Abstract
The Tax protein of Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is important for the T-cell immortalizing properties of this virus in vitro and is considered to be responsible for the early stages of leukemogenesis in infected hosts. Tax can upregulate expression of TNF-α and TNF-β, as well as potentiate apoptosis in activated T-cells and in serum starved murine fibroblasts. To examine the role of CD95 (APO-1/Fas) and ICE-proteases in Tax-mediated active T-cell death, Jurkat T cells expressing (APOS) or lacking (APOR) cell surface expression of CD95 (APO-1/Fas) were genetically modified to express hormone-inducible HTLV-1 Tax constructs. Hormone-inducible action of Tax alone was sufficient to promote programmed cell death in CD95-expressing Jurkat T-cell clones. In contrast, clones lacking CD95 surface expression were resistant to the antiproliferative action of Tax. Both APOS and APOR clones exhibited Tax-dependent upregulation of CD95 ligand and TNF-α. Blocking experiments suggested that while the apoptotic action of Tax critically required ICE-protease function it was largely independent of cell surface interaction of CD95 ligand or TNF-α with their corresponding receptors. These observations strongly implicate ICE-proteases in Tax-induced T-cell death, and suggest a possible involvement of CD95 in this process.
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Chlichlia, K., Busslinger, M., Peter, M. et al. ICE-proteases mediate HTLV-I Tax-induced apoptotic T-cell death. Oncogene 14, 2265–2272 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1201070
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1201070
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