A Truncated Isoform of Cyclin T1 Could Contribute to the Non-Permissive HIV-1 Phenotype of U937 Promonocytic Cells

The different susceptibility to HIV-1 infection in U937 cells-permissive (Plus) or nonpermissive (Minus)-is linked to the expression in Minus cells of interferon (IFN)-gamma inducible antiviral factors such as tripartite motif-containing protein 22 (TRIM22) and class II transactivator (CIITA). CIITA interacts with Cyclin T1, a key component of the Positive-Transcription Elongation Factor b (P-TEFb) complex needed for the efficient transcription of HIV-1 upon interaction with the viral transactivator Tat. TRIM22 interacts with CIITA, recruiting it into nuclear bodies together with Cyclin T1. A 50 kDa Cyclin T1 was found only in Minus cells, alongside the canonical 80 kDa protein. The expression of this truncated form remained unaffected by proteasome inhibitors but was reduced by IFN gamma treatment. Unlike the nuclear full-length protein, truncated Cyclin T1 was also present in the cytoplasm, and this subcellular localization correlated with its capacity to inhibit Tat-mediated HIV-1 transcription. The 50 kDa Cyclin T1 in Minus cells likely contributes to their non-permissive phenotype by acting as a dominant negative factor, disrupting P-TEFb complex formation and function. Its reduction upon IFN gamma treatment suggests a regulatory loop by which its inhibitory role on HIV-1 replication is then exerted by the IFN gamma-induced CIITA, which binds to the canonical Cyclin T1, displacing it from the P-TEFb complex.