Narrow host range of AIDS-related retroviruses (YU-1, 2, 3, 4) isolated from Japanese hemophiliacs: inability to infect H9, Molt-4, and MT-4 cells.

Infectivity was assayed by infecting human T-lymphocytes, H9, Molt-4, and MT-4 cells with different strains of AIDS viruses (HTLV-III, LAV, ARV, and YU viruses). Human T-lymphotropic virus type-III (HTLV-III), lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV), and AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV) were able to infect all kinds of target cells tested and to induce virus-specific antigens, whereas Japanese isolates, YU viruses, infected only interleukin-2-dependent human T-lymphocytes. Long-term propagation of the YU viruses and pretreatment of the cells with Polybrene did not allow the YU virus to produce viral antigens by infecting H9, Molt-4, and MT-4 cells. Thus, YU viruses have a rather narrow host range as compared with HTLV-III, LAV, and ARV. These different infectivities may be reflected in the progress and symptoms of AIDS in vivo.