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Ledesma-Feliciano C, Hagen S, Troyer R, Zheng X, Musselman E, Slavkovic Lukic D, Franke AM, Maeda D, Zielonka J, Münk C, Wei G, VandeWoude S, Löchelt M. Replacement of feline foamy virus bet by feline immunodeficiency virus vif yields replicative virus with novel vaccine candidate potential. Retrovirology 2018; 15:38. [PMID: 29769087 PMCID: PMC5956581 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-018-0419-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hosts are able to restrict viral replication to contain virus spread before adaptive immunity is fully initiated. Many viruses have acquired genes directly counteracting intrinsic restriction mechanisms. This phenomenon has led to a co-evolutionary signature for both the virus and host which often provides a barrier against interspecies transmission events. Through different mechanisms of action, but with similar consequences, spumaviral feline foamy virus (FFV) Bet and lentiviral feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) Vif counteract feline APOBEC3 (feA3) restriction factors that lead to hypermutation and degradation of retroviral DNA genomes. Here we examine the capacity of vif to substitute for bet function in a chimeric FFV to assess the transferability of anti-feA3 factors to allow viral replication. RESULTS We show that vif can replace bet to yield replication-competent chimeric foamy viruses. An in vitro selection screen revealed that an engineered Bet-Vif fusion protein yields suboptimal protection against feA3. After multiple passages through feA3-expressing cells, however, variants with optimized replication competence emerged. In these variants, Vif was expressed independently from an N-terminal Bet moiety and was stably maintained. Experimental infection of immunocompetent domestic cats with one of the functional chimeras resulted in seroconversion against the FFV backbone and the heterologous FIV Vif protein, but virus could not be detected unambiguously by PCR. Inoculation with chimeric virus followed by wild-type FFV revealed that repeated administration of FVs allowed superinfections with enhanced antiviral antibody production and detection of low level viral genomes, indicating that chimeric virus did not induce protective immunity against wild-type FFV. CONCLUSIONS Unrelated viral antagonists of feA3 cellular restriction factors can be exchanged in FFV, resulting in replication competence in vitro that was attenuated in vivo. Bet therefore may have additional functions other than A3 antagonism that are essential for successful in vivo replication. Immune reactivity was mounted against the heterologous Vif protein. We conclude that Vif-expressing FV vaccine vectors may be an attractive tool to prevent or modulate lentivirus infections with the potential option to induce immunity against additional lentivirus antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Ledesma-Feliciano
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sarah Hagen
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center, (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg, DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ryan Troyer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Xin Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Esther Musselman
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Dragana Slavkovic Lukic
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center, (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg, DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine II, Division of Hematology, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ann-Mareen Franke
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center, (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg, DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Roche Pharma AG, Grenzach-Wyhlen, Germany
| | - Daniel Maeda
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center, (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg, DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Jörg Zielonka
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Roche Glycart AG, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland
| | - Carsten Münk
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Guochao Wei
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center, (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg, DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Infectious Disease, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Sue VandeWoude
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Martin Löchelt
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center, (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg, DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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3
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Jeffrey Fessel W. A new approach to an AIDS vaccine: creating antibodies to HIV vif will enable apobec3G to turn HIV-infection into a benign problem. Med Hypotheses 2005; 64:261-3. [PMID: 15607551 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2004.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2004] [Accepted: 07/13/2004] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
For a decade, attempts to produce a vaccine that prevents HIV infection have been fruitless, and fresh approaches are required. Apobec3G is a natural defensin and a cytidine deaminase. Apobec3G induces a high rate of dC to dU mutation in the first minus strand of cDNA, causing degradation throughout the HIV genome that renders the virus effete. The viral infectivity factor (vif) of HIV is essential for efficient replication of that virus. Vif binds to apobec3G and induces its polyubiquitination, which enables HIV to evade apobec3G. This suggests that a vif-based vaccine which induced anti-vif antibodies, would prevent the neutralizing action of vif upon apobec3G. Then, with HIV-vif ineffective, apobec3G could act without hindrance to create a less aggressive, non-lethal HIV infection. Mutated vif impedes HIV infection. Slow progressors with vif 132S had 4-fold lower viral loads than those with vif 132R; and introducing vif 132S into HIV-1 caused a 5-fold decrease in viral replication. And in the absence of vif, HIV virions accumulate multiple defects in structural, enzymatic, and regulatory viral proteins. The success of a vif-based vaccine depends upon (1) a vif-antibody response, and (2) vif antibodies entering the cells that harbor HIV. First, antibodies to vif have been seen in frequencies ranging between 25% and 100% in patients infected with HIV-1. Second, transport of anti-vif antibodies into cells might occur via several mechanisms. Likeliest is that in viremic persons, antibodies would attach to cell-free virions which would piggyback the antibodies into CD4+ cells. Alternatively, a fusion protein between vif and a cell-surface receptor, e.g., CD4 or CCR5, might be used as vaccine antigen. Also, anti-vif antibodies might internalize after ligation of HIV virions budding on the cell surface, in the same way as monoclonal antibodies against porcine pseudorabies virus induced viral glycoproteins on the cell surface to internalize. Finally, monoclonal antibodies, using unknown mechanisms to enter cells, have been effective against several other intracellular pathogens. In summary, HIV-vif might be effective in a vaccine intended to ameliorate either preexisting or subsequent HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Jeffrey Fessel
- HIV Research Unit, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, University of California, 2238 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94123, USA.
