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DC-SIGN interactions with human immunodeficiency virus: virus binding and transfer are dissociable functions
S Pöhlmann1, G J Leslie, T G Edwards
1Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Journal of Virology
|October 3, 2001
Summary
DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR capture and transfer HIV, but this process is not solely due to virus tethering. The study reveals distinct binding and transfer steps in DC-SIGN/DC-SIGNR-mediated human immunodeficiency virus transmission.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- C-type lectins like DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR are implicated in capturing and transferring the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
- The precise mechanism by which these lectins facilitate HIV transmission to susceptible cells remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR-mediated HIV transmission.
- To determine if HIV transmission is solely dependent on the prolonged tethering of the virus to the cell surface.
Main Methods:
- Investigating the binding and transfer dynamics of HIV in the presence of DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR.
- Analyzing the dissociable nature of the binding and transfer steps involved in viral transmission.
Main Results:
- DC-SIGN/DC-SIGNR-mediated HIV transmission comprises distinct binding and transfer phases.
- These two steps, binding and transfer, can be dissociated, suggesting a more complex mechanism than simple virus tethering.
Conclusions:
- Efficient human immunodeficiency virus transmission via DC-SIGN/DC-SIGNR is not solely a consequence of virus tethering to the cell.
- The findings reveal a multi-step process involving separable binding and transfer events critical for HIV transmission.
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