Probing HIV-1 membrane liquid order by Laurdan staining reveals producer cell-dependent differences

Disruption of Transmembrane Phosphatidylserine Asymmetry by HIV-1 Incorporated SERINC5 Is Not Responsible for Virus Restriction

Host restriction factor SERINC5 (SER5) incorporates into the HIV-1 membrane and inhibits infectivity by a poorly understood mechanism. Recently, SER5 was found to exhibit scramblase-like activity leading to the externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the viral surface, which has been proposed to be responsible for SER5's antiviral activity. This and other reports that document modulation of HIV-1 infectivity by viral lipid composition prompted us to investigate the role of PS in regulating SER5-mediated HIV-1 restriction. First, we show that the level of SER5 incorporation into virions correlates with an increase in PS levels in the outer leaflet of the viral membrane. We developed an assay to estimate the PS distribution across the viral membrane and found that SER5, but not SER2, which lacks antiviral activity, abrogates PS asymmetry by externalizing this lipid. Second, SER5 incorporation diminished the infectivity of pseudoviruses produced from cells lacking a flippase subunit CDC50a and, therefore, exhibited a higher baseline level of surface-accessible PS. Finally, exogenous manipulation of the viral PS levels utilizing methyl-alpha-cyclodextrin revealed a lack of correlation between external PS and virion infectivity. Taken together, our study implies that the increased PS exposure to SER5-containing virions itself is not directly linked to HIV-1 restriction.

In vitro reconstitution of herpes simplex virus 1 fusion identifies low pH as a fusion co-trigger

IMPORTANCE

HSV-1 causes lifelong, incurable infections and diseases ranging from mucocutaneous lesions to fatal encephalitis. Fusion of viral and host membranes is a critical step in HSV-1 infection of target cells that requires multiple factors on both the viral and host sides. Due to this complexity, many fundamental questions remain unanswered, such as the identity of the viral and host factors that are necessary and sufficient for HSV-1-mediated membrane fusion and the nature of the fusion trigger. Here, we developed a simplified in vitro fusion assay to examine the fusion requirements and identified low pH as a co-trigger for virus-mediated fusion in vitro. We hypothesize that low pH has a critical role in cell entry and, potentially, pathogenesis.

Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 is required for HIV-1 maturation

HIV-1 assembly occurs at the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM) in highly ordered membrane microdomains. The size and stability of membrane microdomains is regulated by activity of the sphingomyelin hydrolase neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) that is localized primarily to the inner leaflet of the PM. In this study, we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition or depletion of nSMase2 in HIV-1-producer cells results in a block in the processing of the major viral structural polyprotein Gag and the production of morphologically aberrant, immature HIV-1 particles with severely impaired infectivity. We find that disruption of nSMase2 also severely inhibits the maturation and infectivity of other primate lentiviruses HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus, has a modest or no effect on nonprimate lentiviruses equine infectious anemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus, and has no effect on the gammaretrovirus murine leukemia virus. These studies demonstrate a key role for nSMase2 in HIV-1 particle morphogenesis and maturation.

Serinc5 Restricts HIV Membrane Fusion by Altering Lipid Order and Heterogeneity in the Viral Membrane

The host restriction factor, Serinc5, incorporates into budding HIV particles and inhibits their infection by an incompletely understood mechanism. We have previously reported that Serinc5 but not its paralogue, Serinc2, blocks HIV cell entry by membrane fusion, specifically by inhibiting fusion pore formation and dilation. A body of work suggests that Serinc5 may alter the conformation and clustering of the HIV fusion protein, Env. To contribute an additional perspective to the developing model of Serinc5 restriction, we assessed Serinc2 and Serinc5's effects on HIV pseudoviral membranes. By measuring pseudoviral membrane thickness via cryo-electron microscopy and order via the fluorescent dye, FLIPPER-TR, Serinc5 was found to increase membrane heterogeneity, skewing the distribution toward a larger fraction of the viral membrane in an ordered phase. We also directly observed for the first time the coexistence of membrane domains within individual viral membrane envelopes. Using a total internal reflection fluorescence-based single particle fusion assay, we found that treatment of HIV pseudoviral particles with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) rescued HIV pseudovirus fusion from restriction by Serinc5, which was accompanied by decreased membrane heterogeneity and order. This effect was specific for PE and did not depend on acyl chain length or saturation. Together, these data suggest that Serinc5 alters multiple interrelated properties of the viral membrane─lipid chain order, rigidity, line tension, and lateral pressure─which decrease the accessibility of fusion intermediates and disfavor completion of fusion. These biophysical insights into Serinc5 restriction of HIV infectivity could contribute to the development of novel antivirals that exploit the same weaknesses.

Different membrane order measurement techniques are not mutually consistent

"Membrane order" is a term commonly used to describe the elastic and mechanical properties of the lipid bilayer, though its exact meaning is somewhat context- and method dependent. These mechanical properties of the membrane control many cellular functions and are measured using various biophysical techniques. Here, we ask if the results obtained from various techniques are mutually consistent. Such consistency cannot be assumed a priori because these techniques probe different spatial locations and different spatial and temporal scales. We evaluate the change of membrane order induced by serotonin using nine different techniques in lipid bilayers of three different compositions. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter present at 100s of mM concentrations in neurotransmitter vesicles, and therefore its interaction with the lipid bilayer is biologically relevant. Our measurement tools include fluorescence of lipophilic dyes (Nile Red, Laurdan, TMA-DPH, DPH), whose properties are a function of membrane order; atomic force spectroscopy, which provides a measure of the force required to indent the lipid bilayer; 2H solid-state NMR spectroscopy, which measures the molecular order of the lipid acyl chain segments; fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, which provides a measure of the diffusivity of the probe in the membrane; and Raman spectroscopy, where spectral intensity ratios are affected by acyl chain order. We find that different measures often do not correlate with each other and sometimes even yield conflicting results. We conclude that no probe provides a general measure of membrane order and that any inference based on the change of membrane order measured by a particular probe may be unreliable.

SERINC5-Mediated Restriction of HIV-1 Infectivity Correlates with Resistance to Cholesterol Extraction but Not with Lipid Order of Viral Membrane

Serine incorporator 5 (SER5) is a protein that upon incorporation into virions inhibits HIV-1 infectivity by interfering with the ability of the Env glycoprotein to promote viral fusion. The mechanisms by which SER5 antagonizes HIV-1 fusion are not well understood. A recent study of SER5's structure revealed a lipid-binding pocket, suggesting the ability to sequester lipids. This finding, along with the well-documented modulation of HIV-1 infectivity by viral lipids, especially cholesterol, prompted our examination of SER5's effect on the general lipid order of the HIV-1 membrane. Pseudoviruses bearing the SER5-sensitive HXB2-Env and containing SER5 or SER2, a control protein that lacks antiviral activity, were analyzed using two distinct lipid-order probes. We show that SER5 incorporation does not noticeably affect the lipid order of pseudoviruses. Although viral cholesterol extraction reduces HIV-1 infectivity, SER5+ viruses are less sensitive to cholesterol extraction than the control samples. In contrast, the virus' sensitivity to cholesterol oxidation was not affected by SER5 incorporation. The hydrolytic release of sphingomyelin-sequestered cholesterol had a minimal impact on the apparent resistance to cholesterol extraction. Based on these results, we propose that a subpopulation of more stable Env glycoproteins responsible for the residual infectivity of SER5+ viruses is less sensitive to the cholesterol content of the viral membrane.

