Host cell gene expression varies during HIV-1 latency or reactivation.

2004 NOV 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The host cell gene expression varies during HIV-1 latency or reactivation.

"The existence of reservoirs of cells latently infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major obstacle to the elimination of HIV infection. We studied the changes in cellular gene expression that accompany the reactivation and completion of the lytic viral cycle in cell lines chronically infected with HIV-1.

"We found that several genes exhibited altered expression in the chronically infected cells compared to the uninfected parental cells prior to induction into lytic replication," investigators in the United States report.

"A number of gene classes showed increased expression in the chronically infected cells, notably including genes encoding proteasomes, histone deacetylases, and many transcription factors. Following induction of the lytic replication cycle, we observed ordered, time-dependent changes in the cellular gene expression pattern," said V. Krishnan and coworkers.

"Approximately 1,740 genes, many of which fall into 385 known pathways, were differentially expressed (P

"Since the changes in gene expression in chronically infected cells suggested that cells latently infected with HIV have a different gene expression profile than corresponding uninfected cells, we studied the expression profiles of three different chronically infected cell lines to determine whether they showed similar changes in common cellular genes and pathways.

"Thirty-two genes showed significant differential expression in all cell lines studied compared to their uninfected parental cell lines. Notable among them were cdc42 and lyn," the authors continued, "which were downregulated and are required for HIV Nef binding and viral replication. Other genes previously unrelated to HIV latency or pathogenesis were also differentially expressed."