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Human immunodeficiency virus infection of cells arrested in the cell cycle

P Lewis1, M Hensel, M Emerman

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle.

The EMBO Journal
|August 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can infect non-dividing cells, unlike other retroviruses. This unique ability, crucial for HIV infection, is linked to core viral proteins.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cell proliferation is typically essential for retroviral infection and integration.
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is known to infect non-dividing macrophages.
  • This capability to infect non-dividing cells is a key characteristic distinguishing lentiviruses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if HIV can infect other non-dividing cell types beyond macrophages.
  • To compare HIV's infectivity in non-dividing cells with that of other retroviruses.
  • To identify potential viral factors responsible for HIV's ability to infect non-dividing cells.

Main Methods:

  • Infection of CD4+ HeLa cells arrested at G2 cell cycle stage with HIV-1.
  • Infection of the same arrested cells with Moloney murine leukemia virus (MuLV) as a control.
  • Analysis of viral DNA integration, RNA, and protein production in infected cells.

Main Results:

  • HIV-1 successfully infected CD4+ HeLa cells arrested in G2 phase.
  • Proliferation was necessary for MuLV infection in these same cells.
  • HIV-1 integrated into the DNA of arrested cells and produced viral components similarly to normally dividing cells.
  • Data suggest a core HIV-1 virion protein is responsible for infecting non-dividing cells.

Conclusions:

  • HIV-1's ability to infect non-dividing cells is not limited to macrophages.
  • This characteristic is shared by lentiviruses but not other retroviruses like MuLV.
  • The capacity to infect non-dividing cells is likely a significant factor in the pathogenesis and natural history of HIV infection.

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