Expression and localization of CD4 in human fetal neurons and glial cells.
Int Conf AIDS 1991 Jun 16-21; 7:94 (abstract no. M.A.1010) Torelli S, Ennas MG, Sogos V, Cocchia D, Gremo F; School of Medicine, Cagliari, Italy
Infants with AIDS present severe neurological symptoms, which could be either a consequence of the general disease or the product of a direct infection of the brain occurring during pregnancy. So far, no direct evidence has been provided about the presence of the cellular receptor for HIV, CD4, in human fetal brain. We have investigated the expression and localization of CD4 gene product in vivo and in vitro in 8-20 week-old human fetal brains, with the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemical staining at light, scanning and transmission electron microscope. Results showed that CD4 was expressed in fetal neurons since the first week in culture, regardless the age of the embryo. The molecule was present both in the cytoplasm and on the surface of cell bodies and processes. CD4 was synthesized by fetal neurons in culture and contained the gp120 binding portion, as also assayed with gp120 binding inhibition experiments. However, CD4 molecular weight was slightly inferior to T lymphocyte CD4 and mRNAs lacked about 240 bases both in vivo and in vitro. We conclude that HIV could indeed target human fetal neurons.
Keywords: AEGIS, Antigens, CD4, Neuroglia, Neurons, HIV Envelope Protein gp120, Fetus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV-1, Receptors, HIV, Brain, RNA, Messenger, T-Lymphocytes, Polymerase Chain Reaction, HIV, Human, Infant, In Vitro, Female, Pregnancy, pharmacokinetics, ICA7
910616
MA1010
