Kinetics of HIV infection of human placental syncytiotrophoblast cultures: an ultrastructural and immunocytochemical study.

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Kinetics of HIV infection of human placental syncytiotrophoblast cultures: an ultrastructural and immunocytochemical study.

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1995 Sep;11(9):1023-30. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96089209
Fazely F; Fry GN; Thirkill TL; Hakim H; King BF; Douglas GC; Department of Medical Pathology, School of Medicine, University; of California, Davis 95616, USA.

Abstract: We previously demonstrated that syncytiotrophoblast (ST) cells from term human placentas could be infected when cocultured with HIV-infected lymphocytic cells. Here, we have used fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to examine the kinetics of this infection process. Molt-4 clone 8 cells infected with HIV-1Lai or filtered supernatant from these cultures were incubated with ST cells for different times. In cell-associated infection, immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that some ST colonies were positive for HIV core proteins (p24,p55) after 1 hr. The number of positive colonies and the intensity of the ST-associated fluorescence increased with time. Transmission electron microscopy showed viral particles with HIV morphology associated with the ST cell surface at 1 hr. Immature virions with budding morphology were observed at 2 hr. In cell-free infection, positive p24,p55 staining was first detected in a few ST colonies at 4 hr. The number of positive colonies increased with time. At 24 hr, the fluorescence pattern and intensity resembled that seen with cell-mediated infection at 4 hr. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an increasing number of viral particles associated with the ST cell plasma membrane with respect to time, and budding virions first appeared at 8 hr. These results demonstrate that HIV infection of placental ST cells proceeds very rapidly in culture and that, furthermore, cell-associated infection of ST is much more efficient than the infection with cell-free virus.

Keywords: Clone Cells Female Gene Products, gag/METABOLISM Human HIV Core Protein p24/METABOLISM HIV Infections/*ETIOLOGY/METABOLISM/VIROLOGY HIV-1/METABOLISM/*PATHOGENICITY/ULTRASTRUCTURE Immunohistochemistry Kinetics Microscopy, Electron Microscopy, Fluorescence Pregnancy Protein Precursors/METABOLISM Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Trophoblast/METABOLISM/ULTRASTRUCTURE/*VIROLOGY JOURNAL ARTICLE
960530
M9651097

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