DIFFERENTIAL TAX EXPRESSION IN HTLV TYPE-I INFECTED ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS

tax gene expression in a family cluster of three HTLV-I-infected asymp tomatic individuals was investigated, Two carriers had normal tax mRNA , Tax-specific humoral antibody, and cell-mediated immune (CMI) respon se, In one carrier who had only weak Tax-specific humoral and no Tax-s pecific CMI response, an abnormal Tax-related mRNA product was detecte d, This product was sequenced and found to consist of two exons derive d from the LTR gag and pX regions, The abnormal mRNA has an ORF predic ting a 17-kDa protein, the translation of which is initiated in the fi rst exon. The presence of this protein, of antibody to it, and of its function remain to be elucidated.