Development of Apoptosis Resistance During Acute HIV Infection.

P. FERNANDEZ-LARROSA; M. CHERTOFF ; C. ESPADA ; M. VACOTTO ; L. MARTINEZ PERALTA.

Barcelona

Congreso; Aids Vaccine 2013; 2013

Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise

Background: Reservoir cells protection is clue during HIV infection. However, in spite of the relevance of these reservoir cells in the control of viral persistence, how and when apoptosis resistance of persistently infected cells occurs is not well understood. Persistently infected cell lines showed to be apoptosis resistant under stress conditions, involving the intrinsic pathway (Fernandez Larrosa et al, Retrovirology, 2008 6 19). The goal of this work was to evaluate the dynamics of the achievement of the resistant phenotype in HIV acute infected cells. Methods: Jurkat cells were infected with HIV (HXB2 strain) at moi= 1TICD/cell, treated with H2O2 as apoptosis-inducer, at different times postinfection (pi), and compared with uninfected (control) cells. Cell viability, p24+ production and apoptosis were evaluated by annexin/ IP staining, PMM, and caspase-3 activation by cytometry analysis. Caspase-9, bcl-2 and bax were analyzed by WB. Results: In Jurkat cells, infection didn´t induce an increase in apoptosis levels (∼10% AV+/IP- cells) during the first 5 days pi. H2O2 treatment was associated to 15% apoptosis level in control cells, 12% in infected cells from day 3pi, with 9% from day 5pi (p