Evolution of an HIV glycan-dependent broadly neutralizing antibody epitope through immune escape

Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies as Treatment: Effects on Virus and Immune System

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this study is to summarize recent advances in the use of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) as therapeutics in human clinical trials and in non-human primate (NHP) models. We seek to highlight lessons from these studies with an emphasis on consequences to the virus and immune system.

RECENT FINDINGS

In the past 10 years, advances in HIV-1 trimer structure and B cell isolation methods have precipitated the identification of "new-generation" anti-HIV antibodies with broad and potent neutralization. In the past 2 years, the concept of using these bNAbs as therapeutic tools has moved from NHP models into human clinical trials. These trials have investigated the effects of bNAb infusions into patients chronically infected with HIV-1, while the NHP model has investigated treatment during acute infection. Through this work, the relationship between in vitro breadth and potency and in vivo clinical effect, although unresolved, is gradually being elucidated. These results emphasize the need for combination antibody therapy.

Targeting Glycans of HIV Envelope Glycoproteins for Vaccine Design

The surface of the envelope spike of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is covered with a dense array of glycans, which is sufficient to impede the host antibody response while maintaining a window for receptor recognition. The glycan density significantly exceeds that typically observed on self glycoproteins and is sufficiently high to disrupt the maturation process of glycans, from oligomannose- to complex-type glycosylation, that normally occurs during glycoprotein transit through the secretory system. It is notable that this generates a degree of homogeneity not seen in the highly mutated protein moiety. The conserved, close glycan packing and divergences from default glycan processing give a window for immune recognition. Encouragingly, in a subset of individuals, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) have been isolated that recognize these features and are protective in passive-transfer models. Here, we review the recent advances in our understanding of the glycan shield of HIV and outline the strategies that are being pursued to elicit glycan-binding bNAbs by vaccination.

Cross-neutralizing anti-HIV-1 human single chain variable fragments(scFvs) against CD4 binding site and N332 glycan identified from a recombinant phage library

More than 50% of HIV-1 infection globally is caused by subtype_C viruses. Majority of the broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) targeting HIV-1 have been isolated from non-subtype_C infected donors. Mapping the epitope specificities of bnAbs provides useful information for vaccine design. Recombinant antibody technology enables generation of a large repertoire of monoclonals with diverse specificities. We constructed a phage recombinant single chain variable fragment (scFv) library with a diversity of 7.8 × 10⁸ clones, using a novel strategy of pooling peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of six select HIV-1 chronically infected Indian donors whose plasma antibodies exhibited potent cross neutralization efficiency. The library was panned and screened by phage ELISA using trimeric recombinant proteins to identify viral envelope specific clones. Three scFv monoclonals D11, C11 and 1F6 selected from the library cross neutralized subtypes A, B and C viruses at concentrations ranging from 0.09 μg/mL to 100 μg/mL. The D11 and 1F6 scFvs competed with mAbs b12 and VRC01 demonstrating CD4bs specificity, while C11 demonstrated N332 specificity. This is the first study to identify cross neutralizing scFv monoclonals with CD4bs and N332 glycan specificities from India. Cross neutralizing anti-HIV-1 human scFv monoclonals can be potential candidates for passive immunotherapy and for guiding immunogen design.

The HIV-1 transmission bottleneck

It is well established that most new systemic infections of HIV-1 can be traced back to one or a limited number of founder viruses. Usually, these founders are more closely related to minor HIV-1 populations in the blood of the presumed donor than to more abundant lineages. This has led to the widely accepted idea that transmission selects for viral characteristics that facilitate crossing the mucosal barrier of the recipient’s genital tract, although the specific selective forces or advantages are not completely defined. However, there are other steps along the way to becoming a founder virus at which selection may occur. These steps include the transition from the donor’s general circulation to the genital tract compartment, survival within the transmission fluid, and establishment of a nascent stable local infection in the recipient’s genital tract. Finally, there is the possibility that important narrowing events may also occur during establishment of systemic infection. This is suggested by the surprising observation that the number of founder viruses detected after transmission in intravenous drug users is also limited. Although some of these steps may be heavily selective, others may result mostly in a stochastic narrowing of the available founder pool. Collectively, they shape the initial infection in each recipient.

Driving HIV-1 into a Vulnerable Corner by Taking Advantage of Viral Adaptation and Evolution

Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is crucial for controlling human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection. Recently, progress in identifying and characterizing highly potent broadly neutralizing antibodies has provided valuable templates for HIV-1 therapy and vaccine design. Nevertheless, HIV-1, like many RNA viruses, exhibits genetically diverse populations known as quasispecies. Evolution of quasispecies can occur rapidly in response to selective pressures, such as that exerted by ART and the immune system. Hence, rapid viral evolution leading to drug resistance and/or immune evasion is a significant barrier to the development of effective HIV-1 treatments and vaccines. Here, we describe our recent investigations into evolutionary pressure exerted by anti-retroviral drugs and monoclonal neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) on HIV-1 envelope sequences. We also discuss sensitivities of HIV-1 escape mutants to maraviroc, a CCR5 inhibitor, and HIV-1 sensitized to NAbs by small-molecule CD4-mimetic compounds. These studies help to develop an understanding of viral evolution and escape from both anti-retroviral drugs and the immune system, and also provide fundamental insights into the combined use of NAbs and entry inhibitors. These findings of the adaptation and evolution of HIV in response to drug and immune pressure will inform the development of more effective antiviral therapeutic strategies.

Longitudinal dynamics of the HIV-specific B cell response during intermittent treatment of primary HIV infection

BACKGROUND

Neutralizing antibodies develop in natural HIV-1 infection. Their development often takes several years and may rely on chronic virus exposure. At the same time recent studies show that treatment early in infection may provide opportunities for immune preservation. However, it is unknown how intermittent treatment in early infection affects development of the humoral immune response over time. We investigate the effect of cART in early HIV infection on the properties of the memory B cell compartment following 6 months of cART or in the absence of treatment. The patients included participated in the Primo-SHM trial where patients with an early HIV-1 infection were randomized to no treatment or treatment for 24 or 60 weeks.

METHODS

Primo-SHM trial patients selected for the present study were untreated (n = 23) or treated for 24 weeks (n = 24). Here we investigate memory B cell properties at viral set-point and at a late time point (respectively median 54 and 73 weeks) before (re)-initiation of treatment.

RESULTS

At viral set-point, the memory B cell compartment in treated patients demonstrated significantly lower fractions of antigen-primed, activated, memory B cells (p = 0.006). In contrast to untreated patients, in treated patients the humoral HIV-specific response reached a set point over time. At a transcriptional level, sets of genes that showed enhanced expression in memory B cells at viral setpoint in untreated patients, conversely showed rapid increase of expression of the same genes in treated patients at the late time point.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that, although the memory B cell compartment is phenotypically preserved until viral setpoint after treatment interruption, the development of the HIV-specific antibody response may benefit from exposure to HIV. The effect of viral exposure on B cell properties is also reflected by longitudinal changes in transcriptional profile in memory B cells over time in early treated patients.

Differential Antibody Responses to Conserved HIV-1 Neutralizing Epitopes in the Context of Multivalent Scaffolds and Native-Like gp140 Trimers

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) have provided valuable insights into the humoral immune response to HIV-1. While rationally designed epitope scaffolds and well-folded gp140 trimers have been proposed as vaccine antigens, a comparative understanding of their antibody responses has not yet been established. In this study, we probed antibody responses to the N332 supersite and the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) in the context of heterologous protein scaffolds and native-like gp140 trimers. Ferritin nanoparticles and fragment crystallizable (Fc) regions were utilized as multivalent carriers to display scaffold antigens with grafted N332 and MPER epitopes, respectively. Trimeric scaffolds were also identified to stabilize the MPER-containing BG505 gp140.681 trimer in a native-like conformation. Following structural and antigenic evaluation, a subset of scaffold and trimer antigens was selected for immunization in BALB/c mice. Serum binding revealed distinct patterns of antibody responses to these two bNAb targets presented in different structural contexts. For example, the N332 nanoparticles elicited glycan epitope-specific antibody responses that could also recognize the native trimer, while a scaffolded BG505 gp140.681 trimer generated a stronger and more rapid antibody response to the trimer apex than its parent gp140.664 trimer. Furthermore, next-generation sequencing (NGS) of mouse splenic B cells revealed expansion of antibody lineages with long heavy-chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3) loops upon activation by MPER scaffolds, in contrast to the steady repertoires primed by N332 nanoparticles and a soluble gp140.664 trimer. These findings will facilitate the future development of a coherent vaccination strategy that combines both epitope-focused and trimer-based approaches.IMPORTANCE Both epitope-focused and trimer-based strategies are currently being explored in HIV-1 vaccine development, which aims to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) targeting conserved epitopes on the viral envelope (Env). However, little is known about the differences in antibody response to these bNAb targets presented by foreign scaffolds and native Env. In this study, a systematic effort was undertaken to design multivalent epitope scaffolds and soluble gp140.681 trimers with a complete antigenic surface, and to comparatively analyze the antibody responses elicited by these antigens to the N332 supersite and MPER in a mouse model. This study will inform both epitope-focused and trimer-based vaccine design and will facilitate integration of the two vaccine strategies.

Combination HIV prevention options for young women in Africa

Although the number of new HIV infections has declined by over 30% in the past decade, the number of people who acquire HIV each year remains unacceptably high. In 2014 the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimated that there were about 2 million new HIV infections. The virus continues to spread, particularly in key populations, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender individuals, sex workers and people who inject drugs. In Africa, young women have the highest HIV incidence rates. Scaling up known efficacious HIV prevention strategies for these groups at high risk is therefore a high priority. HIV prevention has generally been targeted at HIV-negative individuals or in some instances, entire communities. Prevention efforts are, however, shifting from a narrow focus on HIV-uninfected persons to a continuum of prevention that includes both HIV-negative and HIV-positive individuals. Given that a single HIV prevention intervention is unlikely to be able to alter the epidemic trajectory as HIV epidemics in communities are complex and comprise a mosaic of different risk factors and different routes of transmission, there is need to provide combination prevention. Hence, a mix of behavioural, biomedical and structural HIV prevention options is likely to be needed to alter the course of the HIV epidemic. The combination of HIV prevention interventions needed will vary depending on cultural context, the population targeted and the stage of the epidemic. This paper reviews the available HIV prevention strategies for young women and discusses new HIV prevention approaches in development.

Humanized Immunoglobulin Mice: Models for HIV Vaccine Testing and Studying the Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Problem

A vaccine that can effectively prevent HIV-1 transmission remains paramount to ending the HIV pandemic, but to do so, will likely need to induce broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) responses. A major technical hurdle toward achieving this goal has been a shortage of animal models with the ability to systematically pinpoint roadblocks to bnAb induction and to rank vaccine strategies based on their ability to stimulate bnAb development. Over the past 6 years, immunoglobulin (Ig) knock-in (KI) technology has been leveraged to express bnAbs in mice, an approach that has enabled elucidation of various B-cell tolerance mechanisms limiting bnAb production and evaluation of strategies to circumvent such processes. From these studies, in conjunction with the wealth of information recently obtained regarding the evolutionary pathways and paratopes/epitopes of multiple bnAbs, it has become clear that the very features of bnAbs desired for their function will be problematic to elicit by traditional vaccine paradigms, necessitating more iterative testing of new vaccine concepts. To meet this need, novel bnAb KI models have now been engineered to express either inferred prerearranged V(D)J exons (or unrearranged germline V, D, or J segments that can be assembled into functional rearranged V(D)J exons) encoding predecessors of mature bnAbs. One encouraging approach that has materialized from studies using such newer models is sequential administration of immunogens designed to bind progressively more mature bnAb predecessors. In this review, insights into the regulation and induction of bnAbs based on the use of KI models will be discussed, as will new Ig KI approaches for higher-throughput production and/or altering expression of bnAbs in vivo, so as to further enable vaccine-guided bnAb induction studies.

Increased frequencies of CD8+CD57+ T cells are associated with antibody neutralization breadth against HIV in viraemic controllers

Introduction

An effective prophylactic vaccine against HIV will need to elicit antibody responses capable of recognizing and neutralizing rapidly evolving antigenic regions. The immunologic milieu associated with development of neutralizing antibody breadth remains to be fully defined. In this study, we sought to identify immunological signatures associated with neutralization breadth in HIV controllers. We applied an immune monitoring approach to analyze markers of T cell and myeloid cell activation by flow cytometry, comparing broad neutralizers with low- and non-neutralizers using multivariate and univariate analyses.

Methods

Antibody neutralization breadth was determined, and cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stained for T cell and myeloid cell activation markers. Subjects were grouped according to neutralization breadth, and T cell and myeloid cell activation was analyzed by partial least squares discriminant analysis to determine immune signatures associated with high neutralization breadth.

Results

We show that neutralization breadth in HIV viraemic controllers (VC) was strongly associated with increased frequencies of CD8⁺CD57⁺ T cells and that this association was independent of viral load, CD4 count and time since HIV diagnosis.

Conclusions

Our data show elevated frequencies of CD8⁺CD57⁺ T cells in VC who develop neutralization breadth against HIV. This immune signature could serve as a potential biomarker of neutralization breadth and should be further investigated in other HIV-positive cohorts and in HIV vaccine trials.

HIV-1 Glycan Density Drives the Persistence of the Mannose Patch within an Infected Individual

The HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env) is extensively modified with host-derived N-linked glycans. The high density of glycosylation on the viral spike limits enzymatic processing, resulting in numerous underprocessed oligomannose-type glycans. This extensive glycosylation not only shields conserved regions of the protein from the immune system but also acts as a target for anti-HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). In response to the host immune system, the HIV glycan shield is constantly evolving through mutations affecting both the positions and numbers of potential N-linked glycosylation sites (PNGSs). Here, using longitudinal Env sequences from a clade C-infected individual (CAP256), we measured the impact of the shifting glycan shield during HIV infection on the abundance of oligomannose-type glycans. By analyzing the intrinsic mannose patch from a panel of recombinant CAP256 gp120s displaying high protein sequence variability and changes in PNGS number and positioning, we show that the intrinsic mannose patch persists throughout the course of HIV infection and correlates with the number of PNGSs. This effect of the glycan density on the processing state was also supported by the analysis of a cross-clade panel of recombinant gp120 glycoproteins. Together, these observations underscore the importance of glycan clustering for the generation of carbohydrate epitopes for anti-HIV bnAbs. The persistence of the intrinsic mannose patch over the course of HIV infection further highlights this epitope as an important target for HIV vaccine strategies.

IMPORTANCE Development of an HIV vaccine is critical for control of the HIV pandemic, and elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is likely to be a key component of a successful vaccine response. The HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env) is covered in an array of host-derived N-linked glycans often referred to as the glycan shield. This glycan shield is a target for many of the recently isolated anti-HIV bnAbs and is therefore under constant pressure from the host immune system, leading to changes in both glycan site frequency and location. This study aimed to determine whether these genetic changes impacted the eventual processing of glycans on the HIV Env and the susceptibility of the virus to neutralization. We show that despite this variation in glycan site positioning and frequency over the course of HIV infection, the mannose patch is a conserved feature throughout, making it a stable target for HIV vaccine design.

Understanding the complex evolution of rapidly mutating viruses with deep sequencing: Beyond the analysis of viral diversity

With the advent of affordable deep sequencing technologies, detection of low frequency variants within genetically diverse viral populations can now be achieved with unprecedented depth and efficiency. The high-resolution data provided by next generation sequencing technologies is currently recognised as the gold standard in estimation of viral diversity. In the analysis of rapidly mutating viruses, longitudinal deep sequencing datasets from viral genomes during individual infection episodes, as well as at the epidemiological level during outbreaks, now allow for more sophisticated analyses such as statistical estimates of the impact of complex mutation patterns on the evolution of the viral populations both within and between hosts. These analyses are revealing more accurate descriptions of the evolutionary dynamics that underpin the rapid adaptation of these viruses to the host response, and to drug therapies. This review assesses recent developments in methods and provide informative research examples using deep sequencing data generated from rapidly mutating viruses infecting humans, particularly hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Ebola virus and influenza virus, to understand the evolution of viral genomes and to explore the relationship between viral mutations and the host adaptive immune response. Finally, we discuss limitations in current technologies, and future directions that take advantage of publically available large deep sequencing datasets.

Promise and problems associated with the use of recombinant AAV for the delivery of anti-HIV antibodies

Attempts to elicit antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against a broad range of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) isolates have so far proven unsuccessful. Long-term delivery of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with such activity is a creative alternative that circumvents the need for an immune response and has the potential for creating a long-lasting sterilizing barrier against HIV. This approach is made possible by an incredible array of potent broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) that have been identified over the last several years. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are ideally suited for long-term delivery for a variety of reasons. The only products made from rAAV are derived from the transgenes that are put into it; as long as those products are not viewed as foreign, expression from muscle tissue may continue for decades. Thus, use of rAAV to achieve long-term delivery of anti-HIV mAbs with potent neutralizing activity against a broad range of HIV-1 isolates is emerging as a promising concept for the prevention or treatment of HIV-1 infection in humans. Experiments in mice and monkeys that have demonstrated protective efficacy against AIDS virus infection have raised hopes for the promise of this approach. However, all published experiments in monkeys have encountered unwanted immune responses to the AAV-delivered antibody, and these immune responses appear to limit the levels of delivered antibody that can be achieved. In this review, we highlight the promise of rAAV-mediated antibody delivery for the prevention or treatment of HIV infection in humans, but we also discuss the obstacles that will need to be understood and solved in order for the promise of this approach to be realized.

Diversification in the HIV-1 Envelope Hyper-variable Domains V2, V4, and V5 and Higher Probability of Transmitted/Founder Envelope Glycosylation Favor the Development of Heterologous Neutralization Breadth

A recent study of plasma neutralization breadth in HIV-1 infected individuals at nine International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) sites reported that viral load, HLA-A*03 genotype, and subtype C infection were strongly associated with the development of neutralization breadth. Here, we refine the findings of that study by analyzing the impact of the transmitted/founder (T/F) envelope (Env), early Env diversification, and autologous neutralization on the development of plasma neutralization breadth in 21 participants identified during recent infection at two of those sites: Kigali, Rwanda (n = 9) and Lusaka, Zambia (n = 12). Single-genome analysis of full-length T/F Env sequences revealed that all 21 individuals were infected with a highly homogeneous population of viral variants, which were categorized as subtype C (n = 12), A1 (n = 7), or recombinant AC (n = 2). An extensive amino acid sequence-based analysis of variable loop lengths and glycosylation patterns in the T/F Envs revealed that a lower ratio of NXS to NXT-encoded glycan motifs correlated with neutralization breadth. Further analysis comparing amino acid sequence changes, insertions/deletions, and glycan motif alterations between the T/F Env and autologous early Env variants revealed that extensive diversification focused in the V2, V4, and V5 regions of gp120, accompanied by contemporaneous viral escape, significantly favored the development of breadth. These results suggest that more efficient glycosylation of subtype A and C T/F Envs through fewer NXS-encoded glycan sites is more likely to elicit antibodies that can transition from autologous to heterologous neutralizing activity following exposure to gp120 diversification. This initiates an Env-antibody co-evolution cycle that increases neutralization breadth, and is further augmented over time by additional viral and host factors. These findings suggest that understanding how variation in the efficiency of site-specific glycosylation influences neutralizing antibody elicitation and targeting could advance the design of immunogens aimed at inducing antibodies that can transition from autologous to heterologous neutralizing activity.

Structure of an N276-Dependent HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibody Targeting a Rare V5 Glycan Hole Adjacent to the CD4 Binding Site

All HIV-1-infected individuals develop strain-specific neutralizing antibodies to their infecting virus, which in some cases mature into broadly neutralizing antibodies. Defining the epitopes of strain-specific antibodies that overlap conserved sites of vulnerability might provide mechanistic insights into how broadly neutralizing antibodies arise. We previously described an HIV-1 clade C-infected donor, CAP257, who developed broadly neutralizing plasma antibodies targeting an N276 glycan-dependent epitope in the CD4 binding site. The initial CD4 binding site response potently neutralized the heterologous tier 2 clade B viral strain RHPA, which was used to design resurfaced gp120 antigens for single-B-cell sorting. Here we report the isolation and structural characterization of CAP257-RH1, an N276 glycan-dependent CD4 binding site antibody representative of the early CD4 binding site plasma response in donor CAP257. The cocrystal structure of CAP257-RH1 bound to RHPA gp120 revealed critical interactions with the N276 glycan, loop D, and V5, but not with aspartic acid 368, similarly to HJ16 and 179NC75. The CAP257-RH1 monoclonal antibody was derived from the immunoglobulin-variable IGHV3-33 and IGLV3-10 genes and neutralized RHPA but not the transmitted/founder virus from donor CAP257. Its narrow neutralization breadth was attributed to a binding angle that was incompatible with glycosylated V5 loops present in almost all HIV-1 strains, including the CAP257 transmitted/founder virus. Deep sequencing of autologous CAP257 viruses, however, revealed minority variants early in infection that lacked V5 glycans. These glycan-free V5 loops are unusual holes in the glycan shield that may have been necessary for initiating this N276 glycan-dependent CD4 binding site B-cell lineage.

IMPORTANCE

The conserved CD4 binding site on gp120 is a major target for HIV-1 vaccine design, but key events in the elicitation and maturation of different antibody lineages to this site remain elusive. Studies have shown that strain-specific antibodies can evolve into broadly neutralizing antibodies or in some cases act as helper lineages. Therefore, characterizing the epitopes of strain-specific antibodies may help to inform the design of HIV-1 immunogens to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies. In this study, we isolate a narrowly neutralizing N276 glycan-dependent antibody and use X-ray crystallography and viral deep sequencing to describe how gp120 lacking glycans in V5 might have elicited these early glycan-dependent CD4 binding site antibodies. These data highlight how glycan holes can play a role in the elicitation of B-cell lineages targeting the CD4 binding site.

Multiple Antibody Lineages in One Donor Target the Glycan-V3 Supersite of the HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein and Display a Preference for Quaternary Binding

One of the goals of HIV-1 vaccine development is the elicitation of neutralizing antibodies against vulnerable regions on the envelope glycoprotein (Env) viral spike. Broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting the Env glycan-V3 region (also called the N332 glycan supersite) have been described previously, with several single lineages each derived from different individual donors. We used a high-throughput B-cell culture method to isolate neutralizing antibodies from an HIV-1-infected donor with high serum neutralization breadth. Clonal relatives from three distinct antibody lineages were isolated. Each of these antibody lineages displayed modest breadth and potency but shared several characteristics with the well-characterized glycan-V3 antibodies, including dependence on glycans N332 and N301, VH4 family gene utilization, a heavy chain complementarity-determining region 2 (CDRH2) insertion, and a longer-than-average CDRH3. In contrast to previously described glycan-V3 antibodies, these antibodies preferentially recognized the native Env trimer compared to monomeric gp120. These data indicate the diversity of antibody specificities that target the glycan-V3 site. The quaternary binding preference of these antibodies suggests that that their elicitation likely requires the presentation of a native-like trimeric Env immunogen.

IMPORTANCE

Broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting the HIV-1 glycan-V3 region with single lineages from individual donors have been described previously. Here we describe three lineages from a single donor, each of which targets glycan-V3. Unlike previously described glycan-V3 antibodies, these mature antibodies bind preferentially to the native Env trimer and weakly to the gp120 monomer. These data extend our knowledge of the immune response recognition of the N332 supersite region and suggest that the mode of epitope recognition is more complex than previously anticipated.

Chinks in the armor of the HIV-1 Envelope glycan shield: Implications for immune escape from anti-glycan broadly neutralizing antibodies

Glycans on HIV-1 Envelope serve multiple functions including blocking epitopes from antibodies. We show that removal of glycan 301, a major target of anti-V3/glycan antibodies, has substantially different effects in two viruses. While glycan 301 on Du156.12 blocks epitopes commonly recognized by sera from chronically HIV-1-infected individuals, it does not do so on CAP45.G3, suggesting that removing the 301 glycan has a smaller effect on the integrity of the glycan shield in CAP45.G3. Changes in sensitivity to broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies suggest that the interaction between glycan 301 and the CD4 binding site differ substantially between these 2 viruses. Molecular modeling suggests that removal of glycan 301 likely exposes a greater surface area of the V3 and C4 regions in Du156.12. Our data indicate that the contribution of the 301 glycan to resistance to common neutralizing antibodies varies between viruses, allowing for easier selection for its loss in some viruses.

Deconstructing the Antiviral Neutralizing-Antibody Response: Implications for Vaccine Development and Immunity

The antibody response plays a key role in protection against viral infections. While antiviral antibodies may reduce the viral burden via several mechanisms, the ability to directly inhibit (neutralize) infection of cells has been extensively studied. Eliciting a neutralizing-antibody response is a goal of many vaccine development programs and commonly correlates with protection from disease. Considerable insights into the mechanisms of neutralization have been gained from studies of monoclonal antibodies, yet the individual contributions and dynamics of the repertoire of circulating antibody specificities elicited by infection and vaccination are poorly understood on the functional and molecular levels. Neutralizing antibodies with the most protective functionalities may be a rare component of a polyclonal, pathogen-specific antibody response, further complicating efforts to identify the elements of a protective immune response. This review discusses advances in deconstructing polyclonal antibody responses to flavivirus infection or vaccination. Our discussions draw comparisons to HIV-1, a virus with a distinct structure and replication cycle for which the antibody response has been extensively investigated. Progress toward deconstructing and understanding the components of polyclonal antibody responses identifies new targets and challenges for vaccination strategies.

Effect of Glycosylation on an Immunodominant Region in the V1V2 Variable Domain of the HIV-1 Envelope gp120 Protein

Heavy glycosylation of the envelope (Env) surface subunit, gp120, is a key adaptation of HIV-1; however, the precise effects of glycosylation on the folding, conformation and dynamics of this protein are poorly understood. Here we explore the patterns of HIV-1 Env gp120 glycosylation, and particularly the enrichment in glycosylation sites proximal to the disulfide linkages at the base of the surface-exposed variable domains. To dissect the influence of glycans on the conformation these regions, we focused on an antigenic peptide fragment from a disulfide bridge-bounded region spanning the V1 and V2 hyper-variable domains of HIV-1 gp120. We used replica exchange molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate how glycosylation influences its conformation and stability. Simulations were performed with and without N-linked glycosylation at two sites that are highly conserved across HIV-1 isolates (N156 and N160); both are contacts for recognition by V1V2-targeted broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1. Glycosylation stabilized the pre-existing conformations of this peptide construct, reduced its propensity to adopt other secondary structures, and provided resistance against thermal unfolding. Simulations performed in the context of the Env trimer also indicated that glycosylation reduces flexibility of the V1V2 region, and provided insight into glycan-glycan interactions in this region. These stabilizing effects were influenced by a combination of factors, including the presence of a disulfide bond between the Cysteines at 131 and 157, which increased the formation of beta-strands. Together, these results provide a mechanism for conservation of disulfide linkage proximal glycosylation adjacent to the variable domains of gp120 and begin to explain how this could be exploited to enhance the immunogenicity of those regions. These studies suggest that glycopeptide immunogens can be designed to stabilize the most relevant Env conformations to focus the immune response on key neutralizing epitopes.

Heavy glycosylation of the envelope surface subunit, gp120, is a key adaptation of HIV-1, however, the precise effects of glycosylation on the folding, conformation and dynamics of this protein are poorly understood. The network of glycans on gp120 is of particular interest with regards to vaccine design, because the glycans both serve as targets for many classes of broadly neutralizing antibodies, and contribute to patterns of immune evasion and escape during HIV-1 infection. In this manuscript, we report on how glycosylation influences an immunogenic but disordered region of gp120. Glycosylation stabilizes the pre-existing conformation, and reduces its propensity to form other secondary structures. It also stabilizes preformed conformation against thermal unfolding. These complementary effects originate from a combination of multiple factors, including the observation that having a glycosylation site adjacent to the disulfide bond further promotes the formation of beta-strand structure in this peptide.

B cells in HIV pathogenesis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The induction of a virus-clearing humoral immune response in natural HIV infection is impaired. Insights into early events in HIV infection that affect B-cell responses and antibody development are addressed and related to strategies for the design of an HIV vaccine.

RECENT FINDINGS

Broadly neutralizing antibody responses do not develop early in HIV-1 infection, and recent reports highlight the role of preexisting suboptimal B-cell populations that can dominate the early antibody response. Furthermore, from the earliest phases of infection, virus replication is a driving force behind alterations in the B cell and T-follicular helper cell (TFH) compartments. Paradoxically, the factors that drive these abnormalities, such as high virus load, duration of infection, and increased viral diversity, are likely necessary for the development of both TFH and broadly neutralizing antibodies.

SUMMARY

These data provide new insights into prerequisites for an effective HIV vaccine. First, a vaccine should induce specific B-cell lineages so that preexisting cross-reactivity is avoided and, additionally, it must mimic high levels of diverse antigen in the absence of chronic virus replication within immune cells to activate high levels of quality of TFH and stimulate antibody maturation.

Determinants of HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibody induction

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are a focal component of HIV-1 vaccine design, yet basic aspects of their induction remain poorly understood. Here we report on viral, host and disease factors that steer bnAb evolution using the results of a systematic survey in 4,484 HIV-1-infected individuals that identified 239 bnAb inducers. We show that three parameters that reflect the exposure to antigen-viral load, length of untreated infection and viral diversity-independently drive bnAb evolution. Notably, black participants showed significantly (P = 0.0086-0.038) higher rates of bnAb induction than white participants. Neutralization fingerprint analysis, which was used to delineate plasma specificity, identified strong virus subtype dependencies, with higher frequencies of CD4-binding-site bnAbs in infection with subtype B viruses (P = 0.02) and higher frequencies of V2-glycan-specific bnAbs in infection with non-subtype B viruses (P = 1 × 10^-5). Thus, key host, disease and viral determinants, including subtype-specific envelope features that determine bnAb specificity, remain to be unraveled and harnessed for bnAb-based vaccine design.

Natural infection as a blueprint for rational HIV vaccine design

So far, the development of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine has been unsuccessful. However, recent progress in the field of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) has reinvigorated the search for an HIV vaccine. bNAbs develop in a minority of HIV infected individuals and passive transfer of these bNAbs to non-human primates provides protection from HIV infection. Studies in a number of HIV infected individuals on bNAb maturation alongside viral evolution and escape have shed light on the features important for bNAb elicitation. Here we review the observations from these studies, and how they influence the rational design of HIV vaccines.

HIV-1 clade C escapes broadly neutralizing autologous antibodies with N332 glycan specificity by distinct mechanisms

The glycan supersite centered on N332 in the V3 base of the HIV-1 envelope (Env) is a target for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) such as PGT121 and PGT128. In this study, we examined the basis of resistance of HIV-1 clade C Envs obtained from broadly cross neutralizing (BCN) plasma of an Indian donor with N332 specificity. Pseudotyped viruses expressing autologous envs were found to be resistant to autologous BCN plasma as well as to PGT121 and PGT128 mAbs despite the majority of Envs containing an intact N332 residue. While resistance of one of the Envs to neutralization by autologous plasma antibodies with shorter V1 loop length was found to be correlated with a N332S mutation, resistance to neutralization of rest of the Envs was found to be associated with longer V1 loop length and acquisition of protective N-glycans. In summary, we show evidence of escape of circulating HIV-1 clade C in an individual from autologous BCN antibodies by three distinct mechanisms.

Minimally Mutated HIV-1 Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies to Guide Reductionist Vaccine Design

An optimal HIV vaccine should induce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) that neutralize diverse viral strains and subtypes. However, potent bnAbs develop in only a small fraction of HIV-infected individuals, all contain rare features such as extensive mutation, insertions, deletions, and/or long complementarity-determining regions, and some are polyreactive, casting doubt on whether bnAbs to HIV can be reliably induced by vaccination. We engineered two potent VRC01-class bnAbs that minimized rare features. According to a quantitative features frequency analysis, the set of features for one of these minimally mutated bnAbs compared favorably with all 68 HIV bnAbs analyzed and was similar to antibodies elicited by common vaccines. This same minimally mutated bnAb lacked polyreactivity in four different assays. We then divided the minimal mutations into spatial clusters and dissected the epitope components interacting with those clusters, by mutational and crystallographic analyses coupled with neutralization assays. Finally, by synthesizing available data, we developed a working-concept boosting strategy to select the mutation clusters in a logical order following a germline-targeting prime. We have thus developed potent HIV bnAbs that may be more tractable vaccine goals compared to existing bnAbs, and we have proposed a strategy to elicit them. This reductionist approach to vaccine design, guided by antibody and antigen structure, could be applied to design candidate vaccines for other HIV bnAbs or protective Abs against other pathogens.

Many HIV vaccine design efforts aim to elicit so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies that bind and neutralize diverse strains and subtypes of the virus. However, these efforts are guided by very unusual antibodies isolated from HIV-infected individuals. These antibodies have rare features that limit their use as direct vaccine templates, because it is unlikely that any vaccine could consistently elicit similar antibodies. We engineered HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies that minimized these rare features and may therefore serve as better leads for HIV vaccine design. Antibodies generally gain affinity for their target epitope by accumulating mutations in a natural process of maturation. Figuring out how to use vaccines to elicit particular kinds of antibodies, with particular kinds of helpful mutations, is a major unsolved challenge for vaccine design. We were able to determine which mutations in our new antibodies are most important and which epitope structures are needed to induce those mutations. This analysis allowed us to deduce a logical strategy, which remains to be tested, for how to guide the maturation of these types of antibodies by vaccination. We propose that this reductionist approach to vaccine design, guided by molecular structure and engineering-oriented to allow for optimization, has promise for designing vaccines against HIV and many other pathogens.

Holes in the Glycan Shield of the Native HIV Envelope Are a Target of Trimer-Elicited Neutralizing Antibodies

A major advance in the search for an HIV vaccine has been the development of a near-native Envelope trimer (BG505 SOSIP.664) that can induce robust autologous Tier 2 neutralization. Here, potently neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nAbs) from rabbits immunized with BG505 SOSIP.664 are shown to recognize an immunodominant region of gp120 centered on residue 241. Residue 241 occupies a hole in the glycan defenses of the BG505 isolate, with fewer than 3% of global isolates lacking a glycan site at this position. However, at least one conserved glycan site is missing in 89% of viruses, suggesting the presence of glycan holes in most HIV isolates. Serum evidence is consistent with targeting of holes in natural infection. The immunogenic nature of breaches in the glycan shield has been under-appreciated in previous attempts to understand autologous neutralizing antibody responses and has important potential consequences for HIV vaccine design.

Features of Recently Transmitted HIV-1 Clade C Viruses that Impact Antibody Recognition: Implications for Active and Passive Immunization

The development of biomedical interventions to reduce acquisition of HIV-1 infection remains a global priority, however their potential effectiveness is challenged by very high HIV-1 envelope diversity. Two large prophylactic trials in high incidence, clade C epidemic regions in southern Africa are imminent; passive administration of the monoclonal antibody VRC01, and active immunization with a clade C modified RV144-like vaccines. We have created a large representative panel of C clade viruses to enable assessment of antibody responses to vaccines and natural infection in Southern Africa, and we investigated the genotypic and neutralization properties of recently transmitted clade C viruses to determine how viral diversity impacted antibody recognition. We further explore the implications of these findings for the potential effectiveness of these trials. A panel of 200 HIV-1 Envelope pseudoviruses was constructed from clade C viruses collected within the first 100 days following infection. Viruses collected pre-seroconversion were significantly more resistant to serum neutralization compared to post-seroconversion viruses (p = 0.001). Over 13 years of the study as the epidemic matured, HIV-1 diversified (p = 0.0009) and became more neutralization resistant to monoclonal antibodies VRC01, PG9 and 4E10. When tested at therapeutic levels (10ug/ml), VRC01 only neutralized 80% of viruses in the panel, although it did exhibit potent neutralization activity against sensitive viruses (IC50 titres of 0.42 μg/ml). The Gp120 amino acid similarity between the clade C panel and candidate C-clade vaccine protein boosts (Ce1086 and TV1) was 77%, which is 8% more distant than between CRF01_AE viruses and the RV144 CRF01_AE immunogen. Furthermore, two vaccine signature sites, K169 in V2 and I307 in V3, associated with reduced infection risk in RV144, occurred less frequently in clade C panel viruses than in CRF01_AE viruses from Thailand. Increased resistance of pre-seroconversion viruses and evidence of antigenic drift highlights the value of using panels of very recently transmitted viruses and suggests that interventions may need to be modified over time to track the changing epidemic. Furthermore, high divergence such as that observed in the older clade C epidemic in southern Africa may impact vaccine efficacy, although the correlates of infection risk are yet to be defined in the clade C setting. Findings from this study of acute/early clade C viruses will aid vaccine development, and enable identification of new broad and potent antibodies to combat the HIV-1 C-clade epidemic in southern Africa.

HIV-1 escapes from N332-directed antibody neutralization in an elite neutralizer by envelope glycoprotein elongation and introduction of unusual disulfide bonds

BACKGROUND

Current HIV-1 immunogens are unable to induce antibodies that can neutralize a broad range of HIV-1 (broadly neutralizing antibodies; bNAbs). However, such antibodies are elicited in 10-30 % of HIV-1 infected individuals, and the co-evolution of the virus and the humoral immune responses in these individuals has attracted attention, because they can provide clues for vaccine design.

RESULTS

Here we characterized the NAb responses and envelope glycoprotein evolution in an HIV-1 infected "elite neutralizer" of the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV-1 infection and AIDS who developed an unusually potent bNAb response rapidly after infection. The NAb response was dependent on the N332-glycan and viral resistance against the N332-glycan dependent bNAb PGT135 developed over time but viral escape did not occur at or near this glycan. In contrast, the virus likely escaped by increasing V1 length, with up to 21 amino acids, accompanied by the introduction of 1-3 additional glycans, as well as 2-4 additional cysteine residues within V1.

CONCLUSIONS

In the individual studied here, HIV-1 escaped from N332-glycan directed NAb responses without changing the epitope itself, but by elongating a variable loop that shields this epitope.

Antigenic landscape of the HIV-1 envelope and new immunological concepts defined by HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies

The isolation of HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) has demonstrated the ability of the human immune system to mount effective antibody responses against the virus. To harness this immune potential to elicit similar antibody responses by vaccination, it is important to understand the immunological processes that produce them. Here we review recent advances in crystal structural determinations of HIV-1 bnAb epitopes that directly portray the antigenic landscape of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein. We also summarize new immunological concepts implicated in bnAb sequences and their lineage studies.

New concepts in HIV-1 vaccine development

With 2 million people newly infected with HIV-1 in 2014, an effective HIV-1 vaccine remains a major public health priority. HIV-1 vaccine efficacy trials in humans, complemented by active and passive immunization studies in non-human primates, have identified several key vaccine-induced immunological responses that may correlate with protection against HIV-1 infection. Potential correlates of protection in these studies include V2-specific, polyfunctional, and broadly neutralizing antibody responses, as well as effector memory T cell responses. Here we review how these correlates of protection are guiding current approaches to HIV-1 vaccine development. These approaches include improvements on the ALVAC-HIV/AIDSVAX B/E vaccine regimen used in the RV144 clinical trial in Thailand, adenovirus serotype 26 vectors with gp140 boosting, intravenous infusions of bNAbs, and replicating viral vectors.

Early Antibody Lineage Diversification and Independent Limb Maturation Lead to Broad HIV-1 Neutralization Targeting the Env High-Mannose Patch

The high-mannose patch on HIV Env is a preferred target for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), but to date, no vaccination regimen has elicited bnAbs against this region. Here, we present the development of a bnAb lineage targeting the high-mannose patch in an HIV-1 subtype-C-infected donor from sub-Saharan Africa. The Abs first acquired autologous neutralization, then gradually matured to achieve breadth. One Ab neutralized >47% of HIV-1 strains with only ∼11% somatic hypermutation and no insertions or deletions. By sequencing autologous env, we determined key residues that triggered the lineage and participated in Ab-Env coevolution. Next-generation sequencing of the Ab repertoire showed an early expansive diversification of the lineage followed by independent maturation of individual limbs, several of them developing notable breadth and potency. Overall, the findings are encouraging from a vaccine standpoint and suggest immunization strategies mimicking the evolution of the entire high-mannose patch and promoting maturation of multiple diverse Ab pathways.

HIV-1 therapy with monoclonal antibody 3BNC117 elicits host immune responses against HIV-1

3BNC117 is a broad and potent neutralizing antibody to HIV-1 that targets the CD4 binding site on the viral envelope spike. When administered passively, this antibody can prevent infection in animal models and suppress viremia in HIV-1-infected individuals. Here we report that HIV-1 immunotherapy with a single injection of 3BNC117 affects host antibody responses in viremic individuals. In comparison to untreated controls that showed little change in their neutralizing activity over a 6-month period, 3BNC117 infusion significantly improved neutralizing responses to heterologous tier 2 viruses in nearly all study participants. We conclude that 3BNC117-mediated immunotherapy enhances host humoral immunity to HIV-1.

The challenges of modelling antibody repertoire dynamics in HIV infection

Antibody affinity maturation by somatic hypermutation of B-cell immunoglobulin variable region genes has been studied for decades in various model systems using well-defined antigens. While much is known about the molecular details of the process, our understanding of the selective forces that generate affinity maturation are less well developed, particularly in the case of a co-evolving pathogen such as HIV. Despite this gap in understanding, high-throughput antibody sequence data are increasingly being collected to investigate the evolutionary trajectories of antibody lineages in HIV-infected individuals. Here, we review what is known in controlled experimental systems about the mechanisms underlying antibody selection and compare this to the observed temporal patterns of antibody evolution in HIV infection. We describe how our current understanding of antibody selection mechanisms leaves questions about antibody dynamics in HIV infection unanswered. Without a mechanistic understanding of antibody selection in the context of a co-evolving viral population, modelling and analysis of antibody sequences in HIV-infected individuals will be limited in their interpretation and predictive ability.

Emerging roles of protein mannosylation in inflammation and infection

Proteins are frequently modified by complex carbohydrates (glycans) that play central roles in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of cells and tissues in humans and lower organisms. Mannose forms an essential building block of protein glycosylation, and its functional involvement as components of larger and diverse α-mannosidic glycoepitopes in important intra- and intercellular glycoimmunological processes is gaining recognition. With a focus on the mannose-rich asparagine (N-linked) glycosylation type, this review summarises the increasing volume of literature covering human and non-human protein mannosylation, including their structures, biosynthesis and spatiotemporal expression. The review also covers their known interactions with specialised host and microbial mannose-recognising C-type lectin receptors (mrCLRs) and antibodies (mrAbs) during inflammation and pathogen infection. Advances in molecular mapping technologies have recently revealed novel immuno-centric mannose-terminating truncated N-glycans, termed paucimannosylation, on human proteins. The cellular presentation of α-mannosidic glycoepitopes on N-glycoproteins appears tightly regulated; α-mannose determinants are relative rare glycoepitopes in physiological extracellular environments, but may be actively secreted or leaked from cells to transmit potent signals when required. Simultaneously, our understanding of the molecular basis on the recognition of mannosidic epitopes by mrCLRs including DC-SIGN, mannose receptor, mannose binding lectin and mrAb is rapidly advancing, together with the functional implications of these interactions in facilitating an effective immune response during physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Ultimately, deciphering these complex mannose-based receptor-ligand interactions at the detailed molecular level will significantly advance our understanding of immunological disorders and infectious diseases, promoting the development of future therapeutics to improve patient clinical outcomes.

Paediatric HIV infection: the potential for cure

Recent anecdotal reports of HIV-infected children who received early antiretroviral therapy (ART) and showed sustained control of viral replication even after ART discontinuation have raised the question of whether there is greater intrinsic potential for HIV remission, or even eradication ('cure'), in paediatric infection than in adult infection. This Review describes the influence of early initiation of ART, of immune ontogeny and of maternal factors on the potential for HIV cure in children and discusses the unique immunotherapeutic opportunities and obstacles that paediatric infection may present.

Identification of a Highly Conserved Epitope on Avian Influenza Virus Non-Structural Protein 1 Using a Peptide Microarray

Avian influenza virus (AIV) non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is a multifunctional protein. It is present at high levels in infected cells and can be used for AIV detection and diagnosis. In this study, we generated monoclonal antibody (MAb) D7 against AIV NS1 protein by immunization of BALB/c mice with purified recombinant NS1 protein expressed in Escherichia coli. Isotype determination revealed that the MAb was IgG₁/κ-type subclass. To identify the epitope of the MAb D7, the NS1 protein was truncated into a total of 225 15-mer peptides with 14 amino acid overlaps, which were spotted for a peptide microarray. The results revealed that the MAb D7 recognized the consensus DAPF motif. Furthermore, the AIV NS1 protein with the DAPF motif deletion was transiently expressed in 293T cells and failed to react with MAb D7. Subsequently, the DAPF motif was synthesized with an elongated GSGS linker at both the C- and N-termini. The MAb D7 reacted with the synthesized peptide both in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dot-blot assays. From these results, we concluded that DAPF motif is the epitope of MAb D7. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a 4-mer epitope on the NS1 protein of AIV that can be recognized by MAb using a peptide microarray, which is able to simplify epitope identification, and that could serve as the basis for immune responses against avian influenza.

The function and affinity maturation of HIV-1 gp120-specific monoclonal antibodies derived from colostral B cells

Despite the risk of transmitting HIV-1, mothers in resource-poor areas are encouraged to breastfeed their infants because of beneficial immunologic and nutritional factors in milk. Interestingly, in the absence of antiretroviral prophylaxis, the overwhelming majority of HIV-1-exposed, breastfeeding infants are naturally protected from infection. To understand the role of HIV-1 envelope (Env)-specific antibodies in breast milk in natural protection against infant virus transmission, we produced 19 HIV-1 Env-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) isolated from colostrum B cells of HIV-1-infected mothers and investigated their specificity, evolution, and anti-HIV-1 functions. Despite the previously reported genetic compartmentalization and gp120-specific bias of colostrum HIV Env-specific B cells, the colostrum Env-specific mAbs described here demonstrated a broad range of gp120 epitope specificities and functions, including inhibition of epithelial cell binding and dendritic cell-mediated virus transfer, neutralization, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. We also identified divergent patterns of colostrum Env-specific B-cell lineage evolution with respect to crossreactivity to gastrointestinal commensal bacteria, indicating that commensal bacterial antigens play a role in shaping the local breast milk immunoglobulin G (IgG) repertoire. Maternal vaccine strategies to specifically target this breast milk B-cell population may be necessary to achieve safe breastfeeding for all HIV-1-exposed infants.

Which New Health Technologies Do We Need to Achieve an End to HIV/AIDS?

In the last 15 years, antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been the most globally impactful life-saving development of medical research. Antiretrovirals (ARVs) are used with great success for both the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. Despite these remarkable advances, this epidemic grows relentlessly worldwide. Over 2.1 million new infections occur each year, two-thirds in women and 240,000 in children. The widespread elimination of HIV will require the development of new, more potent prevention tools. Such efforts are imperative on a global scale. However, it must also be recognised that true containment of the epidemic requires the development and widespread implementation of a scientific advancement that has eluded us to date--a highly effective vaccine. Striving for such medical advances is what is required to achieve the end of AIDS.

HIV-Host Interactions: Implications for Vaccine Design

Development of an effective AIDS vaccine is a global priority. However, the extreme diversity of HIV type 1 (HIV-1), which is a consequence of its propensity to mutate to escape immune responses, along with host factors that prevent the elicitation of protective immune responses, continue to hinder vaccine development. Breakthroughs in understanding of the biology of the transmitted virus, the structure and nature of its envelope trimer, vaccine-induced CD8 T cell control in primates, and host control of broadly neutralizing antibody elicitation have given rise to new vaccine strategies. Despite this promise, emerging data from preclinical trials reinforce the need for additional insight into virus-host biology in order to facilitate the development of a successful vaccine.

Spatiotemporal hierarchy in antibody recognition against transmitted HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein during natural infection

Background

Majority of HIV-1 infection is established by one transmitted/founder virus and understanding how the neutralizing antibodies develop against this virus is critical for our rational design an HIV-1 vaccine.

Results

We report here antibody profiling of sequential plasma samples against transmitted/founder HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein in an epidemiologically linked transmission pair using our previously reported antigen library approach. We have decomposed the antibody recognition into three major subdomains on the envelope and showed their development in vivo followed a spatiotemporal hierarchy: starting with the ectodomain of gp41 at membrane proximal region, then the V3C3V4 and the V1V2 of gp120 at the membrane distal region. While antibodies to these subdomains appeared to undergo avidity maturation, the early anti-gp41 antibodies failed to translate into detectable autologous neutralization. Instead, it was the much delayed anti-V3C3V4 and anti-V1V2 antibodies constituted the major neutralizing activities.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that the initial antibody response was severely misguided by the transmitted/founder virus and future vaccine design would need to avoid the ectodomain of gp41 and focus on the neutralizing targets in the V3C3V4 and V1V2 subdomains of gp120.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12977-016-0243-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Mechanisms of escape from the PGT128 family of anti-HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies

Background

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) directed against the mannose-patch on the HIV envelope glycoprotein gp120 have several features that make them desirable targets for vaccine design. The PGT125-131 bnAb family is of particular interest due to its superior breadth and potency. The overlapping epitopes recognized by this family are intricate and neutralization requires interaction with at least two N-linked glycans (N332/N334, N295 or N301) in addition to backbone-mediated contact with the ³²³IGDIR³²⁷ motif of the V3 loop. We have recently shown that this bnAb family consists of two distinct antibody classes that can bind alternate arrangements of glycans in the mannose-patch in the absence of N332 thereby limiting viral escape. This led us to further investigate viral resistance and escape mechanisms to the PGT125-131 bnAb family.

Results

Using an escape virus isolated from the PGT125-131 donor as a guide, we show that mutating both the V3 core protein epitope and repositioning critical N-linked glycosylation sites are required to restore neutralization sensitivity. Interestingly, neutralization sensitivity could be restored via different routes for the two distinct bnAb classes within the PGT125-131 family, which may have been important in generating the divergence in recognition. We demonstrate that the observed V3 mutations confer neutralization resistance in other virus strains through both gain-of-function and escape studies. Furthermore, we show that the V3 loop is important in facilitating promiscuous binding to glycans within the mannose-patch.

Conclusions

These data highlight the importance of the V3 loop in the design of immunogens aimed at inducing broad and potent bnAbs that can bind promiscuously to the mannose-patch.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12977-016-0241-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Responses in a Large Longitudinal Sub-Saharan HIV Primary Infection Cohort

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are thought to be a critical component of a protective HIV vaccine. However, designing vaccines immunogens able to elicit bnAbs has proven unsuccessful to date. Understanding the correlates and immunological mechanisms leading to the development of bnAb responses during natural HIV infection is thus critical to the design of a protective vaccine. The IAVI Protocol C program investigates a large longitudinal cohort of primary HIV-1 infection in Eastern and South Africa. Development of neutralization was evaluated in 439 donors using a 6 cross-clade pseudo-virus panel predictive of neutralization breadth on larger panels. About 15% of individuals developed bnAb responses, essentially between year 2 and year 4 of infection. Statistical analyses revealed no influence of gender, age or geographical origin on the development of neutralization breadth. However, cross-clade neutralization strongly correlated with high viral load as well as with low CD4 T cell counts, subtype-C infection and HLA-A*03(-) genotype. A correlation with high overall plasma IgG levels and anti-Env IgG binding titers was also found. The latter appeared not associated with higher affinity, suggesting a greater diversity of the anti-Env responses in broad neutralizers. Broadly neutralizing activity targeting glycan-dependent epitopes, largely the N332-glycan epitope region, was detected in nearly half of the broad neutralizers while CD4bs and gp41-MPER bnAb responses were only detected in very few individuals. Together the findings suggest that both viral and host factors are critical for the development of bnAbs and that the HIV Env N332-glycan supersite may be a favorable target for vaccine design.

Conformational Epitope-Specific Broadly Neutralizing Plasma Antibodies Obtained from an HIV-1 Clade C-Infected Elite Neutralizer Mediate Autologous Virus Escape through Mutations in the V1 Loop

Broadly neutralizing antibodies isolated from infected patients who are elite neutralizers have identified targets on HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein that are vulnerable to antibody neutralization; however, it is not known whether infection established by the majority of the circulating clade C strains in Indian patients elicit neutralizing antibody responses against any of the known targets. In the present study, we examined the specificity of a broad and potent cross-neutralizing plasma obtained from an Indian elite neutralizer infected with HIV-1 clade C. This plasma neutralized 53/57 (93%) HIV pseudoviruses prepared with Env from distinct HIV clades of different geographical origins. Mapping studies using gp120 core protein, single-residue knockout mutants, and chimeric viruses revealed that G37080 broadly cross-neutralizing (BCN) plasma lacks specificities to the CD4 binding site, gp41 membrane-proximal external region, N160 and N332 glycans, and R166 and K169 in the V1-V3 region and are known predominant targets for BCN antibodies. Depletion of G37080 plasma with soluble trimeric BG505-SOSIP.664 Env (but with neither monomeric gp120 nor clade C membrane-proximal external region peptides) resulted in significant reduction of virus neutralization, suggesting that G37080 BCN antibodies mainly target epitopes on cleaved trimeric Env. Further examination of autologous circulating Envs revealed the association of mutation of residues in the V1 loop that contributed to neutralization resistance. In summary, we report the identification of plasma antibodies from a clade C-infected elite neutralizer that mediate neutralization breadth via epitopes on trimeric gp120 not yet reported and confer autologous neutralization escape via mutation of residues in the V1 loop.

IMPORTANCE

A preventive vaccine to protect against HIV-1 is urgently needed. HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins are targets of neutralizing antibodies and represent a key component for immunogen design. The mapping of epitopes on viral envelopes vulnerable to immune evasion will aid in defining targets of vaccine immunogens. We identified novel conformational epitopes on the viral envelope targeted by broadly cross-neutralizing antibodies elicited in natural infection in an elite neutralizer infected with HIV-1 clade C. Our data extend our knowledge on neutralizing epitopes associated with virus escape and potentially contribute to immunogen design and antibody-based prophylactic therapy.

Broadly Neutralizing Antibody-Guided Carbohydrate-Based HIV Vaccine Design: Challenges and Opportunities

The HIV envelope (Env) is heavily glycosylated, facilitating the spread and survival of HIV in many ways. Some potent broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) such as 2G12, PG9, PG16, and PGTs can recognize the conserved glycan residues on Env. The bnAbs, which often emerge after many years of chronic infection, provide insight into the vulnerability of HIV and can therefore guide the design of vaccines. Many carbohydrate-conjugated vaccines have been designed to induce bnAb-like antibodies, but none have yet been successful. The low antigenicity of these vaccines is one possible explanation. New strategies have been applied to obtain high-affinity antigens of glycan-dependent and other bnAbs. However, when used as immunogens in vivo, high-affinity antigens are still insufficient in eliciting bnAb-like antibodies. bnAbs generally possess some unusual features and may therefore be suppressed by the host immune system. In view of this situation, some immunization regimens based on the affinity maturation of antibodies have been tested. Herein we summarize recent studies into the design of carbohydrate-based HIV vaccines and some valuable experiences gained in work with other bnAb-based HIV vaccines.

Vectored antibody gene delivery for the prevention or treatment of HIV infection

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To discuss recent progress in the use of vectors to produce antibodies in vivo as an alternative form of HIV prophylaxis or therapy. Instead of passive transfer of monoclonal antibody proteins, a transgene encoding an antibody is delivered to cells by the vector, resulting in expression and secretion by the host cell. This review will emphasize adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based strategies and summarize the evidence in support of this strategy as an alternative to traditional vaccines. We will highlight the major findings in the field and discuss the impact that this approach could have on the prevention, treatment and possibly eradication of HIV in patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

In this emerging field, the emphasis has been on the use of vectors delivering antibodies as an alternative to the development of an HIV vaccine. However, recent findings suggest that AAV-delivered broadly neutralizing antibodies can suppress HIV replication. As such, a single injection of AAV could mediate long-term antibody expression to act as a long-lived therapeutic in the absence of antiretroviral drugs.

SUMMARY

Vector-mediated antibody expression can both prevent transmission and inhibit the replication of established HIV infections. As such, it offers an alternative to immunogen-based vaccine design and a novel therapeutic intervention by enabling precise manipulation of humoral immunity. Success may enable not only the development of effective prevention against HIV but may also provide an alternative to a lifetime of antiretroviral drugs taken by those who are already infected.

Non-B HIV-1 subtypes in sub-Saharan Africa: impact of subtype on protease inhibitor efficacy

In 2012, 25 million people [71% of global human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection] were estimated to be living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Of these, approximately 1.6 million were new infections and 1.2 million deaths occurred. South Africa alone accounted for 31% of HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. This disturbing statistic indicates that South Africa remains the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, compounded by the fact that only 36% of HIV-positive patients in South Africa have access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. Drug resistance mutations have emerged, and current ARVs show reduced efficacy against non-B subtypes. In addition, several recent studies have shown an increased prevalence of non-B African HIV strains in the Americas and Europe. Therefore, the use of ARVs in a non-B HIV-1 subtype context requires further investigation. HIV-1 subtype C protease, found largely in sub-Saharan Africa, has been under-investigated when compared with the subtype B protease, which predominates in North America and Europe. This review, therefore, focuses on HIV-1 proteases from B and C subtypes.

Glycan-Dependent Neutralizing Antibodies Are Frequently Elicited in Individuals Chronically Infected with HIV-1 Clade B or C

A number of potent broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1 have recently been identified that target epitopes on the viral envelope that contain N-linked glycans. It remains unknown how frequently glycan-dependent neutralizing antibodies generally arise during the course of natural infection or whether particular glycosylation sites are preferentially targeted. We tested sera with a broad range of neutralization activity from individuals infected with HIV-1 clades B or C against panels of HIV-1 Env pseudoviruses that lacked specific glycans in the outer domain glycan cluster (ODGC) or inner domain glycan cluster (IDGC) to determine the presence of glycan-dependent neutralizing antibodies. Overall, 54% of individuals were observed to have neutralizing antibodies targeting these glycan regions. Glycan-specific neutralizing antibodies were readily detected in sera that were selected for having broad, moderate, or weak neutralization potency and breadth. Our results demonstrate that glycan-specific neutralizing antibodies arise with appreciable frequency in individuals chronically infected with HIV-1 clades B and C. Antibody responses that commonly occur during natural infection may be more feasible to induce by vaccination; thus glycan-specific neutralizing antibodies may be desirable responses to elicit with candidate HIV-1 vaccines.