Cohen EA, Bergeron L, Terwilliger E, Sodroski JG, Haseltine WA; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1990 Jun 20-23; 6: 164 (abstract no. S.A.330).

Division of Human Retrovirology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of the vpu and vpr genes upon the life cycle of HIV-1. METHODS: To investigate the role of vpu and vpr in the replication and cytopathicity of HIV-1, infectious proviruses isogenic except for the expression of vpu or vpr were constructed. In addition, CD4+ lymphocyte cells lines (Jurkat) constitutively expressing vpu were generated. RESULTS and CONCLUSION: It will be shown that the vpu protein acts in trans to increase greatly the export of virus particles from infected cells and reduces the accumulation of cell-associated viral proteins. Information relevant to the subcellular localization of the vpu protein as well as to properties of the vpu cell line will also be presented as will be the implications for the mechanism of action of vpu. Vpr is shown to encode a 96 amino acids 15Kd protein that acts in trans to accelerate viral replication and cytopathic effects in T-cells. Experiments showing that the HIV-1 viral particles contain multiple copies of the vpr protein will be presented. This observation raises the possibility that vpr acts to facilitate the early steps of infection before de novo viral proteins occurs.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
• Gene Products, vpr
• Genes, Essential
• Genes, vpr
• HIV-1
• Proviruses
• Viral Proteins
• Virion
• genetics
• vpu protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1

Other ID:

• 30033090

UI: 102196130

From Meeting Abstracts