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K Konopka

Publications and source records attributed to K Konopka.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Influence of antifungal polyenes on the adhesion of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata to human epithelial cells in vitro.

Candidal adherence to mucosal surfaces is considered as the first step in the pathogenesis of oral candidiasis. We examined the effect of antifungal polyenes, amphotericin B, nystatin and natamycin, at sublethal and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) on the adherence of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata to HeLa cervical carcinoma and HSC-3 oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. A total of six oral Candida isolates were used throughout the study. Two Candida strains, C. albicans (44990) and C. glabrata (MYA-275) were obtained from ATCC. Four Candida strains, C. albicans 19 and 24 and C. glabrata 15 and 21, were isolated from patients with documented Candida-associated denture stomatitis. Cells were either incubated with Candida in the presence of the drug, or pre-incubated with yeasts and exposed subsequently to the drug. In the drug-free controls, the mean number of C. albicans yeasts associated with HeLa cells obtained from all experiments (130.1+/-10.1 yeasts/mm(2)) was significantly greater than that for HSC-3 cells (114.7+/-10.1 yeasts/mm(2); P<0.025). For C. glabrata, the mean adherence to HeLa and HSC-3 cells was 84.4+/-5.5 and 84.4+/-3.3 yeasts/mm(2), respectively, and these values were not statistically different (P>0.4). Candidal adherence was significantly reduced when the tested polyenes were present during the "adherence phase". The obtained values were significantly different from the controls, except for the effect of nystatin at the MIC on the adherence of C. glabrata strain MYA-275 to HeLa cells (P<0.375). Amphotericin B had the highest effect against both Candida species, reducing adherence by approximately 50 and approximately 60%, at the MIC and sublethal concentrations, respectively. The susceptibility of cell-associated Candida to polyenes was decreased markedly and the treatment did not result in significant detachment of adherent yeasts. The reduction in adherence was between 2 and 10%, when compared to the drug-free controls. These findings suggest that sub-therapeutic levels of polyenes that are likely to persist in the oral cavity following topical treatment may modulate candidal colonization when present during the "adherence phase".

Amphotericin B↗

Delivery of novel macromolecular drugs against HIV-1.

The development of new low molecular weight drugs against human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) targets other than reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease, such as the integrase and the envelope glycoprotein, is likely to take many years. Macromolecular drugs, including antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes, RNA decoys and transdominant mutant proteins, may be able to interfere with a relatively large number of viral targets, thereby decreasing the likelihood of the emergence of drug-resistant strains. It may also be relatively easy to alter the sequence of some of the macromolecular drugs to counter emerging drug-resistant viruses. The delivery of antisense oligonucleotides and ribozymes to HIV-1 infected or potentially infectable cells by antibody-targeted liposomes, certain cationic lipid formulations and pH-sensitive liposomes results in significant anti-HIV-1 activity. These carriers not only facilitate cytoplasmic delivery but also protect the drugs from nuclease digestion. Delivery of therapeutic genes (another form of macromolecular drug) to target cells is an important challenge of gene therapy. Following delivery by a viral vector, sufficient levels of gene expression must be maintained over an extended period of time to have therapeutic activity. Robust expression of therapeutically useful ribozymes, antisense, decoys and aptamers can be achieved by the use of Pol III expression systems. Moloney murine leukaemia virus- (MoMuLV), adeno-associated virus (AAV)-, or HIV-derived vectors expressing a variety of therapeutic genes have been used successfully to inhibit HIV-1 replication in cultured cells.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Rev-binding aptamer and CMV promoter act as decoys to inhibit HIV replication.

