Description
Transactivatoroftranscription(TAT)proteinisproducedbyHIV-1andisinvolvedintheinductionofHIV-associatedneurologicdisorders(HAND).TATisaneurotoxinthatinfectsneurons,whichHIVitselfisunabletodo.Inneurons,TATincreasesthenumberofinhibitorysynapsesanddecreasesthenumberofexcitatorysynapsesinaCa2+-dependentmanner.TATalsoactivatesmicrogliaandothermyeloidcells,disruptingcytokine/chemokinehomeostasisandinducingneuroinflammation.Thispeptidesequence(YGRKKRRQRRR)representstheproteintransduction(cell-penetrating)domainofTAT.
References
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Bethel-BrownC,YaoH,CallenS,etal.HIV-1Tat-mediatedinductionofplatelet-derivedgrowthfactorinastrocytes:roleofearlygrowthresponsegene1.JImmunol.2011Apr1;186(7):4119-29.PMID:21368226.
LuSM,TremblayMÈ,KingIL,etal.HIV-1Tat-inducedmicrogliosisandsynapticdamageviainteractionsbetweenperipheralandcentralmyeloidcells.PLoSOne.2011;6(9):e23915.PMID:21912650.