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Majumder B, Gray B, McBurney S, Schaefer TM, Dentchev T, Mahalingam S, Reinhart TA, Ayyavoo V. Attenuated nef DNA vaccine construct induces cellular immune response: role in HIV-1 multiprotein vaccine. Immunol Lett 2004; 89:207-14. [PMID: 14556980 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-2478(03)00141-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
HIV-1 positive patients generate Nef-specific CTL response, indicating that Nef is a potent immunogen. However, Nef is also known to down regulate the expression of CD4 and MHC-I molecules, thereby protecting virally infected target cells. We compared the immunogenicity of non-functional nef vaccine constructs to wild type functional nef as potential immunogen. Mice were immunized with different nef constructs and assessed for their ability to induce cellular immune responses. Evaluation of T cell immune responses in mice showed that non-functional nef vaccine constructs are capable of inducing a significant T cell immune response measured by IFN-gamma ELISPOT. Further epitope mapping studies indicate that one of our attenuated constructs, Nef R-38, has multiple CTL epitopes spanning throughout the gene. Our results indicate that functionally attenuated Nef antigen might be a better candidate for future multiprotein HIV-1 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswanath Majumder
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh/GSPH, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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5
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Ayyavoo V, Muthumani K, Kudchodkar S, Zhang D, Ramanathan P, Dayes NS, Kim JJ, Sin JI, Montaner LJ, Weiner DB. HIV-1 viral protein R compromises cellular immune function in vivo. Int Immunol 2002; 14:13-22. [PMID: 11751747 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/14.1.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) is a virion-associated gene product that profoundly affects T cell proliferation, induces apoptosis and can affect cytokine production in part through interfering with NF-kappa B-mediated transcription from host cells. Collectively, these effects support that Vpr could influence immune activation in vivo. However, this effect of Vpr has not been explored previously. Here we examined the effect of Vpr expression in an in vivo model system on the induction of antigen-specific immune responses using a DNA vaccine model. Vpr co-vaccination significantly altered the immune response to co-delivered antigen. Specifically, in the presence of Vpr, inflammation was markedly reduced compared to antigen alone. Vpr reduced antigen-specific CD8-mediated cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity and suppressed T(h)1 immune responses in vivo as evidenced by lower levels of IFN-gamma. In the presence of Vpr, there is a profound shift in isotype towards a T(h)2 response as determined by the IgG2a:IgG1 ratio. The data support that Vpr compromises antigen-specific immune responses and ultimately effector cell function, thus confirming a strong selective advantage to the virus at the expense of the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Velpandi Ayyavoo
- Department of Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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6
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Ayyavoo V, Kudchodkar S, Ramanathan MP, Le P, Muthumani K, Megalai NM, Dentchev T, Santiago-Barrios L, Mrinalini C, Weiner DB. Immunogenicity of a novel DNA vaccine cassette expressing multiple human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) accessory genes. AIDS 2000; 14:1-9. [PMID: 10714562 DOI: 10.1097/00002030-200001070-00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop an HIV-1 accessory gene immunogen using a DNA vaccine approach. METHODS HIV-1 accessory genes vif, vpu and nef were modified to express under the control of a single promoter with cellular proteolytic cleavage sites between the coding sequences (VVN-P). Immune responses induced by these constructs were evaluated in mice. RESULTS DNA vaccine construct (pVVN-P) expressing Vif, Vpu and Nef was processed and the fusion protein was cleaved appropriately. Vif, Vpu and Nef as a fusion protein with proteolytic cleavage sites (VVN-P) is able to induce a significant level of cellular immune responses. We also observed that accessory genes Vif, Vpu and Nef (VVN-P) induced an effective T helper 1 proliferative response measured by cytokine production. Furthermore, expression cassette pVVN-P was able to induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses against diverse HIV-1 viruses in infected target cells. CONCLUSION We conclude that cell-mediated immune responses induced by accessory gene constructs from clade B may have a broader recognition of divergent HIV-1 viruses and should be further examined for both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination schemes against HIV-1.
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MESH Headings
- 3T3 Cells
- Animals
- Blotting, Western
- Cell Division/immunology
- Cells, Cultured
- Cytokines/biosynthesis
- Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- Gene Products, nef/genetics
- Gene Products, nef/immunology
- Gene Products, nef/metabolism
- Gene Products, vif/genetics
- Gene Products, vif/immunology
- Gene Products, vif/metabolism
- HIV-1/genetics
- HIV-1/immunology
- HIV-1/isolation & purification
- HeLa Cells
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins
- Humans
- Injections, Intramuscular
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/immunology
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/cytology
- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/metabolism
- Transfection
- Vaccination
- Vaccines, DNA/genetics
- Vaccines, DNA/immunology
- Vaccines, DNA/metabolism
- Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins/genetics
- Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins/immunology
- Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins/metabolism
- nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
- vif Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
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Affiliation(s)
- V Ayyavoo
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA
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7
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Chattergoon MA, Robinson TM, Boyer JD, Weiner DB. Specific Immune Induction Following DNA-Based Immunization Through In Vivo Transfection and Activation of Macrophages/Antigen-Presenting Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 1998. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.160.12.5707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The initiation of an adaptive immune response requires Ag presentation in combination with the appropriate activation signals. Classically, Ag presentation and immune activation occur in the lymph node and spleen, where a favorable organ architecture and rich cellular help can enhance the process. Recently, several investigators have reported the use of DNA expression cassettes to elicit cellular and humoral immunity against diverse pathogens. Although the immune mechanisms involved are still poorly understood, plasmid inoculation represents a model system for studying immune function in response to invading pathogens. In this report, we demonstrate the presence of activated macrophages or dendritic cells in the blood lymphocyte pool and peripheral tissues of animals inoculated with DNA expression cassettes. These cells are directly transfected in vivo, present Ag, and display the surface proteins CD80 and CD86. Our studies indicate that these cells function as APC and can activate naive T lymphocytes. They may represent an important first step APC in genetic immunization and natural infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Chattergoon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Tara M. Robinson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Jean D. Boyer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - David B. Weiner
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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