Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 can superinfect HIV-2-infected cells: pseudotype virions produced with expanded cellular host range.

In studies on viral interference, cloned T-cell lines chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 or HIV-2 were inoculated with several strains of these two AIDS retrovirus subtypes. HIV-2UC1-infected cells, which still express the CD4 receptor, could be superinfected with a variety of HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains. This event was accompanied by cytopathic effects in the cells and production of pseudotype virions with an expanded cellular host range. HIV-1- or HIV-2-infected clonal cell lines, which did not express CD4, could not be superinfected by any HIV strains but were coinfected after transfection of molecular clones into the persistently infected cells. These observations indicate that viral interference with HIV occurs at the cell surface and involves a down-modulation of the CD4 molecule. If the CD4 protein is expressed, superinfection can take place, and phenotypically mixed virus particles are produced. Since HIV-1 and HIV-2 dually infected individuals have been detected, these in vitro observations may have relevance to the in vivo state.