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Phagosome Migration and Velocity Measured in Live Primary Human Macrophages Infected with HIV-1
07:32

Phagosome Migration and Velocity Measured in Live Primary Human Macrophages Infected with HIV-1

Published on: September 5, 2016

HIV-1 buds and accumulates in "nonacidic" endosomes of macrophages

Mabel Jouve1, Nathalie Sol-Foulon, Sarah Watson

  • 1Institut Curie, INSERM U653, 26 rue d'Ulm 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.

Cell Host & Microbe
|November 17, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) survives in macrophages by preventing the acidification of viral assembly compartments. This mechanism allows infectious virus particles to persist within these cells for extended periods.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Macrophages serve as persistent viral reservoirs for Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1).
  • HIV-1 accumulates infectious viral particles within endosomal compartments in macrophages, enabling long-term survival.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the survival mechanisms of HIV-1 within acidic and proteolytic endocytic compartments in macrophages.
  • To characterize the nature of virus-containing compartments in HIV-1-infected primary macrophages.

Main Methods:

  • Ultrastructural study of HIV-1-infected primary macrophages.
  • Analysis of endosomal compartment acidification and vacuolar ATPase recruitment.

Main Results:

  • Virus-containing endosomal compartments were found to contain newly formed virions.
  • Unlike other endocytic compartments, virus-containing compartments did not acidify.
  • The lack of acidification correlated with the inability to recruit vacuolar ATPase.

Conclusions:

  • HIV-1 employs a survival strategy within macrophages by preventing acidification of dedicated viral assembly compartments.
  • This prevention of acidification may inhibit fusion with lysosomes, thus protecting viral particles from degradation.

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