Identification and characterization of a macrophage-tropic SIV envelope glycoprotein variant in blood from early infection in SIVmac251-infected macaques.

ABSTRACT: Macrophages play an important role in HIV/SIV pathogenesis by serving as a reservoir for viral persistence in brain and other tissues. Infected macrophages have been detected in brain early after infection, but macrophage-tropic viruses are rarely isolated until late-stage infection. Little is known about early variants that establish persistent infection in brain. Here, we characterize a unique macrophage-tropic SIV envelope glycoprotein (Env) variant from two weeks post-infection in blood of an SIVmac251-infected macaque that is closely related to sequences in brain from animals with neurological disease. SIVmac251 clones expressing this Env are highly fusogenic, and replicate efficiently in T cells and macrophages. N173 and N481 were identified as novel determinants of macrophage tropis

SUBMITTER: Yen PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4112485 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature