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Zhitkevich A, Bayurova E, Avdoshina D, Zakirova N, Frolova G, Chowdhury S, Ivanov A, Gordeychuk I, Palefsky JM, Isaguliants M. HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Expression in HPV16-Infected Epidermoid Carcinoma Cells Alters E6 Expression and Cellular Metabolism, and Induces a Hybrid Epithelial/Mesenchymal Cell Phenotype. Viruses 2024; 16:193. [PMID: 38399969 PMCID: PMC10892743 DOI: 10.3390/v16020193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The high incidence of epithelial malignancies in HIV-1 infected individuals is associated with co-infection with oncogenic viruses, such as high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR HPVs), mostly HPV16. The molecular mechanisms underlying the HIV-1-associated increase in epithelial malignancies are not fully understood. A collaboration between HIV-1 and HR HPVs in the malignant transformation of epithelial cells has long been anticipated. Here, we delineated the effects of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase on the in vitro and in vivo properties of HPV16-infected cervical cancer cells. A human cervical carcinoma cell line infected with HPV16 (Ca Ski) was made to express HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) by lentiviral transduction. The levels of the mRNA of the E6 isoforms and of the factors characteristic to the epithelial/mesenchymal transition were assessed by real-time RT-PCR. The parameters of glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration were determined using Seahorse technology. RT expressing Ca Ski subclones were assessed for the capacity to form tumors in nude mice. RT expression increased the expression of the E6*I isoform, modulated the expression of E-CADHERIN and VIMENTIN, indicating the presence of a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype, enhanced glycolysis, and inhibited mitochondrial respiration. In addition, the expression of RT induced phenotypic alterations impacting cell motility, clonogenic activity, and the capacity of Ca Ski cells to form tumors in nude mice. These findings suggest that HIV-RT, a multifunctional protein, affects HPV16-induced oncogenesis, which is achieved through modulation of the expression of the E6 oncoprotein. These results highlight a complex interplay between HIV antigens and HPV oncoproteins potentiating the malignant transformation of epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Zhitkevich
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.B.); (D.A.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
| | - Ekaterina Bayurova
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.B.); (D.A.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Darya Avdoshina
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.B.); (D.A.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
| | - Natalia Zakirova
- Centre for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Galina Frolova
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.B.); (D.A.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
| | - Sona Chowdhury
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; (S.C.); (J.M.P.)
| | - Alexander Ivanov
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia;
- Centre for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Ilya Gordeychuk
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.B.); (D.A.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Joel M. Palefsky
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; (S.C.); (J.M.P.)
| | - Maria Isaguliants
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Promotes Tumor Growth and Metastasis Formation via ROS-Dependent Upregulation of Twist. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:6016278. [PMID: 31885806 PMCID: PMC6915010 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6016278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
HIV-induced immune suppression results in the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS-associated malignancies including Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cervical cancer. HIV-infected people are also at an increased risk of “non-AIDS-defining” malignancies not directly linked to immune suppression but associated with viral infections. Their incidence is increasing despite successful antiretroviral therapy. The mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unclear. Here, we obtained daughter clones of murine mammary gland adenocarcinoma 4T1luc2 cells expressing consensus reverse transcriptase of HIV-1 subtype A FSU_A strain (RT_A) with and without primary mutations of drug resistance. In in vitro tests, mutations of resistance to nucleoside inhibitors K65R/M184V reduced the polymerase, and to nonnucleoside inhibitors K103N/G190S, the RNase H activities of RT_A. Expression of these RT_A variants in 4T1luc2 cells led to increased production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, enhanced cell motility in the wound healing assay, and upregulation of expression of Vimentin and Twist. These properties, particularly, the expression of Twist, correlated with the levels of expression RT_A and/or the production of ROS. When implanted into syngeneic BALB/C mice, 4T1luc2 cells expressing nonmutated RT_A demonstrated enhanced rate of tumor growth and increased metastatic activity, dependent on the level of expression of RT_A and Twist. No enhancement was observed for the clones expressing mutated RT_A variants. Plausible mechanisms are discussed involving differential interactions of mutated and nonmutated RTs with its cellular partners involved in the regulation of ROS. This study establishes links between the expression of HIV-1 RT, production of ROS, induction of EMT, and enhanced propagation of RT-expressing tumor cells. Such scenario can be proposed as one of the mechanisms of HIV-induced/enhanced carcinogenesis not associated with immune suppression.
