CCR5-, DC-SIGN-dependent endocytosis and delayed reverse transcription after human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in human astrocytes

Dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) is a cellular receptor for delta inulin adjuvant

Delta inulin, or Advax, is a polysaccharide vaccine adjuvant that significantly enhances vaccine-mediated immune responses against multiple pathogens and was recently licensed for use in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine SpikoGen. Although Advax has proven effective as an immune adjuvant, its specific binding targets have not been characterized. In this report, we identify a cellular receptor for Advax recognition. In vitro uptake of Advax particles by macrophage cell lines was substantially greater than that of latex beads of comparable size, suggesting an active uptake mechanism by phagocytic cells. Using a lectin array, Advax particles were recognized by lectins specific for various carbohydrate structures including mannosyl, N-acetylgalactosamine and galactose moieties. Expression in nonphagocytic cells of dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN), a C-type lectin receptor, resulted in enhanced uptake of fluorescent Advax particles compared with mock-transfected cells. Advax uptake was reduced with the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and mannan to cells, which are known inhibitors of DC-SIGN function. Finally, a specific blockade of DC-SIGN using a neutralizing antibody abrogated Advax uptake in DC-SIGN-expressing cells. Together, these results identify DC-SIGN as a putative receptor for Advax. Given the known immunomodulatory role of DC-SIGN, the findings described here have implications for the use of Advax adjuvants in humans and inform future mechanistic studies.

Immune Functions of Astrocytes in Viral Neuroinfections

Neuroinfections of the central nervous system (CNS) can be triggered by various pathogens. Viruses are the most widespread and have the potential to induce long-term neurologic symptoms with potentially lethal outcomes. In addition to directly affecting their host cells and inducing immediate changes in a plethora of cellular processes, viral infections of the CNS also trigger an intense immune response. Regulation of the innate immune response in the CNS depends not only on microglia, which are fundamental immune cells of the CNS, but also on astrocytes. These cells align blood vessels and ventricle cavities, and consequently, they are one of the first cell types to become infected after the virus breaches the CNS. Moreover, astrocytes are increasingly recognized as a potential viral reservoir in the CNS; therefore, the immune response initiated by the presence of intracellular virus particles may have a profound effect on cellular and tissue physiology and morphology. These changes should be addressed in terms of persisting infections because they may contribute to recurring neurologic sequelae. To date, infections of astrocytes with different viruses originating from genetically distinct families, including Flaviviridae, Coronaviridae, Retroviridae, Togaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Picomaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, and Herpesviridae, have been confirmed. Astrocytes express a plethora of receptors that detect viral particles and trigger signaling cascades, leading to an innate immune response. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on virus receptors that initiate the release of inflammatory cytokines from astrocytes and depict the involvement of astrocytes in immune functions of the CNS.

Astrocytes derived from neural progenitor cells are susceptible to Zika virus infection

Zika virus (ZIKV) was first isolated in 1947. From its isolation until 2007, symptoms of ZIKV-caused disease were limited (e.g., fever, hives, and headache); however, during the epidemic in Brazil in 2014, ZIKV infection caused Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults and microcephaly in fetuses and infants of women infected during pregnancy. The neurovirulence of ZIKV has been studied using neural progenitor cells (NPCs), brain organoids, neurons, and astrocytes. NPCs and astrocytes appear to be the most susceptible cells of the Central Nervous System to ZIKV infection. In this work, we aimed to develop a culture of astrocytes derived from a human NPC cell line. We analyze how ZIKV affects human astrocytes and demonstrate that 1) ZIKV infection reduces cell viability, increases the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and results in high viral titers; 2) there are changes in the expression of genes that facilitate the entry of the virus into the cells; 3) there are changes in the expression of genes involved in the homeostasis of the glutamatergic system; and 4) there are ultrastructural changes in mitochondria and lipid droplets associated with production of virions. Our findings reveal new evidence of how ZIKV compromises astrocytic functionality, which may help understand the pathophysiology of ZIKV-associated congenital disease.

