Human cytomegalovirus infection and trans-activation of HIV-1 LTR in human brain-derived cells.

In order to investigate the hypothesis that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) influences HIV-1 infection of brain cells, we studied primary astrocytes derived from human fetal brains and a neuronal cell line (SK-N-MC). Infection of these cells with two strains of HCMV resulted in expression of immediate early, early, and late antigens and production of infectious virus. HCMV infection of primary astrocytes also led to cytopathic effects and cell death. SK-N-MC cells were infected with HIV-1 strains with or without HCMV. HIV LTR-directed CAT activities and the expression of HIV p24 antigen from the SK-N-MC culture coinfected with both HIV-1 and HCMV were higher than those from the cells infected with HIV-1 alone. The primary astrocytes were cotransfected with HIV-1 proviral DNAs and HIV LTR-CAT with or without HCMV infection. HCMV-infected astrocytes produced greater amounts of CAT activity and higher p24 than the cells transfected with HIV-1 proviral DNAs alone. When both primary astrocytes and SK-N-MC cells were transfected with (a) HIV LTR-CAT alone, (b) HIV LTR-CAT plus HCMV-IE gene, or (c) HIV LTR-CAT plus HCMV infection 2 days before the transfection, both HCMV infection and its IE gene trans-activated the HIV LTR promoter. HCMV-IE gene 2 may play a critical role in trans-activation of HIV-1 LTR.