In vitro derived dendritic cells trans-infect CD4 T cells primarily with surface-bound HIV-1 virions.
In the prevailing model of HIV-1 trans-infection, dendritic cells (DCs) capture and internalize intact virions and transfer these virions to interacting T cells at the virological synapse. Here, we show that HIV-1 virions transmitted in trans from in vitro derived DCs to T cells principally originate from the surface of DCs. Selective neutralization of surface-bound virions abrogated trans-infection by monocyte-derived DCs and CD34-derived Langerhans cells. Under conditions mimicking antigen recognition by the interacting T cells, most transferred virions still derived from the cell surface, although a few were transferred from an internal compartment. Our findings suggest that attachment inhibitors could neutralize trans-infection of T cells by DCs in vivo.
Cavrois
Marielle
M
Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Neidleman
Jason
J
Kreisberg
Jason F
JF
Greene
Warner C
WC
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000821:virology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D014771:Virion / Q000472:pathogenicity*