Scientific Publications
- PMID: 18296630
- Title: Efficient HIV 1 transmission from macrophages to T cells across transient virological synapses
- Abstract: Macrophages are reservoirs of HIV-1 infection, proposed to transmit virus to CD4(+) T cells, the primary target of the virus. Here we report that human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) rapidly spread HIV-1 to autologous CD4(+) T cells resulting in productive infection. Transmission takes place across transient adhesive contacts between T cells and MDMs, which have the features of a virological synapse including copolarization of CD4 on the T cell with HIV-1 Gag and Env on the macrophage. We propose that an infected MDM can infect at least one T cell every 6 hours. Since HIV-1-infected macrophages can survive for many weeks, these results highlight the central role played by macrophages in HIV-1 infection and pathogenesis.
- Date: 1970-08-21
- Year: 2008
- Journal: Blood
- PMID Author: Groot F, Welsch S, Sattentau QJ
Efficient HIV 1 transmission from macrophages to T cells across transient virological synapses
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