The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vpr gene arrests infected T cells in the G2 + M phase of the cell cycle
Year: 1995
Type: article
Abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection causes profound immunological defects in afflicted patients. Various mechanisms have been proposed to account for the immune dysfunction in AIDS ultimately leading to loss of CD4+ T cells, including HIV-1 envelope-mediated syncytium formation, apoptosis, and cytokine modulation. Here we present results which suggest a novel hypothesis for T-cell dysfunction. We show, using HIV-1 bearing a novel cell surface reporter gene, that infected cells are unable to progress normally through the cell cycle and became arrested in the G2 + M phase. Furthermore, we identify the HIV-1 vpr gene product as being both necessary and sufficient for eliciting this cell cycle arrest. Cell cycle arrest induced by Vpr correlates with an increase in the hyperphosphorylated (inactive) form of the cyclin-dependent serine/threonine kinase CDC2, consistent with an arrest of cells at the boundary of G2 and M.
Source: Journal of Virology
Authors: J B Jowett, V Planelles, B Poon, N P Shah, M L Chen, I S Chen
Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Language: English
Topic: HIV Research and Treatment
Subfield: Virology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1480448067