Role of Protein-Lipid Interactions in Viral Entry

The viral entry consists of several sequential events that ensure the attachment of the virus to the host cell and the introduction of its genetic material for the continuation of the replication cycle. Both cellular and viral lipids have gained a wider focus in recent years in the field of viral entry, as they are found to play key roles in different steps of the process. The specific role is summarized that lipids and lipid membrane nanostructures play in viral attachment, fusion, and immune evasion and how they can be targeted with antiviral therapies. Finally, some of the limitations of techniques commonly used for protein-lipid interactions studies are discussed, and new emerging tools are reviewed that can be applied to this field.

Super-Resolution Microscopy Using a Bioorthogonal-Based Cholesterol Probe Provides Unprecedented Capabilities for Imaging Nanoscale Lipid Heterogeneity in Living Cells

Despite more than 20 years of work since the lipid raft concept was proposed, the existence of these nanostructures remains highly controversial due to the lack of noninvasive methods to investigate their native nanorganization in living unperturbed cells. There is an unmet need for probes for direct imaging of nanoscale membrane dynamics with high spatial and temporal resolution in living cells. In this paper, a bioorthogonal-based cholesterol probe (chol-N₃ ) is developed that, combined with nanoscopy, becomes a new powerful method for direct visualization and characterization of lipid raft at unprecedented resolution in living cells. The chol-N₃ probe mimics cholesterol in synthetic and cellular membranes without perturbation. When combined with live-cell super-resolution microscopy, chol-N₃ demonstrates the existence of cholesterol-rich nanodomains of <50 nm at the plasma membrane of resting living cells. Using this tool, the lipid membrane structure of such subdiffraction limit domains is identified, and the nanoscale spatiotemporal organization of cholesterol in the plasma membrane of living cells reveals multiple cholesterol diffusion modes at different spatial localizations. Finally, imaging across thick organ samples outlines the potential of this new method to address essential biological questions that were previously beyond reach.

An Aerolysin-like Pore-Forming Protein Complex Targets Viral Envelope to Inactivate Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

Because most of animal viruses are enveloped, cytoplasmic entry of these viruses via fusion with cellular membrane initiates their invasion. However, the strategies in which host cells counteract cytoplasmic entry of such viruses are incompletely understood. Pore-forming toxin aerolysin-like proteins (ALPs) exist throughout the animal kingdom, but their functions are mostly unknown. In this study, we report that βγ-crystallin fused aerolysin-like protein and trefoil factor complex (βγ-CAT), an ALP and trefoil factor complex from the frog Bombina maxima, directly blocks enveloped virus invasion by interfering with cytoplasmic entry. βγ-CAT targeted acidic glycosphingolipids on the HSV type 1 (HSV-1) envelope to induce pore formation, as indicated by the oligomer formation of protein and potassium and calcium ion efflux. Meanwhile, βγ-CAT formed ring-like oligomers of ∼10 nm in diameter on the liposomes and induced dye release from liposomes that mimic viral envelope. Unexpectedly, transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the βγ-CAT-treated HSV-1 was visibly as intact as the vehicle-treated HSV-1, indicating that βγ-CAT did not lyse the viral envelope. However, the cytoplasmic entry of the βγ-CAT-treated HSV-1 into HeLa cells was totally hindered. In vivo, topical application of βγ-CAT attenuated the HSV-1 corneal infection in mice. Collectively, these results uncovered that βγ-CAT possesses the capacity to counteract enveloped virus invasion with its featured antiviral-acting manner. Our findings will also largely help to illustrate the putative antiviral activity of animal ALPs.

Cholesterol in the Viral Membrane is a Molecular Switch Governing HIV-1 Env Clustering

HIV-1 entry requires the redistribution of envelope glycoproteins (Env) into a cluster and the presence of cholesterol (chol) in the viral membrane. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the specific role of chol in infectivity and the driving force behind Env clustering remain unknown. Here, gp41 is demonstrated to directly interact with chol in the viral membrane via residues 751-854 in the cytoplasmic tail (CT751-854). Super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy analysis of Env distribution further demonstrates that both truncation of gp41 CT751-854 and depletion of chol leads to dispersion of Env clusters in the viral membrane and inhibition of virus entry. This work reveals a direct interaction of gp41 CT with chol and indicates that this interaction is an important orchestrator of Env clustering.

Ceramide synthase 2 deletion decreases the infectivity of HIV-1

The lipid composition of HIV-1 virions is enriched in sphingomyelin (SM), but the roles that SM or other sphingolipids (SLs) might play in the HIV-1 replication pathway have not been elucidated. In human cells, SL levels are regulated by ceramide synthase (CerS) enzymes that produce ceramides, which can be converted to SMs, hexosylceramides, and other SLs. In many cell types, CerS2, which catalyzes the synthesis of very long chain ceramides, is the major CerS. We have examined how CerS2 deficiency affects the assembly and infectivity of HIV-1. As expected, we observed that very long chain ceramide, hexosylceramide, and SM were reduced in CerS2 knockout cells. CerS2 deficiency did not affect HIV-1 assembly or the incorporation of the HIV-1 envelope (Env) protein into virus particles, but it reduced the infectivites of viruses produced in the CerS2-deficient cells. The reduced viral infection levels were dependent on HIV-1 Env, since HIV-1 particles that were pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein did not exhibit reductions in infectivity. Moreover, cell-cell fusion assays demonstrated that the functional defect of HIV-1 Env in CerS2-deficient cells was independent of other viral proteins. Overall, our results indicate that the altered lipid composition of CerS2-deficient cells specifically inhibit the HIV-1 Env receptor binding and/or fusion processes.

Rendezvous at Plasma Membrane: Cellular Lipids and tRNA Set up Sites of HIV-1 Particle Assembly and Incorporation of Host Transmembrane Proteins

The HIV-1 structural polyprotein Gag drives the virus particle assembly specifically at the plasma membrane (PM). During this process, the nascent virion incorporates specific subsets of cellular lipids and host membrane proteins, in addition to viral glycoproteins and viral genomic RNA. Gag binding to the PM is regulated by cellular factors, including PM-specific phospholipid PI(4,5)P2 and tRNAs, both of which bind the highly basic region in the matrix domain of Gag. In this article, we review our current understanding of the roles played by cellular lipids and tRNAs in specific localization of HIV-1 Gag to the PM. Furthermore, we examine the effects of PM-bound Gag on the organization of the PM bilayer and discuss how the reorganization of the PM at the virus assembly site potentially contributes to the enrichment of host transmembrane proteins in the HIV-1 particle. Since some of these host transmembrane proteins alter release, attachment, or infectivity of the nascent virions, the mechanism of Gag targeting to the PM and the nature of virus assembly sites have major implications in virus spread.

