N-linked glycosylation in C2 region of HIV-1 envelope reduces sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies

Post-Immune Antibodies in HIV-1 Infection in the Context of Vaccine Development: A Variety of Biological Functions and Catalytic Activities

Unlike many other viruses, HIV-1 is highly variable. The structure of the viral envelope changes as the infection progresses and is one of the biggest obstacles in developing an HIV-1 vaccine. HIV-1 infection can cause the production of various natural autoantibodies, including catalytic antibodies hydrolyzing DNA, myelin basic protein, histones, HIV-integrase, HIV-reverse transcriptase, β-casein, serum albumin, and some other natural substrates. Currently, there are various directions for the development of HIV-1 vaccines: stimulation of the immune response on the mucous membranes; induction of cytotoxic T cells, which lyse infected cells and hold back HIV-infection; immunization with recombinant Env proteins or vectors encoding Env; mRNA-based vaccines and some others. However, despite many attempts to develop an HIV-1 vaccine, none have been successful. Here we review the entire spectrum of antibodies found in HIV-infected patients, including neutralizing antibodies specific to various viral epitopes, as well as antibodies formed against various autoantigens, catalytic antibodies against autoantigens, and some viral proteins. We consider various promising targets for developing a vaccine that will not produce unwanted antibodies in vaccinated patients. In addition, we review common problems in the development of a vaccine against HIV-1.

Type I interferon rapidly restricts infectious hepatitis C virus particle genesis

Interferon-alpha (IFNα) has been used to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection for over 20 years with varying efficacy, depending on the infecting viral genotype. The mechanism of action of IFNα is not fully understood, but is thought to target multiple stages of the HCV lifecycle, inhibiting viral transcription and translation leading to a degradation of viral RNA and protein expression in the infected cell. IFNα induces the expression of an array of interferon-stimulated genes within minutes of receptor engagement; however, the impact of these early responses on the viral lifecycle are unknown. We demonstrate that IFNα inhibits the genesis of infectious extracellular HCV particles within 2 hours of treating infected cells, with minimal effect on the intracellular viral burden. Importantly, this short duration of IFNα treatment of infected cells significantly reduced cell-free and cell-to-cell dissemination. The secreted viral particles showed no apparent change in protein content or density, demonstrating that IFNα inhibits particle infectivity but not secretion rates. To investigate whether particles released from IFNα-treated cells have a reduced capacity to establish infection we used HCV lentiviral pseudotypes (HCVpp) and demonstrated a defect in cell entry. Using a panel of monoclonal antibodies targeting the E2 glycoprotein, we demonstrate that IFNα alters glycoprotein conformation and receptor utilization.

CONCLUSION

These observations show a previously unreported and rapid effect of IFNα on HCV particle infectivity that inhibits de novo infection events. Evasion of this response may be a contributing factor in whether a patient achieves early or rapid virological response, a key indicator of progression to sustained virological response or clearance of viral infection.

In silico design of novel broad anti-HIV-1 agents based on glycosphingolipid β-galactosylceramide, a high-affinity receptor for the envelope gp120 V3 loop

Novel anti-Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 agents targeting the V3 loop of envelope protein gp120 were designed by computer modeling based on glycosphingolipid β-galactosylceramide (β-GalCer), which is an alternative receptor allowing HIV-1 entry into CD4-negative cells of neural and colonic origin. Models of these β-GalCer analogs bound to the V3 loops from five various HIV-1 variants were generated by molecular docking and their stability was estimated by molecular dynamics (MDs) and binding free energy simulations. Specific binding to the V3 loop was accomplished primarily by non-conventional XH…π interactions between CH/OH sugar groups of the glycolipids and the conserved V3 residues with π-conjugated side chains. The designed compounds were found to block the tip and/or the base of the V3 loop, which form invariant structural motifs that contain residues critical for cell tropism. With the MDs calculations, the docked models of the complexes of the β-GalCer analogs with V3 are energetically stable in all of the cases of interest and exhibit low values of free energy of their formation. Based on the data obtained, these compounds are considered as promising basic structures for the rational design of novel, potent, and broad-spectrum anti-HIV-1 therapeutics.

Neutralization sensitivity of HIV-1 subtype B' clinical isolates from former plasma donors in China

BACKGROUND

HIV-1 subtype B' isolates have been predominantly circulating in China. Their intra- and inter-subtype neutralization sensitivity to autologous and heterologous plasmas has not been well studied.

RESULTS

Twelve HIV-1 B' clinical isolates obtained from patients were tested for their intra- and inter-subtype neutralization sensitivity to the neutralization antibodies in the plasmas from patients infected by HIV-1 B' and CRF07_BC subtypes, respectively. We found that the plasmas from the HIV-1 B'-infected patients could potently neutralize heterologous viruses of subtype B' with mean ID50 titer (1/x) of about 67, but they were not effective in neutralizing autologous viruses of subtype B' with mean ID50 titer (1/x) of about 8. The plasmas from HIV-1 CRF07_BC-infected patients exhibited weak inter-subtype neutralization activity against subtype B' viruses with ID50 titer (1/x) is about 22. The neutralization sensitivity of HIV-1 B' isolates was inversely correlated with the neutralizing activity of plasmas from HIV-1 B'-infected patients (Spearman's r = -0.657, P = 0.020), and with the number of potential N-glycosylation site (PNGS) in V1-V5 region (Spearman's r = -0.493, P = 0.034), but positively correlated with the viral load (Spearman's r = 0.629, P = 0.028). It had no correlation with the length of V1-V5 regions or the CD4+ T cell count. Virus AH259V has low intra-subtype neutralization sensitivity, it can be neutralized by 17b (IC50: 10μg/ml) and 447-52D (IC50: 1.6μg/ml), and the neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in plasma AH259P are effective in neutralizing infection by the primary HIV-1 isolates with different subtypes with ID50 titers (1/x) in the range of 32-396.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the HIV-1 subtype B' viruses may mutate under the immune pressure, thus becoming resistant to the autologous nAbs, possibly by changing the number of PNGS in the V1-V5 region of the viral gp120. Some of primary HIV-1 isolates are able to induce both intra- and inter-subtype cross-neutralizing antibody responses.

Targeting a Neutralizing Epitope of HIV Envelope Gp120 by Immune Complex Vaccine

There are formidable challenges in developing HIV vaccines that elicit potent neutralizing antibodies against a broad array of HIV-1 isolates. The key targets for these neutralizing antibodies are the viral envelope antigens gp120 and gp41. Although broadly reactive neutralizing epitopes on gp120 and gp41 have been mapped and studied extensively, these epitopes are poorly immunogenic. Indeed, various vaccine candidates tested in preclinical and clinical trials do not generate antibodies against these epitopes. Hence, novel immunogen designs to augment the immunogenicity of these neutralizing epitopes are wanted. In this review, a unique immunogen design strategy that exploits immune complexes of gp120 and selected anti-gp120 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to elicit neutralizing antibodies against cross-reactive V3 epitopes is discussed. The ability of these complexes to stimulate neutralizing antibodies is dictated by fine specificity and affinity of mAbs used to form the complexes, indicating the contribution of Fab-mediated activity, rather than conventional Fc-mediated enhancement. Further improvement of V3 immunogenicity is attainable by forming immune complexes with gp120 mutants lacking site-specific N-linked glycans. The increased V3 immunogenicity on the mutated gp120/mAb complexes correlates with enhancement of in vitro antibody recognition (antigenicity) and proteolytic resistance of V3 epitopes when presented on the complexes. These insights should provide guidelines for the development of more potent immunogens that target not only the prototypic V3 epitopes but also other broadly reactive epitopes on the HIV envelope.

Comparative reactivity of serum samples from Argentinean HIV-infected patients with V3 peptides from subtype B or BF recombinants

To analyze humoral cross-reactivity to V3 peptides from subtype B and BF recombinant forms, plasma samples from 50 HIV-1-infected patients were characterized by sequencing fragments of the env and pol genes. An in-house EIA was performed using peptides corresponding to the 15 central amino acids of the V3 loop of gp120 from subtypes B (MN, SF2) and F1 and a consensus peptide from Argentinean BF recombinants. No differences were found with respect to the infecting subtype, but significant differences were found among the peptides. Reactivity was higher against the MN and BF peptides in both groups infected with subtype B (n = 28) and BF (n = 22) recombinants than against subtype F1 and SF2 peptides.

