LPS-INDUCIBLE NUCLEAR FACTOR IN HUMAN MONOCYTES THAT BINDS THE NEGATIVE REGULATORY ELEMENT OF THE HIV LTR

We studied the constitutive and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expre ssion of nuclear protein binding to the negative regulatory element (N RE) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal r epeat (LTR) in fresh human monocytes. We demonstrated the existence of a constitutive factor binding to the NRE 73-bp HpaII/HpaII fragment ( -216 to -143) whose expression is up-regulated bp LPS treatment. Compe tition experiments with overlapping oligonucleotides covering the HpaI I/HpaII fragment and with mutated oligonucleotides mapped the binding within the TTTCATCAC region (-171 to -163). This binding pattern is un ique to human monocytes.