How ever, this hypothesis is intensely debated. In fact, several lines of evidence suggest that DC SIGN might mainly function as a pathogen recognition receptor, which promotes HIV uptake for MHC presentation and thereby e erts a protective function against HIV infection. We and others have previously shown that apart from dendritic cells, platelets also e press DC SIGN and that these cell fragments bind to HIV in a mainly DC SIGN dependent manner. However, the HIV binding activity of platelets could be partially inhibited by antisera specific for the newly identified HIV attachment factor CLEC 2, indicating that CLEC 2 contributes to HIV capture by platelets. CLEC 2 is a lectin like protein, and its putative carbohydrate recognition sequence contains 17 amino acid residues highly conserved between C type lectins.

Binding of the snake venom to in rhodocytin to CLEC 2 triggers Syk dependent signalling in platelets which causes platelet degranulation. Residues in CLEC 2 which are required for binding to rhodocytin have been defined. However, it is at present unclear how CLEC 2 interacts with HIV. Here, we report that CLEC 2, unlike DC SIGN, does not bind to the viral Env protein, but to a cellular factor incorporated into the viral envelope. For viruses pro duced in the kidney derived cell line 293T, this factor was found to be podoplanin, a cellular mucin like glycoprotein e pressed by kidney podocytes and lymphatic endothelium. Podoplanin e pres sion was not detected on viable, but on apoptotic T cells and on apoptotic peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

However, apoptosis of HIV infected T cells was not associated with podoplanin e pression. Nevertheless, CLEC 2 mediated trans infection of HIV generated in PBMCs, indicating that these cells might e press a so far unidentified CLEC 2 ligand which can facilitate CLEC 2 dependent HIV capture. Methods Cell culture and transfection 293T, 293 T RE , GP2 293 and CHO cells were maintained in Dulbeccos modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, penicil lin and streptomycin. In addition, blasticidin and zeocin were used for selection of 293 T RE cells e pressing CLEC 2 upon induction with do ycycline. CHO Lec1 and CHO Lec2 cells were cul tured in MEM, supplemented with 10% FCS and antibiotics. B THP, B THP DC SIGN, B THP CLEC 2, C8166 SEAP cells and CEM��174 5. 25 M7 cells, the latter e pressing e ogenous CCR5, were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium in the presence of antibiotics and 10% FCS. All cells Batimastat were cultured at 37 C and 5% CO2. Highly purified platelets were obtained from the Transfusionsmedizinis che und HAmostaseologische Abteilung of the University Hospital Erlangen. Alternatively, platelets were prepared from whole blood by centrifugation at 1200 rpm at RT.