Specific infection of CD4+ target cells by recombinant rabies virus pseudotypes carrying the HIV-1 envelope spike protein.
A recombinant rabies virus (RV) mutant deficient for the surface spike glycoprotein ( G) gene was used to study the incorporation of envelope proteins from HIV-1 expressed from transfected plasmids. A hybrid HIV-1 protein in which the cytoplasmic domain was replaced with that of RV G was incorporated into the virus envelope and rescued the infectivity of the RV mutant. The RV(HIV-1) pseudotype viruses could infect only CD4+ cells, and their infectivity was neutralized specifically by anti-HIV-1 sera. In contrast to the chimeric protein, wild-type HIV-1 envelope protein or mutants with truncated cytoplasmic domains failed to produce pseudotyped particles. This indicates the presence of a specific signal in the RV G cytoplasmic domain, allowing correct incorporation of a spike protein into the envelope of rhabdovirus particles. The possibility of directing the cell tropism of RV by replacement of the RV G with proteins of defined receptor specificity should prove useful for future development of targetable gene delivery vectors.[1]References
- Specific infection of CD4+ target cells by recombinant rabies virus pseudotypes carrying the HIV-1 envelope spike protein. Mebatsion, T., Conzelmann, K.K. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (1996) [Pubmed]
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