title: Automatic quantitation of HIV-1 mediated cell-to-cell fusion with a digital image analysis system (DIAS): application for rapid screening of HIV-1 fusion inhibitors.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency viruses type 1 (HIV-1) mediated cell-to-cell fusion plays an important role in HIV-1 spread from infected cells to uninfected cells and in HIV-1 cytopathogenesis. In the present study, we developed a convenient cell fusion assay using a computer-controlled digital image analysis system (DIAS) for automatic quantitation. Compared with a manual quantitative method, DIAS automatic method is less laborious, and more rapid. Furthermore, it is more objective and less dependent on the researchers' experience. This method has great potential to be developed further as a high-throughput screening assay for rapid screening of HIV-1 fusion inhibitors, for evaluating the activity of HIV-1 entry inhibitors and for studying the mechanism of action of anti-HIV-1 agents.
authors.affiliation: Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhikai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shibo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D002459:Cell Fusion; D002460:Cell Line; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D023581:HIV Fusion Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011506:Proteins
chemical_list: D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D023581:HIV Fusion Inhibitors; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011506:Proteins; C407149:peptide C34; C089395:T22 antigen