Host-pathogen interactome mapping for HTLV-1 and -2 retroviruses.

BACKGROUND: Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and type 2 both target T lymphocytes, yet induce radically different phenotypic outcomes. HTLV-1 is a causative agent of Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), whereas HTLV-2, highly similar to HTLV-1, causes no known overt disease. HTLV gene products are engaged in a dynamic struggle of activating and antagonistic interactions with host cells. Investigations focused on one or a few genes have identified several human factors interacting with HTLV viral proteins. Most of the available interaction data concern the highly investigated HTLV-1 Tax protein. Identifying shared and distinct host-pathogen protein interaction profiles for these two viruses would enlighten how they exploit distinctive or common strategies to subvert cellular pathways toward disease progression. RESULTS: We employ a scalable methodology for the systematic mapping and comparison of pathogen-host protein interactions that includes stringent yeast two-hybrid screening and systematic retest, as well as two independent validations through an additional protein interaction detection method and a functional transactivation assay. The final data set contained 166 interactions between 10 viral proteins and 122 human proteins. Among the 166 interactions identified, 87 and 79 involved HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 -encoded proteins, respectively. Targets for HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 proteins implicate a diverse set of cellular processes including the ubiquitin-proteasome system, the apoptosis, different cancer pathways and the Notch signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This study constitutes a first pass, with homogeneous data, at comparative analysis of host targets for HTLV-1 and -2 retroviruses, complements currently existing data for formulation of systems biology models of retroviral induced diseases and presents new insights on biological pathways involved in retroviral infection.

Interaction of HTLV-1 Tax with minichromosome maintenance proteins accelerates the replication timing program.

The Tax oncoprotein encoded by the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 plays a pivotal role in viral persistence and pathogenesis. Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-infected cells proliferate faster than normal lymphocytes, expand through mitotic division, and accumulate genomic lesions. Here, we show that Tax associates with the minichromosome maintenance MCM2-7 helicase complex and localizes to origins of replication. Tax modulates the spatiotemporal program of origin activation and fires supplementary origins at the onset of S phase. Thereby, Tax increases the DNA replication rate, accelerates S phase progression, but also generates a replicative stress characterized by the presence of genomic lesions. Mechanistically, Tax favors p300 recruitment and histone hyperacetylation at late replication domains, advancing their replication timing in early S phase.

Protein-protein interactions and gene expression regulation in HTLV-1 infected cells.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) propagates in CD4 or CD8 T cells and, after extended latency periods of 30-50 years, causes a rapidly fatal leukemia called adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). Infection with HTLV-1 is also associated with a degenerative neuromuscular disease referred to as tropical spastic paraparesis or HTLV-1-associated myelopathy. HTLV genome, in addition to the structural proteins and retroviral enzymes, codes for a region at its 3' end originally designated pX. The products of this region (Tax, Rex, p12I, p13II, p30II and HBZ) play important roles in deregulation of cellular functions by either directly disrupting cellular factors or altering transcription of viral and cellular genes. Here, we will review current knowledge of protein-protein interactions that regulate transcriptional functions of proteins encoded by the pX region.

The HTLV-1 Tax interactome.

The Tax1 oncoprotein encoded by Human T-lymphotropic virus type I is a major determinant of viral persistence and pathogenesis. Tax1 affects a wide variety of cellular signalling pathways leading to transcriptional activation, proliferation and ultimately transformation. To carry out these functions, Tax1 interacts with and modulates activity of a number of cellular proteins. In this review, we summarize the present knowledge of the Tax1 interactome and propose a rationale for the broad range of cellular proteins identified so far.