EFFECT OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS ON ADSORPTION AND PENETRATION OF HUMAN T-CELLLEUKEMIA-VIRUS TYPE-I

We have studied the ability of some phospholipids (PLs) and phospholip ases (PLases) to interfere with infection of human T-cell leukemia vir us type I (HTLV-I). Plating of pseudotype of vesicular stomatitis viru s (VSV) bearing envelope antigens of HTLV-I, VSV(HTLV-I), was markedly inhibited by treatment of the cells with cardiolipin (CL) after, but not before, infection. Treatment of the cells with CL after infection also inhibited the plating of VSV pseudotype of bovine leukemia virus (BLV), but scarcely affected VSV infection. Furthermore, the plating o f VSV(HTLV-I) was markedly enhanced by treatment with PLCase after inf ection. Treatment with PLCase, however, did not affect the plating of VSV. These results were also confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (P CR): Formation of proviral DNA was inhibited when indicator cells were treated with CL after cell-free infection of HTLV-I, but not before, and enhanced when indicator cells were treated with PLCase after HTLV- I infection. These findings suggested that PLs might play a role at th e early stage of HTLV-I infection. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.