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Productive human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection of nonproliferating human monocytes

J B Weinberg1, T J Matthews, B R Cullen

  • 1Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs, Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|December 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can infect monocytes, which are non-dividing cells, without requiring cellular proliferation or DNA synthesis. These infected monocytes may act as persistent reservoirs for HIV-1 in the body.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection typically requires T lymphocyte proliferation and DNA synthesis.
  • Human monocytes exhibit low DNA synthesis rates but can be efficiently infected by certain HIV-1 isolates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of HIV-1 infection in non-proliferating human monocytes.
  • To determine if cellular DNA synthesis is essential for HIV-1 replication in monocytes.

Main Methods:

  • Infection of monocytes with the monocytotropic HIV-1 BaL isolate.
  • Irradiation of monocytes to inhibit DNA synthesis.
  • Analysis of HIV-1 DNA integration into chromosomal DNA.

Main Results:

  • HIV-1 BaL efficiently infected monocytes, even when DNA synthesis was inhibited by irradiation.
  • Infected monocytes showed integration of HIV-1 BaL DNA into their chromosomal DNA.
  • Productive HIV-1 infection occurred in non-proliferating monocytes, unlike in T lymphocytes.

Conclusions:

  • Normal, non-proliferating monocytes can be productively infected by HIV-1 independently of cellular DNA synthesis.
  • Monocytes can serve as persistent and productive reservoirs for HIV-1 in vivo.
  • Findings challenge the requirement of cellular proliferation for HIV-1 infection in certain cell types.

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