This project is to understand the processes used by the human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)for the transformation of human cells. There are several concepts on how a cell can progress from normal physiology to achieve a transformed phenotype. To characterize transformation, we have studied cellular genetic integrity, cell cycle progression and the checkpoints within a cell that guard normal cellular division. We have studied several cellular proteins whose functions are perturbed by the HTLV-1 viral oncoprotein, Tax, during the course of cellular transformation. In the 2009 - 2010 period, we have made the following scientifc findings. 1) We discovered that the Tax oncoprotein can elicit reactive oxygen species (ROS) which leads directly to DNA damage. DNA damage is a common finding in cancers. 2) We have identified small molecules that can inhibit the activity of oncogenic microRNAs, and we showed that these molecules can inhibit tumorigenesis. 3) We have characterized how changes in nuclear envelope proteins alter gene expression profile inside cells.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$890,665
Indirect Cost
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State
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Tang, Sai-Wen; Chen, Chia-Yen; Klase, Zachary et al. (2013) The cellular autophagy pathway modulates human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 replication. J Virol 87:1699-707
Zhang, Quan; Jeang, Kuan-Teh (2013) Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and viral infections. Biomed Pharmacother 3:34-42
Klase, Zachary; Jeang, Kuan-Teh (2013) Reciprocal functional pseudotyping of HIV-1 and HTLV-1 viral genomes by the heterologous counterpart envelope proteins. Virology 443:106-12
Zane, Linda; Yasunaga, Junichiro; Mitagami, Yu et al. (2012) Wip1 and p53 contribute to HTLV-1 Tax-induced tumorigenesis. Retrovirology 9:114
Chen, Chia-Yen; Chi, Ya-Hui; Mutalif, Rafidah Abdul et al. (2012) Accumulation of the inner nuclear envelope protein Sun1 is pathogenic in progeric and dystrophic laminopathies. Cell 149:565-77
Chi, Ya-Hui; Chen, Chia-Yen; Jeang, Kuan-Teh (2012) Reversal of laminopathies: the curious case of SUN1. Nucleus 3:418-21
Majone, Franca; Jeang, Kuan-Teh (2012) Unstabilized DNA breaks in HTLV-1 Tax expressing cells correlate with functional targeting of Ku80, not PKcs, XRCC4, or H2AX. Cell Biosci 2:15
Zane, Linda; Jeang, Kuan-Teh (2012) The importance of ubiquitination and sumoylation on the transforming activity of HTLV Tax-1 and Tax-2. Retrovirology 9:103
Jeang, Kuan-Teh (2011) Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) latency: death signaling awakens the sleeping retrovirus. Cell Cycle 10:3824-5
Yasunaga, Junichiro; Lin, Frank C; Lu, Xiongbin et al. (2011) Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 20 targets TRAF6 and human T cell leukemia virus type 1 tax to negatively regulate NF-kappaB signaling. J Virol 85:6212-9

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