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. 1988 Feb;7(2):513–518. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb02839.x

Human immunodeficiency virus infection of CD4-bearing cells occurs by a pH-independent mechanism.

M O McClure 1, M Marsh 1, R A Weiss 1
PMCID: PMC454348  PMID: 3259178

Abstract

The effect of weak bases (NH4Cl and amantadine) and carboxylic ionophores (monensin) on the infection of CD4 (T4) positive human cell lines by HIV-1 is examined. These reagents, which raise the pH of acidic intracellular organelles, fail to inhibit HIV-1 entry and the events leading to viral protein synthesis at concentrations inhibitory for low pH-dependent fusogenic enveloped viruses. The infectivity of VSV (HIV-1) pseudotypes is unaffected by weak bases at concentrations causing 95% plaque reduction of VSV in its own envelope. HIV-1 dependent cell--cell fusion (syncytium formation) occurs in medium maintained at pH 7.4-7.6, and virions are not irreversibly inactivated by incubation in acid medium. Our results show that HIV-1 entry and membrane fusion do not require exposure to low pH. The production of infectious HIV-1 particles, however, is inhibited in cells treated with NH4Cl.

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Selected References

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