Fluorescence Microscopy of the HIV-1 Envelope

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection constitutes a major health and social issue worldwide. HIV infects cells by fusing its envelope with the target cell plasma membrane. This process is mediated by the viral Env glycoprotein and depends on the envelope lipid composition. Fluorescent microscopy has been employed to investigate the envelope properties, and the processes of viral assembly and fusion, but the application of this technique to the study of HIV is still limited by a number of factors, such as the small size of HIV virions or the difficulty to label the envelope components. Here, we review fluorescence imaging studies of the envelope lipids and proteins, focusing on labelling strategies and model systems.

Quantification of phosphoinositides reveals strong enrichment of PIP2 in HIV-1 compared to producer cell membranes

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) acquires its lipid envelope during budding from the plasma membrane of the host cell. Various studies indicated that HIV-1 membranes differ from producer cell plasma membranes, suggesting budding from specialized membrane microdomains. The phosphoinositide PI(4,5)P₂ has been of particular interest since PI(4,5)P₂ is needed to recruit the viral structural polyprotein Gag to the plasma membrane and thus facilitates viral morphogenesis. While there is evidence for an enrichment of PIP₂ in HIV-1, fully quantitative analysis of all phosphoinositides remains technically challenging and therefore has not been reported, yet. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the lipid content of HIV-1 and of plasma membranes from infected and non-infected producer cells, resulting in a total of 478 quantified lipid compounds, including molecular species distribution of 25 different lipid classes. Quantitative analyses of phosphoinositides revealed strong enrichment of PIP₂, but also of PIP₃, in the viral compared to the producer cell plasma membrane. We calculated an average of ca. 8,000 PIP₂ molecules per HIV-1 particle, three times more than Gag. We speculate that the high density of PIP₂ at the HIV-1 assembly site is mediated by transient interactions with viral Gag polyproteins, facilitating PIP₂ concentration in this microdomain. These results are consistent with our previous observation that PIP₂ is not only required for recruiting, but also for stably maintaining Gag at the plasma membrane. We believe that this quantitative analysis of the molecular anatomy of the HIV-1 lipid envelope may serve as standard reference for future investigations.

Biology of Lipid Rafts: Introduction to the Thematic Review Series

Lipid rafts are organized plasma membrane microdomains, which provide a distinct level of regulation of cellular metabolism and response to extracellular stimuli, affecting a diverse range of physiologic and pathologic processes. This Thematic Review Series focuses on Biology of Lipid Rafts rather than on their composition or structure. The aim is to provide an overview of ideas on how lipid rafts are involved in regulation of different pathways and how they interact with other layers of metabolic regulation. Articles in the series will review the involvement of lipid rafts in regulation of hematopoiesis, production of extracellular vesicles, host interaction with infection, and the development and progression of cancer, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration, as well as the current outlook on therapeutic targeting of lipid rafts.

On measuring the acoustic state changes in lipid membranes using fluorescent probes

Ultrasound is increasingly being used to modulate the properties of biological membranes for applications in drug delivery and neuromodulation. While various studies have investigated the mechanical aspects of the interaction such as acoustic absorption and membrane deformation, it is not clear how these effects transduce into biological functions, for example, changes in the permeability or the enzymatic activity of the membrane. A critical aspect of the activity of an enzyme is the thermal fluctuations of its solvation or hydration shell. Thermal fluctuations are also known to be directly related to membrane permeability. Here solvation shell changes of lipid membranes subject to an acoustic impulse were investigated using a fluorescence probe, Laurdan. Laurdan was embedded in multi-lamellar lipid vesicles in water, which were exposed to broadband pressure impulses of the order of 1 MPa peak amplitude and 10 µs pulse duration. An instrument was developed to monitor changes in the emission spectrum of the dye at two wavelengths with sub-microsecond temporal resolution. The experiments show that changes in the emission spectrum, and hence the fluctuations of the solvation shell, are related to the changes in the thermodynamic state of the membrane and correlated with the compression and rarefaction of the incident sound wave. The results suggest that acoustic fields affect the state of a lipid membrane and therefore can potentially modulate the kinetics of channels and enzymes embedded in the membrane.

Plant lipids: Key players of plasma membrane organization and function

The plasma membrane (PM) is the biological membrane that separates the interior of all cells from the outside. The PM is constituted of a huge diversity of proteins and lipids. In this review, we will update the diversity of molecular species of lipids found in plant PM. We will further discuss how lipids govern global properties of the plant PM, explaining that plant lipids are unevenly distributed and are able to organize PM in domains. From that observation, it emerges a complex picture showing a spatial and multiscale segregation of PM components. Finally, we will discuss how lipids are key players in the function of PM in plants, with a particular focus on plant-microbe interaction, transport and hormone signaling, abiotic stress responses, plasmodesmata function. The last chapter is dedicated to the methods that the plant membrane biology community needs to develop to get a comprehensive understanding of membrane organization in plants.

Lipidomimetic Compounds Act as HIV-1 Entry Inhibitors by Altering Viral Membrane Structure

The envelope of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) consists of a liquid-ordered membrane enriched in raft lipids and containing the viral glycoproteins. Previous studies demonstrated that changes in viral membrane lipid composition affecting membrane structure or curvature can impair infectivity. Here, we describe novel antiviral compounds that were identified by screening compound libraries based on raft lipid-like scaffolds. Three distinct molecular structures were chosen for mode-of-action studies, a sterol derivative (J391B), a sphingosine derivative (J582C) and a long aliphatic chain derivative (IBS70). All three target the viral membrane and inhibit virus infectivity at the stage of fusion without perturbing virus stability or affecting virion-associated envelope glycoproteins. Their effect did not depend on the expressed envelope glycoproteins or a specific entry route, being equally strong in HIV pseudotypes carrying VSV-G or MLV-Env glycoproteins. Labeling with laurdan, a reporter of membrane order, revealed different membrane structure alterations upon compound treatment of HIV-1, which correlated with loss of infectivity. J582C and IBS70 decreased membrane order in distinctive ways, whereas J391B increased membrane order. The compounds' effects on membrane order were reproduced in liposomes generated from extracted HIV lipids and thus independent both of virion proteins and of membrane leaflet asymmetry. Remarkably, increase of membrane order by J391B required phosphatidylserine, a lipid enriched in the HIV envelope. Counterintuitively, mixtures of two compounds with opposite effects on membrane order, J582C and J391B, did not neutralize each other but synergistically inhibited HIV infection. Thus, altering membrane order, which can occur by different mechanisms, constitutes a novel antiviral mode of action that may be of general relevance for enveloped viruses and difficult to overcome by resistance development.

