[HTML][HTML] Cyclin T1-Dependent Genes in Activated CD4+ T and Macrophage Cell Lines Appear Enriched in HIV-1 Co-Factors

W Yu, R Ramakrishnan, Y Wang, K Chiang, TL Sung… - PloS one, 2008 - journals.plos.org
W Yu, R Ramakrishnan, Y Wang, K Chiang, TL Sung, AP Rice
PloS one, 2008journals.plos.org
HIV-1 is dependent upon cellular co-factors to mediate its replication cycle in CD4+ T cells
and macrophages, the two major cell types infected by the virus in vivo. One critical co-factor
is Cyclin T1, a subunit of a general RNA polymerase II elongation factor known as P-TEFb.
Cyclin T1 is targeted directly by the viral Tat protein to activate proviral transcription. Cyclin
T1 is up-regulated when resting CD4+ T cells are activated and during macrophage
differentiation or activation, conditions that are also necessary for high levels of HIV-1 …
HIV-1 is dependent upon cellular co-factors to mediate its replication cycle in CD4+ T cells and macrophages, the two major cell types infected by the virus in vivo. One critical co-factor is Cyclin T1, a subunit of a general RNA polymerase II elongation factor known as P-TEFb. Cyclin T1 is targeted directly by the viral Tat protein to activate proviral transcription. Cyclin T1 is up-regulated when resting CD4+ T cells are activated and during macrophage differentiation or activation, conditions that are also necessary for high levels of HIV-1 replication. Because Cyclin T1 is a subunit of a transcription factor, the up-regulation of Cyclin T1 in these cells results in the induction of cellular genes, some of which might be HIV-1 co-factors. Using shRNA depletions of Cyclin T1 and transcriptional profiling, we identified 54 cellular mRNAs that appear to be Cyclin T1-dependent for their induction in activated CD4+ T Jurkat T cells and during differentiation and activation of MM6 cells, a human monocytic cell line. The promoters for these Cyclin T1-dependent genes (CTDGs) are over-represented in two transcription factor binding sites, SREBP1 and ARP1. Notably, 10 of these CTDGs have been reported to be involved in HIV-1 replication, a significant over-representation of such genes when compared to randomly generated lists of 54 genes (p value<0.00021). The results of siRNA depletion and dominant-negative protein experiments with two CTDGs identified here, CDK11 and Casein kinase 1 gamma 1, suggest that these genes are involved either directly or indirectly in HIV-1 replication. It is likely that the 54 CTDGs identified here include novel HIV-1 co-factors. The presence of CTDGs in the protein space that was available for HIV-1 to sample during its evolution and acquisition of Tat function may provide an explanation for why CTDGs are enriched in viral co-factors.
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