Altering expression levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp120-gp41 affects efficiency but not kinetics of cell-cell fusion

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry into a host cell requires the fusion of virus and cellular membranes that is driven by interaction of the viral envelope glycoproteins gp120 and gp41 (gp120/gp41) with CD4 and a coreceptor, typically either CXCR4 or CCR5. The stoichiometry of gp120/gp41:CD4:CCR5 necessary to initiate membrane fusion is not known. To allow an examination of early events in gp120/gp41-driven membrane fusion, we developed a novel real-time cell-cell fusion assay. Using this assay to study fusion kinetics, we found that altering the cell surface density of gp120/gp41 affected the maximal extent of fusion, without dramatically altering fusion kinetics. Collectively, these observations are consistent with the view that gp120/gp41-driven membrane fusion requires the formation of a threshold number of fusion-active intercellular gp120/gp41:CD4:CCR5 complexes. Furthermore, the probability of reaching this threshold is governed, in part, by the surface density of gp120/gp41.