Evidence that Gag facilitates HIV-1 envelope association both in GPI-enriched plasma membrane and detergent resistant membranes and facilitates envelope incorporation onto virions in primary CD4+ T cells

HIV-1 particle assembly mediated by viral Gag protein occurs predominantly at plasma membrane. While colocalization of HIV-1 envelope with lipid rich microenvironment have been shown in T cells, the significance of viral proteins modulating envelope association in such microdomains in plasma membrane enriched in glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins in primary CD4(+) T cells that are natural targets of HIV-1 is poorly understood. Here we show that in primary CD4(+) T cells that are natural targets of HIV-1 in vivo, Gag modulates HIV-1 envelope association with GM1 ganglioside and CD59 rich cellular compartments as well as with detergent resistant membranes. Our data strengthen evidence that Gag-Env interaction is important in envelope association with lipid rafts containing GPI-anchored proteins for efficient assembly onto mature virions resulting in productive infection of primary CD4(+) T cells.