title: Lipid composition and fluidity of the human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: Lipid analyses of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) propagated in Hut 78 cells indicated a low total lipid/protein ratio, a high cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio, and major phospholipids consisting of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylserine; comparable lipid profiles were noted for human erythrocytes and other RNA viruses. Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies of HIV labeled with 5-nitroxide stearate (N-oxy-4',4'-dimethyloxazolidine derivative of ketostearate) showed a low "fluidity" at 37 degrees C, similar to other enveloped RNA viruses and erythrocytes and probably due to the high cholesterol/phospholipid ratio. Ethanol (50%) completely disrupts the envelope, contributing to the rapid inactivation of HIV by ethanol. Contrarily, heating to 57 degrees C causes much less fluidization, and this heating may play a role in the slower viral inactivation at high temperatures. Should a critical minimum ordering in the HIV envelope be necessary for viral stability and infectivity, manipulating the lipid composition or fluidizing the HIV membrane, or both, may provide an untried therapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology Service, J. L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Administration Hospital, Loma Linda, CA 92357.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Aloia
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Curtain
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Mobley
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006678:HIV / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D013113:Spin Labels; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D013113:Spin Labels; D000431:Ethanol; D002784:Cholesterol