Project description:Our goal was to examine whether the HIV Tat peptide, which is usually secreted from infected cells and has the potential to act in other cell types, alters gene expression in the Central Nervous System, and whether a drug abuse co-morbidity, in the case Methamphetamine, can play a role in further modifying gene expression. In order to address the effects of HIV Tat and Methamphetamine, alone and combined, we used an in vivo mouse model that has been described to mimic several aspects of neuroHIV, including changes in inflammatory markers, and decreased expression of dopamine receptors. These animals are transgenic mice, which upon treatment with with doxycycline for 10 days, express TAT protein under the control of the glial fibrilary associated protein (GFAP) promoter in the brain. They were treated with Meth and Saline for identification of gene expression changes that result from Tat or Methamphetamine alone, or from their interaction. There was an overall suppression of gene expression by Methamphetamine, in Tat- mice. The expression of Tat caused most Meth-induced changes to remain at control levels.
Project description:Genome-wide maps of RNA polymerase II binding to chromatin in THP1 monocytic cell lines following Meth and HIV Tat exposure We report the most immediate effects of exposure to Methamphetamine and HIV Tat peptide, and their interactions, revealed by the recruitment of RNA Polymerase to gene promoters, in innate immune THP1 cells.
Project description:This study addresses the individual and combined effects of HIV-1 and methamphetamine (N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine, METH) on cardiac dysfunction in a transgenic mouse model of HIV/AIDS. METH is abused epidemically and is frequently associated with acquisition of HIV-1 infection or AIDS. We employed microarrays to identify mRNA differences in cardiac left ventricle (LV) gene expression following METH administration (10d, 3mg/kg/d, subcutaneously) in C57Bl/6 wild-type littermates (WT) and Tat-expressing transgenic (TG) mice. Arrays identified 880 differentially expressed genes (expression fold change>1.5, p<0.05) following METH exposure, Tat expression, or both. Using pathway enrichment analysis, mRNAs encoding polypeptides for calcium signaling and contractility were altered in the LV samples. Correlative DNA methylation analysis revealed significant LV DNA methylation changes following METH exposure and Tat expression. By combining these data sets, 38 gene promoters (27 related to METH, 11 related to Tat) exhibited differences by both methods of analysis. Among those, only the promoter for CACNA1C that encodes L-type calcium channel Cav1.2 displayed DNA methylation changes concordant with its gene expression change. Quantitative PCR verified that Cav1.2 LV mRNA abundance doubled following METH. Correlative immunoblots specific for Cav1.2 revealed a 3.5-fold increase in protein abundance in METH LVs. Data implicate Cav1.2 in calcium dysregulation and hypercontractility in the murine LV exposed to METH. They suggest a pathogenetic role for METH exposure to promote LV dysfunction that outweighs Tat-induced effects. This study addresses how HIV-1 and methamphetamine comorbidities affect cardiac (left ventricle) gene expression and epigenetic nuclear DNA methylation.
Project description:This study addresses the individual and combined effects of HIV-1 and methamphetamine (N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine, METH) on cardiac dysfunction in a transgenic mouse model of HIV/AIDS. METH is abused epidemically and is frequently associated with acquisition of HIV-1 infection or AIDS. We employed microarrays to identify mRNA differences in cardiac left ventricle (LV) gene expression following METH administration (10d, 3mg/kg/d, subcutaneously) in C57Bl/6 wild-type littermates (WT) and Tat-expressing transgenic (TG) mice. Arrays identified 880 differentially expressed genes (expression fold change>1.5, p<0.05) following METH exposure, Tat expression, or both. Using pathway enrichment analysis, mRNAs encoding polypeptides for calcium signaling and contractility were altered in the LV samples. Correlative DNA methylation analysis revealed significant LV DNA methylation changes following METH exposure and Tat expression. By combining these data sets, 38 gene promoters (27 related to METH, 11 related to Tat) exhibited differences by both methods of analysis. Among those, only the promoter for CACNA1C that encodes L-type calcium channel Cav1.2 displayed DNA methylation changes concordant with its gene expression change. Quantitative PCR verified that Cav1.2 LV mRNA abundance doubled following METH. Correlative immunoblots specific for Cav1.2 revealed a 3.5-fold increase in protein abundance in METH LVs. Data implicate Cav1.2 in calcium dysregulation and hypercontractility in the murine LV exposed to METH. They suggest a pathogenetic role for METH exposure to promote LV dysfunction that outweighs Tat-induced effects. This study addresses how HIV-1 and methamphetamine comorbidities affect cardiac (left ventricle) gene expression and epigenetic nuclear DNA methylation.
