CD4/CXCR4-independent infection of human astrocytes by a T-tropic strain of HIV-1.

HIV-1 establishes a low-level persistent infection in astrocytes. In this study, we studied the susceptibility of a human astrocyte cell line (SVG-A) to infection with luciferase expressing reporter viruses pseudotyped with envelopes derived from five isolates of HIV-1. SVG-A cells were susceptible to infection by a T-cell tropic isolate and the infection was both CD4 and CXCR4 independent. These data confirm the susceptibility of astrocytes to infection with T-tropic strains of HIV-1 and suggest a novel mechanism by which T-tropic strains of HIV can infect cells.