We examined whether the antiviral effect of an HIV-1 Rev-binding aptamer [RBE(apt)] could be enhanced by a ribozyme directed against the HIV-1 env gene, and whether the antiviral activity was affected by different promoters. The efficacy of the aptamer and ribozyme DNAs was tested in HeLa cells co-transfected with the HIV-1 proviral clones, HXBDeltaBgl or pNL4-3, using transferrin-lipoplexes. The RBE(apt) and anti-env ribozyme genes were inserted into the pTZU6+27 plasmid, or constructed under the control of the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoters. The parental vector plasmids were used as controls. Co-transfection of the pTZU6+27 RBE(apt) plasmid with HXBDeltaBgl, or pNL4-3, at a weight ratio of 5:1, inhibited p24 production by 70 and 45%, respectively. The RSV RBE(apt) plasmid co-transfected with either HIV clone, at the same weight ratio, reduced viral production by 88%. The addition of the anti-env ribozyme to the RSV RBE(apt) did not enhance its antiviral activity. When the constructs were under the control of the CMV promoter, the expression of the HIV plasmids was very low and was independent of the presence of the RBE(apt). Thus, the effect of the RBE(apt) was strongly dependent on the promoter of the tested construct. The anti-HIV activity of the CMV RBE(apt) construct was non-specific, because co-transfection with either pCMV. SPORT-betagal or pCMVlacZ significantly suppressed HIV production from the HIV proviral clones. The reduction in p24 could not be attributed to the non-specific toxicity of the transfection procedure. Transfection of acutely HIV-infected HeLa-CD4 cells with pCMV.SPORT-betagal reduced the p24 level by 35%, while the expression of the U6 RBE(apt) did not affect p24 production. The suppression of HIV production from the HIV proviral clones by the CMV promoter constructs in the co-transfection assays may be explained by competition for transcription factors (TFs) between HIV and CMV promoters. This observation points to the potential for misleading results in co-transfections involving CMV constructs and HIV.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Anti-HIV activity of amphotericin B-cholesteryl sulfate colloidal dispersion in vitro.

We examined whether the anti-HIV-1 activity of the polyene antibiotic Amphotericin B (AMB) is retained following incorporation into sterically stabilized 'Stealth' liposomes (L-AMB) with prolonged circulation in vivo, or cholesteryl sulfate colloidal dispersions (CD-AMB). The effects of the different preparations on acute infection of H9 cells with HIV-1IIIB, spreading of the virus from chronically infected H9/HTLV-IIIB cells to SupT1 cells, and HIV-1-induced syncytium formation were evaluated. Infection was monitored by p24 levels in culture supernatants. L-AMB did not affect HIV-1 infection. When present only during initial infection, AMB (3-20 microg/ml) reduced p24 levels by 70-80% after 7 and 10 days post-infection, while CD-AMB inhibited p24 production by approximately 30-40% at day 7 and 50-60% at day 10. The inhibitory effect of CD-AMB and AMB was enhanced by continuous treatment of acutely infected cells. The reduction of p24 production during continuous treatment was not due to cytotoxicity. During spreading of infection from infected to uninfected cells, AMB almost completely inhibited virus production while CD-AMB reduced both p24 production and the cytopathic effect in a dose-dependent manner. HIV-1 induced syncytium formation was slightly inhibited by AMB but not by CD-AMB. Because CD-AMB is considerably less cytotoxic than AMB, its ability to inhibit HIV infection in vivo needs to be evaluated further.

Amphotericin B↗

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI): oxidation of SLPI does not explain its variable anti-HIV activity.

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) has been proposed as a potential inhibitor of HIV-1 infection in human saliva. Although the ability of recombinant (r) SLPI to inhibit HIV-1 infection of macrophages and primary T-cells has been demonstrated by two independent laboratories, evidence to the contrary has also been reported. This study re-examines the anti-HIV effect of rSLPI and investigates the effects of repeated freeze-thawing and oxidation on the anti-HIV activity of rSLPI. rSLPI inhibited HIV-1BaL infection of human macrophages in a highly variable manner. HPLC and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI) analyses indicated that variability in our inhibition data could not be attributed to the degradation or oxidation of rSLPI. These results suggest that the variable anti-HIV effect of rSLPI may be due to differential expression of the cell-surface molecule(s) to which SLPI binds rather than to changes in the rSLPI molecule.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Delivery of an anti-HIV-1 ribozyme into HIV-infected cells via cationic liposomes.

