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Lyons DE, Kumar P, Roan NR, Defechereux PA, Feschotte C, Lange UC, Murthy N, Sameshima P, Verdin E, Ake JA, Parsons MS, Nath A, Gianella S, Smith DM, Kallas EG, Villa TJ, Strange R, Mwesigwa B, Furler O’Brien RL, Nixon DF, Ndhlovu LC, Valente ST, Ott M. HIV-1 Remission: Accelerating the Path to Permanent HIV-1 Silencing. Viruses 2023; 15:2171. [PMID: 38005849 PMCID: PMC10674359 DOI: 10.3390/v15112171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite remarkable progress, a cure for HIV-1 infection remains elusive. Rebound competent latent and transcriptionally active reservoir cells persevere despite antiretroviral therapy and rekindle infection due to inefficient proviral silencing. We propose a novel "block-lock-stop" approach, entailing long term durable silencing of viral expression towards an irreversible transcriptionally inactive latent provirus to achieve long term antiretroviral free control of the virus. A graded transformation of remnant HIV-1 in PLWH from persistent into silent to permanently defective proviruses is proposed, emulating and accelerating the natural path that human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) take over millions of years. This hypothesis was based on research into delineating the mechanisms of HIV-1 latency, lessons from latency reversing agents and advances of Tat inhibitors, as well as expertise in the biology of HERVs. Insights from elite controllers and the availability of advanced genome engineering technologies for the direct excision of remnant virus set the stage for a rapid path to an HIV-1 cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle E. Lyons
- Gladstone Institute of Virology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Priti Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Nadia R. Roan
- Gladstone Institute of Virology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Patricia A. Defechereux
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Cedric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Niren Murthy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Pauline Sameshima
- Faculty of Education, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada;
| | - Eric Verdin
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | - Julie A. Ake
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA (M.S.P.)
| | - Matthew S. Parsons
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA (M.S.P.)
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Avindra Nath
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20824, USA;
| | - Sara Gianella
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Davey M. Smith
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Esper G. Kallas
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo 04023-900, Brazil
| | - Thomas J. Villa
- HOPE Martin Delaney Collaboratory for HIV Cure Research Community Engagement Ambassador, Washinton, DC 20004, USA (R.S.)
- National HIV & Aging Advocacy Network, Washington, DC 20004, USA
| | - Richard Strange
- HOPE Martin Delaney Collaboratory for HIV Cure Research Community Engagement Ambassador, Washinton, DC 20004, USA (R.S.)
| | - Betty Mwesigwa
- Research Department, Makerere University Walter Reed Project, Kampala P.O Box 7062, Uganda
| | - Robert L. Furler O’Brien
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Douglas F. Nixon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Lishomwa C. Ndhlovu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Susana T. Valente
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Melanie Ott
- Gladstone Institute of Virology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Huang H, Lv J, Huang Y, Mo Z, Xu H, Huang Y, Yang L, Wu Z, Li H, Qin Y. IFI27 is a potential therapeutic target for HIV infection. Ann Med 2022; 54:314-325. [PMID: 35068272 PMCID: PMC8786244 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2021.1995624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutic studies against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection have become one of the important works in global public health. METHODS Differential expression analysis was performed between HIV-positive (HIV+) and HIV-negative (HIV-) patients for GPL6947 and GPL10558 of GSE29429. Coexpression analysis of common genes with the same direction of differential expression identified modules. Module genes were subjected to enrichment analysis, Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) analysis, and PPI network analysis. The top 100 most connected genes in the PPI network were screened to construct the LASSO model, and AUC values were calculated to identify the key genes. Methylation modification of key genes were identified by the chAMP package. Differences in immune cell infiltration between HIV + and HIV- patients, as well as between antiretroviral therapy (ART) and HIV + patients, were calculated using ssGSEA. RESULTS We obtained 3610 common genes, clustered into nine coexpression modules. Module genes were significantly enriched in interferon signalling, helper T-cell immunity, and HIF-1-signalling pathways. We screened out module genes with gradual changes in expression with increasing time from HIV enrolment using STEM software. We identified 12 significant genes through LASSO regression analysis, especially proteasome 20S subunit beta 8 (PSMB8) and interferon alpha inducible protein 27 (IFI27). The expression of PSMB8 and IFI27 were then detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Interestingly, IFI27 was also a persistently dysregulated gene identified by STEM. In addition, 10 of the key genes were identified to be modified by methylation. The significantly infiltrated immune cells in HIV + patients were restored after ART, and IFI27 was significantly associated with immune cells. CONCLUSION The above results provided potential target genes for early diagnosis and treatment of HIV + patients. IFI27 may be associated with the progression of HIV infection and may be a powerful target for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Guiping People's Hospital, Guigping, Guangxi, China
| | - Jiannan Lv
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Nanning Infectious Disease Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yonglun Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology, Guiping People's Hospital, Guigping, Guangxi, China
| | - Zhiyi Mo
- Department of Physical Examination Center, Guiping People's Hospital, Guigping, Guangxi, China
| | - Haisheng Xu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Guiping People's Hospital, Guigping, Guangxi, China
| | - Yiyang Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Guiping People's Hospital, Guigping, Guangxi, China
| | - Linghui Yang
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, The People's Hospital of Binyang County, Binyang, Guangxi, China
| | - Zhengqiu Wu
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, The People's Hospital of Binyang County, Binyang, Guangxi, China
| | - Hongmian Li
- Research Center of Medical Sciences, The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region & Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yaqin Qin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Nanning Infectious Disease Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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3
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Kuniholm J, Coote C, Henderson AJ. Defective HIV-1 genomes and their potential impact on HIV pathogenesis. Retrovirology 2022; 19:13. [PMID: 35764966 PMCID: PMC9238239 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-022-00601-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Defective HIV-1 proviruses represent a population of viral genomes that are selected for by immune pressures, and clonally expanded to dominate the persistent HIV-1 proviral genome landscape. There are examples of RNA and protein expression from these compromised genomes which are generated by a variety of mechanisms. Despite the evidence that these proviruses are transcribed and translated, their role in HIV pathogenesis has not been fully explored. The potential for these genomes to participate in immune stimulation is particularly relevant considering the accumulation of cells harboring these defective proviruses over the course of antiretroviral therapy in people living with HIV. The expression of defective proviruses in different cells and tissues could drive innate sensing mechanisms and inflammation. They may also alter antiviral T cell responses and myeloid cell functions that directly contribute to HIV-1 associated chronic comorbidities. Understanding the impact of these defective proviruses needs to be considered as we advance cure strategies that focus on targeting the diverse population of HIV-1 proviral genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Kuniholm
- Department of Microbiology, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02116, USA
| | - Carolyn Coote
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02116, USA
| | - Andrew J Henderson
- Department of Microbiology, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02116, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02116, USA.
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Zhou Y, Sotcheff SL, Routh AL. Next-generation sequencing: A new avenue to understand viral RNA-protein interactions. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101924. [PMID: 35413291 PMCID: PMC8994257 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomes of RNA viruses present an astonishing source of both sequence and structural diversity. From intracellular viral RNA-host interfaces to interactions between the RNA genome and structural proteins in virus particles themselves, almost the entire viral lifecycle is accompanied by a myriad of RNA-protein interactions that are required to fulfill their replicative potential. It is therefore important to characterize such rich and dynamic collections of viral RNA-protein interactions to understand virus evolution and their adaptation to their hosts and environment. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have allowed the characterization of viral RNA-protein interactions, including both transient and conserved interactions, where molecular and structural approaches have fallen short. In this review, we will provide a methodological overview of the high-throughput techniques used to study viral RNA-protein interactions, their biochemical mechanisms, and how they evolved from classical methods as well as one another. We will discuss how different techniques have fueled virus research to characterize how viral RNA and proteins interact, both locally and on a global scale. Finally, we will present examples on how these techniques influence the studies of clinically important pathogens such as HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyang Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
| | - Stephanea L Sotcheff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew L Routh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
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5
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Titanji BK, Gwinn M, Marconi VC, Sun YV. Epigenome-wide epidemiologic studies of human immunodeficiency virus infection, treatment, and disease progression. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:8. [PMID: 35016709 PMCID: PMC8750639 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01230-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite significant advances in the treatment and care of people with HIV (PWH), several challenges remain in our understanding of disease pathogenesis to improve patient care. HIV infection can modify the host epigenome and as such can impact disease progression, as well as the molecular processes driving non-AIDS comorbidities in PWH. Epigenetic epidemiologic studies including epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) offer a unique set of tools to expand our understanding of HIV disease and to identify novel strategies applicable to treatment and diagnosis in this patient population. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge from epigenetic epidemiologic studies of PWH, identify the main challenges of this approach, and highlight future directions for the field. Emerging epigenetic epidemiologic studies of PWH can expand our understanding of HIV infection and health outcomes, improve scientific validity through collaboration and replication, and increase the coverage of diverse populations affected by the global HIV pandemic. Through this review, we hope to highlight the potential of EWAS as a tool for HIV research and to engage more investigators to explore its application to important research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boghuma K Titanji
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Marta Gwinn
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE #3049, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Vincent C Marconi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Atlanta Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Decatur, GA, USA.,Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yan V Sun
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE #3049, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA. .,Atlanta Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Decatur, GA, USA.
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Arumugam T, Ramphal U, Adimulam T, Chinniah R, Ramsuran V. Deciphering DNA Methylation in HIV Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 12:795121. [PMID: 34925380 PMCID: PMC8674454 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.795121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With approximately 38 million people living with HIV/AIDS globally, and a further 1.5 million new global infections per year, it is imperative that we advance our understanding of all factors contributing to HIV infection. While most studies have focused on the influence of host genetic factors on HIV pathogenesis, epigenetic factors are gaining attention. Epigenetics involves alterations in gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic mechanism that influences both viral and host factors. This review has five focal points, which examines (i) fluctuations in the expression of methylation modifying factors upon HIV infection (ii) the effect of DNA methylation on HIV viral genes and (iii) host genome (iv) inferences from other infectious and non-communicable diseases, we provide a list of HIV-associated host genes that are regulated by methylation in other disease models (v) the potential of DNA methylation as an epi-therapeutic strategy and biomarker. DNA methylation has also been shown to serve as a robust therapeutic strategy and precision medicine biomarker against diseases such as cancer and autoimmune conditions. Despite new drugs being discovered for HIV, drug resistance is a problem in high disease burden settings such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, genetic therapies that are under investigation are irreversible and may have off target effects. Alternative therapies that are nongenetic are essential. In this review, we discuss the potential role of DNA methylation as a novel therapeutic intervention against HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilona Arumugam
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Upasana Ramphal
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Theolan Adimulam
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Romona Chinniah
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Veron Ramsuran
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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7
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Kuniholm J, Armstrong E, Bernabe B, Coote C, Berenson A, Patalano SD, Olson A, He X, Lin NH, Fuxman Bass JI, Henderson AJ. Intragenic proviral elements support transcription of defective HIV-1 proviruses. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009982. [PMID: 34962974 PMCID: PMC8746790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 establishes a persistent proviral reservoir by integrating into the genome of infected host cells. Current antiretroviral treatments do not target this persistent population of proviruses which include latently infected cells that upon treatment interruption can be reactivated to contribute to HIV-1 rebound. Deep sequencing of persistent HIV proviruses has revealed that greater than 90% of integrated HIV genomes are defective and unable to produce infectious virions. We hypothesized that intragenic elements in the HIV genome support transcription of aberrant HIV-1 RNAs from defective proviruses that lack long terminal repeats (LTRs). Using an intact provirus detection assay, we observed that resting CD4+ T cells and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) are biased towards generating defective HIV-1 proviruses. Multiplex reverse transcription droplet digital PCR identified env and nef transcripts which lacked 5' untranslated regions (UTR) in acutely infected CD4+ T cells and MDMs indicating transcripts are generated that do not utilize the promoter within the LTR. 5'UTR-deficient env transcripts were also identified in a cohort of people living with HIV (PLWH) on ART, suggesting that these aberrant RNAs are produced in vivo. Using 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), we mapped the start site of these transcripts within the Env gene. This region bound several cellular transcription factors and functioned as a transcriptional regulatory element that could support transcription and translation of downstream HIV-1 RNAs. These studies provide mechanistic insights into how defective HIV-1 proviruses are persistently expressed to potentially drive inflammation in PLWH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Kuniholm
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Elise Armstrong
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases; Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brandy Bernabe
- Boston University School of Medicine Graduate Medical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Carolyn Coote
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases; Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Anna Berenson
- Boston University, Department of Biology, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Samantha D. Patalano
- Boston University, Department of Biology, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alex Olson
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases; Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xianbao He
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases; Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nina H. Lin
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases; Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Juan I. Fuxman Bass
- Boston University, Department of Biology, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Andrew J. Henderson
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases; Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine Graduate Medical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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8
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Moses AK, Ghazi T, Naidoo DB, Chuturgoon A. DNA methylation of MEKKK1: a strategy to reactivate the NF-κB pathway and reverse HIV latency. AIDS 2021; 35:2221-2224. [PMID: 34602592 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Avril Kirsten Moses
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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9
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Shrivastava S, Ray RM, Holguin L, Echavarria L, Grepo N, Scott TA, Burnett J, Morris KV. Exosome-mediated stable epigenetic repression of HIV-1. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5541. [PMID: 34545097 PMCID: PMC8452652 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25839-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) produces a persistent latent infection. Control of HIV-1 using combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) comes at the cost of life-shortening side effects and development of drug-resistant HIV-1. An ideal and safer therapy should be deliverable in vivo and target the stable epigenetic repression of the virus, inducing a stable "block and lock" of virus expression. Towards this goal, we developed an HIV-1 promoter-targeting Zinc Finger Protein (ZFP-362) fused to active domains of DNA methyltransferase 3 A to induce long-term stable epigenetic repression of HIV-1. Cells were engineered to produce exosomes packaged with RNAs encoding this HIV-1 repressor protein. We find here that the repressor loaded anti-HIV-1 exosomes suppress virus expression and that this suppression is mechanistically driven by DNA methylation of HIV-1 in humanized NSG mouse models. The observations presented here pave the way for an exosome-mediated systemic delivery platform of therapeutic cargo to epigenetically repress HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya Shrivastava
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Roslyn M Ray
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Leo Holguin
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Lilliana Echavarria
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Nicole Grepo
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Tristan A Scott
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - John Burnett
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
- Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Kevin V Morris
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA.
- Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, School of Medical Science Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Brisbane, Australia.
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10
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Salahong T, Schwartz C, Sungthong R. Are BET Inhibitors yet Promising Latency-Reversing Agents for HIV-1 Reactivation in AIDS Therapy? Viruses 2021; 13:v13061026. [PMID: 34072421 PMCID: PMC8228869 DOI: 10.3390/v13061026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AIDS first emerged decades ago; however, its cure, i.e., eliminating all virus sources, is still unachievable. A critical burden of AIDS therapy is the evasive nature of HIV-1 in face of host immune responses, the so-called "latency." Recently, a promising approach, the "Shock and Kill" strategy, was proposed to eliminate latently HIV-1-infected cell reservoirs. The "Shock and Kill" concept involves two crucial steps: HIV-1 reactivation from its latency stage using a latency-reversing agent (LRA) followed by host immune responses to destroy HIV-1-infected cells in combination with reinforced antiretroviral therapy to kill the progeny virus. Hence, a key challenge is to search for optimal LRAs. Looking at epigenetics of HIV-1 infection, researchers proved that some bromodomains and extra-terminal motif protein inhibitors (BETis) are able to reactivate HIV-1 from latency. However, to date, only a few BETis have shown HIV-1-reactivating functions, and none of them have yet been approved for clinical trial. In this review, we aim to demonstrate the epigenetic roles of BETis in HIV-1 infection and HIV-1-related immune responses. Possible future applications of BETis and their HIV-1-reactivating properties are summarized and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanarat Salahong
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand;
| | - Christian Schwartz
- Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, University of Strasbourg, 67300 Schiltigheim, France
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Rungroch Sungthong
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
- Laboratory of Hydrology and Geochemistry of Strasbourg, University of Strasbourg, UMR 7517 CNRS/EOST, 67084 Strasbourg CEDEX, France
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (R.S.)
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Peng S, Shi S, Tao G, Li Y, Xiao D, Wang L, He Q, Cai X, Xiao J. JKAMP inhibits the osteogenic capacity of adipose-derived stem cells in diabetic osteoporosis by modulating the Wnt signaling pathway through intragenic DNA methylation. Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 12:120. [PMID: 33579371 PMCID: PMC7881648 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-021-02163-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Diabetic osteoporosis (DOP) is a systemic metabolic bone disease caused by diabetes mellitus (DM). Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) play an important role in bone regeneration. Our previous study confirmed that ASCs from DOP mice (DOP-ASCs) have a lower osteogenesis potential compared with control ASCs (CON-ASCs). However, the cause of this poor osteogenesis has not been elucidated. Therefore, this study investigated the underlying mechanism of the decline in the osteogenic potential of DOP-ASCs from the perspective of epigenetics and explored methods to enhance their osteogenic capacity. Methods The expression level of JNK1-associated membrane protein (JKAMP) and degree of DNA methylation in CON-ASCs and DOP-ASCs were measured by mRNA expression profiling and MeDIP sequencing, respectively. JKAMP small interfering RNA (siRNA) and a Jkamp overexpression plasmid were used to assess the role of JKAMP in osteogenic differentiation of CON-ASCs and DOP-ASCs. Immunofluorescence, qPCR, and western blotting were used to measure changes in expression of Wnt signaling pathway-related genes and osteogenesis-related molecules after osteogenesis induction. Alizarin red and ALP staining was used to confirm the osteogenic potential of stem cells. Bisulfite-specific PCR (BSP) was used to detect JKAMP methylation degree. Results Expression of JKAMP and osteogenesis-related molecules (RUNX2 and OPN) in DOP-ASCs was decreased significantly in comparison with CON-ASCs. JKAMP silencing inhibited the Wnt signaling pathway and reduced the osteogenic ability of CON-ASCs. Overexpression of JKAMP in DOP-ASCs rescued the impaired osteogenic capacity caused by DOP. Moreover, JKAMP in DOP-ASCs contained intragenic DNA hypermethylated regions related to the downregulation of JKAMP expression. Conclusions Intragenic DNA methylation inhibits the osteogenic ability of DOP-ASCs by suppressing expression of JKAMP and the Wnt signaling pathway. This study shows an epigenetic explanation for the reduced osteogenic ability of DOP-ASCs and provides a potential therapeutic target to prevent and treat osteoporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuanglin Peng
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.,National Key Clinical Specialty, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Sirong Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Gang Tao
- Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Yanjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Dexuan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lang Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qing He
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Jingang Xiao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China. .,National Key Clinical Specialty, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China. .,Orofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration Laboratory, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China. .,Department of Oral Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
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Transcriptional behavior of the HIV-1 promoter in context of the BACH2 prominent proviral integration gene. Virus Res 2020; 293:198260. [PMID: 33316352 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Chronic infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 is characterized by accumulation of proviral sequences in the genome of target cells. Integration of viral DNA in patients on long-term antiretroviral therapy selectively persists at preferential loci, suggesting site-specific crosstalk of viral sequences and human genes. This crosstalk likely contributes to chronic HIV disease through modulation of host immune pathways and emergence of clonal infected cell populations. To systematically interrogate such effects, we undertook genome engineering to generate Jurkat cell models that replicate integration of HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences at the BTB and CNC Homolog 2 (BACH2) integration locus. This locus is a prominent HIV-1 integration gene in chronic infection, found in 30 % of long-term treated patients with mapped proviral integrations. Using five clonal models carrying an LTR-driven reporter at different BACH2 intergenic regions, we here show that LTR transcriptional activity is repressed in BACH2 regions associated with proviral-DNA integrations in vivo but not in a control region. Our data indicates that this repression is in part epigenetically regulated, particularly through DNA methylation. Importantly, we demonstrate that transcriptional activity of the LTR is independent of BACH2 gene transcription and vice versa in our models. This suggests no transcriptional interference of endogenous and HIV-1 promoters. Taken together, our study provides first insights into how activity of HIV-1 LTR sequences is regulated at the BACH2 locus as prominent example for a recurrently-detected integration gene in chronic infection. Given the importance of integration-site dependent virus/host crosstalk for chronic HIV disease, our findings for the BACH2 locus have potential implications for future therapeutic strategies.
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Key Players in HIV-1 Transcriptional Regulation: Targets for a Functional Cure. Viruses 2020; 12:v12050529. [PMID: 32403278 PMCID: PMC7291152 DOI: 10.3390/v12050529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 establishes a life-long infection when proviral DNA integrates into the host genome. The provirus can then either actively transcribe RNA or enter a latent state, without viral production. The switch between these two states is governed in great part by the viral protein, Tat, which promotes RNA transcript elongation. Latency is also influenced by the availability of host transcription factors, integration site, and the surrounding chromatin environment. The latent reservoir is established in the first few days of infection and serves as the source of viral rebound upon treatment interruption. Despite effective suppression of HIV-1 replication by antiretroviral therapy (ART), to below the detection limit, ART is ineffective at reducing the latent reservoir size. Elimination of this reservoir has become a major goal of the HIV-1 cure field. However, aside from the ideal total HIV-1 eradication from the host genome, an HIV-1 remission or functional cure is probably more realistic. The “block-and-lock” approach aims at the transcriptional silencing of the viral reservoir, to render suppressed HIV-1 promoters extremely difficult to reactivate from latency. There are unfortunately no clinically available HIV-1 specific transcriptional inhibitors. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate latency is expected to provide novel targets to be explored in cure approaches.
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