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Fusion to Flaviviral Leader Peptide Targets HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase for Secretion and Reduces Its Enzymatic Activity and Ability to Induce Oxidative Stress but Has No Major Effects on Its Immunogenic Performance in DNA-Immunized Mice. J Immunol Res 2017; 2017:7407136. [PMID: 28717654 PMCID: PMC5498913 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7407136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcriptase (RT) is a key enzyme in viral replication and susceptibility to ART and a crucial target of immunotherapy against drug-resistant HIV-1. RT induces oxidative stress which undermines the attempts to make it immunogenic. We hypothesized that artificial secretion may reduce the stress and make RT more immunogenic. Inactivated multidrug-resistant RT (RT1.14opt-in) was N-terminally fused to the signal providing secretion of NS1 protein of TBEV (Ld) generating optimized inactivated Ld-carrying enzyme RT1.14oil. Promotion of secretion prohibited proteasomal degradation increasing the half-life and content of RT1.14oil in cells and cell culture medium, drastically reduced the residual polymerase activity, and downmodulated oxidative stress. BALB/c mice were DNA-immunized with RT1.14opt-in or parental RT1.14oil by intradermal injections with electroporation. Fluorospot and ELISA tests revealed that RT1.14opt-in and RT1.14oil induced IFN-γ/IL-2, RT1.14opt-in induced granzyme B, and RT1.14oil induced perforin production. Perforin secretion correlated with coproduction of IFN-γ and IL-2 (R = 0,97). Both DNA immunogens induced strong anti-RT antibody response. Ld peptide was not immunogenic. Thus, Ld-driven secretion inferred little change to RT performance in DNA immunization. Positive outcome was the abrogation of polymerase activity increasing safety of RT-based DNA vaccines. Identification of the molecular determinants of low cellular immunogenicity of RT requires further studies.
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Hallengärd D, Wahren B, Bråve A. A truncated plasmid-encoded HIV-1 reverse transcriptase displays strong immunogenicity. Viral Immunol 2013; 26:163-6. [PMID: 23573980 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2012.0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Besides being an important target in the antiretroviral therapy against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme has potential as a vaccine antigen. In this study, we explored the ability of plasmid-encoded RT to induce cell-mediated immune responses. The strategy for increasing the immunogenicity of the protein was to delete non- or low-immunogenic parts in order to focus the immune responses to known immunogenic regions. Expression and immunogenicity of the truncated RT was compared to a clinically evaluated full-length RT construct, and the truncated RT displayed enhanced in vitro expression and cell-mediated immune responses in BALB/c and HLA-A0201 transgenic C57BL/6 mice. The strong immune responses were retained also when the truncated RT was delivered as a part of a multigene HIV-1 vaccine. Linking the RT gene to a highly expressed HIV-1 protease gene did not increase the immunogenicity of RT. This optimization strategy could be used to enhance the immunogenicity of other RT-encoding DNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Hallengärd
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Isaguliants M, Smirnova O, Ivanov AV, Kilpelainen A, Kuzmenko Y, Petkov S, Latanova A, Krotova O, Engström G, Karpov V, Kochetkov S, Wahren B, Starodubova E. Oxidative stress induced by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase modulates the enzyme's performance in gene immunization. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2013; 9:2111-9. [PMID: 23881028 DOI: 10.4161/hv.25813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED HIV-1 infection induces chronic oxidative stress. The resultant neurotoxicity has been associated with Tat protein. Here, we for the first time describe the induction of oxidative stress by another HIV-1 protein, reverse transcriptase (RT). Expression of HIV-1 RT in human embryonic kidney cells generated potent production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), detected by the fluorescence-based probes. Quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated that expression of RT in HEK293 cells induced a 10- to 15-fold increased transcription of the phase II detoxifying enzymes human NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (Nqo1) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), indicating the induction of oxidative stress response. The capacity to induce oxidative stress and stress response appeared to be an intrinsic property of a vast variety of RTs: enzymatically active and inactivated, bearing mutations of drug resistance, following different routes of processing and presentation, expressed from viral or synthetic expression-optimized genes. The total ROS production induced by RT genes of the viral origin was found to be lower than that induced by the synthetic/expression-optimized or chimeric RT genes. However, the viral RT genes induced higher levels of ROS production and higher levels of HO-1 mRNA than the synthetic genes per unit of protein in the expressing cell. The capacity of RT genes to induce the oxidative stress and stress response was then correlated with their immunogenic performance. For this, RT genes were administered into BALB/c mice by intradermal injections followed by electroporation. Splenocytes of immunized mice were stimulated with the RT-derived and control antigens and antigen-specific proliferation was assessed by IFN-γ/IL-2 Fluorospot. RT variants generating high total ROS levels induced significantly stronger IFN-γ responses than the variants inducing lower total ROS, while high levels of ROS normalized per unit of protein in expressing cell were associated with a weak IFN-γ response. Poor gene immunogenicity was also associated with a high (per unit of protein) transcription of antioxidant response element (ARE) dependent phase II detoxifying enzyme genes, specifically HO-1. Thus, we have revealed a direct link between the propensity of the microbial proteins to induce oxidative stress and their immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isaguliants
- Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology; Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Smirnova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander V Ivanov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia
| | - Athina Kilpelainen
- Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yulia Kuzmenko
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia
| | - Stefan Petkov
- Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anastasia Latanova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Krotova
- DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology; Moscow, Russia; Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia
| | - Gunnel Engström
- Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vadim Karpov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey Kochetkov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia
| | - Britta Wahren
- Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elizaveta Starodubova
- Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden; Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia
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Starodubova E, Krotova O, Hallengärd D, Kuzmenko Y, Engström G, Legzdina D, Latyshev O, Eliseeva O, Maltais AK, Tunitskaya V, Karpov V, Bråve A, Isaguliants M. Cellular Immunogenicity of Novel Gene Immunogens in Mice Monitored by in Vivo Imaging. Mol Imaging 2012. [DOI: 10.2310/7290.2012.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Starodubova
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olga Krotova
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Hallengärd
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yulia Kuzmenko
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnel Engström
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Diana Legzdina
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oleg Latyshev
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olesja Eliseeva
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Karin Maltais
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vera Tunitskaya
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vadim Karpov
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Bråve
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Isaguliants
- From the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia; Center of Medical Research, University of Oslo, Moscow, Russia; DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia; and Cytopulse AB, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Starodubova E, Boberg A, Ivanov A, Latyshev O, Petrakova N, Kuzmenko Y, Litvina M, Chernousov A, Kochetkov S, Karpov V, Wahren B, Isaguliants MG. Potent cross-reactive immune response against the wild-type and drug-resistant forms of HIV reverse transcriptase after the chimeric gene immunization. Vaccine 2010; 28:1975-86. [PMID: 20188253 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.10.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) can be considered as a target and an instrument of immunotherapy aimed at limiting the emergence and spread of drug-resistant HIV. The chimeric genes coding for the wild-type and multi-drug-resistant RT (RT1.14) fused to lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1) were injected intramuscularly into BALB/c mice. The immune response was assessed by ELISpot, cytokine ELISA intracellular IFN-gamma staining, and antibody ELISA. The genes for RT- and RT1.14-LAMP fusions (RT-LAMP and RT1.14-LAMP) were immunogenic generating a mixed Th1/Th2-profile of immune response, while the wild-type RT gene induced only weak immune response. Specific secretion of Th1-cytokines increased with increasing level of RT modification: RT
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Starodubova
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Nobelsvägen 18, 17182 Stockholm, Sweden.
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6
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Abstract
HIV-1 resistance to currently employed antiretroviral drugs and drug-associated adverse reactions and toxicity point to a need for additional measures to control HIV-1 replication in HIV-infected patients. The immune system of HIV-infected individuals mount an immune response against the regions harboring drug-resistance mutations, sometimes stronger than that against the parental wild-type sequences. A potent cross-reactive immune response against drug-resistant pol proteins can suppress the replication of drug-escaping HIV. This suggests the possibility for a vaccination against existing and anticipated drug-resistant HIV variants. If successful, therapeutic vaccines against drug resistance would ease the therapeutic modalities and limit the spread of drug-resistant HIV. A better understanding of the complex interactions between patterns of drug-resistance mutations, immune responses against these mutations and their antigen presentation by particular human lymphocyte antigen alleles could help to tailor these vaccines after new drugs/new mutations. In this review, we describe the developments in the field of immunization against mutations conferring drug resistance and evaluate their prospects for human vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Boberg
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, 171 82 Solna, Sweden.
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Starodubova ES, Boberg A, Litvina M, Morozov A, Petrakova NV, Timofeev A, Latyshev O, Tunitskaya V, Wahren B, Isaguliants MG, Karpov VL. HIV-1 reverse transcriptase artificially targeted for proteasomal degradation induces a mixed Th1/Th2-type immune response. Vaccine 2008; 26:5170-6. [PMID: 18468738 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.03.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Targeting of a DNA vaccine encoded protein for degradation via the proteasome is attempted since it may enhance the immunogenicity of the vaccine. We have fused HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) to mouse ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a protein rapidly degraded by proteasome in an ubiquitine-independent fashion, to enhance the introduction of RT into the MHC class I pathway. We also designed a fusion of RT with two short signals from the C-terminus of ODC (ODCsig) representing a minimal proteasome-targeting moiety of ODC (PEST signal). Fusion to ODC or ODC signal domain led to a marked enhancement of RT degradation. Plasmids encoding RT-ODC and RT-ODCsig chimera were used to immunize BALB/c mice. The administration of the plasmids was not associated with autoimmune disease. Moreover, mice receiving RT-ODCsig gene mounted a mixed Th1/Th2 response characterized by the in vitro secretion of IFN-gamma, IL-2, TNF-alpha, IL-4, and IL-10 upon stimulation of splenocytes with RT protein or RT derived peptides. Serum titers of 10(2) to 10(3) were observed in more than 50% of animals in that group, whereas fewer animals mounted an anti-RT response in the RT-ODC gene immunized group. Chimeras of the type described here can, therefore, be used in vaccinations aiming to induce HIV-1 RT-specific immune response.
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8
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Starodubova ES, Isaguliants MG, Karpov VL. Artificial acceleration of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase turnover via the proteasome pathway. Mol Biol 2006. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893306060069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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Starodubova E, Boberg A, Kashuba EV, Wahren B, Karpov V, Isaguliants M. HIV-1 reverse transcriptase targeted for proteasomal degradation as a prototype vaccine against drug-resistant HIV-1. Vaccine 2005; 24:4541-7. [PMID: 16181708 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2005.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Acquisition of drug-resistance conferring mutations leads to an enhanced degradation of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) affecting its immunogenicity. The mechanism of this degradation is not known. We investigated the input of proteasome in this degradation, and explored a possibility to enhance the proteasomal degradation of RTs to potentiate the immunogenic peformance of RT genes. To this end, a C-terminal fusion was made of RT with ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) that is rapidly degraded by proteasome in an ubiquitine-independent fashion. Eukaryotic cells were transiently transfected with the genes for wild-type (wt) RT, multi-drug-resistant (MDR) RT, and their chimeras with ODC. RT expression in the presence or absence of the proteasome inhibitors MG132 and epoxomicin was quantified by Western blotting. Treatment with MG132 led to a two-fold increase in the level of wtRT, and a four-fold increase in the level of MDR-RT accumulation. Treatment with epoxomicin had virtually no effect on the accumulation of wtRT, while stabilizing MDR-RT two-fold. Since epoxomicin is a more specific proteasome inhibitor, it indicated that degradation of wtRT may not be solely proteasomal. Fusion to ODC considerably decreased the intracellular levels of both RT-ODC and MDR-RT-ODC as compared to parental proteins. MG132 treatment increased the intracellular RT-ODC content 20-fold (up the level of the MG132-treated wtRT; 60-80 fg/cell), and epoxomicin treatment, 10-fold as compared to non-treated samples. Thus, attachment of ODC moiety has modified the metabolic pathway of RT targeting it to proteasomal degradation. We are currently testing if this is translated into an enhanced MHC class I performance of wild-type and drug-resistant RTs in gene immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Starodubova
- WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Vavilova str 32, 117984 Moscow, Russia
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10
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Mäkitalo B, Lundholm P, Hinkula J, Nilsson C, Karlén K, Mörner A, Sutter G, Erfle V, Heeney JL, Wahren B, Biberfeld G, Thorstensson R. Enhanced cellular immunity and systemic control of SHIV infection by combined parenteral and mucosal administration of a DNA prime MVA boost vaccine regimen. J Gen Virol 2004; 85:2407-2419. [PMID: 15269383 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.79869-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a DNA and recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine administered by two different routes were investigated. DNA expressing HIV-1 IIIB env, gag, RT, rev, tat and nef, and MVA expressing HIV-1 IIIB nef, tat and rev and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) macJ5 gag/pol and vaccinia HIV-1 env, were used as immunogens. Four cynomolgus macaques received DNA intramuscularly (i.m.) at month 0 and intrarectally (i.r.) and intra-orally (i.o.) at 2 months, followed by MVA i.m. at 4 months and i.r. and i.o. at 8 months. Another group of four monkeys received the same immunogens but only i.m.. Overall, stronger cellular immune responses measured by ELISPOT and T-cell proliferation assay were detected in the group primed i.m. and boosted mucosally. Following homologous intravenous simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) challenge, one of eight vaccinated animals was completely protected. This monkey, immunized i.m. and i.r.+i.o., exhibited the highest levels of HIV Env, Nef and Tat antibodies, high HIV Tat cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity and T-lymphocyte proliferative responses to HIV Env. Four weeks post-challenge none of the monkeys immunized i.m. and i.r.+i.o., and only two out of four animals immunized i.m., demonstrated detectable plasma viral RNA levels. In contrast, all eight control animals had demonstrable plasma viral RNA levels 4 weeks post-challenge. Thus, stronger cellular immune responses and reduction of challenge virus burden were demonstrated in animals immunized i.m. as well as mucosally, compared with animals immunized i.m. only. The breadth and magnitude of the induced immune responses correlated with protective efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Mäkitalo
- Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden
| | - P Lundholm
- Institute of Odontology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - J Hinkula
- Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
| | - C Nilsson
- Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden
| | - K Karlén
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden
| | - A Mörner
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden
| | - G Sutter
- Institute of Molecular Virology, GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Muenchen, Germany
| | - V Erfle
- Institute of Molecular Virology, GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Muenchen, Germany
| | - J L Heeney
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, the Netherlands
| | - B Wahren
- Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden
| | - G Biberfeld
- Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden
| | - R Thorstensson
- Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden
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Isaguliants MG, Iakimtchouk K, Petrakova NV, Yermalovich MA, Zuber AK, Kashuba VI, Belikov SV, Andersson S, Kochetkov SN, Klinman DM, Wahren B. Gene immunization may induce secondary antibodies reacting with DNA. Vaccine 2004; 22:1576-85. [PMID: 15063584 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2003.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2002] [Revised: 05/12/2003] [Accepted: 09/18/2003] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The fear of autoimmunity in DNA-vaccine recipients initiated screening for anti-DNA antibodies in rabbits immunized with genes of viral nucleic acid-binding and adapter proteins. Of 11 DNA/protein-immunized rabbits, seven had developed secondary antibodies against DNA detected at weeks 11-50 from the on-start of immunization. Two rabbits immunized with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase gene developed transient anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies of high avidity that recognized DNA in the kinetoplasts of Crithidia luciliae. Others developed antibodies reacting with DNA in ELISA and targeting nuclear-associated antigens in the immunofluoresence test. No anti-DNA antibodies were detected at these time-points in any of the controls (P=0.036). Induction of anti-DNA antibodies by epitope spreading from protein domains involved in nucleic acid-binding versus maturation of anti-protein antibodies to dual protein-DNA specificity is discussed. (126 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Isaguliants
- Swedish Istitute for Ifectious Disease Control and Microbiology and Tumour Biology Center, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.
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12
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Isaguliants MG, Belikov SV, Starodubova ES, Gizatullin RZ, Rollman E, Zuber B, Zuber AK, Grishchenko OIA, Rytting AS, Källander CFR, Kochetkov SN, Karpov VL, Wahren B. Mutations conferring drug resistance affect eukaryotic expression of HIV type 1 reverse transcriptase. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2004; 20:191-201. [PMID: 15018707 DOI: 10.1089/088922204773004914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in reverse transcriptase (RT) confer high levels of HIV resistance to drugs. However, while conferring drug resistance, they can lower viral replication capacity (fitness). The molecular mechanisms behind remain largely unknown. The aim of the study was to characterize the effect of drug-resistance mutations on HIV RT expression. Genes encoding AZT-resistant RTs with single or combined mutations D67N, K70R, T215F, and K219Q, and RTs derived from drug-resistant HIV-1 strains were designed and expressed in a variety of eukaryotic cells. Expression in transiently transfected cells was assessed by Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining with RT-specific antibodies. To compare the levels of expression, mutated RT genes were microinjected into the nucleus of the oocytes of Xenopus laevis. Expression of RT was quantified by sandwich ELISA. Relative stability of RTs was assessed by pulse-chase experiments. Xenopus oocytes microinjected with the genes expressed 2-50 pg of RT mutants per cell. The level of RT expression decreased with accumulation of drug-resistance mutations. Pulse-chase experiments demonstrated that poor expression of DR-RTs was due to proteolytic instability. Instability could be attributed to additional cleavage sites predicted to appear in the vicinity of resistance mutations. Accumulation of drug-resistance mutations appears to affect the level of eukaryotic expression of HIV-1 RT by inducing proteolytic instability. Low RT levels might be one of the determinants of impaired replication fitness of drug-resistant HIV-1 strains.
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Isaguliants MG, Petrakova NN, Zuber B, Pokrovskaya K, Gizatullin R, Kostyuk DA, Kjerrström A, Winberg G, Kochetkov SN, Hinkula J, Wahren B. DNA-encoding enzymatically active HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, but not the inactive mutant, confers resistance to experimental HIV-1 challenge. Intervirology 2001; 43:288-93. [PMID: 11251384 DOI: 10.1159/000053996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to examine the immunogenicity of a single plasmid DNA representing the reverse transcriptase (RT) of HIV-1. Plasmids containing the enzymatically active RT as well as a mutated nonenzymatically active RT with nucleotide (nt)-binding motifs of YMDD and YMLL, respectively, were used to immunize mice. Both constructs induced similar good antibody and T cell responses, with a tendency towards antibody directed to peptides representing the active and mutated sites. Immunized mice were challenged with a murine pseudotype HIV-1/MuLV infected spleen cells. Seven out of 10 mice immunized with RT had no recoverable HIV-1, while 10 individuals immunized with the RT mutant and all the 18 controls had high levels of recoverable HIV-1. This indicates that mutation of RT reduces the desired immunogenicity.
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Isaguliants MG, Gudima SO, Ivanova OV, Levi M, Hinkula J, Garaev MM, Kochetkov SN, Wahren B. Immunogenic properties of reverse transcriptase of HIV type 1 assessed by DNA and protein immunization of rabbits. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2000; 16:1269-80. [PMID: 10957724 DOI: 10.1089/08892220050117032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic immunization may be one way to prime individuals for a subsequent broad anti-HIV-1 immune response. Reverse transcriptase of HIV-1 (RT) presents a selective target for attempts to arrest replication of HIV-1. Rabbits immunized with a plasmid carrying the gene for reverse transcriptase HIV-1 (RT DNA) developed potent antibody and cellular responses to the gene product. The immunogenic properties of RT DNA and recombinant reverse transcriptase were compared in rabbits. The specific immune responses were similar to those reported previously for HIV-1 infected humans. The array of B and T cell epitopes recognized in RT DNA-immunized rabbits was broader than in rabbits immunized with the recombinant RT. We localized seven novel B and T cell epitopes and concordance between B cell and helper T cell epitopes was observed. B cell epitopes of RT induced proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and were active as helper T cell epitopes. T cell-proliferative responses to the epitopes of RT preceded or paralleled the production of antibodies of the same specificity. Subdomains of reverse transcriptase involved in the enzymatic activity of RT were highly immunogenic. Anti-RT IgG partially inhibited reverse transcription in vitro.
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