CD147 facilitates HIV-1 infection by interacting with virus-associated cyclophilin A

Cyclophilin A (CyPA) is specifically incorporated into the virions of HIV-1 and has been shown to enhance significantly an early step of cellular HIV- 1 infection. Our preliminary studies implicated CD147 as a receptor for ext racellular CyPA, Here, we demonstrate a role for CyPA-CD147 interaction dur ing the early steps of HIV-1 infection. Expression of human CD147 increased infection by HIV-1 under one-cycle conditions. However, susceptibility to infection by viruses lacking CyPA (simian immunodeficiency virus or HIV-1 p roduced in the presence of cyclosporin A) was unaffected by CD147, Virus-as sociated CyPA coimmunoprecipitated with CD147 from infected cells. Antibody to CD147 inhibited HIV-1 entry as evidenced by the delay in translocation of the HIV-1 core proteins from the membrane and inhibition of viral revers e transcription. Viruses whose replication did not require CyPA (SIV or mut ant HIV-1) were resistant to the inhibitory effect of anti-CD147 antibody. These results suggest that HIV-1 entry depends on an interaction between vi rus-associated CyPA and CD147 on a target cell.