The far-reaching HAND of cART: cART effects on astrocytes

Following the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the morbidity and mortality from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been drastically curtailed and HIV has now become a chronic manageable disease. Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are living longer and experiencing significant co-morbidities and conditions of aging. NeuroHIV, clinically defined as HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND) and pathologically manifested by persistent inflammation in the CNS despite cART, is a significant co-morbid condition for PLWH. In the pre-cART era, HIV mediated much of the pathogenesis in the Central Nervous System (CNS); in the cART era, with low to undetectable viremia, other mechanisms may be contributing to persistent neuroinflammation. Emerging data point to the adverse effects at the cellular level of cART, independent of HIV. Astrocytes are the most abundant cells in the CNS, playing vital roles in maintaining CNS homeostasis (e.g. metabolic support to neurons, clearance of neurotransmitters, ion balance, modulation of synaptic functions and maintaining the structural integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB). Therefore, any disruption of their function will have wide repercussions in the CNS. In this review, we will address current knowledge and gaps on the impact of antiretrovirals (ARVs) on astrocytes and physiologic consequences in the CNS. Understanding the status of this field, will provide a practical framework to elucidate the potential role of cART-mediated dysregulation of astrocytes in neuroHIV pathogenesis and inform therapeutic strategies that are "neuro-friendly". Graphical abstract CNS-penetrating cART have the potential to cause resting astrocytes to become activated into an A1 or neurotoxic phenotype. These cells can in turn secrete inflammatory cytokines that affect surrounding microglia macrophages, as well as neurotoxic factors that impact nearby neurons. In addition, impairment in the physiologic functions of astrocytes will result in altered BBB permeability and disrupted metabolic homeostasis. CNS=Central Nervous System; cART=combined antiretroviral therapy; BBB=blood brain barrier.

Astrocytes Resist HIV-1 Fusion but Engulf Infected Macrophage Material

HIV-1 disseminates to diverse tissues and establishes long-lived viral reservoirs. These reservoirs include the CNS, in which macrophage-lineage cells, and as suggested by many studies, astrocytes, may be infected. Here, we have investigated astrocyte infection by HIV-1. We confirm that astrocytes trap and internalize HIV-1 particles for subsequent release but find no evidence that these particles infect the cell. Astrocyte infection was not observed by cell-free or cell-to-cell routes using diverse approaches, including luciferase and GFP reporter viruses, fixed and live-cell fusion assays, multispectral flow cytometry, and super-resolution imaging. By contrast, we observed intimate interactions between HIV-1-infected macrophages and astrocytes leading to signals that might be mistaken for astrocyte infection using less stringent approaches. These results have implications for HIV-1 infection of the CNS, viral reservoir formation, and antiretroviral therapy.

Nef is secreted in exosomes from Nef.GFP-expressing and HIV-1-infected human astrocytes

HIV-1 infection of the central nervous system causes HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, even in aviremic patients. Although astrocyte malfunction was associated to these disorders, their implication is overshadowed by contributions of microglia and macrophages. Astrocytes are infected with HIV-1 in vivo and express a relevant amount of viral protein Nef. Nef was shown to stimulate its own release in exosomes from diverse cell types, which in turn have damaging effects on neighboring cells. Using immunoblotting and electron microscopy, we showed that human astrocytes expressing Nef.GFP similarly release Nef in exosomes. Importantly, Nef.GFP expression increases the secretion of exosomes from human astrocytes up to 5.5-fold, as determined by total protein content and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Protein analysis of exosomes and viruses separated on iodixanol gradient further showed that native or pseudotyped HIV-1-infected human astrocytes release exosomes, which contain Nef. Our results provide the basis for future studies of the damaging role of Nef-exosomes produced by HIV-infected astrocytes on the central nervous system.

Dengue virus requires the CC-chemokine receptor CCR5 for replication and infection development

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that affects millions of people worldwide yearly. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment available. Further investigation on dengue pathogenesis is required to better understand the disease and to identify potential therapeutic targets. The chemokine system has been implicated in dengue pathogenesis, although the specific role of chemokines and their receptors remains elusive. Here we describe the role of the CC-chemokine receptor CCR5 in Dengue virus (DENV-2) infection. In vitro experiments showed that CCR5 is a host factor required for DENV-2 replication in human and mouse macrophages. DENV-2 infection induces the expression of CCR5 ligands. Incubation with an antagonist prevents CCR5 activation and reduces DENV-2 positive-stranded (+) RNA inside macrophages. Using an immunocompetent mouse model of DENV-2 infection we found that CCR5(-/-) mice were resistant to lethal infection, presenting at least 100-fold reduction of viral load in target organs and significant reduction in disease severity. This phenotype was reproduced in wild-type mice treated with CCR5-blocking compounds. Therefore, CCR5 is a host factor required for DENV-2 replication and disease development. Targeting CCR5 might represent a therapeutic strategy for dengue fever. These data bring new insights on the association between viral infections and the chemokine receptor CCR5.

Cell-to-cell contact facilitates HIV transmission from lymphocytes to astrocytes via CXCR4

OBJECTIVES

HIV reservoir in the brain represents a major barrier for curing HIV infection. As the most abundant, long-lived cell type, astrocytes play a critical role in maintaining the reservoir; however, the mechanism of infection remains unknown. Here, we determine how viral transmission occurs from HIV-infected lymphocytes to astrocytes by cell-to-cell contact.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Human astrocytes were exposed to HIV-infected lymphocytes and monitored by live-imaging, confocal microscopy, transmission and three-dimensional electron microscopy. A panel of receptor antagonists was used to determine the mechanism of viral entry.

RESULTS

We found that cell-to-cell contact resulted in efficient transmission of X4 or X4R5-using viruses from T lymphocytes to astrocytes. In co-cultures of astrocytes with HIV-infected lymphocytes, the interaction occurred through a dynamic process of attachment and detachment of the two cell types. Infected lymphocytes invaginated into astrocytes or the contacts occurred via filopodial extensions from either cell type, leading to the formation of virological synapses. In the synapses, budding of immature or incomplete HIV particles from lymphocytes occurred directly onto the membranes of astrocytes. This cell-to-cell transmission could be almost completely blocked by anti-CXCR4 antibody and its antagonist, but only partially inhibited by anti-CD4, ICAM1 antibodies.

CONCLUSION

Cell-to-cell transmission was mediated by a unique mechanism by which immature viral particles initiated a fusion process in a CXCR4-dependent, CD4-independent manner. These observations have important implications for developing approaches to prevent formation of HIV reservoirs in the brain.

HIV eradication symposium: will the brain be left behind?

On 18 July 2014, the National Institute of Mental Health in collaboration with ViiV Health Care and Boehringer Ingelheim supported a symposium on HIV eradication and what it meant for the brain. The symposium was an affiliated event to the 20th International AIDS Conference. The meeting was held in Melbourne, Australia, and brought together investigators currently working on HIV eradication together with investigators who are working on the neurological complications of HIV. The purpose of the meeting was to bring the two fields of HIV eradication and HIV neurology together to foster dialogue and cross talk to move the eradication field forward in the context of issues relating to the brain as a potential reservoir of HIV. The outcomes of the symposium were that there was substantive but not definitive evidence for the brain as an HIV reservoir that will provide a challenge to HIV eradication. Secondly, the brain as a clinically significant reservoir for HIV is not necessarily present in all patients. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the development of biomarkers to identify and quantify the HIV reservoir in the brain. Lastly, when designing and developing eradication strategies, it is critical that approaches to target the brain reservoir be included.

Cell-cell contact viral transfer contributes to HIV infection and persistence in astrocytes

Astrocytes are the most abundant cells in the central nervous system and play important roles in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/neuro-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Detection of HIV proviral DNA, RNA, and early gene products but not late structural gene products in astrocytes in vivo and in vitro indicates that astrocytes are susceptible to HIV infection albeit in a restricted manner. We as well as others have shown that cell-free HIV is capable of entering CD4- astrocytes through human mannose receptor-mediated endocytosis. In this study, we took advantage of several newly developed fluorescence protein-based HIV reporter viruses and further characterized HIV interaction with astrocytes. First, we found that HIV was successfully transferred to astrocytes from HIV-infected CD4+ T cells in a cell-cell contact- and gp120-dependent manner. In addition, we demonstrated that, compared to endocytosis-mediated cell-free HIV entry and subsequent degradation of endocytosed virions, the cell-cell contact between astrocytes and HIV-infected CD4+ T cells led to robust HIV infection of astrocytes but retained the restricted nature of viral gene expression. Furthermore, we showed that HIV latency was established in astrocytes. Lastly, we demonstrated that infectious progeny HIV was readily recovered from HIV latent astrocytes in a cell-cell contact-mediated manner. Taken together, our studies point to the importance of the cell-cell contact-mediated HIV interaction with astrocytes and provide direct evidence to support the notion that astrocytes are HIV latent reservoirs in the central nervous system.

Endocytosis of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) in astrocytes: a fiery path to its destination

Despite successful suppression of peripheral HIV-1 infection by combination antiretroviral therapy, immune activation by residual virus in the brain leads to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). In the brain, several types of cells, including microglia, perivascular macrophage, and astrocytes have been reported to be infected by HIV-1. Astrocytes, the most abundant cells in the brain, maintain homeostasis. The general consensus on HIV-1 infection in astrocytes is that it produces unproductive viral infection. HIV-1 enters astrocytes by pH-dependent endocytosis, leading to degradation of the virus in endosomes, but barely succeeds in infection. Here, we have discussed endocytosis-mediated HIV-1 entry and viral programming in astrocytes.

HIV-1 endocytosis in astrocytes: a kiss of death or survival of the fittest?

The brain is a target of HIV-1 and serves as an important viral reservoir. Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell in the human brain, are involved in brain plasticity and neuroprotection. Several studies have reported HIV-1 infection of astrocytes in cell cultures and infected brain tissues. The prevailing concept is that HIV-1 infection of astrocytes leads to latent infection. Here, we provide our perspective on endocytosis-mediated HIV-1 entry and its fate in astrocytes. Natural entry of HIV-1 into astrocytes occurs via endocytosis. However, endocytosis of HIV-1 in astrocytes is a natural death trap where the majority of virus particles are degraded in endosomes and a few which escape intact lead to successful infection. Thus, regardless of artificial fine-tuning (treatment with cytokines or proinflammatory products) done to astrocytes, HIV-1 does not infect them efficiently unless the viral entry route or the endosomal enzymatic machinery has been manipulated.

Structural proteins of West Nile virus are a major determinant of infectious particle production and fitness in astrocytes

The molecular basis for the increased resistance of astrocytes to a non-neuropathogenic strain of West Nile virus (WNV), WNV-MAD78, compared with the neuropathogenic strain WNV-NY remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that the reduced susceptibility of astrocytes to WNV-MAD78 is due to a combination of both cellular activities as well as viral determinants. Analyses of the viral particle indicated that astrocyte-derived WNV-MAD78 particles were less infectious than those of WNV-NY. Additionally, inhibition of cellular furin-like proteases increased WNV-MAD78 infectious particle production in astrocytes, suggesting that high levels of furin-like protease activity within these cells acted in a cell- and strain-specific manner to inhibit WNV-MAD78 replication. Moreover, analysis of recombinant viruses indicated that the structural proteins of WNV-MAD78 were responsible for decreased particle infectivity and the corresponding reduction in infectious particle production compared with WNV-NY. Thus, the composition of the WNV virion was also a major determinant for viral fitness within astrocytes and may contribute to WNV propagation within the central nervous system. Whether the WNV-MAD78 structural genes reduce virus replication and particle infectivity through the same mechanism as the cellular furin-like protease activity or whether these two determinants function through distinct pathways remains to be determined.

Endocytosis-mediated HIV-1 entry and its significance in the elusive behavior of the virus in astrocytes

Astrocytes protect neurons but also evoke a proinflammatory response to injury and viral infections including HIV. We investigated the mechanism of HIV-1 infection in primary astrocytes, which showed minimal but productive viral infection independent of CXCR4. As with ectopic-CD4-expressing astrocytes, lysosomotropic agents led to increased HIV-1 infection in wild-type but not Rabs 5, 7, and 11-ablated astrocytes. Instead, HIV-1 infection was decreased in Rab-depleted astrocytes, corroborating viral entry by endocytosis. HIV-1 produced persistent infection in astrocytes (160 days); no evidence of latent infection was seen. Notably, one caveat is that endosomal modifiers enhanced wild-type HIV-1 infection (M- and T-tropic) in astrocytes, suggesting endocytic entry of the virus. Impeding endocytosis by inhibition of Rab 5, 7 or 11 will inhibit HIV infection in astrocytes. Although the contribution of such low-level infection in astrocytes to neurological complications is unclear, it may serve as an elusive viral reservoir in the central nervous system.

Immune players in the CNS: the astrocyte

In the finely balanced environment of the central nervous system astrocytes, the most numerous cell type, play a role in regulating almost every physiological system. First found to regulate extracellular ions and pH, they have since been shown to regulate neurotransmitter levels, cerebral blood flow and energy metabolism. There is also growing evidence for an essential role of astrocytes in central immunity, which is the topic of this review. In the healthy state, the central nervous system is potently anti-inflammatory but under threat astrocytes readily respond to pathogens and to both sterile and pathogen-induced cell damage. In response, astrocytes take on some of the roles of immune cells, releasing cyto- and chemokines to influence effector cells, modulating the blood-brain barrier and forming glial scars. To date, much of the data supporting a role for astrocytes in immunity have been obtained from in vitro systems; however data from experimental models and clinical samples support the suggestion that astrocytes perform similar roles in more complex environments. This review will discuss some aspects of the role of astrocytes in central nervous system immunity.

Partial inactivation of CCR5- and CXCR4- tropic HIV-1 by human urine

Human urine has been poorly investigated with regard to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Here, we have studied the anti-infective functional properties of human urine against HIV. The effect of fresh urine pools on CCR5- and CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 was evaluated by using four in vitro mucosal models: reduction of infectivity of urine-treated HIV-1 particles, HIV-1 attachment to immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (iMDDC), transfer of HIV-1 particles from iMDDC to autologous CD4 T cells, and HIV-1 transcytosis through epithelial cells. Human urine partially disrupted both CCR5- and CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 particles, moderately decreased the adsorption of HIV-1 on dendritic cells, and partially decreased the transfer of HIV-1 particles from dendritic cells to autologous T cells. These findings demonstrate partial inactivation of HIV infectivity and suggest that voiding urine after coitus could play a potential role in reducing the risk of HIV infection by both mechanically flushing out and neutralizing the infectivity of HIV-1 particles present in the genital tract.

The brain-specific factor FEZ1 is a determinant of neuronal susceptibility to HIV-1 infection

Neurons are one of the few cell types in the human body that do not support HIV type-1 (HIV-1) replication. Although the lack of key receptors is a major obstacle to infection, studies suggest that additional functions inhibit virus replication to explain the exquisite resistance of neurons to HIV-1. However, specific neuronal factors that may explain this resistance remain to be discovered. In a screen for antiviral factors using a fibroblast line chemically mutagenized and selected for resistance to retroviral infection, we recently identified induction of rat FEZ1 (fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1), a brain-specific protein, as the cause of this resistance. When exogenously expressed in nonneuronal cell lines rat FEZ1 blocked nuclear entry of retroviral DNA. Here, we demonstrate that among human brain cells, neurons naturally express high levels of FEZ1 compared to astrocytes or microglia cells and are correspondingly less susceptible to infection with pseudotyped HIV-1 that bypasses receptor-mediated viral entry. Demonstrating that endogenous FEZ1 was functionally important in the resistance of neurons to HIV-1 infection, siRNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous FEZ1 increased the infectivity of neurons while sensitive brain cell types like microglia became more resistant upon FEZ1 overexpression. In addition, FEZ1 expression was not induced in response to IFN treatment. As such, in contrast to other widely expressed, IFN-inducible antiviral factors, FEZ1 appears to represent a unique neuron-specific determinant of cellular susceptibility to infection in a cell type that is naturally resistant to HIV-1.

MicroRNA-155 modulates the pathogen binding ability of dendritic cells (DCs) by down-regulation of DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3 grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN)

MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) has been involved in the response to inflammation in macrophages and lymphocytes. Here we show how miR-155 participates in the maturation of human dendritic cells (DC) and modulates pathogen binding by down-regulating DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3 grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN), after directly targeting the transcription factor PU.1. During the maturation of DCs, miR-155 increases up to 130-fold, whereas PU.1 protein levels decrease accordingly. We establish that human PU.1 is a direct target for miR-155 and localize the target sequence for miR-155 in the 3'-untranslated region of PU.1. Also, overexpression of miR-155 in the THP1 monocytic cell line decreases PU.1 protein levels and DC-SIGN at both the mRNA and protein levels. We prove a link between the down-regulation of PU.1 and reduced transcriptional activity of the DC-SIGN promoter, which is likely to be the basis for its reduced mRNA expression, after miR-155 overexpression. Finally, we show that, by reducing DC-SIGN in the cellular membrane, miR-155 is involved in regulating pathogen binding as dendritic cells exhibited the lower binding capacity for fungi and HIV protein gp-120 when the levels of miR-155 were higher. Thus, our results suggest a mechanism by which miR-155 regulates proteins involved in the cellular immune response against pathogens that could have clinical implications in the way pathogens enter the human organism.

Chloroquine mediated molecular tuning of astrocytes for enhanced permissiveness to HIV infection

We report in this study that minimum productive HIV infection in astrocytes (a predominant cell type in brain and persists for the entire life) occurs through endocytosis. The lysosomotropic agent chloroquine enhanced permissiveness of astrocytes to HIV infection possibly by circumventing degradation of endosome-entrapped viral particles. In particular, chloroquine may promote establishment of a stable long term viral reservoir in astrocytes and may eventually facilitate early onset of neurological complications.

HIV-1-infected astrocytes and the microglial proteome

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) invades the central nervous system early after viral exposure but causes progressive cognitive, behavior, and motor impairments years later with the onset of immune deficiency. Although in the brain, HIV preferentially replicates productively in cells of mononuclear phagocyte (MP; blood borne macrophage and microglia), astrocytes also can be infected, at low and variable frequency, particularly in patients with encephalitis. Among their many functions, astrocytes network with microglia to provide the first line of defense against microbial infection; however, very little is known about astrocytes' consequences on MP. Here, we addressed this question using co-culture systems of HIV-infected mouse astrocytes and microglia. Pseudotyped vesicular stomatis virus/HIV was used to circumvent the absence of viral receptors and ensure cell genotypic uniformity for studies of intercellular communication. The study demonstrated that infected astrocytes show modest changes in protein elements compared to uninfected cells. In contrast, infected astrocytes induce robust changes in the proteome of HIV-1-infected microglia. Accelerated cell death and redox proteins, among others, were produced in abundance. The observations confirmed the potential of astrocytes to influence the neuropathogenesis of HIV-1 infection by specifically altering the neurotoxic potential of infected microglia and regulating viral maturation.