Title: HIV expression is induced in dying cells.

Authors: Woloschak, G E; Schreck, S; Panozzo, J; Chang-Liu, C M; Libertin, C R

Published In Biochim Biophys Acta, (1997 Mar 20)

Abstract: Using HeLa cells stably transfected with an HIV-LTR-CAT construct, we demonstrated a peak in CAT induction that occurs in viable (but not necessarily cell-division-competent) cells 24 h following exposure to some cell-killing agents. gamma rays were the only cell-killing agent which did not induce HIV transcription; this can be attributed to the fact that gamma-ray-induced apoptotic death requires functional p53, which is not present in HeLa cells. For all other agents, HIV-LTR induction was dose-dependent and correlated with the amount of cell killing that occurred in the culture. Doses which caused over 99% cell killing induced HIV-LTR transcription maximally, demonstrating that cells that will go on to die by 14 days are the cells expressing HIV-LTR-CAT.

PubMed ID: 9116023

MeSH Terms: Cell Death*; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase/genetics; DNA Damage; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral*; Genes, Reporter; HIV Long Terminal Repeat/genetics*; HIV/drug effects; HIV/genetics*; HIV/radiation effects; HeLa Cells/virology; Humans