Modulation of surface transferrin receptors in lymphoid cells de novo infected with human immunodeficiency virus type-1

To investigate whether transferrin receptor (CD71) expression is affected b y acute HIV-1 infection, three different lymphoid cell lines (MT-4, SUPT-1, H9) were infected with HIV-1 and tested for surface CD71 expression after different incubation periods depending on cell survival after infection. We found that expression of surface CD71 was lower in cells infected with HIV -1 than in uninfected controls: the timing and extent of this down-modulati on depended apparently on the different susceptibility of the cell lines to HIV-1 infection and cytopathogenicity. Citrate, a molecule capable of chel ating iron, dose-dependently prevented down-modulation of surface CD71 in H IV-1 infected cells as well as viral cytopathic effects. We conclude that ( i) expression of surface transferrin receptors is down-modulated by acute H IV-1 infection in T lymphoid cells, that (ii) this cell phenotypic modulati on is associated with the cytopathic effects of the virus, and that (iii) t hese phenomena are modulated by iron chelation, These results support the v iew that iron metabolism may be an important area for interaction between H IV-1 and human cells. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.