HIV-1 <i>Trans</i> Infection via TNTs Is Impeded by Targeting C5aR.

ABSTRACT: Nonadjacent immune cells communicate through a complex network of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). TNTs can be hijacked by HIV-1, allowing it to spread between connected cells. Dendritic cells (DCs) are among the first cells to encounter HIV-1 at mucosal sites, but they are usually efficiently infected only at low levels. However, HIV-1 was demonstrated to productively infect DCs when the virus was complement-opsonized (HIV-C). Such HIV-C-exposed DCs mediated an improved antiviral and T-cell stimulatory capacity. The role of TNTs in combination with complement in enhancing DC infection with HIV-C remains to be addressed. To this aim, we evaluated TNT formation on the surface of DCs or DC/CD4⁺ T-cell co-cultures incubated with non- or complement-opsonized HIV-1 (HIV, HIV-C) and the ro

SUBMITTER: Bertacchi G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8868603 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature