MYCOPLASMAS REGULATE HIV-LTR-DEPENDENT GENE-EXPRESSION

Mycoplasmas have been incriminated in setting the stage for HIV infect ion and full-blown AIDS. We tested the possible involvement of mycopla smas in activation of HIV. Two cell lines, 293 fibroblasts and Jurkat CD4(+) T-cells, transfected with plasmids harboring a transcription fu sion construct between HIV-long terminal repeat (HIV-LTR) and either l uc or cat genes, were infected with several mycoplasmas (M. fermentans ; M. penetrans, M. pirum and Ureaplasma urealyticum) and the reporter gene expression was monitored. The data presented here suggest that my coplasmas, and specifically their membranes, play a role in the activa tion of HIV-LTR mediated transcription.