HIV-1 Tat protein can transactivate a heterologous TATAA element independent of viral promoter sequences and the trans-activation response element

Objective: To determine whether the HIV-1 transactivator protein Tat acts as a DNA sequence-specific transcription factor and activates transcription from a heterologous TATAA element in the absence of the trans-activation response (TAR) element and other sequences in the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR). Design: Activating protein-1 (AP-1) and Tat-induced transcription were assessed using jun and hybrid Tat/Jun-expression plasmids and reporter gene constructs which contained AP-1 binding sites upstream of the rat prolactin TATAA element or an HIV-1 LTR construct in which AP-1 binding sites replaced the TAR element. Methods: Tar-induced transcription was determined following transient transtection of colon epithelial cell lines with reporter gene constructs and Tat/Jun-expression plasmids in which Tat was fused to the DNA binding domain of jun. Activation of prolactin (PL) and LTR reporter genes was assessed by luciferase (LUC) or chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity in cellular extracts. Results: Cotransfection of cells with Tat/Jun and the AP-1 PL LUC or LTR AP-1 CAT reporter plasmid resulted in a marked increase in reporter gene activity which was comparable with that induced by transfection of cells with several different AP-1 expression plasmids (e.g.,]uno, JunB, c-Fos), or that elicited by stimulation of the cells transfected with LTR AP-1 CAT plasmids with phorbol ester or tumor necrosis factor alpha. Tat-induced transcription was DNA-mediated since both a Jun DNA binding domain fused to Tat as well as AP-1. binding sites within the promoter were required for the induction of CAT expression. Conclusions: Tat-activated transcription can occur strictly through a heterologous TATAA element independent of TAR and Spl binding sires or other HIV-1 LTR sequences. Tat appears to increase transcription initiated through the TATAA element by mechanisms similar to that of DNA sequence-specific transcription factors.