The majority of cells are superinfected in a cloned cell line that produces high levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 strain MN.

We have isolated seven single-cell clones from an H9 culture infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 strain MN so that a stable producer of virus could be obtained. DNAs from these clones were examined by Southern blot analysis and found to contain between one and four proviruses per clone. One of these cell lines, Clone 4, produced high levels of replication-competent virus and contained two proviruses. Southern blot analysis of DNAs from Clone 4 revealed that, after extended culture, some of the cells had acquired additional proviruses, presumably by superinfection. Analysis of Clone 4 single-cell subclones isolated from a late-passage culture found that 14 out of 20 (70%) subclones were reinfected and that 8 out of 20 (40%) were reinfected more than once. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis showed that surface CD4 levels on Clone 4 cells were appropriately down-regulated. Our results indicate that while there is significant interference to superinfection in the Clone 4 culture, it is not absolute and that superinfected cells accumulate in the culture over time in the presence of high virus exposure and extensive cell-to-cell contact. Given our data, it seems likely that superinfection can occur in vivo within the lymphoid reservoirs that harbor human immunodeficiency virus type 1 during the clinically latent period and may contribute to disease progression.