The Journal of Antibiotics
Online ISSN : 1881-1469
Print ISSN : 0021-8820
ISSN-L : 0021-8820
A Simple Screening System for Anti-HIV Drugs: Syncytium Formation Assay Using T-Cell Line Tropic and Macrophage Tropic HIV env Expressing Cell Lines-Establishment and Validation-
HARUMI CHIBASATOSHI ASANUMAMEGUMI OKAMOTOJUNJI INOKOSHIHARUO TANAKAKAZUNOBU FUJITASATOSHI OMURA
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2001 Volume 54 Issue 10 Pages 818-826

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Abstract

The first step in cellular entry of HIV involves binding of the viral envelope glycoprotein complex (gp120/gp41) to specific receptor molecules on the target cells. The cell-cell fusion (syncytium formation) between env expressing cells and CD4+ cells mimics the viral infection of the host cells. To search for anti-HIV substances preventing this process, we constructed the recombinant cell lines, HeLa/CD4/Lac-Z and HeLa/T-env/Tat for T-cell tropic (HIV-1NL4-3) system, and HOS/CD4/CCR5/Lac-Z and HeLa/M-env/Tat for macrophage tropic (HIV-1SF162) system. When each pair of cells were co-incubated for 20 hours, the multinuclear giant cells (syncytia) were formed and β-galactosidase was expressed. These systems are less biohazardous because no infectious virus particles are used. Their validity in screening for anti-HIV substances which inhibit syncytium formation was confirmed using various known HIV entry inhibitors.

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© Japan Antibiotics Research Association
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