Two N-linked glycosylation sites in the V2 and C2 regions of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 CRF01_AE envelope glycoprotein gp120 regulate viral neutralization susceptibility to the human monoclonal antibody specific for the CD4 binding domain

A recombinant human monoclonal antibody, IgG1 b12 (b12), recognizes a conformational epitope on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp120 that overlaps the CD4 binding domain. Although b12 is able to broadly neutralize HIV-1 subtype B, C, and D viruses, many HIV-1 CRF01_AE viruses are resistant to b12-mediated neutralization. In this report, we examined the molecular mechanisms underlying the low neutralization susceptibility of CRF01_AE viruses to b12, using recently established CRF01_AE Env recombinant viruses. Our results showed that two potential N-linked glycosylation (PNLG) sites in the V2 and C2 regions of Env gp120 played an important role in regulating the susceptibility of CRF01_AE Env to b12. The locations of these PNLG sites correspond to amino acid positions 186 and 197 in HXB2 Env gp120; thus, they are designated N186 and N197 in this study. Removal of N186 significantly conferred the b12 susceptibility of 2 resistant CRF01_AE Env clones, 65CC4 and 107CC2, while the introduction of N186 reduced the b12 susceptibility of a susceptible CRF01_AE Env clone, 65CC1. In addition, removal of both N186 and N197 conferred the b12 susceptibility of 3 resistant CRF01_AE Env clones, 45PB1, 62PL1, and 101PL1, whereas the removal of either N186 or N197 was not sufficient to confer the b12 susceptibility of these CRF01_AE Env clones. Finally, removal of N197 conferred the b12 susceptibility of 2 resistant CRF01_AE Env clones lacking N186, 55PL1 and 102CC2. Taken together, we propose that two PNLG sites, N186 and N197, in Env gp120 are important determinants of the b12 resistance of CRF01_AE viruses.

Limited neutralizing antibody specificities drive neutralization escape in early HIV-1 subtype C infection

We previously showed that HIV-1 subtype C viruses elicit potent but highly type-specific neutralizing antibodies (nAb) within the first year of infection. In order to determine the specificity and evolution of these autologous nAbs, we examined neutralization escape in four individuals whose responses against the earliest envelope differed in magnitude and potency. Neutralization escape occurred in all participants, with later viruses showing decreased sensitivity to contemporaneous sera, although they retained sensitivity to new nAb responses. Early nAb responses were very restricted, occurring sequentially and targeting only two regions of the envelope. In V1V2, limited amino acid changes often involving indels or glycans, mediated partial or complete escape, with nAbs targeting the V1V2 region directly in 2 cases. The alpha-2 helix of C3 was also a nAb target, with neutralization escape associated with changes to positively charged residues. In one individual, relatively high titers of anti-C3 nAbs were required to drive genetic escape, taking up to 7 weeks for the resistant variant to predominate. Thereafter titers waned but were still measurable. Development of this single anti-C3 nAb specificity was associated with a 7-fold drop in HIV-1 viral load and a 4-fold rebound as the escape mutation emerged. Overall, our data suggest the development of a very limited number of neutralizing antibody specificities during the early stages of HIV-1 subtype C infection, with temporal fluctuations in specificities as escape occurs. While the mechanism of neutralization escape appears to vary between individuals, the involvement of limited regions suggests there might be common vulnerabilities in the HIV-1 subtype C transmitted envelope.

Antibodies to the CD4-binding site of HIV-1 gp120 suppress gp120-specific CD4 T cell response while enhancing antibody response

BACKGROUND

The binding of Abs to the CD4-binding site (CD4bs) of HIV-1 envelope gp120 has been shown to obstruct the processing and generation of helper epitopes from this antigen, resulting in poor presentation of various gp120 epitopes by MHC class II to CD4 T cells. However, the physiologic significance of these inhibitory anti-CD4bs Abs in vivo has remained unclear. In this study, we evaluated the immunologic effects of anti-CD4bs Abs in vivo using a murine model.

RESULTS

Animals were immunized with recombinant envelope proteins with or without CD4-binding activity (designated CD4bs+ Env and CD4bs- Env, respectively). As expected, anti-CD4bs Abs were generated only after immunization with CD4bs+ Env and not with CD4bs- Env. The presence of anti-CD4bs Abs was associated with lower levels of envelope-specific lymphoproliferation in animals immunized with CD4bs+ Env. To further determine the specific role of the anti-CD4bs Abs, we immunized mice with gp120 in the presence of an inhibitory anti-CD4bs mAb or a non-inhibitory anti-gp120 mAb. The data show that the presence of anti-CD4bs mAb reduced CD4 T cell responses to gp120. However, we also detected significantly higher titers of anti-gp120 Abs following immunization with gp120 and the anti-CD4bs mAb.

CONCLUSION

Anti-CD4bs Abs can exert discordant effects on the gp120-specific CD4 T cell and Ab responses in vivo, indicating the importance of these particular Abs in influencing both the cellular and the humoral immune responses against HIV-1.

Identification of an N-linked glycosylation in the C4 region of HIV-1 envelope gp120 that is critical for recognition of neighboring CD4 T cell epitopes

The heavy glycosylation of HIV-1 envelope gp120 shields this important Ag from recognition by neutralizing Abs and cytolytic CD8 T cells. However, very little work has been done to understand the influence of glycosylation on the generation of gp120 epitopes and their recognition by MHC class II-restricted CD4 T cells. In this study, three conserved glycans (linked to N406, N448, and N463) flanking the C4 region of gp120 that contains many known CD4 T cell epitopes were disrupted individually or in combination by asparagine-to-glutamine substitutions. The mutant proteins lacking the N448 glycan did not effectively stimulate CD4 T cells specific for the nearby C4 epitopes, although the same mutants were recognized well by CD4 T cells specific for epitopes located in the distant C1 and C2 regions. The loss of recognition was not due to amino acid substitutions introduced to the mutant proteins. Data from trypsin digestion and mass spectrometry analyses demonstrated that the N448 glycan removal impeded the proteolytic cleavage of the nearby C4 region, without affecting more distant sites. Importantly, this inhibitory effect was observed only in the digestion of the native nondenatured protein and not in that of the denatured protein. These data indicate that the loss of the N448 glycan induces structural changes in the C4 region of gp120 that make this specific region more resistant to proteolytic processing, thereby restricting the generation of CD4 T cell epitopes from this region. Hence, N-linked glycans are critical determinants that can profoundly influence CD4 T cell recognition of HIV-1 gp120.

The c3-v4 region is a major target of autologous neutralizing antibodies in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtype C infection

The early autologous neutralizing antibody response in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype C infections is often characterized by high titers, but the response is type specific with little to no cross-neutralizing activity. The specificities of these early neutralizing antibodies are not known; however, the type specificity suggests that they may target the variable regions of the envelope. Here, we show that cross-reactive anti-V3 antibodies developed within 3 to 12 weeks in six individuals but did not mediate autologous neutralization. Using a series of chimeric viruses, we found that antibodies directed at the V1V2, V4, and V5 regions contributed to autologous neutralization in some individuals, with V1V2 playing a more substantial role. However, these antibodies did not account for the total neutralizing capacity of these sera against the early autologous virus. Antibodies directed against the C3-V4 region were involved in autologous neutralization in all four sera studied. In two sera, transfer of the C3-V4 region rendered the chimera as sensitive to antibody neutralization as the parental virus. Although the C3 region, which contains the highly variable alpha2-helix was not a direct target in most cases, it contributed to the formation of neutralization epitopes as substitution of this region resulted in neutralization resistance. These data suggest that the C3 and V4 regions combine to form important structural motifs and that epitopes in this region are major targets of the early autologous neutralizing response in HIV-1 subtype C infection.

Variation in HIV-1 R5 macrophage-tropism correlates with sensitivity to reagents that block envelope: CD4 interactions but not with sensitivity to other entry inhibitors

BACKGROUND

HIV-1 R5 viruses cause most of the AIDS cases worldwide and are preferentially transmitted compared to CXCR4-using viruses. Furthermore, R5 viruses vary extensively in capacity to infect macrophages and highly macrophage-tropic variants are frequently identified in the brains of patients with dementia. Here, we investigated the sensitivity of R5 envelopes to a range of inhibitors and antibodies that block HIV entry. We studied a large panel of R5 envelopes, derived by PCR amplification without culture from brain, lymph node, blood and semen. These R5 envelopes conferred a wide range of macrophage tropism and included highly macrophage-tropic variants from brain and non-macrophage-tropic variants from lymph node.

RESULTS

R5 macrophage-tropism correlated with sensitivity to inhibition by reagents that inhibited gp120:CD4 interactions. Thus, increasing macrophage-tropism was associated with increased sensitivity to soluble CD4 and to IgG-CD4 (PRO 542), but with increased resistance to the anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mab), Q4120. These observations were highly significant and are consistent with an increased affinity of envelope for CD4 for macrophage-tropic envelopes. No overall correlations were noted between R5 macrophage-tropism and sensitivity to CCR5 antagonists or to gp41 specific reagents. Intriguingly, there was a relationship between increasing macrophage-tropism and increased sensitivity to the CD4 binding site mab, b12, but decreased sensitivity to 2G12, a mab that binds a glycan complex on gp120.

CONCLUSION

Variation in R5 macrophage-tropism is caused by envelope variation that predominantly influences sensitivity to reagents that block gp120:CD4 interactions. Such variation has important implications for therapy using viral entry inhibitors and for the design of envelope antigens for vaccines.

Asn 362 in gp120 contributes to enhanced fusogenicity by CCR5-restricted HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein variants from patients with AIDS

BACKGROUND

CCR5-restricted (R5) human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variants cause CD4+ T-cell loss in the majority of individuals who progress to AIDS, but mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of R5 strains are poorly understood. To better understand envelope glycoprotein (Env) determinants contributing to pathogenicity of R5 viruses, we characterized 37 full-length R5 Envs from cross-sectional and longitudinal R5 viruses isolated from blood of patients with asymptomatic infection or AIDS, referred to as pre-AIDS (PA) and AIDS (A) R5 Envs, respectively.

RESULTS

Compared to PA-R5 Envs, A-R5 Envs had enhanced fusogenicity in quantitative cell-cell fusion assays, and reduced sensitivity to inhibition by the fusion inhibitor T-20. Sequence analysis identified the presence of Asn 362 (N362), a potential N-linked glycosylation site immediately N-terminal to CD4-binding site (CD4bs) residues in the C3 region of gp120, more frequently in A-R5 Envs than PA-R5 Envs. N362 was associated with enhanced fusogenicity, faster entry kinetics, and increased sensitivity of Env-pseudotyped reporter viruses to neutralization by the CD4bs-directed Env mAb IgG1b12. Mutagenesis studies showed N362 contributes to enhanced fusogenicity of most A-R5 Envs. Molecular models indicate N362 is located adjacent to the CD4 binding loop of gp120, and suggest N362 may enhance fusogenicity by promoting greater exposure of the CD4bs and/or stabilizing the CD4-bound Env structure.

CONCLUSION

Enhanced fusogenicity is a phenotype of the A-R5 Envs studied, which was associated with the presence of N362, enhanced HIV-1 entry kinetics and increased CD4bs exposure in gp120. N362 contributes to fusogenicity of R5 Envs in a strain dependent manner. Our studies suggest enhanced fusogenicity of A-R5 Envs may contribute to CD4+ T-cell loss in subjects who progress to AIDS whilst harbouring R5 HIV-1 variants. N362 may contribute to this effect in some individuals.

Structural analysis of the HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop: application to the HIV-Haiti isolates

The model describing the structure and conformational preferences of the HIV-Haiti V3 loop in the geometric spaces of Cartesian coordinates and dihedral angles was generated in terms of NMR spectroscopy data published in literature. To this end, the following successive steps were put into effect: (i) the NMR-based 3D structure for the HIV-Haiti V3 loop in water was built by computer modeling methods; (ii) the conformations of its irregular segments were analyzed and the secondary structure elements identified; and (iii) to reveal a common structural motifs in the HIV-Haiti V3 loop regardless of its environment variability, the simulated structure was collated with the one deciphered previously for the HIV-Haiti V3 loop in a water/trifluoroethanol (TFE) mixed solvent. As a result, the HIV-Haiti V3 loop was found to offer the highly variable fragment of gp120 sensitive to its environment whose changes trigger the large-scale structural rearrangements, bringing in substantial altering the secondary and tertiary structures of this functionally important site of the virus envelope. In spite of this fact, over half of amino acid residues that reside, for the most part, in the functionally important regions of the gp120 protein and may present promising targets for AIDS drug researches, were shown to preserve their conformational states in the structures under review. In particular, the register of these amino acids holds Asn-25 that is critical for the virus binding with primary cell receptor CD4 as well as Arg-3 that is critical for utilization of CCR5 co-receptor and heparan sulfate proteoglycans. The conservative structural motif embracing one of the potential sites of the gp120 N-linked glycosylation was detected, which seems to be a promising target for the HIV-1 drug design. The implications are discussed in conjunction with the literature data on the biological activity of the individual amino acids for the HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop.

Determination of structurally conservative amino acids of the HIV-1 protein gp120 V3 loop as promising targets for drug design by protein engineering approaches

Based on the published NMR spectroscopy data, three-dimensional structures of the HIV-1 gp120 protein V3 loop were obtained by computer modeling in the viral strains HIV-Haiti and HIV-MN. In both cases, the secondary structure elements and conformations of irregular stretches were determined for the fragment representing the principal antigenic determinant of the virus, as well as determinants of the cellular tropism and syncytium formation. Notwithstanding the high variability of the amino acid sequence of gp120 protein, more than 50% of the V3 loop residues retained their conformations in the different HIV-1 virions. The combined analysis of the findings and the literature data on the biological activity of the individual residues of the HIV-1 V3 loop resulted in identification of its structurally conservative amino acids, which seem to be promising targets for antiviral drug design by protein engineering approaches.