GROWTH ABILITY OF AUXILIARY GENE MUTANTS OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 AND TYPE-2 IN UNSTIMULATED PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS

Mutational studies on the Vif, Vpr, Vpu, Vpx, and Nef genes of human i mmunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2) were performed t o evaluate their biological functions in natural target cells. For thi s purpose, replication properties of mutant viruses derived from HIV-1 NL strain and HIV-2 GH strain in unstimulated peripheral blood mononu clear cells were determined. Vif(-) viruses of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 di d not grow at all in these cells. Similarly, no replication of HIV-2 V px(-) mutant was detected. In contrast, both of Vpr(-) and Nef(-) viru ses of HIV-1 and HIV-2, and Vpu(-) virus of HIV-1 grew quite well in t he cells. These results show, together with the data previously report ed, that only Vif and Vpx are essential for HIV replication in primary blood cell cultures.