DIFFERENTIAL ACTIVATION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 AND TYPE-2 TRANSCRIPTION BY SPECIFIC T-CELL ACTIVATION SIGNALS

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2 enhancers are induced differentially by physiologic T-cell activation signals. In contrast to that of HIV-1, HIV-2 transcription was quite responsive to stimulation of T cells by antigen presentation but weakly induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha. Like tumor necrosis factor alpha, expression of cloned NF-kappaB subunits strongly activated the HIV-1, but not the HIV-2, enhancer. The differences in response to these physiologic T-cell activation pathways may contribute to the differences in persistence of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection.