Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1: replication, proliferation and propagation by Tax and HTLV-1 bZIP factor

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) spreads primarily by cell-to-cell transmission. Therefore, HTLV-1 promotes the proliferation of infected cells to facilitate transmission. In HTLV-1 infected individuals, the provirus is present mainly in effector/memory T cells and Foxp3+ T cells. Recent study suggests that this immunophenotype is acquired by infected cells through the function of HTLV-1 bZIP factor (HBZ). Tax, which is encoded by the plus strand, is crucial for viral replication and de novo infection, while HBZ, encoded by the minus strand, is important for proliferation of infected cells. Importantly, HBZ and Tax have opposing functions in most transcription pathways. HBZ and Tax cooperate in elaborate ways to permit viral replication, proliferation of infected cells and propagation of the virus.