Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in CD4+ T lymphocytes genetically deficient in LFA-1: LFA-1 is required for HIV-mediated cell fusion but not for viral transmission.
In the present study, we demonstrated that expression of the LFA-1 molecule is necessary for cell fusion and syncytia formation in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected CD4+ T lymphocytes. In contrast, the lack of expression of LFA-1 does not influence significantly cell-to-cell transmission of HIV. In fact, LFA-1- T lymphocytes obtained from a leukocyte adhesion deficiency patient were unable to fuse and form syncytia when infected with HIV-1 or HIV-2, despite the fact that efficiency of HIV infection (i.e., virus entry, HIV spreading, and levels of virus replication) was comparable with that observed in LFA-1+ T lymphocytes. In addition, we provide evidence that LFA-1 by mediating cell fusion contributes to the depletion of HIV-infected CD4+ T lymphocytes in vitro.
Pantaleo
G
G
Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Butini
L
L
Graziosi
C
C
Poli
G
G
Schnittman
S M
SM
Greenhouse
J J
JJ
Gallin
J I
JI
Fauci
A S
AS
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D015726:Giant Cells; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014779:Virus Replication
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins