title: Human immunodeficiency virus Env-independent infection of human CD4(-) cells.
abstract: CD4(-) epithelial cells covering mucosal surfaces serve as the primary barrier to prevent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. We used HIV-1 vectors carrying the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene as a reporter gene to demonstrate that HIV-1 can infect some CD4(-) human epithelial cell lines with low but significant efficiencies. Importantly, HIV-1 infection of these cell lines is independent of HIV-1 envelope proteins. The Env-independent infection of CD4(-) cells by HIV-1 suggests an alternative pathway for HIV-1 transmission. Even on virions bearing Env, a neutralizing antibody directed against gp120 is incapable of neutralizing the infection of these cells, thus raising potential implications for HIV-1 vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000502:physiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015686:Gene Products, env