Structural conservation in a membrane-enveloped filamentous virus infecting a hyperthermophilic acidophile

Different forms of viruses that infect archaea inhabiting extreme environments continue to be discovered at a surprising rate, suggesting that the current sampling of these viruses is sparse. We describe here Sulfolobus filamentous virus 1 (SFV1), a membrane-enveloped virus infecting Sulfolobus shibatae. The virus encodes two major coat proteins which display no apparent sequence similarity with each other or with any other proteins in databases. We have used cryo-electron microscopy at 3.7 Å resolution to show that these two proteins form a nearly symmetrical heterodimer, which wraps around A-form DNA, similar to what has been shown for SIRV2 and AFV1, two other archaeal filamentous viruses. The thin (∼ 20 Å) membrane of SFV1 is mainly archaeol, a lipid species that accounts for only 1% of the host lipids. Our results show how relatively conserved structural features can be maintained across evolution by both proteins and lipids that have diverged considerably.

Only a few archaeal filamentous viruses have been structurally characterized. Here the authors describe the membrane-enveloped Sulfolobus filamentous virus 1 that infects Sulfolobus shibatae and present its 3.7 Å resolution cryo-EM structure, which reveals that major coat proteins are structurally conserved among archaeal filamentous viruses.

Lipid Composition but Not Curvature Is the Determinant Factor for the Low Molecular Mobility Observed on the Membrane of Virus-Like Vesicles

Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 (HIV-1) acquires its lipid membrane from the plasma membrane of the infected cell from which it buds out. Previous studies have shown that the HIV-1 envelope is an environment of very low mobility, with the diffusion of incorporated proteins two orders of magnitude slower than in the plasma membrane. One of the reasons for this difference is thought to be the HIV-1 membrane composition that is characterised by a high degree of rigidity and lipid packing, which has, until now, been difficult to assess experimentally. To further refine the model of the molecular mobility on the HIV-1 surface, we herein investigated the relative importance of membrane composition and curvature in simplified model membrane systems, large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) of different lipid compositions and sizes (0.1–1 µm), using super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy-based fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (STED-FCS). Establishing an approach that is also applicable to measurements of molecule dynamics in virus-sized particles, we found, at least for the 0.1–1 µm sized vesicles, that the lipid composition and thus membrane rigidity, but not the curvature, play an important role in the decreased molecular mobility on the vesicles’ surface. This observation suggests that the composition of the envelope rather than the particle geometry contributes to the previously described low mobility of proteins on the HIV-1 surface. Our vesicle-based study thus provides further insight into the dynamic properties of the surface of individual HIV-1 particles, as well as paves the methodological way towards better characterisation of the properties and function of viral lipid envelopes in general.

Bioactive Compounds Isolated from Neglected Predatory Marine Gastropods

A diverse range of predatory marine gastropods produce toxins, yet most of these molecules remain uncharacterized. Conus species have received the most attention from researchers, leading to several conopeptides reaching clinical trials. This review aims to summarize what is known about bioactive compounds isolated from species of neglected marine gastropods, especially in the Turridae, Terebridae, Babyloniidae, Muricidae, Buccinidae, Colubrariidae, Nassariidae, Cassidae, and Ranellidae families. Multiple species have been reported to contain bioactive compounds with potential toxic activity, but most of these compounds have not been characterized or even clearly identified. The bioactive properties and potential applications of echotoxins and related porins from the Ranellidae family are discussed in more detail. Finally, the review concludes with a call for research on understudied species.

HIV antivirals: targeting the functional organization of the lipid envelope

Most of the surface of the lipid bilayer covering the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) particle is directly accessible from the aqueous medium. Its peculiar chemical composition and physical properties appear to be critical for infection and, therefore, may comprise a target for selective antiviral activity. The HIV-1 membrane is enriched in raft-type lipids and also displays aminophospholipids on its external leaflet. We contend here that a great deal of membrane-active compounds described to block HIV-1 infection can do so by following a common mechanism of action: alteration of the lateral heterogeneity that supports the functional organization of the lipid envelope. The confirmation of this hypothesis could lay new foundations for the rational development of compounds with anti-HIV activity.

Membrane Fluidity Sensing on the Single Virus Particle Level with Plasmonic Nanoparticle Transducers

Viral membranes are nanomaterials whose fluidity depends on their composition, in particular, the cholesterol (chol) content. As differences in the membrane composition of individual virus particles can lead to different intracellular fates, biophysical tools capable of sensing the membrane fluidity on the single-virus level are required. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that fluctuations in the polarization of light scattered off gold or silver nanoparticle (NP)-labeled virus-like-particles (VLPs) encode information about the membrane fluidity of individual VLPs. We developed plasmonic polarization fluctuation tracking microscopy (PFTM) which facilitated the investigation of the effect of chol content on the membrane fluidity and its dependence on temperature, for the first time on the single-VLP level. Chol extraction studies with different methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) concentrations yielded a gradual decrease in polarization fluctuations as a function of time. The rate of chol extraction for individual VLPs showed a broad spread, presumably due to differences in the membrane composition for the individual VLPs, and this heterogeneity increased with decreasing MβCD concentration.

Polarity-Sensitive Probes for Superresolution Stimulated Emission Depletion Microscopy

The lateral organization of molecules in the cellular plasma membrane plays an important role in cellular signaling. A critical parameter for membrane molecular organization is how the membrane lipids are packed. Polarity-sensitive dyes are powerful tools to characterize such lipid membrane order, employing, for example, confocal and two-photon microscopy. The investigation of potential nanodomains, however, requires the use of superresolution microscopy. Here, we test the performance of the polarity-sensitive membrane dyes Di-4-ANEPPDHQ, Di-4-AN(F)EPPTEA, and NR12S in superresolution stimulated emission depletion microscopy. Measurements on cell-derived membrane vesicles, in the plasma membrane of live cells, and on single virus particles, show the high potential of these dyes for probing nanoscale membrane heterogeneity.

Envelope glycoprotein mobility on HIV-1 particles depends on the virus maturation state

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) assembles as immature particles, which require the proteolytic cleavage of structural polyprotein Gag and the clustering of envelope glycoprotein Env for infectivity. The details of mechanisms underlying Env clustering remain unknown. Here, we determine molecular dynamics of Env on the surface of individual HIV-1 particles using scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy on a super-resolution STED microscope. We find that Env undergoes a maturation-induced increase in mobility, highlighting diffusion as one cause for Env clustering. This mobility increase is dependent on Gag-interacting Env tail but not on changes in viral envelope lipid order. Diffusion of Env and other envelope incorporated proteins in mature HIV-1 is two orders of magnitude slower than in the plasma membrane, indicating that HIV-1 envelope is intrinsically a low mobility environment, mainly due to its general high lipid order. Our results provide insights into dynamic properties of proteins on the surface of individual virus particles.To become infectious, HIV-1 particles undergo a maturation process involving the clustering of envelope glycoprotein Env. Here, Chojnacki et al. employ super-resolution STED-FCS microscopy to study dynamics of Env molecules on HIV-1 particles and show that Env undergoes a maturation-induced increase in mobility.

The host-cell restriction factor SERINC5 restricts HIV-1 infectivity without altering the lipid composition and organization of viral particles

The host-cell restriction factor SERINC5 potently suppresses the infectivity of HIV, type 1 (HIV-1) particles, and is counteracted by the viral pathogenesis factor Nef. However, the molecular mechanism by which SERINC5 restricts HIV-1 particle infectivity is still unclear. Because SERINC proteins have been suggested to facilitate the incorporation of serine during the biosynthesis of membrane lipids and because lipid composition of HIV particles is a major determinant of the infectious potential of the particles, we tested whether SERINC5-mediated restriction of HIV particle infectivity involves alterations of membrane lipid composition. We produced and purified HIV-1 particles from SERINC5293T cells with very low endogenous SERINC5 levels under conditions in which ectopically expressed SERINC5 restricts HIV-1 infectivity and is antagonized by Nef and analyzed both virions and producer cells with quantitative lipid MS. SERINC5 restriction and Nef antagonism were not associated with significant alterations in steady-state lipid composition of producer cells and HIV particles. Sphingosine metabolism kinetics were also unaltered by SERINC5 expression. Moreover, the levels of phosphatidylserine on the surface of HIV-1 particles, which may trigger uptake into non-productive internalization pathways in target cells, did not change upon expression of SERINC5 or Nef. Finally, saturating the phosphatidylserine-binding sites on HIV target cells did not affect SERINC5 restriction or Nef antagonism. These results demonstrate that the restriction of HIV-1 particle infectivity by SERINC5 does not depend on alterations in lipid composition and organization of HIV-1 particles and suggest that channeling serine into lipid biosynthesis may not be a cardinal cellular function of SERINC5.

Synchronized HIV assembly by tunable PIP2 changes reveals PIP2 requirement for stable Gag anchoring

HIV-1 assembles at the plasma membrane (PM) of infected cells. PM association of the main structural protein Gag depends on its myristoylated MA domain and PM PI(4,5)P₂. Using a novel chemical biology tool that allows rapidly tunable manipulation of PI(4,5)P₂ levels in living cells, we show that depletion of PI(4,5)P₂ completely prevents Gag PM targeting and assembly site formation. Unexpectedly, PI(4,5)P₂ depletion also caused loss of pre-assembled Gag lattices from the PM. Subsequent restoration of PM PI(4,5)P₂ reinduced assembly site formation even in the absence of new protein synthesis, indicating that the dissociated Gag molecules remained assembly competent. These results reveal an important role of PI(4,5)P₂ for HIV-1 morphogenesis beyond Gag recruitment to the PM and suggest a dynamic equilibrium of Gag-lipid interactions. Furthermore, they establish an experimental system that permits synchronized induction of HIV-1 assembly leading to induced production of infectious virions by targeted modulation of Gag PM targeting.

Proteoliposomal formulations of an HIV-1 gp41-based miniprotein elicit a lipid-dependent immunodominant response overlapping the 2F5 binding motif

The HIV-1 gp41 Membrane Proximal External Region (MPER) is recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies and represents a promising vaccine target. However, MPER immunogenicity and antibody activity are influenced by membrane lipids. To evaluate lipid modulation of MPER immunogenicity, we generated a 1-Palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC)-based proteoliposome collection containing combinations of phosphatidylserine (PS), GM3 ganglioside, cholesterol (CHOL), sphingomyelin (SM) and the TLR4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA). A recombinant gp41-derived miniprotein (gp41-MinTT) exposing the MPER and a tetanus toxoid (TT) peptide that favors MHC-II presentation, was successfully incorporated into lipid mixtures (>85%). Immunization of mice with soluble gp41-MinTT exclusively induced responses against the TT peptide, while POPC proteoliposomes generated potent anti-gp41 IgG responses using lower protein doses. The combined addition of PS and GM3 or CHOL/SM to POPC liposomes greatly increased gp41 immunogenicity, which was further enhanced by the addition of MPLA. Responses generated by all proteoliposomes targeted the N-terminal moiety of MPER overlapping the 2F5 neutralizing epitope. Our data show that lipids impact both, the epitope targeted and the magnitude of the response to membrane-dependent antigens, helping to improve MPER-based lipid carriers. Moreover, the identification of immunodominant epitopes allows for the redesign of immunogens targeting MPER neutralizing determinants.

Mapping out the intricate relationship of the HIV envelope protein and the membrane environment

The HIV gp160 envelope fusion protein is situated in the viral membrane and mediates virus entry into its host cell. Increasing evidence suggests that virtually all parts of the HIV envelope are structurally and functionally dependent on membranes. Protein-lipid interactions and membrane properties influence the dynamics of a manifold of gp160 biological activities such as membrane fusion, immune suppression and gp160 incorporation into virions during HIV budding and assembly. In the following we will summarize our current understanding of this interdependence between membrane interaction, structural conformation and functionality of the different gp160 domains. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Lipid order/lipid defects and lipid-control of protein activity edited by Dirk Schneider.

Lipids and flaviviruses, present and future perspectives for the control of dengue, Zika, and West Nile viruses

Flaviviruses are emerging arthropod-borne pathogens that cause life-threatening diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, West Nile encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, Kyasanur Forest disease, tick-borne encephalitis, or Zika disease. This viral genus groups >50 viral species of small enveloped plus strand RNA virus that are phylogenetically closely related to hepatitis C virus. Importantly, the flavivirus life cycle is intimately associated to host cell lipids. Along this line, flaviviruses rearrange intracellular membranes from the endoplasmic-reticulum of the infected cells to develop adequate platforms for viral replication and particle biogenesis. Moreover, flaviviruses dramatically orchestrate a profound reorganization of the host cell lipid metabolism to create a favorable environment for viral multiplication. Consistently, recent work has shown the importance of specific lipid classes in flavivirus infections. For instances, fatty acid synthesis is linked to viral replication, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine are involved on the entry of flaviviruses, sphingolipids (ceramide and sphingomyelin) play a key role on virus assembly and pathogenesis, and cholesterol is essential for innate immunity evasion in flavivirus-infected cells. Here, we revise the current knowledge on the interactions of the flaviviruses with the cellular lipid metabolism to identify potential targets for future antiviral development aimed to combat these relevant health-threatening pathogens.

Functional organization of the HIV lipid envelope

The chemical composition of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) membrane is critical for fusion and entry into target cells, suggesting that preservation of a functional lipid bilayer organization may be required for efficient infection. HIV-1 acquires its envelope from the host cell plasma membrane at sites enriched in raft-type lipids. Furthermore, infectious particles display aminophospholipids on their surface, indicative of dissipation of the inter-leaflet lipid asymmetry metabolically generated at cellular membranes. By combining two-photon excited Laurdan fluorescence imaging and atomic force microscopy, we have obtained unprecedented insights into the phase state of membranes reconstituted from viral lipids (i.e., extracted from infectious HIV-1 particles), established the role played by the different specimens in the mixtures, and characterized the effects of membrane-active virucidal agents on membrane organization. In determining the molecular basis underlying lipid packing and lateral heterogeneity of the HIV-1 membrane, our results may help develop compounds with antiviral activity acting by perturbing the functional organization of the lipid envelope.

Lipid raft-like liposomes used for targeted delivery of a chimeric entry-inhibitor peptide with anti-HIV-1 activity

The work reports the design and synthesis of a chimeric peptide that is composed of the peptide sequences of two entry inhibitors which target different sites of HIV-1 gp41. The chimeric peptide offers the advantage of targeting two gp41 regions simultaneously: the fusion peptide and the loop both of which are membrane active and participate in the membrane fusion process. We therefore use lipid raft-like liposomes as a tool to specifically direct the chimeric inhibitor peptide to the membrane domains where the HIV-1 envelope protein is located. Moreover, the liposomes that mimic the viral membrane composition protect the chimeric peptide against proteolytic digestion thereby increasing the stability of the peptide. The described liposome preparations are suitable nanosystems for managing hydrophobic entry-inhibitor peptides as putative therapeutics.

Structural and Molecular Determinants of Membrane Binding by the HIV-1 Matrix Protein

Assembly of HIV-1 particles is initiated by the trafficking of viral Gag polyproteins from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane, where they co-localize and bud to form immature particles. Membrane targeting is mediated by the N-terminally myristoylated matrix (MA) domain of Gag and is dependent on the plasma membrane marker phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]. Recent studies revealed that PI(4,5)P2 molecules containing truncated acyl chains [tr-PI(4,5)P2] are capable of binding MA in an "extended lipid" conformation and promoting myristoyl exposure. Here we report that tr-PI(4,5)P2 molecules also readily bind to non-membrane proteins, including HIV-1 capsid, which prompted us to re-examine MA-PI(4,5)P2 interactions using native lipids and membrane mimetic liposomes and bicelles. Liposome binding trends observed using a recently developed NMR approach paralleled results of flotation assays, although the affinities measured under the equilibrium conditions of NMR experiments were significantly higher. Native PI(4,5)P2 enhanced MA binding to liposomes designed to mimic non-raft-like regions of the membrane, suggesting the possibility that binding of the protein to disordered domains may precede Gag association with, or nucleation of, rafts. Studies with bicelles revealed a subset of surface and myr-associated MA residues that are sensitive to native PI(4,5)P2, but cleft residues that interact with the 2'-acyl chains of tr-PI(4,5)P2 molecules in aqueous solution were insensitive to native PI(4,5)P2 in bicelles. Our findings call to question extended-lipid MA:membrane binding models, and instead support a model put forward from coarse-grained simulations indicating that binding is mediated predominantly by dynamic, electrostatic interactions between conserved basic residues of MA and multiple PI(4,5)P2 and phosphatidylserine molecules.

Pancreatic β-Cell Membrane Fluidity and Toxicity Induced by Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Species

Aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) into fibrils and plaques is associated with pancreatic β-cell loss in type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, due to the rapidness of hIAPP conversion in aqueous phase, exactly which hIAPP species is responsible for the observed toxicity and through what mechanisms remains ambiguous. In light of the importance of understanding hIAPP toxicity for T2D here we show a biophysical scheme based on the use of a lipophilic Laurdan dye for examining MIN6 cell membranes upon exposure to fresh and oligomeric hIAPP as well as mature amyloid. It has been found that all three hIAPP species, especially fresh hIAPP, enhanced membrane fluidity and caused losses in cell viability. The cell generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), however, was the most pronounced with mature amyloid hIAPP. The correlation between changes in membrane fluidity and cell viability and their lack of correlation with ROS production suggest hIAPP toxicity is elicited through both physical and biochemical means. This study offers a new insight into β-cell toxicity induced by controlled hIAPP species, as well as new biophysical methodologies that may prove beneficial for the studies of T2D as well as neurological disorders.

Impact of HIV-1 Membrane Cholesterol on Cell-Independent Lytic Inactivation and Cellular Infectivity

Peptide triazole thiols (PTTs) have been found previously to bind to HIV-1 Env spike gp120 and cause irreversible virus inactivation by shedding gp120 and lytically releasing luminal capsid protein p24. Since the virions remain visually intact, lysis appears to occur via limited membrane destabilization. To better understand the PTT-triggered membrane transformation involved, we investigated the role of envelope cholesterol on p24 release by measuring the effect of cholesterol depletion using methyl beta-cyclodextrin (MβCD). An unexpected bell-shaped response of PTT-induced lysis to [MβCD] was observed, involving lysis enhancement at low [MβCD] vs loss of function at high [MβCD]. The impact of cholesterol depletion on PTT-induced lysis was reversed by adding exogenous cholesterol and other sterols that support membrane rafts, while sterols that do not support rafts induced only limited reversal. Cholesterol depletion appears to cause a reduced energy barrier to lysis as judged by decreased temperature dependence with MβCD. Enhancement/replenishment responses to [MβCD] also were observed for HIV-1 infectivity, consistent with a similar energy barrier effect in the membrane transformation of virus cell fusion. Overall, the results argue that cholesterol in the HIV-1 envelope is important for balancing virus stability and membrane transformation, and that partial depletion, while increasing infectivity, also makes the virus more fragile. The results also reinforce the argument that the lytic inactivation and infectivity processes are mechanistically related and that membrane transformations occurring during lysis can provide an experimental window to investigate membrane and protein factors important for HIV-1 cell entry.

Pore-forming toxins: Properties, diversity, and uses as tools to image sphingomyelin and ceramide phosphoethanolamine

Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) represent a unique class of highly specific lipid-binding proteins. The cytotoxicity of these compounds has been overcome through crystallographic structure and mutation studies, facilitating the development of non-toxic lipid probes. As a consequence, non-toxic PFTs have been utilized as highly specific probes to visualize the diversity and dynamics of lipid nanostructures in living and fixed cells. This review is focused on the application of PFTs and their non-toxic analogs as tools to visualize sphingomyelin and ceramide phosphoethanolamine, two major phosphosphingolipids in mammalian and insect cells, respectively. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Pore-Forming Toxins edited by Mauro Dalla Serra and Franco Gambale.

A molecular tweezer antagonizes seminal amyloids and HIV infection

Semen is the main vector for HIV transmission and contains amyloid fibrils that enhance viral infection. Available microbicides that target viral components have proven largely ineffective in preventing sexual virus transmission. In this study, we establish that CLR01, a ‘molecular tweezer’ specific for lysine and arginine residues, inhibits the formation of infectivity-enhancing seminal amyloids and remodels preformed fibrils. Moreover, CLR01 abrogates semen-mediated enhancement of viral infection by preventing the formation of virion–amyloid complexes and by directly disrupting the membrane integrity of HIV and other enveloped viruses. We establish that CLR01 acts by binding to the target lysine and arginine residues rather than by a non-specific, colloidal mechanism. CLR01 counteracts both host factors that may be important for HIV transmission and the pathogen itself. These combined anti-amyloid and antiviral activities make CLR01 a promising topical microbicide for blocking infection by HIV and other sexually transmitted viruses.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05397.001

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause a serious disease that weakens the immune system. The virus is most commonly transmitted between individuals in semen, the male reproductive fluid. Semen contains deposits of protein fragments called amyloid fibrils, which can increase the transmission of HIV by trapping viral particles. This helps the virus to attach to the membranes surrounding human cells, which increases the risk of infection. Therefore, therapies that reduce the levels of amyloid fibrils in semen might be able to reduce the transmission of HIV.

Drugs that prevent amyloid formation are already being developed because structurally similar fibrils can also form in the brains of individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. One such molecule—called CLR01—works by binding to particular sites on the proteins that form fibrils in the brain. This inhibits fibril formation and slowly disassembles the fibrils that have already formed. CLR01 physically interacts with these residues in a way that resembles a tweezer.

The peptides in the amyloid fibrils in semen also have these sites, which suggests that CLR01 might also disrupt amyloid fibrils from forming in semen. Here Lump and Castellano et al. show that CLR01 can both disrupt fibril formation and remodel fibrils that have already formed. In addition, CLR01 prevents HIV particles from interacting with these fibrils and can displace the virus particles that have already bound to the fibrils. In the presence of CLR01, human cells exposed to semen that contained HIV were less likely to become infected with the virus.

Unexpectedly, CLR01 also directly destroys HIV and other enveloped viruses such as HCV or HSV particles by disrupting the membranes that surround the virus. Therefore, Lump and Castellano et al.'s findings reveal that CLR01 has considerable potential to be used as an agent for reducing the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted viral diseases.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05397.002

Roles played by acidic lipids in HIV-1 Gag membrane binding

The MA domain mediates plasma membrane (PM) targeting of HIV-1 Gag, leading to particle assembly at the PM. The interaction between MA and acidic phospholipids, in addition to N-terminal myristoyl moiety, promotes Gag binding to lipid membranes. Among acidic phospholipids, PI(4,5)P2, a PM-specific phosphoinositide, is essential for proper HIV-1 Gag localization to the PM and efficient virus particle production. Recent studies further revealed that MA-bound RNA negatively regulates HIV-1 Gag membrane binding and that PI(4,5)P2 is necessary to overcome this RNA-imposed block. In this review, we will summarize the current understanding of Gag-membrane interactions and discuss potential roles played by acidic phospholipids.

Improved sphingolipidomic approach based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and multiple mass spectrometries with application to cellular neurotoxicity

The emerging field of sphingolipidomics calls for accurate quantitative analyses of sphingolipidome. Existing analytical methods for sphingolipid (SPL) profiling often suffer from isotopic/isomeric interference, leading to the low-abundance, but biologically important SPLs being undetected. In the current study, we have developed an improved sphingolipidomic approach for reliable and sensitive quantification of up to 10 subclasses of cellular SPLs. By integratively utilizing high efficiency chromatographic separation, quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) and triple quadrupole (QQQ) mass spectrometry (MS), our approach facilitated unambiguous identification of several groups of potentially important but low-abundance SPLs that are usually masked by isotopic/isomeric species and hence largely overlooked in many published methods. The methodology, which featured a modified sample preparation and optimized MS parameters, permitted the measurement of 86 individual SPLs in PC12 cells in a single run, demonstrating great potential for high throughput analysis. The improved characterization, along with increased sensitivity for low-abundance SPL species, resulted in the highest number of SPLs being quantified in a single run in PC12 cells. The improved method was fully validated and applied to a lipidomic study of PC12 cell samples with or without amyloid β peptide (Aβ) treatment, which presents a most precise and genuine sphingolipidomic profile of the PC12 cell line. The adoption of the metabolomics protocol, as described in this study, could avoid misidentification and bias in the measurement of the analytically challenging low-abundance endogenous SPLs, hence achieving informative and reliable sphingolipidomics data relevant to discovery of potential SPL biomarkers for Aβ-induced neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative disease.

Imaging lipid domains in cell membranes: the advent of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy

The lipid bilayer of model membranes, liposomes reconstituted from cell lipids, and plasma membrane vesicles and spheres can separate into two distinct liquid phases to yield lipid domains with liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered properties. These observations are the basis of the lipid raft hypothesis that postulates the existence of cholesterol-enriched ordered-phase lipid domains in cell membranes that could regulate protein mobility, localization and interaction. Here we review the evidence that nano-scaled lipid complexes and meso-scaled lipid domains exist in cell membranes and how new fluorescence microscopy techniques that overcome the diffraction limit provide new insights into lipid organization in cell membranes.

HIV-1 assembly, budding, and maturation

A defining property of retroviruses is their ability to assemble into particles that can leave producer cells and spread infection to susceptible cells and hosts. Virion morphogenesis can be divided into three stages: assembly, wherein the virion is created and essential components are packaged; budding, wherein the virion crosses the plasma membrane and obtains its lipid envelope; and maturation, wherein the virion changes structure and becomes infectious. All of these stages are coordinated by the Gag polyprotein and its proteolytic maturation products, which function as the major structural proteins of the virus. Here, we review our current understanding of the mechanisms of HIV-1 assembly, budding, and maturation, starting with a general overview and then providing detailed descriptions of each of the different stages of virion morphogenesis.

HIV entry and envelope glycoprotein-mediated fusion

HIV entry involves binding of the trimeric viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp120/gp41 to cell surface receptors, which triggers conformational changes in Env that drive the membrane fusion reaction. The conformational landscape that the lipids and Env navigate en route to fusion has been examined by biophysical measurements on the microscale, whereas electron tomography, x-rays, and NMR have provided insights into the process on the nanoscale and atomic scale. However, the coupling between the lipid and protein pathways that give rise to fusion has not been resolved. Here, we discuss the known and unknown about the overall HIV Env-mediated fusion process.

Dynamic Association between HIV-1 Gag and Membrane Domains

HIV-1 particle assembly is driven by the structural protein Gag. Gag binds to and multimerizes on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, eventually resulting in formation of spherical particles. During virus spread among T cells, Gag accumulates to the plasma membrane domain that, together with target cell membrane, forms a cell junction known as the virological synapse. While Gag association with plasma membrane microdomains has been implicated in virus assembly and cell-to-cell transmission, recent studies suggest that, rather than merely accumulating to pre-existing microdomains, Gag plays an active role in reorganizing the microdomains via its multimerization activity. In this paper, we will discuss this emerging view of Gag microdomain interactions. Relationships between Gag multimerization and microdomain association will be further discussed in the context of Gag localization to T-cell uropods and virological synapses.

Sialyllactose in viral membrane gangliosides is a novel molecular recognition pattern for mature dendritic cell capture of HIV-1

HIV-1 is internalized into mature dendritic cells (mDCs) via an as yet undefined mechanism with subsequent transfer of stored, infectious virus to CD4+ T lymphocytes. Thus, HIV-1 subverts a DC antigen capture mechanism to promote viral spread. Here, we show that gangliosides in the HIV-1 membrane are the key molecules for mDC uptake. HIV-1 virus-like particles and liposomes mimicking the HIV-1 lipid composition were shown to use a common internalization pathway and the same trafficking route within mDCs. Hence, these results demonstrate that gangliosides can act as viral attachment factors, in addition to their well known function as cellular receptors for certain viruses. Furthermore, the sialyllactose molecule present in specific gangliosides was identified as the determinant moiety for mDC HIV-1 uptake. Thus, sialyllactose represents a novel molecular recognition pattern for mDC capture, and may be crucial both for antigen presentation leading to immunity against pathogens and for succumbing to subversion by HIV-1.

Quantitative analysis of the lipidomes of the influenza virus envelope and MDCK cell apical membrane

Analysis of the lipid composition of influenza virus–infected cells provides support for the membrane raft-based biogenesis model.

The influenza virus (IFV) acquires its envelope by budding from host cell plasma membranes. Using quantitative shotgun mass spectrometry, we determined the lipidomes of the host Madin–Darby canine kidney cell, its apical membrane, and the IFV budding from it. We found the apical membrane to be enriched in sphingolipids (SPs) and cholesterol, whereas glycerophospholipids were reduced, and storage lipids were depleted compared with the whole-cell membranes. The virus membrane exhibited a further enrichment of SPs and cholesterol compared with the donor membrane at the expense of phosphatidylcholines. Our data are consistent with and extend existing models of membrane raft-based biogenesis of the apical membrane and IFV envelope.

Nef decreases HIV-1 sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies that target the membrane-proximal external region of TMgp41

Primate lentivirus nef is required for sustained virus replication in vivo and accelerated progression to AIDS. While exploring the mechanism by which Nef increases the infectivity of cell-free virions, we investigated a functional link between Nef and Env. Since we failed to detect an effect of Nef on the quantity of virion-associated Env, we searched for qualitative changes by examining whether Nef alters HIV-1 sensitivity to agents that target distinct features of Env. Nef conferred as much as 50-fold resistance to 2F5 and 4E10, two potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nAbs) that target the membrane proximal external region (MPER) of TMgp41. In contrast, Nef had no effect on HIV-1 neutralization by MPER-specific nAb Z13e1, by the peptide inhibitor T20, nor by a panel of nAbs and other reagents targeting gp120. Resistance to neutralization by 2F5 and 4E10 was observed with Nef from a diverse range of HIV-1 and SIV isolates, as well as with HIV-1 virions bearing Env from CCR5- and CXCR4-tropic viruses, clade B and C viruses, or primary isolates. Functional analysis of a panel of Nef mutants revealed that this activity requires Nef myristoylation but that it is genetically separable from other Nef functions such as the ability to enhance virus infectivity and to downregulate CD4. Glycosylated-Gag from MoMLV substituted for Nef in conferring resistance to 2F5 and 4E10, indicating that this activity is conserved in a retrovirus that does not encode Nef. Given the reported membrane-dependence of MPER-recognition by 2F5 and 4E10, in contrast to the membrane-independence of Z13e1, the data here is consistent with a model in which Nef alters MPER recognition in the context of the virion membrane. Indeed, Nef and Glycosylated-Gag decreased the efficiency of virion capture by 2F5 and 4E10, but not by other nAbs. These studies demonstrate that Nef protects lentiviruses from one of the most broadly-acting classes of neutralizing antibodies. This newly discovered activity for Nef has important implications for anti-HIV-1 immunity and AIDS pathogenesis.

Nef is a pathogenic factor expressed by primate lentiviruses. HIV-1 virions produced by cells that express Nef acquire unknown modifications that allow them to infect new target cells with higher efficiency. We hypothesized that Nef might alter the structure or function of the HIV-1 Env glycoproteins. In this study we tested whether Nef alters the sensitivity of HIV-1 to several agents that inhibit HIV-1 by binding to different parts of Env. We found that Nef confers 10 to 50-fold resistance to neutralization by two antibodies (2F5 and 4E10) that belong to one of the most powerful classes of neutralizing agents, which are active against a wide range of HIV-1 isolates. We established that Nef decreases the recognition of the virus particles by these antibodies, which bind to a domain of the Env adjacent to the retroviral membrane (MPER). Env from diverse HIV-1 isolates are equally sensitive to this activity, and Nef proteins derived from both HIV-1 and SIV retain the activity. By protecting lentiviruses from one of the most broadly-acting classes of neutralizing antibodies, this new activity of Nef might make a significant contribution to AIDS pathogenesis.

Membrane-proximal external HIV-1 gp41 motif adapted for destabilizing the highly rigid viral envelope

Electron microscopy structural determinations suggest that the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of glycoprotein 41 (gp41) may associate with the HIV-1 membrane interface. It is further proposed that MPER-induced disruption and/or deformation of the lipid bilayer ensue during viral fusion. However, it is predicted that the cholesterol content of this membrane (∼45 mol %) will act against MPER binding and restructuring activity, in agreement with alternative structural models proposing that the MPER constitutes a gp41 ectodomain component that does not insert into the viral membrane. Here, using MPER-based peptides, we test the hypothesis that cholesterol impedes the membrane association and destabilizing activities of this gp41 domain. To that end, partitioning and leakage assays carried out in lipid vesicles were combined with x-ray reflectivity and grazing-incidence diffraction studies of monolayers. CpreTM, a peptide combining the carboxyterminal MPER sequence with aminoterminal residues of the transmembrane domain, bound and destabilized effectively cholesterol-enriched membranes. Accordingly, virion incubation with this peptide inhibited cell infection potently but nonspecifically. Thus, CpreTM seems to mimic the envelope-perturbing function of the MPER domain and displays antiviral activity. As such, we infer that CpreTM bound to cholesterol-enriched membranes would represent a relevant target for anti-HIV-1 immunogen and inhibitor development.

Role of lipids in virus replication

Viruses intricately interact with and modulate cellular membranes at several stages of their replication, but much less is known about the role of viral lipids compared to proteins and nucleic acids. All animal viruses have to cross membranes for cell entry and exit, which occurs by membrane fusion (in enveloped viruses), by transient local disruption of membrane integrity, or by cell lysis. Furthermore, many viruses interact with cellular membrane compartments during their replication and often induce cytoplasmic membrane structures, in which genome replication and assembly occurs. Recent studies revealed details of membrane interaction, membrane bending, fission, and fusion for a number of viruses and unraveled the lipid composition of raft-dependent and -independent viruses. Alterations of membrane lipid composition can block viral release and entry, and certain lipids act as fusion inhibitors, suggesting a potential as antiviral drugs. Here, we review viral interactions with cellular membranes important for virus entry, cytoplasmic genome replication, and virus egress.