81. [PMID: 16282446 PMCID: PMC1287553 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.79.23.14473-14481.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an oncogenic retrovirus associated primarily with adult T-cell leukemia and neurological disease. HTLV-1 encodes the positive trans-regulatory proteins Tax and Rex, both of which are essential for viral replication. Tax activates transcription initiation from the viral long terminal repeat and modulates the transcription or activity of a number of cellular genes. Rex regulates gene expression posttranscriptionally by facilitating the cytoplasmic expression of incompletely spliced viral mRNAs. Tax and Rex mutants have been identified that have defective activities or impaired biochemical properties associated with their function. To ultimately determine the contribution of specific protein activities on viral replication and cellular transformation of primary T cells, mutants need to be characterized in the context of an infectious molecular clone. Since the tax and rex genes are in partially overlapping reading frames, mutation in one gene frequently disrupts the other, confounding interpretation of mutational analyses in the context of the virus. Here we generated and characterized a unique proviral clone (H1IT) in which the tax and rex genes were separated by expressing Tax from an internal ribosome entry site. We showed that H1IT expresses both functional Tax and Rex. In short- and long-term coculture assays, H1IT was competent to infect and immortalize primary human T cells similar to wild-type HTLV-1. In contrast, H1IT failed to efficiently replicate and persist in inoculated rabbits, thus emphasizing the importance of temporal and quantitative regulation of specific mRNA for viral survival in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihab Younis
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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13
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Younis I, Green PL. The human T-cell leukemia virus Rex protein. FRONTIERS IN BIOSCIENCE : A JOURNAL AND VIRTUAL LIBRARY 2005; 10:431-45. [PMID: 15574380 PMCID: PMC2659543 DOI: 10.2741/1539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihab Younis
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Patrick L. Green
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
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14
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Younis I, Khair L, Dundr M, Lairmore MD, Franchini G, Green PL. Repression of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 and type 2 replication by a viral mRNA-encoded posttranscriptional regulator. J Virol 2004; 78:11077-83. [PMID: 15452228 PMCID: PMC521841 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.78.20.11077-11083.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihab Younis
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, 1925 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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15
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Narayan M, Younis I, D'Agostino DM, Green PL. Functional domain structure of human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 rex. J Virol 2004; 77:12829-40. [PMID: 14610204 PMCID: PMC262564 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.77.23.12829-12840.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rex protein of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) acts posttranscriptionally to induce the cytoplasmic expression of the unspliced and incompletely spliced viral RNAs encoding the viral structural and enzymatic proteins and is therefore essential for efficient viral replication. Rex function requires nuclear import, RNA binding, multimerization, and nuclear export. In addition, it has been demonstrated that the phosphorylation status of HTLV-2 Rex (Rex-2) correlates with RNA binding and inhibition of splicing in vitro. Recent mutational analyses of Rex-2 revealed that the phosphorylation of serine residues 151 and 153 within a novel carboxy-terminal domain is critical for function in vivo. To further define the functional domain structure of Rex-2, we evaluated a panel of Rex-2 mutants for subcellular localization, RNA binding capacity, multimerization and trans-dominant properties, and the ability to shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Rex-2 mutant S151A,S153A, which is defective in phosphorylation and function, showed diffuse cytoplasmic staining, whereas mutant S151D,S153D, previously shown to be functional and in a conformation corresponding to constitutive phosphorylation, displayed increased intense speckled staining in the nucleoli. In vivo RNA binding analyses indicated that mutant S151A,S153A failed to efficiently bind target RNA, while its phosphomimetic counterpart, S151D,S153D, bound twofold more RNA than wild-type Rex-2. Taken together, these findings provide direct evidence that the phosphorylation status of Rex-2 is linked to cellular trafficking and RNA binding capacity. Mutants with substitutions in either of the two putative multimerization domains or in the putative activation domain-nuclear export signal displayed a dominant negative phenotype as well as defects in multimerization and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. Several carboxy-terminal mutants that displayed wild-type levels of phosphorylation and localized to the nucleolus were also partially impaired in shuttling. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the carboxy terminus of Rex-2 contains a novel domain that is required for efficient shuttling. This work thus provides a more detailed functional domain map of Rex-2 and further insight into its regulation of HTLV replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murli Narayan
