Differential Phosphorylation of Akt and signaling in CD4+ T Cells in Pathogenic and Apathogenic SIV Infection.

Increased CD4+ T cell apoptosis and activation induced cell death (AICD) as a result of HIV infection in humans and SIV infection in Rhesus macaques (RM) is indicative of disease. Some non-human primate species naturally infected by SIV, such as African sooty mangabeys (SM), do not succumb to SIV despite high viral loads. Previously, we showed that mRNA levels of GSK-3ß a kinase involved in T cell signaling, are significantly decreased in SIV+ RM compared to SIV+ SM. The current study confirms that expression of GSK-3ß is decreased at the protein level in SIV+ RM. In addition, CD4+ T cells from SIV+ RM, but not other animals show an increase in both total Akt, a kinase directly interacting with GSK-3ß and p-AktThr308 in response to stimulation via CD3/CD28, which is associated with an increase in apoptosis. Furthermore, the differences between the uninfected and pathogenically or non-pathogenically infected animals are not only species specific, but also T cell subset specific and that these trends correlate with AICD. This is one of few studies indicating the activity of Akt can be specific to only one phosphorylation site and may be linked to the differences in AICD and resistance to the lentivirus induced disease.

[Genotyping of varicella zoster virus strains isolated in Mongolia].

This study analyzed 50 varicella zoster virus (VZV) samples collected during 2004 to 2007 from patients with VZV infection, who were treated at the National Center of Communicable Diseases, Ulan-Bator, Mongolia. The method based on amplification of specific DNA fragments of the ORF21, ORF22, and ORF50 genes was used, followed by the sequencing and detection of the status of characteristic point mutations in these fragments. The results indicated that the collected samples belonged to genotypes J (62%), M1 (18%), E1 (12%), E2 (4%), and M2 (4%). Moreover, restriction endonuclease polymorphism in ORF 62 for the cleavage site Smal and Mspl, in ORF 38 and ORF 54 for the cleavage site Pstl and Bgll were analyzed. All the samples were Sma- Msp-. All samples with genotype E were Pst+ Bgl-; all samples with genotype M1 and M2 were Pst+ Bgl+. Out of 31 samples with genotype J, 29 and 2 were Pst+ Bgl+ and Pst+ Bgl+, respectively. The study could identify the genotypes of VZV circulating in Mongolia and confirmed the absence of mutations characteristic for the vaccine strain.

Identification of protein kinases dysregulated in CD4(+) T cells in pathogenic versus apathogenic simian immunodeficiency virus infection.

Human immunodeficiency virus infection in humans and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in rhesus macaques (RM) leads to a generalized loss of immune responses involving perturbations in T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling. In contrast, naturally SIV-infected sooty mangabeys (SM) remain asymptomatic and retain immune responses despite relatively high viral loads. However, SIV infection in both RM and SM led to similar decreases in TCR-induced Lck phosphorylation. In this study, a protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) differential display method was utilized to characterize the effects of in vivo SIV infection on key signaling molecules of the CD4(+) T-cell signaling pathways. The CD4(+) T cells from SIV-infected RM, but not SIV-infected SM, showed chronic downregulation of baseline expression of MLK3, PRK, and GSK3, and symptomatically SIV-infected RM showed similar downregulation of MKK3. In vitro TCR stimulation with or without CD28 costimulation of CD4(+) T cells did not lead to the enhancement of gene transcription of these PTKs. While the CD4(+) T cells from SIV-infected RM showed a significant increase of the baseline and anti-TCR-mediated ROR2 transcription, SIV infection in SM led to substantially decreased anti-TCR-stimulated ROR2 transcription. TCR stimulation of CD4(+) T cells from SIV-infected RM (but not SIV-infected SM) led to the repression of CaMKKbeta and the induction of gene transcription of MLK2. Studies of the function of these molecules in T-cell signaling may lead to the identification of potential targets for specific intervention, leading to the restoration of T-cell responses.