Heat-resistant factors in human erythrocyte membranes mediate CD4-dependent fusion with cells expressing HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins.

It has been shown that human CD4 expressed in nonhuman cells does not support HIV-1 entry into those cells and that components from human cells in addition to CD4 are required to overcome the block. We have used human red blood cells (huRBC) as a source for the accessory components since their membrane composition is less complex than that of nucleated cells and they are well characterized. Components were transferred by fusion of huRBC to nonhuman CD4(+) cells mediated by influenza hemagglutinin or polyethylene glycol. The RBC-modified nonhuman CD4(+) cells were labeled with fluorescent markers and incubated with gp 120-gp41-expressing cells labeled with a different fluorescent probe. Fusion between RBC- modified nonhuman CD4(+) cells and gp 120--gp41-expressing cells was quantified by fluorescence video microscopy. Human erythrocyte components transferred to nonhuman CD4+ cells conferred HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein-mediated fusion susceptibility to those cells. The fusion was enhanced by pretreatment of the erythrocytes for 10 min at 56 degrees. No gp 120--gp41-mediated fusion was observed when components from nonhuman RBC were transferred to nonhuman CD4+ cells. Human cell lines with pre-RBC characteristics (K562-CD4) also supported HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein-mediated fusion.