Specific interaction of HTLV tax protein and a human type IV neuronal intermediate filament protein

The human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) is associated with adult T cell leukemia and neurological disorders (TSP/HAM). The HTLV transcriptional transactivator, Tax, is known to exert its effect through protein-protein interaction with several transcription factors that activate genes in T cell proliferation. The pathogenic mechanism in the CNS is less defined, Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified aspecific Tax-binding protein as the neuronal specific intermediate filament protein, alpha-internexin, Tax binds to the domain corresponding to the rod region of alpha-internexin, which is essential for neurofilament assembly, The Tare domains invoiced in binding are separable from those involved in transactivation, TxBP-1/alpha-internexin and Tax are expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleus, respectively, when expressed alone, but in coexpressing cells, colocalization of both proteins was observed in a perinuclear, punctate distribution, This in vivo interaction also resulted in a dramatic reduction in Tax transactivation and the network formation by alpha-internexin. The specific interaction of Tax and a neuronal specific intermediate filament protein may provide a clue to the pathogenesis of TSP/HAM.