More than 10 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been shown to act as coreceptors for infection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). We have isolated HIV-1 variants infectious to primary brain-derived CD4-positive cells (BT-3 and BT-20/N) and U87/CD4 glioma cells that are resistant to T-cell line-tropic (T-tropic), macrophage-tropic (M-tropic), and Tand M-tropic (dualtropic) (X4, R5, and R5X4) HIV-1 strains. These primary brain-derived cells were also highly susceptible to HIV-2 ROD , HIV-2 SBL6669 , and SIV mndGB-1 . A factor or coreceptor that determines the susceptibility of these brain-derived cells to these HIV and SIV strains has not been fully identified. To identify this coreceptor, we examined amino acid sequences of all known HIV and SIV coreceptors and noticed that tyrosine residues are well conserved in their extracellular amino-terminal domains. By this criterion, we selected 18 GPCRs as candidates of coreceptors for HIV and SIV strains infectious to these brain-derived cells. mRNA expression of an orphan GPCR, RDC1, was detected in the brain-derived cells, the C8166 T-cell line, and peripheral blood lymphocytes, all of which are susceptible to HIV-1 variants, but not in macrophages, which are resistant to them. When a CD4-expressing cell line, NP-2/CD4, which shows strict resistance to infection not only with HIV-1 but also with HIV-2 or SIV, was transduced with the RDC1 gene, the cells became highly susceptible to HIV-2 and SIV mnd strains but to neither M-nor T-tropic HIV-1 strains. The cells also acquired a low susceptibility to the HIV-1 variants. These findings indicate that RDC1 is a novel coreceptor for several HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV strains which infect brain-derived cells.

We found that most peripheral CD4 cells co-express a low density of CD8 alpha antigen in African green monkeys (AGM). Further, the cell surface expression of CD4 and the expression of CD4 mRNA underwent a decrease when purified CD4CD8low cells were cultured with mitogen and IL-2. These observations suggest that AGM CD4 cells are subject to loss of CD4 expression after lymphocyte activation. Part of the peripheral CD8 fraction exhibited a significant helper activity which suggested the phenotypic conversion in helper T cells from CD4+ to CD4- in vivo. Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) grew well in CD4 panning cells following SIV infection. In contrast, CD4CD8low cells were resistant to SIV infection after their conversion to CD4- cells.

Peripheral blood T lymphocytes of Old World monkeys, rhesus and cynomolgus monkey (Macaca mulatta and Macaca fascicularis, respectively), were successfully immortalized by infection with Herpesvirus saimiri subtype C. The T cell lines were stably cultured without addition of exogenous IL-2. The STP-C488 protein, the oncogene product of subtype C strain 488-77, was detected in these cells by Western blotting. They also expressed some markers of activated or matured T cell phenotypes such as CD2+, monkey Pan-T+, CD25+,CD29+ and MHC-II DR+. Interestingly, not only CD4+CD8- or CD4-CD8+ single positive subpopulations but also CD4+CD8+ double positive ones were present in all of them. Furthermore, they were productively infected with both SIVmac and SIVagm. The levels of the viral replication were comparable to those in human T cell lines. Thus, Herpes Virus Saimiri-immortalized Old World monkey T lymphocytes will be suitable for further studies of immune system in Old World monkeys and cell-virus interactions in SIV infection.

The morphogenesis of bacteriophage OX174 has been investigated by using an in vitro DNA synthesizing system. An extract of a B-mutant-infected cell is capable of synthesizing infectious phage in vitro when the B gene function is provided by the addition of an ammonium sulfate fraction of a C-mutant-infected-cell extract. This fraction contains the O complex, a complex of phage-coded proteins with S = 108; the B-mutant extract does not. The purified a complex, isolated from the C-mutant extract, caused the synthesis and encapsidation of viral DNA when added to B-mutant extract. The the sequence of events and the components necessary for the synthesis and packaging of viral DNA have been investigated in vivo with phages having mutations in these functions (2). These inquiries have been informative, but some aspects of phage morphogenesis are still not firmly established. In particular, whether a prohead is necessary for the encapsidation of viral DNA as for most isometric viruses or whether capsid subunits condense on nascent viral DNA remains not yet settled. The Q complex, a complex of phage-coded proteins containing no nucleic acid, has been suggested as a possible OX174 prohead (3).To study this possibility we have used an in vitro DNA synthesizing system (4, 5). The Q complex has been isolated by sucrose gradient centrifugation of a C-mutant extract. When added in vitro to B-mutant extracts, which are deficient in the Q complex and in viral DNA synthesis, the Q complex caused the synthesis of viral DNA and its encapsidation into infectious phages. Although the Q complex contains the B protein it is the intact Q complex that functions in the in vitro complementation of the B-mutant extract because other fractions that contain B protein but no Q complex have no complementing activity. We suggest that these results establish the Q complex as the kX174 prohead. MATERIALS AND METHODSBacteria and Phage Strains. Escherichia coli HF 4704 (6), 570-22 (4), and 502 (7) have been described. 4X174 S16 and H210 contained amber mutations in gene E (lysis) and gene B, infected with /X174 ochl2am3 for 45 min were prepared as described (5) except for the omission of bovine serum albumin and tRNA during lysis. For labeled cell extracts, E. coli 502 was grown in 600 ml of HFC to an OD at 660 nm of 0.5. The cells were collected at room temperature, resuspended in 300 ml of HFB, and irradiated with UV light for 10 min. The cells were collected, resuspended in 5 ml of HFB containing 10 mM MgCl2 and 5 mM CaCl2, and infected with qX174 ochl2am3 at multiplicity of 10. After a 5-min adsorption period at 37°C, the infected cells were added to 200 ml of HFC containing no leucine, to begin the infection. Infection was at 37°C with vigorous shaking. [3H]Leucine was added 5 mi after infection and the infected cells were harvested, as for unlabeled cells, 40 min after infection.Labeled and unlabeled cell extracts were pooled and fractionated by 40% saturation with ammonium sulfate as described (5) except that buffer B contain...

