Commentary
HIV-1 Tat, apoptosis and the mitochondria: a tubulin link?
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Correspondence: Mauro Giacca giacca@icgeb.org
Molecular Medicine Laboratory, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
Retrovirology 2005, 2:7 doi:10.1186/1742-4690-2-7
Published: 7 February 2005Abstract
The Tat protein of HIV-1 is a powerful activator of viral gene expression. Besides this essential function at the HIV-1 promoter, the protein also exerts a remarkable number of other biological activities, among which the induction of cellular apoptosis. Two papers now published in Retrovirology provide possible molecular mechanisms for the pro-apoptotic effect of Tat, which involve the cell's microtubular network and the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis.