Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected H9 and blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) were studied by immunogold electron microscopy for the presence of HIV-1 gag p24 protein, env gp41 and gpl20 proteins, and host cell molecules CD4, CDlla, CD25, CD54, CD63, HLA class I and HLA-DR. Uninfected H9 cells and MNC membranes labelled for CD4, HLA class I and class II, and, at low density, CDlla and CD54; lysosomal structures in the cytoplasm labelled for CD63. The infected cell surface showed immunolabelling for HIV-1 proteins, as did budding particle-like structures.Immunogold labelling of the cell membrane for CD4 was almost non-existent. The level of immunolabelling for CD1 la and CD54 on infected cells was greater than that on uninfected cells; this is presumably related to a state of activation during virus synthesis. Budding particle-like structures and free virions in the intercellular space were immunogold-labelled for all host cell markers investigated. This was confirmed by double immunogold labelling using combinations of HIV-1 gag p24 labelling and labelling for the respective host cell molecule. We conclude that virions generated in HIV-1-infected cells concentrate host-derived molecules on their envelope. Also molecules with a prime function in cellular adhesion concentrate on the virion.Infection of cells by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is followed by the disappearance of the virus receptor molecule CD4 from the cell membrane (Geleziunas et al., 1991 ;Gielen et al., 1989; Hoxie et al., 1986). This phenomenon has also been observed for other surface molecules including HLA antigens (Eales et al., 1988; Gelderblom et al., 1987b;Henderson et al., 1987;Kerkau et al., 1989;Schols et al., 1992) and the CD3, CD8 and CDll antigens (Stevenson et al., 1987). By using immuno-electron microscopy we have previously demonstrated the complete absence of CD4 antigen and the partial absence of HLA-DR and CD5 antigen on H9 cells 2 days after HIV-1 infection (Meerloo et al., 1992). The CD3 and CD25 antigens remained detectable on the cell surface at similar density, and the CD63 antigen, a t Present address: