Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1992 Mar;60(3):742–748. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.3.742-748.1992

Role of mycoplasma infection in the cytopathic effect induced by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in infected cell lines.

M Lemaître 1, Y Henin 1, F Destouesse 1, C Ferrieux 1, L Montagnier 1, A Blanchard 1
PMCID: PMC257548  PMID: 1371767

Abstract

In addition to previously reported tetracycline analogs, other antibiotics known for antimycoplasmal activities inhibited the cytopathic effect in CEM cl13 cells infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) or HIV-2 but were unable to block virus replication. A contaminating mycoplasma was isolated from our CEM cl13 cells and identified as a strain of Mycoplasma fermentans. Following infection of lymphoblastoid (CEM) or promonocytic (U937 and THP1) cell lines with HIV-1, cytopathic effect was observed only in association with mycoplasmal contamination. Moreover, HIV-1 infection of U937 cells after experimental inoculation with a human isolate of M. fermentans led to pronounced cell killing. We have verified that this effect is not merely an artifact caused by arginine and/or glucose depletion in the cell culture medium. These results confirm that mollicutes, in particular M. fermentans, are able to act synergistically with HIV-1 to kill infected cells in some in vitro systems.

Full text

PDF
747

Images in this article

747Image
on p.747

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barré-Sinoussi F., Chermann J. C., Rey F., Nugeyre M. T., Chamaret S., Gruest J., Dauguet C., Axler-Blin C., Vézinet-Brun F., Rouzioux C. Isolation of a T-lymphotropic retrovirus from a patient at risk for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Science. 1983 May 20;220(4599):868–871. doi: 10.1126/science.6189183. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bernet C., Garret M., de Barbeyrac B., Bebear C., Bonnet J. Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae by using the polymerase chain reaction. J Clin Microbiol. 1989 Nov;27(11):2492–2496. doi: 10.1128/jcm.27.11.2492-2496.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blanchard A. Ureaplasma urealyticum urease genes; use of a UGA tryptophan codon. Mol Microbiol. 1990 Apr;4(4):669–676. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1990.tb00636.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bonissol C., Sasaki T., Stoiljkovic B. Assay for detection of adenosine phosphorylase from mycoplasmas. Ann Inst Pasteur Microbiol. 1988 Nov-Dec;139(6):703–715. doi: 10.1016/0769-2609(88)90075-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chowdhury I. H., Munakata T., Koyanagi Y., Kobayashi S., Arai S., Yamamoto N. Mycoplasma can enhance HIV replication in vitro: a possible cofactor responsible for the progression of AIDS. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1990 Aug 16;170(3):1365–1370. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(90)90545-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clavel F., Guétard D., Brun-Vézinet F., Chamaret S., Rey M. A., Santos-Ferreira M. O., Laurent A. G., Dauguet C., Katlama C., Rouzioux C. Isolation of a new human retrovirus from West African patients with AIDS. Science. 1986 Jul 18;233(4761):343–346. doi: 10.1126/science.2425430. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fenyö E. M., Albert J., Asjö B. Replicative capacity, cytopathic effect and cell tropism of HIV. AIDS. 1989;3 (Suppl 1):S5–12. doi: 10.1097/00002030-198901001-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Garry R. F. Potential mechanisms for the cytopathic properties of HIV. AIDS. 1989 Nov;3(11):683–694. doi: 10.1097/00002030-198911000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ito M., Baba M., Sato A., Hirabayashi K., Tanabe F., Shigeta S., De Clercq E. Tumor necrosis factor enhances replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1989 Jan 16;158(1):307–312. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(89)80213-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lemaître M., Guétard D., Hénin Y., Montagnier L., Zerial A. Protective activity of tetracycline analogs against the cytopathic effect of the human immunodeficiency viruses in CEM cells. Res Virol. 1990 Jan-Feb;141(1):5–16. doi: 10.1016/0923-2516(90)90052-k. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lin Y., Collins J. L., Case P. G., Patek P. Q. Effect of mycoplasmas on natural cytotoxic activity and release of tumor necrosis factor alpha by spleen cells. Infect Immun. 1988 Dec;56(12):3072–3075. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.12.3072-3075.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lo S. C., Dawson M. S., Newton P. B., 3rd, Sonoda M. A., Shih J. W., Engler W. F., Wang R. Y., Wear D. J. Association of the virus-like infectious agent originally reported in patients with AIDS with acute fatal disease in previously healthy non-AIDS patients. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1989 Sep;41(3):364–376. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lo S. C., Dawson M. S., Wong D. M., Newton P. B., 3rd, Sonoda M. A., Engler W. F., Wang R. Y., Shih J. W., Alter H. J., Wear D. J. Identification of Mycoplasma incognitus infection in patients with AIDS: an immunohistochemical, in situ hybridization and ultrastructural study. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1989 Nov;41(5):601–616. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1989.41.601. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lo S. C., Shih J. W., Newton P. B., 3rd, Wong D. M., Hayes M. M., Benish J. R., Wear D. J., Wang R. Y. Virus-like infectious agent (VLIA) is a novel pathogenic mycoplasma: Mycoplasma incognitus. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1989 Nov;41(5):586–600. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1989.41.586. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lo S. C., Shih J. W., Yang N. Y., Ou C. Y., Wang R. Y. A novel virus-like infectious agent in patients with AIDS. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1989 Feb;40(2):213–226. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1989.40.213. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lo S. C., Tsai S., Benish J. R., Shih J. W., Wear D. J., Wong D. M. Enhancement of HIV-1 cytocidal effects in CD4+ lymphocytes by the AIDS-associated mycoplasma. Science. 1991 Mar 1;251(4997):1074–1076. doi: 10.1126/science.1705362. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Matsuyama T., Hamamoto Y., Soma G., Mizuno D., Yamamoto N., Kobayashi N. Cytocidal effect of tumor necrosis factor on cells chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): enhancement of HIV replication. J Virol. 1989 Jun;63(6):2504–2509. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.6.2504-2509.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. McGarrity G. J., Vanaman V., Sarama J. Cytogenetic effects of mycoplasmal infection of cell cultures: a review. In Vitro. 1984 Jan;20(1):1–18. doi: 10.1007/BF02633326. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Montagnier L., Berneman D., Guétard D., Blanchard A., Chamaret S., Rame V., Van Rietschoten J., Mabrouk K., Bahraoui E. Inhibition de l'infectiosité de souches prototypes du VIH par des anticorps dirigés contre une séquence peptidique de mycoplasme. C R Acad Sci III. 1990;311(12):425–430. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Nelson J. A., Ghazal P., Wiley C. A. Role of opportunistic viral infections in AIDS. AIDS. 1990 Jan;4(1):1–10. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199001000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Nozaki-Renard J., Iino T., Sato Y., Marumoto Y., Ohta G., Furusawa M. A fluoroquinolone (DR-3355) protects human lymphocyte cell lines from HIV-1-induced cytotoxicity. AIDS. 1990 Dec;4(12):1283–1286. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199012000-00018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. O'Toole C., Lowdell M. Infection of human T cells with mycoplasma, inhibition of CD4 expression and HIV-1 gp120 glycoprotein binding, and infectivity. Lancet. 1990 Oct 27;336(8722):1067–1067. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)92535-p. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Pauwels R., Balzarini J., Baba M., Snoeck R., Schols D., Herdewijn P., Desmyter J., De Clercq E. Rapid and automated tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay for the detection of anti-HIV compounds. J Virol Methods. 1988 Aug;20(4):309–321. doi: 10.1016/0166-0934(88)90134-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rosenberg Z. F., Fauci A. S. Induction of expression of HIV in latently or chronically infected cells. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1989 Feb;5(1):1–4. doi: 10.1089/aid.1989.5.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Russell W. C., Newman C., Williamson D. H. A simple cytochemical technique for demonstration of DNA in cells infected with mycoplasmas and viruses. Nature. 1975 Feb 6;253(5491):461–462. doi: 10.1038/253461a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Ruuth E., Praz F. Interactions between mycoplasmas and the immune system. Immunol Rev. 1989 Dec;112:133–160. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1989.tb00556.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Saiki R. K., Gelfand D. H., Stoffel S., Scharf S. J., Higuchi R., Horn G. T., Mullis K. B., Erlich H. A. Primer-directed enzymatic amplification of DNA with a thermostable DNA polymerase. Science. 1988 Jan 29;239(4839):487–491. doi: 10.1126/science.2448875. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Saillard C., Carle P., Bové J. M., Bébéar C., Lo S. C., Shih J. W., Wang R. Y., Rose D. L., Tully J. G. Genetic and serologic relatedness between Mycoplasma fermentans strains and a mycoplasma recently identified in tissues of AIDS and non-AIDS patients. Res Virol. 1990 May-Jun;141(3):385–395. doi: 10.1016/0923-2516(90)90010-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Schwartz O., Henin Y., Marechal V., Montagnier L. A rapid and simple colorimetric test for the study of anti-HIV agents. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1988 Dec;4(6):441–448. doi: 10.1089/aid.1988.4.441. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Scott D. M., Rodgers B. C., Freeke C., Buiter J., Sissons J. G. Human cytomegalovirus and monocytes: limited infection and negligible immunosuppression in normal mononuclear cells infected in vitro with mycoplasma-free virus strains. J Gen Virol. 1989 Mar;70(Pt 3):685–694. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-70-3-685. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Tully J. G., Whitcomb R. F., Clark H. F., Williamson D. L. Pathogenic mycoplasmas: cultivation and vertebrate pathogenicity of a new spiroplasma. Science. 1977 Mar 4;195(4281):892–894. doi: 10.1126/science.841314. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Vasudevachari M. B., Mast T. C., Salzman N. P. Suppression of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity by mycoplasma contamination of cell cultures. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1990 Mar;6(3):411–416. doi: 10.1089/aid.1990.6.411. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES