Effect of tumor promoters on human T cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV)-structural protein induction in adult T-cell leukemia cells.

We assayed the capacity of tumor promoters to induce human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV) structural proteins p19 and p24 from the HTLV genome-carrying adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cell lines, MT-1 and KH-2Lo, and fresh ATL cells. Among the tested substances, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), 12-hexadecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (HPA) and teleocidin induced HTLV structural protein p19 and p24. This suggests that certain environmental substances, especially those known to be tumor promoters, may activate the HTLV-gene in ATL cells.