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Codon optimization and improved delivery/immunization regimen enhance the immune response against wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, preserving its Th2-polarity. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8078. [PMID: 29799015 PMCID: PMC5967322 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26281-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA vaccines require a considerable enhancement of immunogenicity. Here, we optimized a prototype DNA vaccine against drug-resistant HIV-1 based on a weak Th2-immunogen, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). We designed expression-optimized genes encoding inactivated wild-type and drug-resistant RTs (RT-DNAs) and introduced them into mice by intradermal injections followed by electroporation. RT-DNAs were administered as single or double primes with or without cyclic-di-GMP, or as a prime followed by boost with RT-DNA mixed with a luciferase-encoding plasmid (“surrogate challenge”). Repeated primes improved cellular responses and broadened epitope specificity. Addition of cyclic-di-GMP induced a transient increase in IFN-γ production. The strongest anti-RT immune response was achieved in a prime-boost protocol with electroporation by short 100V pulses done using penetrating electrodes. The RT-specific response, dominated by CD4+ T-cells, targeted epitopes at aa 199–220 and aa 528–543. Drug-resistance mutations disrupted the epitope at aa 205–220, while the CTL epitope at aa 202–210 was not affected. Overall, multiparametric optimization of RT strengthened its Th2- performance. A rapid loss of RT/luciferase-expressing cells in the surrogate challenge experiment revealed a lytic potential of anti-RT response. Such lytic CD4+ response would be beneficial for an HIV vaccine due to its comparative insensitivity to immune escape.
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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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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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Krotova O, Starodubova E, Petkov S, Kostic L, Agapkina J, Hallengärd D, Viklund A, Latyshev O, Gelius E, Dillenbeck T, Karpov V, Gottikh M, Belyakov IM, Lukashov V, Isaguliants MG. Consensus HIV-1 FSU-A integrase gene variants electroporated into mice induce polyfunctional antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62720. [PMID: 23667513 PMCID: PMC3648577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Our objective is to create gene immunogens targeted against drug-resistant HIV-1, focusing on HIV-1 enzymes as critical components in viral replication and drug resistance. Consensus-based gene vaccines are specifically fit for variable pathogens such as HIV-1 and have many advantages over viral genes and their expression-optimized variants. With this in mind, we designed the consensus integrase (IN) of the HIV-1 clade A strain predominant in the territory of the former Soviet Union and its inactivated derivative with and without mutations conferring resistance to elvitegravir. Humanized IN gene was synthesized; and inactivated derivatives (with 64D in the active site mutated to V) with and without elvitegravir-resistance mutations were generated by site-mutagenesis. Activity tests of IN variants expressed in E coli showed the consensus IN to be active, while both D64V-variants were devoid of specific activities. IN genes cloned in the DNA-immunization vector pVax1 (pVaxIN plasmids) were highly expressed in human and murine cell lines (>0.7 ng/cell). Injection of BALB/c mice with pVaxIN plasmids followed by electroporation generated potent IFN-γ and IL-2 responses registered in PBMC by day 15 and in splenocytes by day 23 after immunization. Multiparametric FACS demonstrated that CD8+ and CD4+ T cells of gene-immunized mice stimulated with IN-derived peptides secreted IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α. The multi-cytokine responses of CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells correlated with the loss of in vivo activity of the luciferase reporter gene co-delivered with pVaxIN plasmids. This indicated the capacity of IN-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells to clear IN/reporter co-expressing cells from the injection sites. Thus, the synthetic HIV-1 clade A integrase genes acted as potent immunogens generating polyfunctional Th1-type CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Generation of such response is highly desirable for an effective HIV-1 vaccine as it offers a possibility to attack virus-infected cells via both MHC class I and II pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Krotova
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia
- WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elizaveta Starodubova
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Stefan Petkov
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linda Kostic
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julia Agapkina
- WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia
| | - David Hallengärd
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alecia Viklund
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Vadim Karpov
- WA Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina Gottikh
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor M. Belyakov
- Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, and the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Vladimir Lukashov
- DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maria G. Isaguliants
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- DI Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail:
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7
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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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8
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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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9
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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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10
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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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11
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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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12
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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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Isaguliants MG, Zuber B, Boberg A, Sjöstrand D, Belikov SV, Rollman E, Zuber AK, Rechinsky VO, Rytting AS, Källander CFR, Hinkula J, Kochetkov SN, Liu M, Wahren B. Reverse transcriptase-based DNA vaccines against drug-resistant HIV-1 tested in a mouse model. Vaccine 2004; 22:1810-9. [PMID: 15068865 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2003.10.052] [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] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Drug resistance is becoming a problem in the treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1). To obtain therapeutic DNA vaccines that would target multiple drug-resistance (DR) mutations, we cloned genes for DR HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and codon-optimized synthetic genes encoding clusters of human CTL epitopes located at the sites of DR-mutations (RT minigenes) and antibody and CTL-epitope tags. Expression of RT genes/minigenes in eukaryotic cells was confirmed by Western blotting and immunofluoresence staining with RT- or tag-specific antibodies. Immunization of mice with DR-RT gene induced no RT-specific antibodies. Immunization of HLA-A(*)0201-transgenic mice with RT minigenes induced RT-specific cellular responses detected by interferon-gamma secretion. This documents first steps in creating therapeutic vaccine against drug-resistant HIV strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Isaguliants
- Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden.
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