Productive infection of primary murine astrocytes, lymphocytes, and macrophages by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in culture

J Neurovirol. 2004 Dec;10(6):400-8. doi: 10.1080/13550280490890097.

Abstract

A mouse model of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection would be extremely valuable for evaluation of therapies and vaccines; however, multiple blocks to productive infection of NIH 3T3 and other mouse cell lines have been reported. The authors investigated the replication of HIV-1 in primary mouse astrocytes, lymphocytes, and macrophages in culture by infection with intact HIV-1 pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus G envelope glycoprotein (VSV-G) or with the envelope glycoprotein of amphotropic murine leukemia virus. Astrocytes, lymphocytes, and macrophages were susceptible to productive infection as variously assayed by detection of p24 and Tat proteins, viral protease-mediated processing of Gag, appropriately spliced viral RNA, and infectious progeny virus. As expected, NIH 3T3 cells were not susceptible to productive infection by VSV/NL4. Susceptibility mapped neither to the Fv locus nor to a possible polymorphism in cyclin T1. This study indicates that there are no intrinsic intracellular barriers to HIV-1 replication in primary mouse cells when virus entry is efficient.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Astrocytes / virology*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • HIV Core Protein p24 / metabolism
  • HIV Infections / virology*
  • HIV-1 / pathogenicity*
  • HIV-1 / physiology
  • Lymphocytes / virology*
  • Macrophages / virology*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • RNA Splicing
  • RNA, Viral
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / metabolism
  • Virus Replication / physiology

Substances

  • G protein, vesicular stomatitis virus
  • HIV Core Protein p24
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • RNA, Viral
  • Viral Envelope Proteins