Cationic liposome-mediated intracellular delivery of a fluorescein-labeled chimeric DNA-RNA ribozyme targeted to the HIV-1 5' LTR was investigated, using THP-1, THP-1/HIV-1IIIB or HeLa/LAV cells. Different fluorescence patterns were observed when the cells were exposed to Lipofectamine, Lipofectin or DMRIE:DOPE (1:1) complexed to the ribozyme. With Lipofectamine intense cell-associated fluorescence was found. Incubation with Lipofectin resulted in less intense diffuse fluorescence, while with DMRIE an intense but sporadic fluorescence was observed. Differentiated THP-1/HIV-1IIIB cells were more susceptible to killing by liposome-ribozyme complexes than THP-1 cells. Under non-cytotoxic conditions (a 4-h treatment) complexes of 5, 10 or 15 microM Lipofectin or DOTAP:DOPE (1:1) and ribozyme, at lipid:ribozyme ratios of 8:1 or 4:1, did not affect p24 production in THP-1/HIV-1IIIB cells in spite of the intracellular accumulation of the ribozyme. A 24-h exposure of THP-1/HIV-1IIIB cells to 5 microM Lipofectin or DOTAP:DOPE (1:1) complexed with either the functional or a modified control ribozyme reduced virus production by approximately 30%. Thus, the antiviral effect of the liposome-complexed ribozyme was not sequence-specific. In contrast, the free ribozyme at a relatively high concentration inhibited virus production by 30%, while the control ribozyme was ineffective, indicating a sequence-specific effect. Both Lipofectin and DOTAP complexed with ribozyme were toxic at 10 and 15 microM after a 24-h treatment. A 4-h treatment of HeLa/LAV cells with Lipofectin at 5, 10 or 15 microM was not toxic to the cells, but also did not inhibit p24 production. In contrast, treatment of HeLa CD4+ cells immediately after infection with HIV-1IIIB at the same lipid concentrations and lipid:ribozyme ratios was cytotoxic. Our results indicate that the delivery of functional ribozyme into cells by cationic liposomes is an inefficient process and needs extensive improvement before it can be used in ex vivo and in vivo applications.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗

Receptor ligand-facilitated cationic liposome delivery of anti-HIV-1 Rev-binding aptamer and ribozyme DNAs.

We examined whether HIV-1 gene expression could be inhibited by the anti-HIV Rev-binding aptamer [RBE(apt)], and whether the antiviral effect of the aptamer could be enhanced by a ribozyme directed against the HIV-1 env gene. Since cationic liposomes are relatively safe and non-immunogenic for in vivo gene delivery, we tested the effectiveness of the aptamer and ribozyme DNAs in HeLa cells, using Lipofectin reagent in a transient transfection assay. To increase the transfection efficiency, lipofectin was mixed with transferrin before subsequent addition of DNA. Co-transfection of HeLa cells with the RBE(apt) and the proviral HIV clone, HXBdeltaBgl, resulted in inhibition of virus production. Specific inhibition of viral p24 production following co-transfection of the RBE(apt) and HIV proviral DNAs was observed. These data provide strong support for the use of in vitro evolved ligands as potential anti-HIV agents. The addition of the anti-env ribozyme to the aptamer construct did not further enhance the antiviral activity, suggesting either that we had reached the limits of inhibition in this assay, or that the ribozyme was not able to access its target site with Rev bound to the RBE aptamer. The observed inhibition of p24 production could not be attributed to the non-specific toxicity of the transfection procedure, because no difference in viability was observed between the RBE(apt)- and the vector control-treated cells. All of the aptamer-ribozyme constructs as well as the RBE(apt) were similarly effective.

Base Sequence↗

Cationic liposome-mediated expression of HIV-regulated luciferase and diphtheria toxin a genes in HeLa cells infected with or expressing HIV.

