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A quantitative bioassay for HIV-1 based on trans-activation.

B K Felber¹, G N Pavlakis

¹National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research Facility, Bionetics Research, Inc., MD 21701.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|January 8, 1988

Summary

A new bioassay detects and quantifies human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) using trans-activation. This method accurately measures HIV-1 levels and can be used for drug efficacy studies.

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Area of Science:

Virology
Molecular Biology
Biotechnology

Background:

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection remains a global health challenge.
Accurate detection and quantification are crucial for managing HIV-1 infection and developing effective treatments.
Existing diagnostic methods may have limitations in sensitivity or specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a novel trans-activation-based bioassay for the detection and quantification of HIV-1.
To assess the specificity of the assay against other viral agents.
To explore the utility of the assay in studying HIV-1 drug effects.

Main Methods:

Construction of indicator cell lines containing the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene.
Infection of these cell lines with various HIV-1 isolates and other viruses.
Measurement of CAT protein expression as an indicator of viral trans-activation.

Main Results:

The developed bioassay demonstrated a 500- to 1000-fold activation in response to HIV-1 infection, irrespective of viral nucleotide sequence divergence.
Human T cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLVs) types 1 and 2, equine infectious anemia virus, and herpes simplex virus 1 did not activate the indicator cells.
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and HTLV type 4 showed minimal activation, suggesting distinct trans-activator elements.

Conclusions:

The trans-activation-based bioassay is a sensitive and specific tool for detecting and quantifying HIV-1.
The assay can differentiate HIV-1 from other related and unrelated viruses.
This method holds potential for HIV-1 typing and evaluating antiviral drug efficacy in diverse cellular contexts.

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