Project description:Both Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are associated with an increased risk of malignancies. People living with HIV frequently have EBV reactivation and develop EBV-associated B-cell malignancies. In this study, we aimed to uncover the involvement of HIV-1 and EBV co-existence in the development of B-cell malignancies. We studied two viral transcriptional activators (HIV-1 Tat and EBV Zta) and their possible interaction since they both have cell-penetration domains and can be found simultaneously in the blood or cells of people with HIV. We found that Tat and Zta directly bound each other in human B cells, T cells, and blood serum. Using RNA-sequencing, we found that combined Tat and Zta action in B cells differed from a simple combination of two proteins. A subset of genes, activated by Tat or Zta alone, that trigger an immune response and antigen presentation in B cells, remained unchanged when two proteins were combined. B cells, treated or transfected with Tat and Zta, exhibited a substantial decrease in HLA-ABC (MHC class I) expression, a critical component of the antigen processing and presentation pathway. HLA-ABC downregulation induced by Tat and Zta interaction conferred protection against cytotoxic T cell recognition of EBV-infected B cells. Tat and Zta interaction was also observed in serum from an HIV-positive individual. To conclude, we demonstrated for the first time the direct interaction between HIV-1 Tat and EBV Zta; this interaction can bring about immune evasion of EBV-infected or transformed B cells.
Project description:The HIV-1 Trans-Activator of Transcription (Tat) protein binds to multiple host cellular factors and greatly enhances the level of transcription of the HIV genome. Here, we report the genome-wide binding map of Tat to the human genome in Jurkat T cells (Jurkat-Tat cells) using chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with next-generation sequencing. cDNA microarray was used to monitor gene expression changes between Jurkat and Jurkat-Tat cells. Additionally, we compared distribution of H3K9ac near gene promoters between Jurkat and Jurkat-Tat cells using ChIP-chip method and hybridized onto Agilent promoter array. Our data reveal that Tat’s interaction with the host genome is more extensive than previously thought, with potentially important implications for the viral life cycle. Agilent gene expression microarray was used to compare gene expression changes between Jurkat T cells and Jurkat T cells expressing HIV-Tat protein (Jurkat-Tat T cells) Expression profiles on Jurkat-Tat cells versus Jurkat cells. ChIP on chip for H3K9ac in Jurkat-Tat versus Jurkat cells. ChIP-seq for HIV-1 Tat protein in Jurkat-Tat cells.
Project description:Purpose: To investigate the impact of HIV protein Tat on macrophage transcriptome related to atherosclerosis development Methods: Peritoneal macrophages were isolated from myeloid specific IKKβ deficient LDLR-/- (IKKβΔMyeLDLR-/-) mice and their littermates (IKKβF/FLDLR-/-). Then the macrophages were treated with HIV protein Tat or control for 12 hr. Total RNA was extracted for RNAseq Results: HIV protein Tat treatment induces 2640 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with false discovery rate (FDR) < 1 % and fold change > 3 in control macrophages. Those DEGs enriched in several biological processes that may contribute to atherogenesis. FAIME analysis demonstrated higher geneset scores of those GO terms in the Tat-treated macrophages from IKKβF/FLDLR-/- mice compared with the control ones. IKKβ deletion resulted in loss of geneset score in the macrophages of IKKβΔMyeLDLR-/- treated with HIV Tat. Conclusions: These results indicate that HIV protein Tat may affect many genes in macrophages related atherosclerosis development through IKKβ signaling.
Project description:HIV and Methamphetamine study - Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center - Dopamine-regulated inflammatory biomarkers A digital transcript panel was custom-made based on Hs_NeuroPath_v1 (Nanostring) to accommodate dopamine-regulated inflammatory genes that were previously identified in vitro, and hypothesized to cluster HIV+ Methamphetamine users.
Project description:The HIV-1 Trans-Activator of Transcription (Tat) protein binds to multiple host cellular factors and greatly enhances the level of transcription of the HIV genome. Here, we report the genome-wide binding map of Tat to the human genome in Jurkat T cells (Jurkat-Tat cells) using chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with next-generation sequencing. cDNA microarray was used to monitor gene expression changes between Jurkat and Jurkat-Tat cells. Additionally, we compared distribution of H3K9ac near gene promoters between Jurkat and Jurkat-Tat cells using ChIP-chip method and hybridized onto Agilent promoter array. Our data reveal that Tat’s interaction with the host genome is more extensive than previously thought, with potentially important implications for the viral life cycle. Expression profiles on Jurkat-Tat cells versus Jurkat cells. ChIP on chip for H3K9ac in Jurkat-Tat versus Jurkat cells. ChIP-seq for HIV-1 Tat protein in Jurkat-Tat cells.