HIV-regulated expression of the diphtheria toxin A fragment gene (HIV-DT-A) is a potential gene therapy approach to AIDS. Since cationic liposomes are safe and non-immunogenic for in vivo gene delivery, we examined whether LipofectAMINE or DMRIE reagent could mediate the transfection of HIV-DT-A (pTHA43) or the HIV-regulated luciferase gene (pLUCA43) into HIV-infected or uninfected HeLa cells. pLUCA43 was expressed at a 10(3)-fold higher level in HeLa/LAV cells than in uninfected HeLa cells, while the extent of expression of RSV-regulated luciferase was the same in both cell lines. Co-transfection of HeLa cells with pTHA43 and the proviral HIV clone, HXB deltaBgl, resulted in complete inhibition of virus production. In contrast, the delivery of HIV-DT-A to chronically infected HeLa/LAV or HeLa/IIIB cells, or to HeLa CD4+ cells before infection, did not have a specific effect on virus production, since treatment of cells with control plasmids also reduced virus production. This reduction could be ascribed to cytotoxicity of the reagents. The efficiency of transfection, as measured by the percentage of cells expressing beta-gal, was approximately 5%. Thus, cationic liposome-mediated transfection was too inefficient to inhibit virus production when the DT-A was delivered by cationic liposomes to chronically- or de novo- infected cells. However, when both the virus and DT-A genes were delivered into the same cells by cationic liposomes, DT-A was very effective at inhibiting virus production. Our results indicate that the successful use of cationic liposomes for gene therapy will require the improvement of their transfection efficiency.

Diphtheria Toxin↗

The anti-HIV-1 activity associated with saliva.

This review summarizes the data on the anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity associated with saliva and the possible routes of oral transmission of HIV. Saliva can be passed from an HIV-infected individual to an uninfected person via sexual or non-sexual activities. The relative risk of HIV transmission through saliva is a subject of continuing concern for dental practitioners. HIV-infected individuals frequently have oral lesions that can cause bleeding and release of the virus into the oral cavity. In addition, viral p24 and HIV-1 RNA were detected in tonsils and adenoids even in asymptomatic seropositive individuals. Nevertheless, the potential HIV-infectivity of saliva is low, although both infectious HIV-1 and HIV DNA have been detected in saliva. This observation has led to the suggestion that saliva may contain factors that inhibit HIV-1 infectivity. At least two anti-HIV activities have been partially characterized: (i) physical entrapment of HIV by high-molecular-weight molecules (e.g., mucins), and (ii) inhibition of viral infection by soluble proteins. Several studies have indicated that, of the salivary proteins evaluated, recombinant secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (rSLPI) could inhibit HIV-1 infection in macrophages at physiological concentrations. The anti-HIV activity of the serine protease inhibitor rSLPI is most likely due to its interaction with a cell-surface molecule(s) other than the primary HIV-1 receptor, CD4, and may involve (i) inhibition of cell-surface serine protease(s), and/or (ii) interaction with other human-specific co-factors essential for viral entry.

Disease Transmission, Infectious↗

Platelet-activating factor mediates angiotensin II-induced proteinuria in isolated perfused rat kidney.

Isolated kidney preparations (IPK) from male Sprague Dawley rats perfused at constant pressure were used to evaluate the effect of angiotensin II (AII) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) on renal function and urinary protein excretion. Compared with basal, intrarenal infusion of AII at 8 ng/min caused a progressive increase in protein excretion (11 +/- 6 versus 73 +/- 21 micrograms/min) in parallel with a decline in renal perfusate flow (RPF) (29 +/- 3 versus 18 +/- 3 ml/min). Addition to the perfusate of PAF at 50 nM final concentration also induced proteinuria (9 +/- 4 versus 55 +/- 14 micrograms/min) but did not change RPF (29 +/- 3 versus 30 +/- 3 ml/min). Preexposure of isolated kidneys to the PAF receptor antagonist WEB 2086 prevented the increase in urinary protein excretion induced by AII infusion (basal: 13 +/- 6; post-AII: 12 +/- 7 micrograms/min) but failed to prevent the vasoactive effect of AII (RPF, basal: 30 +/- 2; post-AII: 21 +/- 3 ml/min). In additional experiments, dexamethasone reduced the proteinuric effect of PAF remarkably. These results indicate that in isolated kidney preparation: (1) AII infusion induced proteinuria and decreased RPF; and (2) the effect of AII in enhancing urinary protein excretion was completely prevented by a specific PAF receptor antagonist, which, however, did not influence the AII-induced fall in RPF. It is suggested that PAF plays a major role in AII-induced changes in the permselective function of the glomerular capillary barrier.

Angiotensin II↗

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection increases the sensitivity of macrophages and THP-1 cells to cytotoxicity by cationic liposomes.

Cationic liposomes may be valuable for the delivery of anti-sense oligonucleotides, ribozymes, and therapeutic genes into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected and uninfected cells. We evaluated the toxicity of three cationic liposomal preparations, Lipofectamine, Lipofectin, and 1, 2-dimyristyloxypropyl-3-dimethyl-hydroxyethyl ammonium bromide (DMRIE) reagent, to HIV-infected and uninfected cells. Monocyte/macrophages were infected with HIV-1BaL and treated with liposomes in medium containing 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 4 h or 24 h at 37 degree C. Uninfected monocytic THP-1 cells and chronically infected THP-1/HIV-1IIIB cells were treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and exposed to liposomes in the presence of 10% FBS. Toxicity was evaluated by the Alamar Blue assay and viral p24 production. The toxic effect of cationic liposomes was very limited with uninfected cells, although concentrations of liposomes that were not toxic within a few days of treatment could cause toxicity at later times. In HIV-1BaL-infected macrophages, Lipofectamine (up to 8 microM) and Lipofectin (up to 40 microM) were not toxic after a 4-h treatment, while DMRIE reagent at 40 microM was toxic. While a 4-h treatment of THP-1/HIV-1IIIB cells with the cationic liposomes was not toxic, even up to 14 days post-treatment, all three cationic liposomes were toxic to cells at the highest concentration tested after a 24-h treatment. Similar results were obtained with the Alamar Blue assay, Trypan Blue exclusion and a method that enumerates nuclei. Infected cells with relatively high overall viability could be impaired in their ability to produce virions, indicating that virus production appears to be more sensitive to treatment with the cationic liposomes than cell viability. Our results indicate that HIV-infected cells are more susceptible than uninfected cells to killing by cationic liposomes. The molecular basis of this differential effect is unknown; it is proposed that alterations in cellular membranes during virus budding cause enhanced interactions between cationic liposomes and cellular membranes.

Animals↗

The stoichiometry of the cytochrome P-450-catalyzed metabolism of methoxyflurane and benzphetamine in the presence and absence of cytochrome b5.

The complete stoichiometry of the metabolism of the cytochrome b5 (cyt b5)-requiring substrate, methoxyflurane, by purified cytochrome P-450 2B4 was compared to that of another substrate, benzphetamine, which does not require cyt b5 for its metabolism. Cyt b5 invariably improved the efficiency of product formation. That is, in the presence of cyt b5 a greater percentage of the reducing equivalents from NADPH were utilized to generate substrate metabolites, primarily at the expense of the side product, superoxide. With methoxyflurane, cyt b5 addition always resulted in an increased rate of product formation, while with benzphetamine the rate of product formation remained unchanged, increased or decreased. The apparently contradictory observations of increased reaction efficiency but decrease in total product formation for benzphetamine can be explained by a second effect of cyt b5. Under some experimental conditions cyt b5 inhibits total NADPH consumption. Whether stimulation, inhibition, or no change in product formation is observed in the presence of cyt b5 depends on the net effect of the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of cyt b5. When total NADPH consumption is inhibited by cyt b5, the rapidly metabolized, highly coupled (approximately equal to 50%) substrate, benzphetamine, undergoes a net decrease in metabolism not counterbalanced by the increase in the efficiency (2-20%) of the reaction. In contrast, in the presence of the slowly metabolized, poorly coupled (approximately equal to 0.5-3%) substrate, methoxyflurane, inhibition of total NADPH consumption by cyt b5 was never sufficient to overcome the stimulation of product formation due to an increase in efficiency of the reaction.

Animals↗

Differential effects of a hydrophobic tripeptide on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-induced syncytium formation and viral infectivity.

The synthetic hydrophobic peptide, Z-D-Phe-L-Phe-Gly, was shown previously to inhibit the infectivity of paramyxoviruses and the fusion of Sendai virus with liposomes. We examined the ability of this peptide to inhibit HIV-1 infectivity in A3.01, Sup-T1, and H9 cells and syncytium formation between these cells and chronically infected H9 cells. Although the peptide inhibited syncytium formation in a dose-dependent manner, its effect on virus infectivity was very limited. Our results suggest that the mechanisms of interaction of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120/gp41 with the target cell membrane leading to membrane fusion may be different in cell-cell and virus-cell fusion.

Antiviral Agents↗

A monoclonal antibody to the gp120-CD4 complex has differential effect on HIV-induced syncytium formation and viral infectivity.

