Selective transmission of CCR5-utilizing HIV-1: the 'gatekeeper' problem resolved?

Understanding the mechanisms of HIV-1 transmission is crucial for the development of effective preventive microbicides and vaccine strategies, and remains one of the main goals of HIV research. Over the past decade, many studies have focused on trying to identify the 'gatekeeping' mechanism that restricts the transmission of CXCR4-utilizing HIV-1 more efficiently than CCR5-utilizing HIV-1. However, to date, no study has explained the almost perfect negative selection of the former in vivo. Here, we propose that there is no single gatekeeper and that, instead, the selective transmission of R5 HIV-1 depends on the superimposition of multiple imperfect gatekeepers.