EFFECT OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 (HIV-1) MONOCYTE-DERIVED MACROPHAGES INFECTION ON THE MANGANOUS SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE GENE-EXPRESSION

Clinical and biological features indicate that a dysregulation of micr obicidal activity occurs in the cells of mononuclear phagocytic lineag e of HIV-1-infected patients. Thus, the regulation of MnSOD gene expre ssion has been investigated during the 10 h following in vitro HIV mac rophage infection. As previously reported, in HIV-1 LAI-infected macro phages a high expression of the MnSOD gene is observed 2 and 4 h after infection. These results are confirmed when cells are infected with t hree macrophage-tropic strains HIV-1 DAS, PAR and Pal. Moreover, the d etection of the MnSOD gene expression in the macrophage cultures is as sociated with the cellular tropism of the viral strains used. The bind ing of recombinant GP160 by itself is not sufficient to induce MnSOD e xpression. In fact, the same MnSOD gene induction was obtained with th e heat inactivated viral isolates, indicating that these phenomena are due to the viral entry. On the other hand, phagocytosis of latex bead s triggers a high expression of the MnSOD gene in macrophages, showing that phagocytosis of HIV may be sufficient to induce the expression o f that gene. Taken together, these results indicate that the MnSOD gen e expression observed within 10 h following infection of macrophages i s mainly related to membrane biophysical unspecific modifications.