Regulation Of CD4 Expression Research Articles

Productive infection of neonatal CD8+ T lymphocytes by HIV-1.

CD8+ T lymphocytes confer significant but ultimately insufficient protection against HIV infection. Here we report that activated neonatal CD8+ T cells can be productively infected in vitro by macrophage-tropic (M-tropic) HIV-1 isolates, which are responsible for disease transmission, whereas they are resistant to T cell-tropic (T-tropic) HIV strains. Physiological activation of CD8-alpha/beta+ CD4- T cell receptor-alpha/beta+ neonatal T cells, including activation by allogeneic dendritic cells, induces the accumulation of CD4 messenger RNA and the expression of CD4 Ag on the cell surface. The large majority of anti-CD3/B7.1-activated cord blood CD8+ T cells coexpress CD4, the primary HIV receptor, as well as CCR5 and CXCR4, the coreceptors used by M- and T-tropic HIV-1 strains, respectively, to enter target cells. These findings are relevant to the rapid progression of neonatal HIV infection. Infection of primary HIV-specific CD8+ T cells may compromise their survival and thus significantly contribute to the failure of the immune system to control the infection. Furthermore, these results indicate a previously unsuspected level of plasticity in the neonatal immune system in the regulation of CD4 expression by costimulation.

Involvement of Retinoic Acid Receptor-α–Mediated Signaling Pathway in Induction of CD38 Cell-Surface Antigen

Human leukocyte antigen CD38, a 45-kD single-chain, transmembrane glycoprotein, is a bifunctional ectoenzyme that participates in signal transduction pathways involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. In this study, we demonstrate the nature of retinoid receptors involved in retinoic acid–induced expression of CD38 protein in the human myeloblastic leukemia cell line HL-60. We used a variant HL-60 cell line, HL-60R, in which retinoid receptor function has been abrogated by a trans-dominant negative mutation. We introduced the normal retinoic acid receptors (RAR)-α, -β, and -γ or retinoid X receptor (RXR)-α into HL-60R cells by retroviral vector-mediated gene transfer. Based on experiments using these cell lines and receptor-specific synthetic retinoids that preferentially bind to one of the RARs or RXRs, we conclude that RAR-α is involved in retinoid-induced CD38 expression in HL-60 cells. Further evidence included our demonstration that blocking of RAR-α with the antagonist Ro 41-5253 completely suppressed the retinoid-induced expression of CD38 mRNA transcript and the production of CD38 protein in HL-60 cells. Various tissues from transgenic mice that expressed an antisense construct of RAR-α lacked or produced very low levels of CD38. As expected, the tissues from transgenic mice contained 50% to 80% reduced levels of RAR-α. These results suggest that regulation of CD38 expression, both in vitro and in vivo, is under the direct control of RAR-α retinoid receptors.

Involvement of Retinoic Acid Receptor-α–Mediated Signaling Pathway in Induction of CD38 Cell-Surface Antigen

AbstractHuman leukocyte antigen CD38, a 45-kD single-chain, transmembrane glycoprotein, is a bifunctional ectoenzyme that participates in signal transduction pathways involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. In this study, we demonstrate the nature of retinoid receptors involved in retinoic acid–induced expression of CD38 protein in the human myeloblastic leukemia cell line HL-60. We used a variant HL-60 cell line, HL-60R, in which retinoid receptor function has been abrogated by a trans-dominant negative mutation. We introduced the normal retinoic acid receptors (RAR)-α, -β, and -γ or retinoid X receptor (RXR)-α into HL-60R cells by retroviral vector-mediated gene transfer. Based on experiments using these cell lines and receptor-specific synthetic retinoids that preferentially bind to one of the RARs or RXRs, we conclude that RAR-α is involved in retinoid-induced CD38 expression in HL-60 cells. Further evidence included our demonstration that blocking of RAR-α with the antagonist Ro 41-5253 completely suppressed the retinoid-induced expression of CD38 mRNA transcript and the production of CD38 protein in HL-60 cells. Various tissues from transgenic mice that expressed an antisense construct of RAR-α lacked or produced very low levels of CD38. As expected, the tissues from transgenic mice contained 50% to 80% reduced levels of RAR-α. These results suggest that regulation of CD38 expression, both in vitro and in vivo, is under the direct control of RAR-α retinoid receptors.

Induction of CD4 expression and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication by mutants of the interferon-inducible protein kinase PKR.

Replication of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is inhibited by interferons (IFNs), and the IFN-inducible protein kinase PKR is thought to mediate this effect by regulating protein synthesis. Here we report that ectopic expression of dominant negative PKR mutants in Jurkat cells induces HIV-1 replication. Specifically, expression of CD4 is upregulated by the PKR mutants, and this correlates with an induction of HIV-1 binding and proviral DNA synthesis upon HIV-1 infection. Moreover, activation of NF-kappaB was induced by an RNA binding-defective mutant of PKR. Thus, it appears that PKR, in addition to translational control, is involved in HIV-1 replication by modulating virus binding through the regulation of CD4 expression and virus gene expression through the activation of NF-kappaB.

Down regulation of CD4 expression in cultured microglia by immunosuppressants and lipopolysaccharide

Microglia, brain macrophages, are thought to be the primary target of HIV-1 infection in the brain, because they exclusively express the CD4 antigen which is effectively used for viral entry. The expression of CD4 mRNA in cultured microglia could be detected by the reverse-PCR method. Using this and immunohistochemical staining, we found that the immunosuppressants cyclosporin A and FK506 decreased CD4 expression in cultured murine microglia without causing any significant decrease in cell viability. FK506 was more potent than cyclosporin A. Lipopolysaccharide also decreased CD4 mRNA expression in microglia. The effects of immunosuppressants and lipopolysaccharide seemed to be specific for microglia since these chemicals did not alter the CD4 expression in lymphocytes or peritoneal macrophages. These agents, if modified to pass through the blood-brain barrier, may prevent viral spread of HIV-1 infection in the central nervous system and the AIDS-dementia complex.