Attachment of HIV to the Target Cell Depends On

Question

Attachment of HIV to the target cell depends on
A)gp120 combining with the CD4⁺ receptor.
B)gp120 combining with the chemokine receptor CCR5.
C)gp41 binding to the CD4⁺ receptor.
D)gp120 binding to the CD4⁺ plasma membrane.
E)CXCR4 binding to the CD4⁺ receptor.

Accepted Answer

HIV targets CD4⁺ T cells and other cells that express CD4⁺ receptors. The attachment of HIV to the target cell depends on the interaction between the viral surface protein gp120 and the CD4⁺ receptor on the host cell membrane. This interaction triggers a conformational change in gp120, which then allows it to bind to a coreceptor, either CCR5 or CXCR4, and initiate viral fusion and infection of the host cell. However, the initial attachment step relies on the interaction between gp120 and the CD4⁺ receptor.