THE MORPHOGENESIS OF A CHINESE STRAIN OF HIV-1 FORMING INCLUSION-BODIES IN JURKAT-TAT-III CELLS

A rapid/high replicative strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) (BC9101) was isolated directly in the Jurkat-tat III cell lin e from a Chinese patient with AIDS. The thin-section electron microsco py was performed and revealed high efficiency of replication of BC9101 with some unusual biological properties. Many vacuoles, most of them filled with HIV particles, were found close to the nucleus. Double-cor ed virions and double budding were frequently observed in the vacuoles and at the vacuolar membrane, Virus particles matured by budding both into intracytoplasmic vacuoles and through the plasma membrane. Inclu sion bodies of varying sizes, some consisting of thousands of HIV part icles, were found in the cytoplasm. All the illustrated features descr ibing formation of inclusion bodies were compatible with the observati on that HIV particles were assembled at and budded from the cytoplasmi c vacuole membrane. They were then released from the membrane into the vacuoles, and subsequently, the maturation occurred. Some of the vacu oles accumulated to such a high number of mature virus particles that inclusion bodies were formed, During the disintegration of the cells, the inclusion bodies surrounded by the vacuolar membrane were released from the cells. The nucleotide sequence of the vpu gene of BC9101 was investigated and indicated that the unusual biological properties may due to the lack of a start codon for translation of the vpu protein.