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Sonela N, Mann J, Godwe C, Goni OH, Tchakoute M, Nkoue N, de Oliveira T, Brockman MA, Brumme ZL, Ndung'u T, Tongo M. No detectable differences in Nef-mediated downregulation of HLA-I and CD4 molecules among HIV-1 group M lineages circulating in Cameroon, where the pandemic originated. FRONTIERS IN VIROLOGY (LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 4:fviro.2024.1379217. [PMID: 38883214 PMCID: PMC7616105 DOI: 10.3389/fviro.2024.1379217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
HIV-1 group M (HIV-1M) lineages downregulate HLA-I and CD4 expression via their Nef proteins. We hypothesized that these Nef functions may be partially responsible for the differences in prevalence of viruses from different lineages that co-circulate within an epidemic. Here, we characterized these two Nef activities in HIV-1M isolates from Cameroon, where multiple variants have been circulating since the pandemic's origin. Single HIV-1 Nef clones from 234 HIV-1-ART naïve individuals living in remote villages and two cosmopolitan cities of Cameroon, sampled between 2000 and 2013, were isolated from plasma HIV RNA and analyzed for their capacity to downregulate HLA-I and CD4 molecules. We found that, despite a large degree of within- and inter- lineage variation, the ability of Nef to downregulate HLA-I was similar across these different viruses. Moreover, Nef-mediated CD4 downregulation activity was also well conserved across the different lineages found in Cameroon. In addition, we observed a trend towards higher HLA-I downregulation activity of viruses circulating in the cosmopolitan cities versus the remote villages, whereas the CD4 downregulation activities were similar across the two settings. Furthermore, we noted a significant decline of HLA-I downregulation activity from 2000 to 2013, providing additional evidence supporting the attenuation of the global HIV-1M population over time. Finally, we identified 18 amino acids associated with differential HLA-I downregulation and 13 amino acids associated with differential CD4 downregulation within the dominant CRF02_AG lineage. Our lack of observation of HIV lineage-related differences in Nef-mediated HLA-I and CD4 downregulation function suggests that these activities do not substantively influence the prevalence of different HIV-1M lineages in Cameroon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Sonela
- Center of Research for Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases (CREMER), Institute of Medical Research and Study of Medicinal Plants (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS prevention and management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jaclyn Mann
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Celestin Godwe
- Center of Research for Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases (CREMER), Institute of Medical Research and Study of Medicinal Plants (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Départment of Biochemistry, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Oumarou H Goni
- Center of Research for Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases (CREMER), Institute of Medical Research and Study of Medicinal Plants (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Départment of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Mérime Tchakoute
- Programmes de Santé et développement au sein du Groupement de la Filière Bois du Cameroun, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Nathalie Nkoue
- Programmes de Santé et développement au sein du Groupement de la Filière Bois du Cameroun, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Tulio de Oliveira
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Mark A Brockman
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Zabrina L Brumme
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Thumbi Ndung'u
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marcel Tongo
- Center of Research for Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases (CREMER), Institute of Medical Research and Study of Medicinal Plants (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon
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Lamers SL, Fogel GB, Liu ES, Nolan DJ, Rose R, McGrath MS. HIV-1 subtypes maintain distinctive physicochemical signatures in Nef domains associated with immunoregulation. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 115:105514. [PMID: 37832752 PMCID: PMC10842591 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV subtype is associated with varied rates of disease progression. The HIV accessory protein, Nef, continues to be present during antiretroviral therapy (ART) where it has numerous immunoregulatory effects. In this study, we analyzed Nef sequences from HIV subtypes A1, B, C, and D using a machine learning approach that integrates functional amino acid information to identify if unique physicochemical features are associated with Nef functional/structural domains in a subtype-specific manner. METHODS 2253 sequences representing subtypes A1, B, C, and D were aligned and domains with known functional properties were scored based on amino acid physicochemical properties. Following feature generation, we used statistical pruning and evolved neural networks (ENNs) to determine if we could successfully classify subtypes. Next, we used ENNs to identify the top five key Nef physicochemical features applied to specific immunoregulatory domains that differentiated subtypes. A signature pattern analysis was performed to the assess amino acid diversity in sub-domains that differentiated each subtype. RESULTS In validation studies, ENNs successfully differentiated each subtype at A1 (87.2%), subtype B (89.5%), subtype C (91.7%), and subtype D (85.1%). Our feature-based domain scoring, followed by t-tests, and a similar ENN identified subtype-specific domain-associated features. Subtype A1 was associated with alterations in Nef CD4 binding domain; subtype B was associated with alterations with the AP-2 Binding domain; subtype C was associated with alterations in a structural Alpha Helix domain; and, subtype D was associated with alterations in a Beta-Sheet domain. CONCLUSIONS Recent studies have focused on HIV Nef as a driver of immunoregulatory disease in those HIV infected and on ART. Nef acts through a complex mixture of interactions that are directly linked to the key features of the subtype-specific domains we identified with the ENN. The study supports the hypothesis that varied Nef subtypes contribute to subtype-specific disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Enoch S Liu
- Natural Selection, San Diego, California, USA
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3
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Naicker D, Sonela N, Jin SW, Mulaudzi T, Ojwach D, Reddy T, Brockman MA, Brumme ZL, Ndung'u T, Mann JK. HIV-1 subtype C Nef-mediated SERINC5 down-regulation significantly contributes to overall Nef activity. Retrovirology 2023; 20:3. [PMID: 37004071 PMCID: PMC10067162 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-023-00618-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nef performs multiple cellular activities that enhance HIV-1 pathogenesis. The role of Nef-mediated down-regulation of the host restriction factor SERINC5 in HIV-1 pathogenesis is not well-defined. We aimed to investigate if SERINC5 down-regulation activity contributes to HIV-1 subtype C disease progression, to assess the relative contribution of this activity to overall Nef function, and to identify amino acids required for optimal activity. We measured the SERINC5 down-regulation activity of 106 subtype C Nef clones, isolated from individuals in early infection, for which the Nef activities of CD4 and HLA-I down-regulation as well as alteration of TCR signalling were previously measured. The relationship between SERINC5 down-regulation and markers of disease progression, and the relative contribution of SERINC5 down-regulation to a Nef fitness model-derived E value (a proxy for overall Nef fitness in vivo), were assessed. RESULTS No overall relationship was found between SERINC5 down-regulation and viral load set point (p = 0.28) or rate of CD4+ T cell decline (p = 0.45). CD4 down-regulation (p = 0.02) and SERINC5 down-regulation (p = 0.003) were significant determinants of E values in univariate analyses, with the greatest relative contribution for SERINC5 down-regulation, and only SERINC5 down-regulation remained significant in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.003). Using a codon-by-codon analysis, several amino acids were significantly associated with increased (10I, 11V, 38D, 51T, 65D, 101V, 188H and, 191H) or decreased (10K, 38E, 65E, 135F, 173T, 176T and, 191R) SERINC5 down-regulation activity. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments of selected mutants confirmed a substantial reduction in SERINC5 down-regulation activity associated with the mutation 173T, while mutations 10K, 135F, and 176T were associated with more modest reductions in activity that were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that SERINC5 down-regulation is a significant contributor to overall Nef function and identify potential genetic determinants of this Nef function that may have relevance for vaccines or therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delon Naicker
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Nelson Sonela
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4001, South Africa
- Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), P.O. Box 3077, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Steven W Jin
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Takalani Mulaudzi
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Doty Ojwach
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Tarylee Reddy
- Medical Research Council, Biostatistics Unit, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Mark A Brockman
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Zabrina L Brumme
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Thumbi Ndung'u
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4001, South Africa
- Africa Health Research Institute, Durban, 4001, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jaclyn K Mann
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4001, South Africa.
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4
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Lentiviral Nef Proteins Differentially Govern the Establishment of Viral Latency. J Virol 2022; 96:e0220621. [PMID: 35266804 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02206-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the clinical importance of latent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, our understanding of the biomolecular processes involved in HIV-1 latency control is still limited. This study was designed to address whether interactions between viral proteins, specifically HIV Nef, and the host cell could affect latency establishment. The study was driven by three reported observations. First, early reports suggested that human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) infection in patients produces a lower viral RNA/DNA ratio than HIV-1 infection, potentially indicating an increased propensity of HIV-2 to produce latent infection. Second, Nef, an early viral gene product, has been shown to alter the activation state of infected cells in a lentiviral lineage-dependent manner. Third, it has been demonstrated that the ability of HIV-1 to establish latent infection is a function of the activation state of the host cell at the time of infection. Based on these observations, we reasoned that HIV-2 Nef may have the ability to promote latency establishment. We demonstrate that HIV-1 latency establishment in T cell lines and primary T cells is indeed differentially modulated by Nef proteins. In the context of an HIV-1 backbone, HIV-1 Nef promoted active HIV-1 infection, while HIV-2 Nef strongly promoted latency establishment. Given that Nef represents the only difference in these HIV-1 vectors and is known to interact with numerous cellular factors, these data add support to the idea that latency establishment is a host cell-virus interaction phenomenon, but they also suggest that the HIV-1 lineage may have evolved mechanisms to counteract host cell suppression. IMPORTANCE Therapeutic attempts to eliminate the latent HIV-1 reservoir have failed, at least in part due to our incomplete biomolecular understanding of how latent HIV-1 infection is established and maintained. We here address the fundamental question of whether all lentiviruses actually possess a similar capacity to establish latent infections or whether there are differences between the lentiviral lineages driving differential latency establishment that could be exploited to develop improved latency reversal agents. Research investigating the viral RNA/DNA ratio in HIV-1 and HIV-2 patients could suggest that HIV-2 indeed has a much higher propensity to establish latent infections, a trait that we found, at least in part, to be attributable to the HIV-2 Nef protein. Reported Nef-mediated effects on host cell activation thus also affect latency establishment, and HIV-1 vectors that carry different lentiviral nef genes should become key tools to develop a better understanding of the biomolecular basis of HIV-1 latency establishment.
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5
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Gräf T, Bello G, Andrade P, Arantes I, Pereira JM, da Silva ABP, Veiga RV, Mariani D, Boullosa LT, Arruda MB, Fernandez JCC, Dennis AM, Rasmussen DA, Tanuri A. HIV-1 molecular diversity in Brazil unveiled by 10 years of sampling by the national genotyping network. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15842. [PMID: 34349153 PMCID: PMC8338987 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94542-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 has diversified into several subtypes and recombinant forms that are heterogeneously spread around the world. Understanding the distribution of viral variants and their temporal dynamics can help to design vaccines and monitor changes in viral transmission patterns. Brazil has one of the largest HIV-1 epidemics in the western-world and the molecular features of the virus circulating in the country are still not completely known. Over 50,000 partial HIV-1 genomes sampled between 2008 and 2017 by the Brazilian genotyping network (RENAGENO) were analyzed. Sequences were filtered by quality, duplicate sequences per patient were removed and subtyping was performed with online tools and molecular phylogeny. Association between patients’ demographic data and subtypes were performed by calculating the relative risk in a multinomial analysis and trends in subtype prevalence were tested by Pearson correlation. HIV-1B was found to be the most prevalent subtype throughout the country except in the south, where HIV-1C prevails. An increasing trend in the proportion of HIV-1C and F1 was observed in several regions of the country, while HIV-1B tended to decrease. Men and highly educated individuals were more frequently infected by HIV-1B and non-B variants were more prevalent among women with lower education. Our results suggest that socio-demographic factors partially segregate HIV-1 diversity in Brazil while shaping viral transmission networks. Historical events could explain a preferential circulation of HIV-1B among men who have sex with men (MSM) and non-B variants among heterosexual individuals. In view of an increasing male/female ratio of AIDS cases in Brazil in the last 10–15 years, the decrease of HIV-1B prevalence is surprising and suggests a greater penetrance of non-B subtypes in MSM transmission chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Gräf
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121, Salvador, 40296-710, Brazil.
| | - Gonzalo Bello
- Laboratório de AIDS e Imunologia Molecular, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Paula Andrade
- Laboratório de AIDS e Imunologia Molecular, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ighor Arantes
- Laboratório de AIDS e Imunologia Molecular, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - João Marcos Pereira
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética-IB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Laboratório de Bioinformática and Evolução Molecular, Departamento de Genética-IB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Bonfim Pinheiro da Silva
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética-IB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Laboratório de Bioinformática and Evolução Molecular, Departamento de Genética-IB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael V Veiga
- Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Brazil.,Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Diana Mariani
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética-IB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lídia Theodoro Boullosa
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética-IB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mônica B Arruda
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética-IB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Carlos Couto Fernandez
- Laboratório de AIDS e Imunologia Molecular, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ann M Dennis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David A Rasmussen
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA.,Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Amilcar Tanuri
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética-IB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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6
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Shi H, Tice CM, Emert-Sedlak L, Chen L, Li WF, Carlsen M, Wrobel JE, Reitz AB, Smithgall TE. Tight-Binding Hydroxypyrazole HIV-1 Nef Inhibitors Suppress Viral Replication in Donor Mononuclear Cells and Reverse Nef-Mediated MHC-I Downregulation. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:302-312. [PMID: 31775511 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The HIV-1 Nef accessory factor is critical to the viral life cycle in vivo and promotes immune escape of infected cells via downregulation of cell-surface MHC-I. Previously, we discovered small molecules that bind directly to Nef and block many of its functions, including enhancement of viral infectivity and replication in T cell lines. These compounds also restore cell-surface MHC-I expression in HIV-infected CD4 T cells from AIDS patients, enabling recognition and killing by autologous cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). In this study, we describe the synthesis and evaluation of a diverse set of analogs based on the original hydroxypyrazole Nef inhibitor core. All analogs were screened for the interaction with recombinant HIV-1 Nef by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and for antiretroviral activity in TZM-bl reporter cells infected with HIV-1. Active analogs were ranked on the basis of an activity score that integrates three aspects of the SPR data (affinity, residence time, and extent of binding) with antiretroviral activity. The top scoring compounds bound tightly to Nef by SPR, with KD values in the low nM to pM range, and displayed very slow dissociation from their Nef target. These analogs also suppressed HIV-1 replication in donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with IC50 values in the 1-10 nM range without cytotoxicity, inhibited Nef-mediated IL-2-inducible tyrosine kinase (Itk) and hematopoietic cell kinase (Hck) activation, and rescued MHC-I downregulation in a Nef-transfected T cell line. The development of Nef inhibitors based on the structure-activity relationships defined here has promise as a new approach to antiretroviral therapy that includes a path to eradication of HIV-infected cells via the adaptive immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibin Shi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Suite 523 Bridgeside Point II, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, United States
| | - Colin M. Tice
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Lori Emert-Sedlak
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Suite 523 Bridgeside Point II, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, United States
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Suite 523 Bridgeside Point II, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, United States
| | - Wing Fai Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Suite 523 Bridgeside Point II, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, United States
| | - Marianne Carlsen
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Jay E. Wrobel
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Allen B. Reitz
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Thomas E. Smithgall
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Suite 523 Bridgeside Point II, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, United States
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7
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HIV-1 Latency and Latency Reversal: Does Subtype Matter? Viruses 2019; 11:v11121104. [PMID: 31795223 PMCID: PMC6950696 DOI: 10.3390/v11121104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells that are latently infected with HIV-1 preclude an HIV-1 cure, as antiretroviral therapy does not target this latent population. HIV-1 is highly genetically diverse, with over 10 subtypes and numerous recombinant forms circulating worldwide. In spite of this vast diversity, much of our understanding of latency and latency reversal is largely based on subtype B viruses. As such, most of the development of cure strategies targeting HIV-1 are solely based on subtype B. It is currently assumed that subtype does not influence the establishment or reactivation of latent viruses. However, this has not been conclusively proven one way or the other. A better understanding of the factors that influence HIV-1 latency in all viral subtypes will help develop therapeutic strategies that can be applied worldwide. Here, we review the latest literature on subtype-specific factors that affect viral replication, pathogenesis, and, most importantly, latency and its reversal.
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8
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Barton JP, Rajkoomar E, Mann JK, Murakowski DK, Toyoda M, Mahiti M, Mwimanzi P, Ueno T, Chakraborty AK, Ndung'u T. Modelling and in vitro testing of the HIV-1 Nef fitness landscape. Virus Evol 2019; 5:vez029. [PMID: 31392033 PMCID: PMC6680064 DOI: 10.1093/ve/vez029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An effective vaccine is urgently required to curb the HIV-1 epidemic. We have previously described an approach to model the fitness landscape of several HIV-1 proteins, and have validated the results against experimental and clinical data. The fitness landscape may be used to identify mutation patterns harmful to virus viability, and consequently inform the design of immunogens that can target such regions for immunological control. Here we apply such an analysis and complementary experiments to HIV-1 Nef, a multifunctional protein which plays a key role in HIV-1 pathogenesis. We measured Nef-driven replication capacities as well as Nef-mediated CD4 and HLA-I down-modulation capacities of thirty-two different Nef mutants, and tested model predictions against these results. Furthermore, we evaluated the models using 448 patient-derived Nef sequences for which several Nef activities were previously measured. Model predictions correlated significantly with Nef-driven replication and CD4 down-modulation capacities, but not HLA-I down-modulation capacities, of the various Nef mutants. Similarly, in our analysis of patient-derived Nef sequences, CD4 down-modulation capacity correlated the most significantly with model predictions, suggesting that of the tested Nef functions, this is the most important in vivo. Overall, our results highlight how the fitness landscape inferred from patient-derived sequences captures, at least in part, the in vivo functional effects of mutations to Nef. However, the correlation between predictions of the fitness landscape and measured parameters of Nef function is not as accurate as the correlation observed in past studies for other proteins. This may be because of the additional complexity associated with inferring the cost of mutations on the diverse functions of Nef.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Barton
- Departments of Chemical Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erasha Rajkoomar
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Jaclyn K Mann
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Dariusz K Murakowski
- Departments of Chemical Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mako Toyoda
- Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | | | | | - Takamasa Ueno
- Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.,International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Arup K Chakraborty
- Departments of Chemical Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thumbi Ndung'u
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.,HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Africa Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa.,Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Chariteplatz, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
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