CD4-INDEPENDENT INFECTION BY HIV-2 (ROD B) - USE OF THE 7-TRANSMEMBRANE RECEPTORS CXCR-4, CCR-3, AND V28 FOR ENTRY/

We have assayed a variety of 7tm chemokine receptors (CCR-2b, CCR-3, C CR-4, CCR-5, CXCR-1, CXCR-4) and two orphan 7tm receptors (V28 and EBl .1) for their ability to allow infection of CD4-negative feline kidney CCC cells by the HIV-2 strains ROD/A and ROD/B. We found that ROD/B w as able to use CXCR-4 transiently expressed in CCC cells, and infectio n by ROD/A was enhanced 15-fold in the presence of sCD4. Feline CCC ce lls also became permissive to ROD/B and ROD/A entry when transiently t ransfected with the chemokine receptor CCR-3 or the orphan 7tm recepto r V28, when cultured in the presence of sCD4. Entry of ROD/A into CCC cells expressing CCR-3 could be blocked by 800 ng/ml eotaxin, the natu ral ligand for CCR-3. (C) 1997 Academic Press.