title: HIV binding, penetration, and primary infection in human cervicovaginal tissue.
abstract: We have developed human cervicovaginal organ culture systems to examine the initiating events in HIV transmission after exposure to various sources of HIV infectivity, including semen. Newly infected cells were detected in the cervical submucosa 3-4 days after exposure to a primary HIV isolate. At earlier times, extensive and stable binding occurred when cervical surfaces were exposed to virions or seminal cells. Cervical mucus provided some protection for the endocervical surface, by physically trapping virions and seminal cells. Confocal microscopy combined with 3D surface reconstruction revealed that virions could both bind to the external surface of the cervical epithelium and actually penetrate beneath the epithelial surface. In quantitative assays, pretreatment with a blocking antibody directed against beta1 integrin reduced HIV virion binding. Collectively, these results highlight a continuum of complex interactions that occurs when natural sources of HIV infectivity are deposited onto mucosal surfaces in the female reproductive tract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MMC 196, 420 Delaware Street Southeast, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: Xiaoyun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schacker
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horbul
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Southern
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002518:Ceramides / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000821:virology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000166:cytology* / Q000821:virology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000378:metabolism*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D014621:Vagina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000821:virology; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D002518:Ceramides; D019012:Integrin beta1