Dendritic Cell Interactions with HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein: Implications for Preventing Transmission

Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical sentinels of the immune system and potent antigen-presenting cells. They patrol peripheral tissues including the blood, skin, and mucosal surfaces, poised to sense and respond to incoming microbes. Upon encountering a microbe, DCs engulf it and are triggered to migrate to the lymph nodes. Along the way they degrade the microbe and undergo a process of maturation that includes upregulation of molecules associated with antigen presentation. In the lymph node, DCs present their antigen on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules to Tcells and thus activate an adaptive immune response specific to the microbe. DCs can be one of the first cell types to encounter HIV. The virus has evolved to exploit the natural function of DCs, which includes avoiding degradation in order to gain access to its primary target – the CD4 T cells. DCs are therefore a key target to investigate for strategies to prevent HIV transmission. In this entry we will introduce the reported interactions of different subsets of DCs and HIV, particularly the envelope glycoprotein expressed on the virus surface, as well as strategies to interfere with these interactions to inhibit HIV acquisition.