Figure 5

CD4-independence and neutralization sensitivity. Phenotypic changes in CD4-independence and sensitivity of neutralization over-time in 13 macaques. Neutralization sensitivity of three isolates (A, 2-week isolates, B, 3 or 4-month isolates and C, late isolates) from each macaque was tested with 1:20 dilution of serum [30]. Neutralization was also performed with autologous serum which gave similar results (data not shown). Neutralization sensitivity was measured using the GHOST(3) cell plaque reduction assay which has a cut-off for neutralization at 30% (marked with a line), that is results below 30% are negative [67]. The majority of newly infected macaques harbored virus populations with a CD4-independent-HIGH (dark grey bars) and neutralization sensitive phenotype. This phenotype gradually changed to become a CD4-independent-LOW (light grey bars) and neutralization resistant (below 30%) virus population. CD4-dependent isolates (white bars) were seen in both neutralization sensitive and neutralization resistant populations. Values are mean neutralization (+/- SD) of two independent assays performed in triplicates.