Donor and Recipient Envs from Heterosexual Human Immunodeficiency Virus Subtype C Transmission Pairs Require High Receptor Levels for Entry

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Melissa Alexander, Emory University; Rebecca Lynch, Emory University; Joseph Mulenga, Emory University; Susan A Allen, Emory University; Cynthia Derdeyn, Emory University; Eric Hunter, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2010-04
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2010, American Society for Microbiology
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.crossref.org/10.1128%2FJVI.02068-09
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Virology
• Volume: 84
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: 4100
• End Page: 4104
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology

Abstract

Compact, glycan-restricted envelope (Env) glycoproteins are selected during heterosexual transmission of subtype C HIV-1. Donor and recipient glycoproteins (Envs) from six transmission pairs were evaluated for entry into HeLa cells expressing different levels of CD4 and CCR5. Donor and recipient Envs demonstrated efficient entry into cells expressing high levels of CD4 and CCR5, and entry declined as CCR5 levels decreased. Infectivity for all Envs was severely impaired in cells expressing low levels of CD4, even at the highest CCR5 levels. In 5/6 pairs, there was no significant difference in efficiency of receptor utilization between the donor and recipient Envs in these HeLa-derived cell lines. Thus, HIV-1 transmission does not appear to select for viruses that can preferentially utilize low levels of entry receptors.