Which host cell molecule does HIV use as one of its receptors?
APrP on nerve cells
BADA in bone marrow
CxCT on stressed cells
DCD4 on T lymphocytes
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. CD4 on T lymphocytes
1. Viruses attach through glycoproteins that bind viral receptors already present on the cell surface.
2. HIV uses the CD4 molecule carried by T lymphocytes as one of its receptors.
3. CD4 is a cell adhesion molecule whose normal job is holding immune cells close together.
4. The xCT receptor is the one bound by KSHV, so that option names the wrong virus.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 21 "Viruses", section 21.1 Viral Evolution, Morphology, and Classification_
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