LUCIFERASE ASSAY FOR THE FUNCTIONAL-ANALYSIS OF HIV TAT AND LTR IN GENE-EXPRESSION

A series of LTR deletion-directed Luc expression plasmids were constru cted and transfected into Jurkat cells with or without a Tat-producing expression vector. Luciferase activity was measured to analyze the ef fect of Tat and LTR on gene expression. The results show that there ar e negative regulatory elements in the LTR upstream from the -158 posit ion. It is demonstrated that trans-activation of. Tat may enhance sign ificantly the level of LTR-directed gene expression. The data suggest that the enhancer sequences in LTR and the binding protein NF- kappa B may play an important role in both high-level LTR mediated transcript ion and Tat trans-activation.