rpt-1, an intracellular protein from helper/inducer T cells that regulates gene expression of interleukin 2 receptor and human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

The Rpt-1 (for regulatory protein, T-lymphocyte, 1) gene, selectively expressed by resting but not by activated CD4+ inducer T cells, encodes an intracellular protein (rpt-1, Mr 41,000) that down-regulates gene expression directed by the promoter region of the gene encoding interleukin 2 receptor alpha chain and by the long terminal repeat of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. The data reported here suggest that rpt-1 levels may be inversely correlated with activation of CD4+ T cells and human immunodeficiency virus replication leading to clinical symptoms of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.