HIV-1-Induced Small T Cell Syncytia Can Transfer Virus Particles to Target Cells through Transient Contacts.

ABSTRACT: HIV-1 Env mediates fusion of viral and target cell membranes, but it can also mediate fusion of infected (producer) and target cells, thus triggering the formation of multinucleated cells, so-called syncytia. Large, round, immobile syncytia are readily observable in cultures of HIV-1-infected T cells, but these fast growing "fusion sinks" are largely regarded as cell culture artifacts. In contrast, small HIV-1-induced syncytia were seen in the paracortex of peripheral lymph nodes and other secondary lymphoid tissue of HIV-1-positive individuals. Further, recent intravital imaging of lymph nodes in humanized mice early after their infection with HIV-1 demonstrated that a significant fraction of infected cells were highly mobile, small syncytia, suggesting that these entities contribute to v

SUBMITTER: Symeonides M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4690882 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature