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Vanegas-Torres CA, Schindler M. HIV-1 Vpr Functions in Primary CD4 + T Cells. Viruses 2024; 16:420. [PMID: 38543785 PMCID: PMC10975730 DOI: 10.3390/v16030420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 encodes four accesory proteins in addition to its structural and regulatory genes. Uniquely amongst them, Vpr is abundantly present within virions, meaning it is poised to exert various biological effects on the host cell upon delivery. In this way, Vpr contributes towards the establishment of a successful infection, as evidenced by the extent to which HIV-1 depends on this factor to achieve full pathogenicity in vivo. Although HIV infects various cell types in the host organism, CD4+ T cells are preferentially targeted since they are highly permissive towards productive infection, concomitantly bringing about the hallmark immune dysfunction that accompanies HIV-1 spread. The last several decades have seen unprecedented progress in unraveling the activities Vpr possesses in the host cell at the molecular scale, increasingly underscoring the importance of this viral component. Nevertheless, it remains controversial whether some of these advances bear in vivo relevance, since commonly employed cellular models significantly differ from primary T lymphocytes. One prominent example is the "established" ability of Vpr to induce G2 cell cycle arrest, with enigmatic physiological relevance in infected primary T lymphocytes. The objective of this review is to present these discoveries in their biological context to illustrate the mechanisms whereby Vpr supports HIV-1 infection in CD4+ T cells, whilst identifying findings that require validation in physiologically relevant models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Schindler
- Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany;
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2
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Bhardwaj V, Singh A, Choudhary A, Dalavi R, Ralte L, Chawngthu RL, Senthil Kumar N, Vijay N, Chande A. HIV-1 Vpr induces ciTRAN to prevent transcriptional repression of the provirus. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh9170. [PMID: 37672576 PMCID: PMC10482341 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The functional consequences of circular RNA (circRNA) expression on HIV-1 replication are largely unknown. Using a customized protocol involving direct RNA nanopore sequencing, here, we captured circRNAs from HIV-1-infected T cells and identified ciTRAN, a circRNA that modulates HIV-1 transcription. We found that HIV-1 infection induces ciTRAN expression in a Vpr-dependent manner and that ciTRAN interacts with SRSF1, a protein known to repress HIV-1 transcription. Our results suggest that HIV-1 hijacks ciTRAN to exclude serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1) from the viral transcriptional complex, thereby promoting efficient viral transcription. In addition, we demonstrate that an SRSF1-inspired mimic can inhibit viral transcription regardless of ciTRAN induction. The hijacking of a host circRNA thus represents a previously unknown facet of primate lentiviruses in overcoming transmission bottlenecks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipin Bhardwaj
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, India
| | - Aman Singh
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, India
| | - Aditi Choudhary
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, India
| | - Rishikesh Dalavi
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, India
| | | | | | | | - Nagarjun Vijay
- Computational and Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, India
| | - Ajit Chande
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, India
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3
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Sato H, Murakami T, Matsuura R, Abe M, Matsuoka S, Yashiroda Y, Yoshida M, Akari H, Nagasawa Y, Takei M, Aida Y. A Novel Class of HIV-1 Inhibitors Targeting the Vpr-Induced G2-Arrest in Macrophages by New Yeast- and Cell-Based High-Throughput Screening. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061321. [PMID: 35746791 PMCID: PMC9227106 DOI: 10.3390/v14061321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) accessory protein, Vpr, arrests the cell cycle of the G2 phase, and this Vpr-mediated G2 arrest is implicated in an efficient HIV-1 spread in monocyte-derived macrophages. Here, we screened new candidates for Vpr-targeting HIV-1 inhibitors by using fission yeast- and mammalian cell-based high-throughput screening. First, fission yeast strains expressing the HIV-1 Vpr protein were generated and then treated for 48 h with 20 μM of a synthetic library, including 140,000 chemical compounds. We identified 268 compounds that recovered the growth of Vpr-overexpressing yeast. The selected compounds were then tested in mammalian cells, and those displaying high cytotoxicity were excluded from further cell cycle analysis and imaging-based screening. A flow cytometry analysis confirmed that seven compounds recovered from the Vpr-induced G2 arrest. The cell toxicity and inhibitory effect of HIV-1 replication in human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were examined, and three independent structural compounds, VTD227, VTD232, and VTD263, were able to inhibit HIV-1 replication in MDM. Furthermore, we showed that VTD227, but not VTD232 and VTD263, can directly bind to Vpr. Our results indicate that three new compounds and their derivatives represent new drugs targeting HIV-1 replication and can be potentially used in clinics to improve the current antiretroviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotaka Sato
- Viral Infectious Diseases Unit, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; (H.S.); (T.M.); (R.M.)
- Division of Hematology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamichou, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan; (Y.N.); (M.T.)
- Department of Microbiology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu, Shimotsuga, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Murakami
- Viral Infectious Diseases Unit, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; (H.S.); (T.M.); (R.M.)
- Division of Hematology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamichou, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan; (Y.N.); (M.T.)
| | - Ryosuke Matsuura
- Viral Infectious Diseases Unit, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; (H.S.); (T.M.); (R.M.)
- Division of Hematology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamichou, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan; (Y.N.); (M.T.)
- Laboratory of Global Infectious Diseases Control Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Masako Abe
- Drug Discovery Seed Compounds Exploratory Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; (M.A.); (S.M.); (M.Y.)
| | - Seiji Matsuoka
- Drug Discovery Seed Compounds Exploratory Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; (M.A.); (S.M.); (M.Y.)
| | - Yoko Yashiroda
- Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan;
| | - Minoru Yoshida
- Drug Discovery Seed Compounds Exploratory Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; (M.A.); (S.M.); (M.Y.)
- Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan;
| | - Hirofumi Akari
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan;
| | - Yosuke Nagasawa
- Division of Hematology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamichou, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan; (Y.N.); (M.T.)
| | - Masami Takei
- Division of Hematology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamichou, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan; (Y.N.); (M.T.)
| | - Yoko Aida
- Viral Infectious Diseases Unit, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; (H.S.); (T.M.); (R.M.)
- Division of Hematology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamichou, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan; (Y.N.); (M.T.)
- Laboratory of Global Infectious Diseases Control Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
- Correspondence:
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Suleman S, Payne A, Bowden J, Haque SA, Zahn M, Fawaz S, Khalifa MS, Jobling S, Hay D, Franco M, Fronza R, Wang W, Strobel-Freidekind O, Deichmann A, Takeuchi Y, Waddington SN, Gil-Farina I, Schmidt M, Themis M. HIV- 1 lentivirus tethering to the genome is associated with transcription factor binding sites found in genes that favour virus survival. Gene Ther 2022; 29:720-729. [PMID: 35513551 PMCID: PMC9750860 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-022-00335-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors (LV) are attractive for permanent and effective gene therapy. However, integration into the host genome can cause insertional mutagenesis highlighting the importance of understanding of LV integration. Insertion site (IS) tethering is believed to involve cellular proteins such as PSIP1/LEDGF/p75, which binds to the virus pre-integration complexes (PICs) helping to target the virus genome. Transcription factors (TF) that bind both the vector LTR and host genome are also suspected influential to this. To determine the role of TF in the tethering process, we mapped predicted transcription factor binding sites (pTFBS) near to IS chosen by HIV-1 LV using a narrow 20 bp window in infected human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their hepatocyte-like cell (HLC) derivatives. We then aligned the pTFBS with these sequences found in the LTRs of native and self-inactivated LTRs. We found significant enrichment of these sequences for pTFBS essential to HIV-1 life cycle and virus survival. These same sites also appear in HIV-1 patient IS and in mice infected with HIV-1 based LV. This in silco data analysis suggests pTFBS present in the virus LTR and IS sites selected by HIV-1 LV are important to virus survival and propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saqlain Suleman
- grid.7728.a0000 0001 0724 6933Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK ,Testavec Ltd, Queensgate House, Maidenhead, UK
| | - Annette Payne
- Testavec Ltd, Queensgate House, Maidenhead, UK ,grid.7728.a0000 0001 0724 6933Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Johnathan Bowden
- grid.7728.a0000 0001 0724 6933Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Sharmin Al Haque
- grid.7728.a0000 0001 0724 6933Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Marco Zahn
- Genewerk GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373University Heidelberg, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Serena Fawaz
- grid.7728.a0000 0001 0724 6933Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Mohammad S. Khalifa
- grid.7728.a0000 0001 0724 6933Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Susan Jobling
- Testavec Ltd, Queensgate House, Maidenhead, UK ,grid.7728.a0000 0001 0724 6933Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - David Hay
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Regenerative Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Wei Wang
- Genewerk GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Yasuhiro Takeuchi
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK ,grid.70909.370000 0001 2199 6511Division of Advanced Therapies, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Potters Bar, UK
| | - Simon N. Waddington
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Gene Transfer Technology, EGA Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, London, UK ,grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135MRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Manfred Schmidt
- Genewerk GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.461742.20000 0000 8855 0365Department of Translational Oncology, NCT and DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Themis
- grid.7728.a0000 0001 0724 6933Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK ,grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Division of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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HIV-1 Vpr-Induced Proinflammatory Response and Apoptosis Are Mediated through the Sur1-Trpm4 Channel in Astrocytes. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02939-20. [PMID: 33293383 PMCID: PMC8534293 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02939-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful treatment of HIV-infected patients with combinational antiretroviral therapies (cART) can now prolong patients' lives to nearly normal life spans. However, the new challenge faced by many of those HIV-infected patients is chronic neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity that often leads to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). However, the mechanism of neuropathogenesis underlying HAND, especially in those who are under cART, is not well understood. HAND is typically characterized by HIV-mediated glial neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity. However, the severity of HAND does not always correlate with HIV-1 viral load but, rather, with the extent of glial activation, suggesting that other HIV-associated factors might contribute to HAND. HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) could be one of those viral factors because of its association with neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity. The objective of this study was to delineate the specific roles of HIV-1 infection and Vpr in the activation of neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity, and the possible relationships with the Sur1-Trpm4 channel that contributes to neuroinflammation and neuronal death. Here, we show that HIV-1 expression correlates with activation of proinflammatory markers (TLR4, TNF-α, and NF-κB) and the Sur1-Trpm4 channel in astrocytes of HIV-infected postmortem human and transgenic Tg26 mouse brain tissues. We further show that Vpr alone activates the same set of proinflammatory markers and Sur1 in a glioblastoma SNB19 cell line that is accompanied by apoptosis. The Sur1 inhibitor glibenclamide significantly reduced Vpr-induced apoptosis. Together, our data suggest that HIV-1 Vpr-induced proinflammatory response and apoptosis are mediated at least in part through the Sur1-Trpm4 channel in astrocytes.IMPORTANCE Effective antiretroviral therapies can now prolong patients' lives to nearly normal life span. The current challenge faced by many HIV-infected patients is chronic neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity that contributes to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). We show here that the expression of HIV-1 infection and Vpr correlates with the activation of proinflammatory markers (Toll-like receptor 4 [TLR4], tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], and NF-κB) and the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (Sur1)-transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (Trpm4) channel in astrocytes of brain tissues. We further show that an FDA-approved Sur1 inhibitory drug called glibenclamide significantly ameliorates apoptotic astrocytic cell death caused by HIV-1 Vpr, which could potentially open the possibility of repurposing glibenclamide for treating HAND.
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Ramdas P, Sahu AK, Mishra T, Bhardwaj V, Chande A. From Entry to Egress: Strategic Exploitation of the Cellular Processes by HIV-1. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:559792. [PMID: 33343516 PMCID: PMC7746852 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.559792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 employs a rich arsenal of viral factors throughout its life cycle and co-opts intracellular trafficking pathways. This exquisitely coordinated process requires precise manipulation of the host microenvironment, most often within defined subcellular compartments. The virus capitalizes on the host by modulating cell-surface proteins and cleverly exploiting nuclear import pathways for post entry events, among other key processes. Successful virus–cell interactions are indeed crucial in determining the extent of infection. By evolving defenses against host restriction factors, while simultaneously exploiting host dependency factors, the life cycle of HIV-1 presents a fascinating montage of an ongoing host–virus arms race. Herein, we provide an overview of how HIV-1 exploits native functions of the host cell and discuss recent findings that fundamentally change our understanding of the post-entry replication events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavitra Ramdas
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Amit Kumar Sahu
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Tarun Mishra
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Vipin Bhardwaj
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Ajit Chande
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, India
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7
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Greenwood EJD, Williamson JC, Sienkiewicz A, Naamati A, Matheson NJ, Lehner PJ. Promiscuous Targeting of Cellular Proteins by Vpr Drives Systems-Level Proteomic Remodeling in HIV-1 Infection. Cell Rep 2020; 27:1579-1596.e7. [PMID: 31042482 PMCID: PMC6506760 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 encodes four “accessory proteins” (Vif, Vpr, Vpu, and Nef), dispensable for viral replication in vitro but essential for viral pathogenesis in vivo. Well characterized cellular targets have been associated with Vif, Vpu, and Nef, which counteract host restriction and promote viral replication. Conversely, although several substrates of Vpr have been described, their biological significance remains unclear. Here, we use complementary unbiased mass spectrometry-based approaches to demonstrate that Vpr is both necessary and sufficient for the DCAF1/DDB1/CUL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase-mediated degradation of at least 38 cellular proteins, causing systems-level changes to the cellular proteome. We therefore propose that promiscuous targeting of multiple host factors underpins complex Vpr-dependent cellular phenotypes and validate this in the case of G2/M cell cycle arrest. Our model explains how Vpr modulates so many cell biological processes and why the functional consequences of previously described Vpr targets, identified and studied in isolation, have proved elusive. HIV-1 Vpr is responsible for almost all proteomic changes in HIV-1-infected cells Vpr directly targets multiple nuclear proteins for degradation Vpr cellular phenotypes (e.g., cell cycle arrest) stem from broad substrate targeting Targeting of a few proteins is conserved across diverse primate lentiviral species
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J D Greenwood
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK; Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
| | - James C Williamson
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK; Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
| | - Agata Sienkiewicz
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK; Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Adi Naamati
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Nicholas J Matheson
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Paul J Lehner
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK; Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
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8
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Wallet C, Rohr O, Schwartz C. Evolution of a concept: From accessory protein to key virulence factor, the case of HIV-1 Vpr. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 180:114128. [PMID: 32619426 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Back in 1989 some studies have shown that the viral protein Vpr was dispensable for HIV-1 replication in vitro. From then the concept of accessory or auxiliary protein for Vpr has emerged and it is still used to date. However, Vpr soon appeared to be very important for in vivo virus spread and pathogenesis. Vpr has been involved in many biological functions including regulation of reverse transcriptase activity, the nuclear import of the pre-integration complex (PIC), HIV-1 transcription, gene splicing, apoptosis and in cell cycle arrest. Thus, we might rather consider Vpr as a true virulence factor instead of just an accessory factor. At present, Vpr can be regarded as a potential and promising target in different strategies aiming to fight infected cells including latently infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Wallet
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Olivier Rohr
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Christian Schwartz
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France.
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9
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Alfaisal J, Machado A, Galais M, Robert-Hebmann V, Arnauné-Pelloquin L, Espert L, Biard-Piechaczyk M. HIV-1 Vpr inhibits autophagy during the early steps of infection of CD4 T cells. Biol Cell 2019; 111:308-318. [PMID: 31628772 DOI: 10.1111/boc.201900071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Autophagy is induced during HIV-1 entry into CD4 T cells by the fusion of the membranes triggered by the gp41 envelope glycoprotein. This anti-HIV-1 mechanism is inhibited by the viral infectivity factor (Vif) neosynthesized after HIV-1 integration to allow viral replication. However, autophagy is very rapidly controlled after HIV-1 entry by a still unknown mechanism. As HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) is the only auxiliary protein found within the virion in substantial amount, we studied its capability to control the early steps of HIV-1 envelope-mediated autophagy. RESULTS We demonstrated that ectopic Vpr inhibits autophagy in both the Jurkat CD4 T cell line and HEK.293T cells. Interestingly, Vpr coming from the virus also blocks autophagy in CD4 T cells, the main cell target of HIV-1. Furthermore, Vpr decreases the expression level of two essential autophagy proteins (ATG), LC3B and Beclin-1, and an important autophagy-related protein, BNIP3 as well as the level of their mRNA. We also demonstrated in HEK.293T cells that Vpr degrades the FOXO3a transcription factor through the ubiquitin proteasome system. CONCLUSION Vpr, the only well-expressed HIV-1 auxiliary protein incorporated into viruses, is able to negatively control autophagy induced during HIV-1 entry into CD4 T cells. SIGNIFICANCE We provide insights of how HIV-1 controls autophagy very early after its entry into CD4 T cells and discovered a new function of Vpr. These results open the route to a better understanding of the roles of Vpr during HIV-1 infection through FOXO3a degradation and could be important to consider additional therapies that counteract the role of Vpr on autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal Alfaisal
- IRIM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Alice Machado
- IRIM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Mathilde Galais
- IRIM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Laetitia Arnauné-Pelloquin
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Lucile Espert
- IRIM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, 34293, Montpellier, France
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Vpr and Its Cellular Interaction Partners: R We There Yet? Cells 2019; 8:cells8111310. [PMID: 31652959 PMCID: PMC6912716 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Vpr is a lentiviral accessory protein that is expressed late during the infection cycle and is packaged in significant quantities into virus particles through a specific interaction with the P6 domain of the viral Gag precursor. Characterization of the physiologically relevant function(s) of Vpr has been hampered by the fact that in many cell lines, deletion of Vpr does not significantly affect viral fitness. However, Vpr is critical for virus replication in primary macrophages and for viral pathogenesis in vivo. It is generally accepted that Vpr does not have a specific enzymatic activity but functions as a molecular adapter to modulate viral or cellular processes for the benefit of the virus. Indeed, many Vpr interacting factors have been described by now, and the goal of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of cellular proteins targeted by Vpr.
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Hofmann S, Dehn S, Businger R, Bolduan S, Schneider M, Debyser Z, Brack-Werner R, Schindler M. Dual role of the chromatin-binding factor PHF13 in the pre- and post-integration phases of HIV-1 replication. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170115. [PMID: 29021215 PMCID: PMC5666080 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses interact with multiple host cell factors. Some of these are required to promote viral propagation, others have roles in inhibiting infection. Here, we delineate the function of the cellular factor PHF13 (or SPOC1), a putative HIV-1 restriction factor. Early in the HIV-1 replication cycle PHF13 increased the number of integrated proviral copies and the number of infected cells. However, after HIV-1 integration, high levels of PHF13 suppressed viral gene expression. The antiviral activity of PHF13 is counteracted by the viral accessory protein Vpr, which mediates PHF13 degradation. Altogether, the transcriptional master regulator and chromatin binding protein PHF13 does not have purely repressive effects on HIV-1 replication, but also promotes viral integration. By the functional characterization of the dual role of PHF13 during the HIV-1 replication cycle, we reveal a surprising and intricate mechanism through which HIV-1 might regulate the switch from integration to viral gene expression. Furthermore, we identify PHF13 as a cellular target specifically degraded by HIV-1 Vpr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Hofmann
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Virology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sandra Dehn
- Institute of Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ramona Businger
- Institute of Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bolduan
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Virology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martha Schneider
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Virology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Zeger Debyser
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ruth Brack-Werner
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Virology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael Schindler
