THE HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 VPR GENE PREVENTS CELL-PROLIFERATION DURING CHRONIC INFECTION

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a retrovirus that can c ause extensive cytopathicity in T cells, However, long-term productive infection of T cell lines has been described, Here we show that altho ugh Vpr has no effect on the initial cytopathic effect of HIV-1, virus es that contain an intact vpr gene are unable to establish a chronic i nfection of T cells. However, virus with a mutated vpr gene can readil y establish such long-term cultures. The effect of Vpr is independent of the nef gene and the nef gene, Furthermore, expression of Vpr alone affects the progression of cells in the cell cycle. These results sug gest that HIV-1 has evolved a viral gene to prevent chronic infection of T cells.