Volume 271, Number 36, Issue of September 6, 1996 pp. 21798-21802
©1996 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

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Sensitization of the HIV-1-LTR upon Long Term Low Dose Oxidative Stress

(Received for publication, May 6, 1996)

From the Department of Biochemical Genetics, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan

Human lymphoid cell lines were transfected with HIV-1-LTR-CAT DNA and permanently transformed cell lines were obtained. These transformed cell lines were treated with 0.01 mM H₂O₂ for 25 days and the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activities of these cell lines were measured. The CAT activities of transformed cell lines were latent in normal culture conditions, but were activated by retreatment with 0.2 mM H₂O₂ for 1 h. On treatment with 0.05 mM H₂O₂ for 1 h, the CAT activity of these cell lines maintained in normal conditions remained latent, whereas cell lines pretreated with 0.01 mM H₂O₂ for 25 days were greatly activated by this treatment. Here, the HIV-1 promoter seemed latent in normal culture conditions, but it could be activated by a comparatively low concentration (0.05 mM) of H₂O₂ after treatment with a dilute H₂O₂ (0.01 mM) for about 1 month. Many patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) show a long latent period before development of AIDS. During this latent period, their infected cells may be subjected to oxidative stress due to metabolism and physical movement. The present results indicate that oxidative stress may cause activation of the HIV-1 promoter in patients with latent HIV-1.

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