Growth of human immunodeficiency virus I in cultured cells in the absence of the CD4 antigen

The ability of a variety of epithelial, embryonal, placental, and neuronal cells to express the CD4 antigen and to be infected by human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) was examined. Only two (IMR-32 and HeLa-T4) expressed CD4 detectable by indirect immunofluorescence, and both were infectable by HIV-1. Two others, a human laryngeal carcinoma (HEp-2) and human colonic carcinoma (HT-29), did not express CD4 antigen but were infectable by HIV-1. Infection of the HEp-2 cells was detectable four months (and 20 serial passages) later. Infection of HEp-2 cells was not inhibited by anti CD4 monoclonal antibody but was by the lectin concanavalin A. These results suggest the presence of a receptor other than CD4 can be involved in HIV-1 infection.