Pneumocystis carinii (Pc) infection was observed in three of five rhesus monkeys infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac251). They showed severe symptoms similar to those associated with human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Histopathology revealed severe pulmonary pneumocystosis in one of three Pc-positive monkeys, and anti-Pc antibodies were detected in sera from two of the three monkeys. Localization of Pc organisms in various organs of the monkeys was examined by the polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) method, and Pc-specific bands of DNA amplification were detected in the liver, kidney, spleen, adrenal gland, testis, brain, and other organs examined, but no Pc organism was found in these organs by histopathologic examination. These results suggest that the activation of a latent infection of Pc occurs in SIV-infected rhesus monkeys as well as in human AIDS. Experimental transmission of Pc derived from a simian was attempted in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice and athymic nude (rnu/rnu, F344) rats. These animals were inoculated intranasally with 10(4) Pc cysts, but neither histopathologic changes nor Pc organisms were detected in SCID mice at 4 months after inoculation or in nude rats at 2 months postinoculation, suggesting that simian Pc is species-specific.

Natural infection with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is known to occur in the African green monkey (AGM). The actual onset of the disease has not been recognized in SIVagm infected AGM, and the precise reason for such apathogenicity in the AGM remains unclear. We reported previously that AGM peripheral CD4 lymphocytes underwent a peculiar differentiation from CD4+ to CD4- cells after in vitro activation, and we inferred that the AGM does not fall into a fatal immunodeficient state because of the generation of CD4- helper T cells in vivo. To evaluate this possibility, we examined the relationship between CD4 expression and helper T cell activity in the naturally infected AGM. We identified a healthy monkey almost lacking CD4 T cells in the periphery. This AGM showed no signs and symptoms of immunodeficiency and retained a helper T cell activity in antibody production comparable to those of CD4+ AGMs. In addition, SIVagm could be isolated from CD8+ lymphocytes in the CD4- AGM. These observations suggest that a unique host-virus adaptation has developed in the AGM, and may be helpful in explaining the fundamental reason for the apathogenicity occurring in this monkey.

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A synthetic cycloimmunogen targeting the HIV-1 coreceptor CCR5 was evaluated for its capacity to induce CCR5-specific Abs with anti-HIV-1 activity in cynomolgus macaques. The cyclic closed-chain dodecapeptide (cDDR5) mimicking the conformation-specific domain of human CCR5 was chemically prepared, in which the Gly-Glu dipeptide links the amino and carboxy termini of the decapeptidyl linear chain (Arg168 to Thr177) derived from the undecapeptidyl arch (Arg168 to Cys178) of extracellular loop-2 in CCR5. The immunization of cynomolgus macaques with the cDDR5-conjugated multiple-Ag peptide (cDDR5-MAP) induced anti-cDDR5 serum production for ∼15 wk after the third immunization. The antisera raised against cDDR5-MAP reacted with both human and macaque CCR5s, and potently suppressed infection by the R5 HIV-1 laboratory isolate (HIVJRFL), R5 HIV-1 primary isolates (clade A:HIV93RW004 and clade C:HIVMJ4), and a pathogenic simian/HIV (SHIVSF162P3) bulk isolate in vitro. To examine the prophylactic efficacy of anti-CCR5 serum Ab for acute HIV-1 infection, cynomolgus macaques were challenged with SHIVSF162P3. The cDDR5-MAP immunization attenuated the acute phase of SHIVSF162P3 replication. The geometric mean plasma viral load in the vaccinated macaques was 217.10 times lower than that of the control macaques at 1 wk postchallenge. Taken together, these results suggest that cDDR5-MAP immunization is an effective prophylactic vaccine strategy that suppresses and delays viral propagation during the initial HIV-1 transmission for the containment of HIV-1 replication subsequent to infection.