Activation of NEAT-dependent gene expression by Nef: Conservation among divergent Nef alleles, dependence on SH3 binding and membrane association, and cooperation with protein kinase C-theta

Here we show that the potential to regulate NFAT is a conserved property of different Nef alleles and that Nef residues involved in membrane targeting and SH3 binding are critical for this function. Cotransfection of an activ ated protein kinase C-theta (PKC-theta) with Nef implicated PKC-theta as a possible physiological cofactor of Nef in promoting NFAT-dependent gene exp ression and T-cell activation.