Role of HIV Gp41 mediated fusion/hemifusion in bystander apoptosis.

Mechanisms of HIV-mediated CD4+ T cell loss leading to immunodeficiency are amongst the most extensively studied yet unanswered questions in HIV biology. The level of CD4+ T cell depletion in HIV infected patients far exceeds the number of infected T cells, suggesting an indirect mechanism of HIV pathogenesis termed bystander cell death. Evidence is accumulating that the HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env) is a major determinant of HIV pathogenesis and plays a critical role in bystander cell death. The complex structure and function of HIV Env makes the determination of the mechanism of Env mediated apoptosis more complex than previously thought. This review will examine the complex relationship between HIV Env phenotype, coreceptor expression and immune activation in determining HIV pathogenesis. We review data here corresponding to the role of HIV Env hemifusion activity in HIV pathogenesis and how it interplays with other AIDS associated factors such as chemokine receptor expression and immune activation.