HOST-CELL ANTIGENIC PROFILE ACQUIRED BY HIV-1 IS A MARKER OF ITS CELLULAR-ORIGIN

HIV-1 acquires cell membrane proteins during budding. The cell membran e proteins (CMP) profile of laboratory HIV-1 strains grown in differen t host cells was established, by using an immobilized antibody capture (IAC), to verify whether CMPs present on HIV-1 correlate with its hos t cell origin. HIV-1 grown in different cell lines incorporates cell m arkers such as CD3, CD19, CD14, CD31 and IL 2-R, according to the dist inctive expression of these antigens on the host cells. Furthermore, a lso T-tropic and monocytotropic HIV-1 strains display host cell specif ic markers, supporting the hypothesis that virus associated CMPs are a marker of host cell origin.