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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Ye J, Xie L, Green PL. Tax and overlapping rex sequences do not confer the distinct transformation tropisms of human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2. J Virol 2003; 77:7728-35. [PMID: 12829812 PMCID: PMC161933 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.77.14.7728-7735.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2003] [Accepted: 04/15/2003] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 are distinct oncogenic retroviruses that infect several cell types but display their biological and pathogenic activity only in T cells. Previous studies have indicated that in vivo HTLV-1 has a preferential tropism for CD4+ T cells, whereas HTLV-2 in vivo tropism is less clear but appears to favor CD8+ T cells. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are susceptible to HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection in vitro, and HTLV-1 has a preferential immortalization and transformation tropism of CD4+ T cells, whereas HTLV-2 immortalizes and transforms primarily CD8+ T cells. The molecular mechanism that determines this tropism of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 has not been determined. HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 carry the tax and rex transregulatory genes in separate but partially overlapping reading frames. Since Tax has been shown to be critical for cellular transformation in vitro and interacts with numerous cellular processes, we hypothesized that the viral determinant of transformation tropism is encoded by tax. Using molecular clones of HTLV-1 (Ach) and HTLV-2 (pH6neo), we constructed recombinants in which tax and overlapping rex genes of the two viruses were exchanged. p19 Gag expression from proviral clones transfected into 293T cells indicated that both recombinants contained functional Tax and Rex but with significantly altered activity compared to the wild-type clones. Stable transfectants expressing recombinant viruses were established, irradiated, and cocultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Both recombinants were competent to transform T lymphocytes with an efficiency similar to that of the parental viruses. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that HTLV-1 and HTLV-1/TR2 had a preferential tropism for CD4+ T cells and that HTLV-2 and HTLV-2/TR1 had a preferential tropism for CD8(+) T cells. Our results indicate that tax/rex in different genetic backgrounds display altered functional activity but ultimately do not contribute to the different in vitro transformation tropisms. This first study with recombinants between HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 is the initial step in elucidating the different pathobiologies of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxin Ye
- Department of Veterinary Bioscience, The Ohio State University, 1925 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Narayan M, Kusuhara K, Green PL. Phosphorylation of two serine residues regulates human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 Rex function. J Virol 2001; 75:8440-8. [PMID: 11507189 PMCID: PMC115089 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.75.18.8440-8448.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of the human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) Rex phosphoprotein is to increase the level of the viral structural and enzymatic gene products expressed from the incompletely spliced viral RNAs containing the Rex-responsive element. The phosphorylation of HTLV type 2 Rex (Rex-2), predominantly on serine residues, correlates with an altered conformation, as detected by a gel mobility shift, and is required for specific binding to its viral RNA target sequence. Thus, the phosphorylation state of Rex in the infected cell may be a switch that determines whether the virus exists in a latent or a productive state. A mutational analysis of Rex-2 that focused on serine and threonine residues was performed to identify regions or domains within Rex-2 important for function, with a specific emphasis on identifying Rex-2 phosphorylation mutants. We identified mutations near the carboxy terminus that disrupted a novel region or domain and abrogated Rex-2 function. Mutant M17 (with S151A and S153A mutations) displayed reduced phosphorylation that correlated with reduced function. Replacement of both serine residues 151 and 153 with phosphomimetic aspartic acid restored Rex-2 function and locked Rex-2 in a phosphorylated active conformation. A mutant containing threonine residues at positions 151 and 153 displayed a phenotype indistinguishable from that of wild-type Rex. Furthermore, this same mutant showed increased threonine phosphorylation and decreased serine phosphorylation, providing conclusive evidence that one or both of these residues are phosphorylated in vivo. Our results provide the first direct evidence that the phosphorylation of Rex-2 is important for function. Further understanding of HTLV Rex phosphorylation will provide insight into the regulatory control of HTLV replication and ultimately the pathobiology of HTLV.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Narayan
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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18
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Abstract
Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) consistently detected bovine leukemia virus transcripts in fresh cells, and competitive RT-PCR enumerated these transcripts. The detection of transcripts in limited numbers of tumor cells indicated that expression occurs in a minority of cells. The data suggest that individual cells contain hundreds of copies of the tax/rex transcript in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Rovnak
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
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Heger P, Rosorius O, Hauber J, Stauber RH. Titration of cellular export factors, but not heteromultimerization, is the molecular mechanism of trans-dominant HTLV-1 rex mutants. Oncogene 1999; 18:4080-90. [PMID: 10435589 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1202762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The HTLV-1 Rex protein is an essential shuttle protein required for nuclear export of unspliced and incompletely-spliced viral RNAs. Several trans-dominant (TD) mutant Rex proteins have been reported, however, the mechanism of trans-dominance is not known. We compared TD Rex mutants and found that a natural occurring Rex mutant, Rexp21, lacking the RNA binding domain, was highly TD and inhibited also HIV-1 Rev function. Using fusions to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) we observed that Rexp21-GFP displayed a cytoplasmic localization but was actively shuttling between the nucleus and the cytoplasm in live human cells. The presence of Rexp21-GFP inhibited the nuclear export of Rex and HIV-1 Rev as assayed by cotransfection and microinjection experiments. However, Rex-GFP or Rexp21-GFP did not form heteromultimers with nuclear Rex mutants in vivo. In contrast, shuttling was essential for trans-dominance. Thus, we propose that TD Rex mutants do not function by retaining WT Rex in the nucleus by protein-protein interactions, as demonstrated for Rev, but to titrate factors essential for Rex/Rev export. Our findings demonstrate differences between the regulatory proteins Rex and Rev and implicate a novel strategy to generate highly TD Rex mutants also applicable to other proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Heger
- Institute for Medical and Clinical Virology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Abstract
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy. Novel, yet conserved RNA transcripts encoded from open reading frames (ORFs) I and II of the viral pX region are expressed both in vitro and in infected individuals. The ORF I mRNA encodes the protein p12I, which has been shown to localize to cellular endomembranes, cooperate with bovine papillomavirus E5 in transformation, as well as bind to the IL-2 receptor β and γ chains and the H+ vacuolar ATPase. It is unknown what role p12I plays in the viral life cycle. Using an infectious molecular clone of HTLV-1 (ACH) and a derivative clone, ACH.p12I, which fails to produce the p12Imessage, we investigated the importance of p12I in infected primary cells and in a rabbit model of the infection. ACH.p12I was infectious in vitro as shown by viral passage in culture and no qualitative or quantitative differences were noted between ACH and ACH.p12I in posttransfection viral antigen production. However, in contrast to ACH, ACH.p12I failed to establish persistent infection in vivo as indicated by reduced anti-HTLV-1 antibody responses, failure to demonstrate viral p19 antigen production in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures, and only transient detection of provirus by polymerase chain reaction in PBMC from ACH.p12I-inoculated rabbits. These results are the first to show the essential role of HTLV-1 p12I in the establishment of persistent viral infection in vivo and suggest potential new targets in antiviral strategies to prevent HTLV-1 infection.
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Selective Ablation of Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 p12I Reduces Viral Infectivity In Vivo. Blood 1998. [DOI: 10.1182/blood.v91.12.4701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy. Novel, yet conserved RNA transcripts encoded from open reading frames (ORFs) I and II of the viral pX region are expressed both in vitro and in infected individuals. The ORF I mRNA encodes the protein p12I, which has been shown to localize to cellular endomembranes, cooperate with bovine papillomavirus E5 in transformation, as well as bind to the IL-2 receptor β and γ chains and the H+ vacuolar ATPase. It is unknown what role p12I plays in the viral life cycle. Using an infectious molecular clone of HTLV-1 (ACH) and a derivative clone, ACH.p12I, which fails to produce the p12Imessage, we investigated the importance of p12I in infected primary cells and in a rabbit model of the infection. ACH.p12I was infectious in vitro as shown by viral passage in culture and no qualitative or quantitative differences were noted between ACH and ACH.p12I in posttransfection viral antigen production. However, in contrast to ACH, ACH.p12I failed to establish persistent infection in vivo as indicated by reduced anti-HTLV-1 antibody responses, failure to demonstrate viral p19 antigen production in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures, and only transient detection of provirus by polymerase chain reaction in PBMC from ACH.p12I-inoculated rabbits. These results are the first to show the essential role of HTLV-1 p12I in the establishment of persistent viral infection in vivo and suggest potential new targets in antiviral strategies to prevent HTLV-1 infection.
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