The molecular mechanism of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120-induced apoptosis of bystander T cells is not well defined. Here, we demonstrate that CD45, a key component of the T cell receptor pathway, plays a crucial role in apoptosis induced by HIV-1 gp120. We observed that HIV-1 gp120-induced apoptosis was significantly reduced in a CD45-deficient cell line and that reconstitution of CD45 in these cells restored gp120-induced apoptosis. However, expression of a chimeric protein containing only the intracellular phosphatase domain was not able to restore the apoptotic function in the CD45-negative clone, indicating an important role for the extracellular domain of CD45 in this function. The role of CD45 in gp120-induced apoptosis was further confirmed in T cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells using a selective CD45 inhibitor as well as CD45-specific small interfering RNA. We also observed that gp120 treatment induced CD45 association with the HIV coreceptor CXCR4. Further elucidation of downstream signaling events revealed that CD45 modulates HIV-1 gp120-induced apoptosis by regulating Fas ligand induction and activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway. These results suggest a novel CD45-mediated mechanism for the HIV envelope-induced apoptosis of T cells.
The depletion of CD4ϩ T lymphocytes is a central pathogenic feature of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) 2 infection and is largely responsible for the profound immunodeficiency characteristic of the late stages of HIV disease (1). Multiple mechanisms have been shown to contribute to the HIV-1-associated loss of CD4 ϩ T cells in HIV-1-infected individuals, among which the HIV-1-induced apoptosis of bystander uninfected cells is considered to be the most important (2-5). Several virally encoded proteins, including the envelope protein gp120, Tat, and Vpr, have been implicated in this process (3,6,7). Cumulative data demonstrate a major role for the HIV envelope glycoprotein in the death of uninfected lymphocytes (8, 9). The presence of measurable amounts of circulating soluble gp120 in HIV-infected subjects and the accumulation of a high concentration of envelope glycoproteins in lymphoid tissues underscore the potential for the envelope to contribute to T cell dysfunction (10, 11). A number of studies have indicated that HIV-1 gp120-induced apoptosis could represent an exacerbation of activation-induced cell death (12, 13). In fact, circulating T lymphocytes in HIV-1-infected patients are characterized by a high degree of immune activation (14, 15). Although immune activation may modulate HIV-mediated apoptosis, the molecular mechanisms involving the cross-talk between the T cell receptor (TCR) pathway and HIV-1 gp120 and leading to T cell loss are still unclear. Because the proteintyrosine phosphatase CD45 plays an essential role in TCR signaling (16 -18), it seemed reasonable to speculate that it may play a key role in HIV envelope-mediated apoptosis. CD45 is a transmembrane protein-tyrosine phosphatas...