Tetraspanin CD82 maintains HTLV-1 biofilm polarization and is required for efficient viral transmission

The human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is an oncogenic retrovirus whose transmission relies primarily on cell-to-cell contacts as cell-free viruses are poorly infectious. Among the intercellular transmission routes described, HTLV-1 biofilms are adhesive structures polarized at the cell surface that confine virions in a protective environment, which is believed to promote their simultaneous delivery during infection. Here, we show that several tetraspanins are enriched in HTLV-1 biofilms and incorporated into the viral envelope. However, we report that only tetraspanin CD82 interacts with HTLV-1 Gag which initiates its polarization into viral biofilms. Also, we demonstrate that CD82 maintains HTLV-1 biofilm polarization and favors viral transmission, as its silencing induces a complete reorganization of viral clusters at the cell surface and reduces the ability of infected T-cells to transmit the virus. Our results highlight the crucial role of CD82 in the architectural organization of HTLV-1 biofilms and their transfer through intercellular contacts.