HTLV-1 and HTLV-2: highly similar viruses with distinct oncogenic properties

Vincenzo Ciminale; Francesca Rende; Umberto Bertazzoni; Maria G Romanelli

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2014.00398

HTLV-1 and HTLV-2: highly similar viruses with distinct oncogenic properties

Front Microbiol. 2014 Jul 29:5:398. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00398. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Vincenzo Ciminale¹, Francesca Rende¹, Umberto Bertazzoni², Maria G Romanelli²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua Padua, Italy.
² Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona Verona, Italy.

Abstract

HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 share broad similarities in their overall genetic organization and expression pattern, but they differ substantially in their pathogenic properties. This review outlines distinctive features of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 that might provide clues to explain their distinct clinical outcomes. Differences in the kinetics of viral mRNA expression, functional properties of the regulatory and accessory proteins, and interactions with cellular factors and signal transduction pathways are discussed.

Keywords: APH2; HBZ; HTLV; Rex; Tax; clonality.

Publication types

Review