The Tat protein of HIV-1 induces galectin-3 expression

Citation
S. Fogel et al., The Tat protein of HIV-1 induces galectin-3 expression, GLYCOBIOLOG, 9(4), 1999, pp. 383-387
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Biochemistry & Biophysics
Journal title
GLYCOBIOLOGY
ISSN journal
09596658 → ACNP
Volume
9
Issue
4
Year of publication
1999
Pages
383 - 387
Database
ISI
SICI code
0959-6658(199904)9:4<383:TTPOHI>2.0.ZU;2-9
Abstract
Animal lectins play important roles in a variety of biological processes vi a their recognition of glycoconjugates. Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside-bi nding lectin whose expression is associated with various pathological proce sses including human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-I-infection of human T cel l lines and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of T-lymphoblastic Molt-3 cell line. In the case of HIV-infected cells, it has been suggested that the increase in galectin-3 expression could be related to the express ion of the viral regulatory gene tat. These results prompt us to perform mo re extensive analyses of the relationship between galectin-3 and HIV-1 Tat expressions. In this study, we found that Tat protein expression induces an upregulation of galectin-3 in several human cell lines. In cotransfection experiments, the 5'-regulatory sequences of the galectin-3 gene were signif icantly upregulated by expression vectors encoding the Tat protein. Analysi s performed with 5'-regulatory deleted sequences suggested that galectin-3 induction by Tat is dependent on activation of the Sp-1 binding transcripti on factor.