TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE TAKAHASHI TSUJI'S LABORATORY

Virus infection and genetic alterations to the host cellular genes

The incidence of ATLL is thought to be caused by the infection and random insertion with HTLV-I virus genome to the genome of T cells. In addition to the gene encoding structural gag and env genes and retroviral enzymes, the HTLV-I genome has a region that was originally designated as the pX region. This pX region encodes some nonstructural proteins, including Tax, Rex, and certain accessory proteins (left figure). Tax plays central roles in tumorigenesis and contributes to alteration of host cellular signaling pathway. After the infection of HTLV-I, the incidence is thought to be caused by dependent on the accumulation of genetic alterations to the host cellular genes after the long incubation (left figure).

Recent studies reported the various molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis from the aspects of HTLV-I infection and pathogenesis. To address these, we aim to identify an essential cascade involved in the all stages of ATLL onset.