Tax protein of human T-lymphotropic virus type I triggers DNA damage. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Tax protein of human T-lymphotropic virus type I triggers DNA damage.

Leuk Lymphoma. 1994 Jan;12(3-4):281-6. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94220956
Saggioro D; Majone F; Forino M; Turchetto L; Leszl A; Chieco-Bianchi L; Institute of Oncology, Interuniversity Center for Cancer Research; (CIRC), University of Padova, Italy.

Abstract: Previous findings indicated that in vitro HTLV-I-infected cells are highly susceptible to spontaneous and chemically induced DNA-damage. To further study the role of different virus gene products in inducing chromosome abnormalities, MOLT-3 cells were transiently transfected with a tax expressing plasmid (pTax), and assayed for genetic damage by the micronucleus test. We found that pTax-transfected cells not only had a statistically higher baseline micronucleus value than non-transfected control cells, but also were more susceptible to Mitomycin C (MMC)-induced DNA damage. Furthermore, the use of human serum containing anti-kinetochore antibodies disclosed that tax enhances the clastogenic effect of MMC. No increase in total micronucleus frequency was observed when MMC treatment preceded pTax transfection, thus suggesting that the micronucleus increase might not be due to the additive effect of tax and MMC. These findings indicate that the viral tax protein could play an important role in inducing the chromosome damage frequently observed in HTLV-I-infected cells.
Keywords: Antibodies/PHARMACOLOGY Cell Line Chloramphenicol Acetyltransferase/BIOSYNTHESIS/METABOLISM *DNA Damage Fluorescent Antibody Technique Gene Products, tax/BIOSYNTHESIS/*METABOLISM *Genes, pX Human HTLV-I/*GENETICS Lymphoma, T-Cell Micronuclei/DRUG EFFECTS/PHYSIOLOGY/*ULTRASTRUCTURE Mitomycin C/TOXICITY Plasmids Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Transfection Tumor Cells, Cultured JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDantibodies/pharmacologycelllinechloramphenicolacetyltransferase/biosynthesis/metabolismKWDdnadamagefluorescentantibodytechniquegeneproducts,tax/biosynthesis/KWDmetabolismKWDgenes,pxhumanhtlv-i/KWDgeneticslymphoma,t-cellmicronuclei/drugeffects/physiology/KWDultrastructuremitomycinc/toxicityplasmidssupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'ttransfectiontumorcells,culturedjournalarticle
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Copyright © 1994 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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