A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb F-91-55) raised against the complex of soluble CD4 and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 had previously been found to inhibit syncytium formation without inhibiting the interaction of CD4 with gp120, and its binding site was localized within the first two domains (D1/D2) of CD4. We investigated whether this antibody inhibited the infectivity of HIV-1 in the CD4+ T cell lines A3.01, Sup-T1 and H9. We also examined the effect of the antibody on syncytium formation between these cells and chronically infected H9 cells. Syncytium formation was found to depend critically on the incubation medium used. The effect of the MAb on HIV-1 infectivity was very limited with A3.01 and Sup-T1 cells, although it inhibited syncytium formation between A3.01 or Sup-T1 and chronically infected H9 cells. In contrast, the MAb inhibited significantly the infectivity of HIV-1 in H9 cells, but it also inhibited syncytium formation between H9 and chronically infected H9 cells to a greater extent than in the case of the other cell lines. Our results indicate that cellular systems used for syncytium assays differ in their susceptibility to inhibitory antibodies. In the A3.01 and Sup-T1 cell systems, the differences in the ability of the MAb to block viral entry or syncytium formation raise the possibility that the mechanisms of interaction of gp120/gp41 with cell membrane CD4 may be different in cell-cell and virus-cell membrane fusion.

Animals↗

Liposome targeting to human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected cells via recombinant soluble CD4 and CD4 immunoadhesin (CD4-IgG).

HIV-infected cells producing virions express the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120/gp41 on their surface. We examined whether liposomes coupled to recombinant soluble CD4 (sCD4, the ectodomain of CD4 which binds gp120 with high affinity) could specifically bind to HIV-infected cells. sCD4 was chemically coupled by 2 different methods to liposomes containing rhodamine-phosphatidylethanolamine in their membrane as a fluorescent marker. In one method, sCD4 was thiolated with N-succinimidyl acetylthioacetate (SATA) and coupled to liposomes via a maleimide-derivatised phospholipid. In the other method, the oligosaccharides on sCD4 were coupled to a sulfhydryl-derivatised phospholipid, utilizing the bifunctional reagent, 4-(4-N-maleimidophenyl)butyric acid hydrazide (MPBH). The association of the liposomes with HIV-1-infected or uninfected cells was examined by flow cytometry. CD4-coupled liposomes associated specifically to chronically infected H9/HTLV-IIIB cells, but not to uninfected H9 cells. CD4-coupled liposomes also associated specifically with monocytic THP-1 cells chronically infected with HIV-1 (THP-1/HIV-1IIIB). Control liposomes without coupled CD4 did not associate significantly with any of the cells, while free sCD4 could competitively inhibit the association of the CD4-coupled liposomes with the infected cells. The chimeric molecule CD4-immunoadhesin (CD4-IgG) could also be used as a ligand to target liposomes with covalently coupled Protein A (which binds the Fc region of the CD4-IgG) to H9/HTLV-IIIB cells. The CD4-liposomes inhibited the infectivity of HIV-1 in A3.01 cells, and also bound rgp120. Our results suggest that liposomes containing antiviral or cytotoxic agents may be targeted specifically to HIV-infected cells.

CD4 Antigens↗

Long-term noncytopathic productive infection of the human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1IIIB).

A long-term, noncytopathic, productive infection of the monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1IIIB) was established. Both infected cells (THP-1/HIV-1IIIB) growing in suspension and uninfected, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-treated THP-1 cells, which are adherent, showed ultrastructural characteristics of differentiated cells. PMA-treated THP-1 cells could not be productively infected with HIV-1IIIB. THP-1/HIV-1IIIB cells produced virions mainly by budding at the plasma membrane. These cells retained the ability to differentiate into macrophage-like cells, capable of releasing the virus for extended periods of time (e.g., 40 days). PMA-mediated differentiation of THP-1/HIV-1IIIB cells modified the pattern of virus localization. Immediately after PMA treatment mature viral particles were primarily observed extracellularly. After 21 days in culture, however, the virions accumulated in intracellular vacuoles. THP-1/HIV-1IIIB cells may be used as a useful model system for HIV-infected macrophages.

CD4 Antigens↗