ESTABLISHMENT OF AN MT4 CELL-LINE PERSISTENTLY PRODUCING INFECTIVE HIV-1 PARTICLES

Human T cell Lymphotropic Virus-I (HTLV-I) carrying human T cell line MT4 is highly sensitive to Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1). Aft er HIV-1 infection cell clusters characteristic of intact MT4 rapidly disintegrate, syncytia appear and the cells die. Surviving MT4 cells w ere subcultured following HIV-1 infection of high multiplicity. We suc ceeded to establish an MT4 cell line continuously producing infective HIV (MT4/HIV-1). The original and the HIV-1 infected MT4 cells were mo rphologically similar. The MT4/HIV-1 cells proved to be nearly 100% po sitive in indirect immunofluorescence assay using the serum of an HIV- 1 antibody positive individual. OKT4 surface antigen could not be demo nstrated on MT4/HIV-1 cells. On electron microscopic pictures typical and atypical virus particles could be seen near the surface of the cel l membrane. The persistently produced virus particles were infective f or H9 and MT4 cells. The antigenic structure of the virus produced by MT4 cells was similar to that produced by H9 cells.