HIV-1 Tat induces biochemical changes in the serum of mice

The HIV-1 Tat protein is released by infected cells and has numerous biological activities which might contribute either to the impairment of the immune response or to viral dissemination and pathogenesis. To date, the effects of Tat protein on metabolites remain unclear. In this study, a metabolomic study on serum of HIV-1 Tat-induced ICR mice was performed to research the pathologic mechanism of Tat protein by using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Clear separations among the HIV-1 Tat-induced mice and the inaTat-induced or control mice were observed by principal component analysis and partial least-squares discriminant analysis based on the GC/MS spectral data. Additionally, 16 significantly changed metabolites in HIV-1 Tat-induced mice were identified that are involved in multiple perturbed metabolic pathways, which contributed to the elucidation of the complex pathogenic mechanism of Tat protein and may shed new lights on future improvement of HIV-1 therapy.

► We create a mouse model to study Tat-induced biochemical changes in serum. ► We first report a metabolomic study on the bioactivity of Tat protein. ► We find 16 changed metabolites which involve in multiple metabolic pathways. ► Our findings help in elucidating the pathogenic mechanism of HIV infection.