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Virology, Neuherberg, Germany .,Institute of Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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T cells with low CD2 levels express reduced restriction factors and are preferentially infected in therapy naïve chronic HIV-1 patients. J Int AIDS Soc 2018; 20:21865. [PMID: 28953327 PMCID: PMC5964667 DOI: 10.7448/ias.20.1.21865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Restriction factors (RFs) suppress HIV-1 in cell lines and primary cell models. Hence, RFs might be attractive targets for novel antiviral strategies, but their importance for virus control in vivo is controversial. METHODS We profiled the expression of RFs in primary blood-derived mononuclear cells (PBMC) from therapy-naïve HIV-1 patients and quantified infection. RESULTS Overall, there was no correlation between individual RF expression and HIV-1 status in total PBMC. However, we identified a T cell population with low levels of intracellular CD2 and reduced expression of SAMHD1, p21 and SerinC5. CD2low T cells with reduced RF expression were markedly positive for HIV-1 p24. In contrast, CD2+ T cells were less infected and expressed higher levels of RFs. CD2low T cell infection correlated with viral loads and was associated with HIV-1 disease progression. CONCLUSIONS In untreated therapy naïve chronic HIV-1 patients, RF expression in T cells is associated with CD2 expression and seems to influence viral loads. Our study suggests that RFs help to control HIV-1 infection in certain T cells in vivo and supports the potential for RFs as promising targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Frączek T, Kamiński R, Krakowiak A, Naessens E, Verhasselt B, Paneth P. Diaryl ethers with carboxymethoxyphenacyl motif as potent HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors with improved solubility. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2017; 33:9-16. [PMID: 29098886 PMCID: PMC6009982 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2017.1387542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In search of new non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) with improved solubility, two series of novel diaryl ethers with phenacyl moiety were designed and evaluated for their HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibition potentials. All compounds exhibited good to excellent results with IC50 at low micromolar to submicromolar concentrations. Two most active compounds (7e and 7 g) exhibit inhibitory potency comparable or even better than that of nevirapine and rilpivirine. Furthermore, SupT1 and CD4+ cell infectivity assays for the most promising (7e) have confirmed its strong antiviral potential while docking studies indicate a novel binding interactions responsible for high activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Frączek
- a Institute of Applied Radiation Chemistry , Lodz University of Technology , Lodz , Poland
| | - Rafał Kamiński
- a Institute of Applied Radiation Chemistry , Lodz University of Technology , Lodz , Poland
| | - Agnieszka Krakowiak
- a Institute of Applied Radiation Chemistry , Lodz University of Technology , Lodz , Poland.,b Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies , Polish Academy of Sciences , Lodz , Poland
| | - Evelien Naessens
- c Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology , Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital , Ghent , Belgium
| | - Bruno Verhasselt
- c Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology , Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital , Ghent , Belgium
| | - Piotr Paneth
- a Institute of Applied Radiation Chemistry , Lodz University of Technology , Lodz , Poland
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14
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Virion-Associated Vpr Alleviates a Postintegration Block to HIV-1 Infection of Dendritic Cells. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00051-17. [PMID: 28424288 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00051-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral protein R (Vpr) is an HIV-1 accessory protein whose function remains poorly understood. In this report, we sought to determine the requirement of Vpr for facilitating HIV-1 infection of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs), one of the first cell types to encounter virus in the peripheral mucosal tissues. In this report, we characterize a significant restriction of Vpr-deficient virus replication and spread in MDDCs alone and in cell-to-cell spread in MDDC-CD4+ T cell cocultures. This restriction of HIV-1 replication in MDDCs was observed in a single round of virus replication and was rescued by the expression of Vpr in trans in the incoming virion. Interestingly, infections of MDDCs with viruses that encode Vpr mutants unable to interact with either the DCAF1/DDB1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex or a host factor hypothesized to be targeted for degradation by Vpr also displayed a significant replication defect. While the extent of proviral integration in HIV-1-infected MDDCs was unaffected by the absence of Vpr, the transcriptional activity of the viral long terminal repeat (LTR) from Vpr-deficient proviruses was significantly reduced. Together, these results characterize a novel postintegration restriction of HIV-1 replication in MDDCs and show that the interaction of Vpr with the DCAF1/DDB1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex and the yet-to-be-identified host factor might alleviate this restriction by inducing transcription from the viral LTR. Taken together, these findings identify a robust in vitro cell culture system that is amenable to addressing mechanisms underlying Vpr-mediated enhancement of HIV-1 replication.IMPORTANCE Despite decades of work, the function of the HIV-1 protein Vpr remains poorly understood, primarily due to the lack of an in vitro cell culture system that demonstrates a deficit in replication upon infection with viruses in the absence of Vpr. In this report, we describe a novel cell infection system that utilizes primary human dendritic cells, which display a robust decrease in viral replication upon infection with Vpr-deficient HIV-1. We show that this replication difference occurs in a single round of infection and is due to decreased transcriptional output from the integrated viral genome. Viral transcription could be rescued by virion-associated Vpr. Using mutational analysis, we show that domains of Vpr involved in binding to the DCAF1/DDB1/E3 ubiquitin ligase complex and prevention of cell cycle progression into mitosis are required for LTR-mediated viral expression, suggesting that the evolutionarily conserved G2 cell cycle arrest function of Vpr is essential for HIV-1 replication.
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15
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González ME. The HIV-1 Vpr Protein: A Multifaceted Target for Therapeutic Intervention. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18010126. [PMID: 28075409 PMCID: PMC5297760 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18010126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr protein is an attractive target for antiretroviral drug development. The conservation both of the structure along virus evolution and the amino acid sequence in viral isolates from patients underlines the importance of Vpr for the establishment and progression of HIV-1 disease. While its contribution to virus replication in dividing and non-dividing cells and to the pathogenesis of HIV-1 in many different cell types, both extracellular and intracellular forms, have been extensively studied, its precise mechanism of action nevertheless remains enigmatic. The present review discusses how the apparently multifaceted interplay between Vpr and host cells may be due to the impairment of basic metabolic pathways. Vpr protein modifies host cell energy metabolism, oxidative status, and proteasome function, all of which are likely conditioned by the concentration and multimerization of the protein. The characterization of Vpr domains along with new laboratory tools for the assessment of their function has become increasingly relevant in recent years. With these advances, it is conceivable that drug discovery efforts involving Vpr-targeted antiretrovirals will experience substantial growth in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia González
- Unidad de Expresión Viral, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera de Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km 2, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain.
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Baeyens A, Naessens E, Van Nuffel A, Weening KE, Reilly AM, Claeys E, Trypsteen W, Vandekerckhove L, Eyckerman S, Gevaert K, Verhasselt B. HIV-1 Vpr N-terminal tagging affects alternative splicing of the viral genome. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34573. [PMID: 27721439 PMCID: PMC5056386 DOI: 10.1038/srep34573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
To facilitate studies on Vpr function in replicating HIV-1, we aimed to tag the protein in an infectious virus. First we showed that N-, but not C-terminal HA/FLAG tagging of Vpr protein preserves Vpr cytopathicity. Cloning the tags into proviral DNA however ablated viral production and replication. By construction of additional viral variants we could show this defect was not protein- but RNA-dependent and sequence specific, and characterized by oversplicing of the genomic RNA. Simulation of genomic RNA folding suggested that introduction of the tag sequence induced an alternative folding structure in a region enriched in splice sites and splicing regulatory sequences. In silico predictions identified the HA/His6-Vpr tagging in HIV-1 to affect mRNA folding less than HA/FLAG-Vpr tagging. In vitro infectivity and mRNA splice pattern improved but did not reach wild-type values. Thus, sequence-specific insertions may interfere with mRNA splicing, possibly due to altered RNA folding. Our results point to the complexity of viral RNA genome sequence interactions. This should be taken into consideration when designing viral manipulation strategies, for both research as for biological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Baeyens
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Evelien Naessens
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anouk Van Nuffel
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karin E Weening
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anne-Marie Reilly
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eva Claeys
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Trypsteen
- HIV Translational Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Translational Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sven Eyckerman
- VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Gevaert
- VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bruno Verhasselt
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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