Down-regulation of NAMPT expression by miR-182 is involved in Tat-induced HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) transactivation.

Tat's transactivating activity is controlled by sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) that connects HIV transcription with the metabolic state of the cell. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is a key enzyme in the salvaging pathway for the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) that is involved in energy metabolism. Host encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) may influence viral replication. In this study, our goal was aimed to investigate the regulation of miR-182 in TZM-bl cells and explore the mechanisms by which miR-182 influenced Tat-induced HIV-1 transactivation through targeting at down-regulation of NAMPT expression. We showed that miR-182 was up-regulated when Tat was expressed in TZM-bl cells. MiR-182 significantly inhibited NAMPT protein expression by acting on the 3'-UTR of the NAMPT mRNA. MiR-182 was involved in Tat-induced NAD(+) depletion, down-regulation of SIRT1 protein expression and activity, increased acetylation of p65. Forced expression of "miR-182 mimics" increased Tat-induced LTR transactivation. Our results uncover previously unknown links between Tat and a specific host cell miRNA that targets NAMPT. Our results suggest that strategies to augment NAMPT protein expression by down-regulation of miR-182 may have therapeutic benefits to prevent HIV-1 replication.