Document 0348
 DOCN  M94A0348
 TI    Blood monocytes infected in vivo by HIV-1 variants with a
       syncytium-inducing phenotype.
 DT    9412
 AU    Innocenti-Francillard P; Brengel K; Guillon C; Mallet F; Morand P;
       Gruters R; Seigneurin JM; Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine,
       Grenoble, France.
 SO    AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1994 Jun;10(6):683-90. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/94355113
 AB    Extensive data have been obtained on sequence changes in the V3 region
       of the HIV-1 envelope protein that are associated with in vitro
       biological properties such as cell tropism and syncytium-inducing
       capacity. However, so far this concerned viruses isolated from
       peripheral blood mononuclear cells and thus did not discriminate between
       variants present in T lymphocytes or in monocytes. In this study, we
       analyzed viral sequences derived separately from uncultured T
       lymphocytes, blood monocytes, and plasma of an HIV-1-infected patient
       showing a neurological evolution of the disease. Sequences related to
       the V3 region and 18 amino acids downstream were obtained from 48 clones
       after PCR amplification. One predominant viral sequence close to the
       monocytotropic/non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) consensus sequence was
       observed in the three blood sources. Two viral species were specifically
       identified in monocytes (43% of the clones), showing clear differences
       from the consensus sequence and exhibiting the genetic determinants
       associated with the SI phenotype. Plasma-derived viruses with a similar
       V3 loop were obtained on in vitro isolation. Analysis of the biological
       properties of these selected viruses confirmed their monocytotropism and
       the syncytium-inducing phenotype as expected by the cell type in which
       the sequences were observed and the charge of the V3 loop. Structural
       analysis of these variants suggested an intermediate structure between
       NSI/monocytotropic and SI/lymphotropic V3 loops. Thus, in vivo
       circulating monocytes could be a reservoir for distinct HIV-1 variants
       with potential SI characteristics, at least in later stages of
       infection. Studying such variants over the course of the infection may
       shed light on their involvement in disease manifestations.
 DE    Amino Acid Sequence  Base Sequence  Case Report  DNA Probes  Human  HIV
       Envelope Protein gp120/*GENETICS  HIV Infections/*BLOOD  HIV-1/*GENETICS
       Male  Molecular Sequence Data  Monocytes/*MICROBIOLOGY  Polymerase Chain
       Reaction  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  T-Lymphocytes/*MICROBIOLOGY  JOURNAL
       ARTICLE

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