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Taveira N, Figueiredo I, Calado R, Martin F, Bártolo I, Marcelino JM, Borrego P, Cardoso F, Barroso H. An HIV-1/HIV-2 Chimeric Envelope Glycoprotein Generates Binding and Neutralising Antibodies against HIV-1 and HIV-2 Isolates. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109077. [PMID: 37240423 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of immunogens that elicit broadly reactive neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) is the highest priority for an HIV vaccine. We have shown that a prime-boost vaccination strategy with vaccinia virus expressing the envelope glycoprotein gp120 of HIV-2 and a polypeptide comprising the envelope regions C2, V3 and C3 elicits bNAbs against HIV-2. We hypothesised that a chimeric envelope gp120 containing the C2, V3 and C3 regions of HIV-2 and the remaining parts of HIV-1 would elicit a neutralising response against HIV-1 and HIV-2. This chimeric envelope was synthesised and expressed in vaccinia virus. Balb/c mice primed with the recombinant vaccinia virus and boosted with an HIV-2 C2V3C3 polypeptide or monomeric gp120 from a CRF01_AG HIV-1 isolate produced antibodies that neutralised >60% (serum dilution 1:40) of a primary HIV-2 isolate. Four out of nine mice also produced antibodies that neutralised at least one HIV-1 isolate. Neutralising epitope specificity was assessed using a panel of HIV-1 TRO.11 pseudoviruses with key neutralising epitopes disrupted by alanine substitution (N160A in V2; N278A in the CD4 binding site region; N332A in the high mannose patch). The neutralisation of the mutant pseudoviruses was reduced or abolished in one mouse, suggesting that neutralising antibodies target the three major neutralising epitopes in the HIV-1 envelope gp120. These results provide proof of concept for chimeric HIV-1/HIV-2 envelope glycoproteins as vaccine immunogens that can direct the antibody response against neutralising epitopes in the HIV-1 and HIV-2 surface glycoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Taveira
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Inês Figueiredo
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Rita Calado
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francisco Martin
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Inês Bártolo
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - José M Marcelino
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pedro Borrego
- Centre for Public Administration and Public Policies, Institute of Social and Political Sciences, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-663 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fernando Cardoso
- Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Saúde Global e Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Helena Barroso
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal
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Martin F, Marcelino JM, Palladino C, Bártolo I, Tracana S, Moranguinho I, Gonçalves P, Mateus R, Calado R, Borrego P, Leitner T, Clemente S, Taveira N. Long-Term and Low-Level Envelope C2V3 Stimulation by Highly Diverse Virus Isolates Leads to Frequent Development of Broad and Elite Antibody Neutralization in HIV-1-Infected Individuals. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0163422. [PMID: 36445130 PMCID: PMC9769935 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01634-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A minority of HIV-1-infected patients produce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). Identification of viral and host correlates of bNAb production may help develop vaccines. We aimed to characterize the neutralizing response and viral and host-associated factors in Angola, which has one of the oldest, most dynamic, and most diverse HIV-1 epidemics in the world. Three hundred twenty-two HIV-1-infected adults from Angola were included in this retrospective study. Phylogenetic analysis of C2V3C3 env gene sequences was used for virus subtyping. Env-binding antibody reactivity was tested against polypeptides comprising the C2, V3, and C3 regions. Neutralizing-antibody responses were determined against a reference panel of tier 2 Env pseudoviruses in TZM-bl cells; neutralizing epitope specificities were predicted using ClustVis. All subtypes were found, along with untypeable strains and recombinant forms. Notably, 56% of the patients developed cross neutralizing, broadly neutralizing, or elite neutralizing responses. Broad and elite neutralization was associated with longer infection time, subtype C, lower CD4+ T cell counts, higher age, and higher titer of C2V3C3-specific antibodies relative to failure to develop bNAbs. Neutralizing antibodies targeted the V3-glycan supersite in most patients. V3 and C3 regions were significantly less variable in elite neutralizers than in weak neutralizers and nonneutralizers, suggesting an active role of V3C3-directed bNAbs in controlling HIV-1 replication and diversification. In conclusion, prolonged and low-level envelope V3C3 stimulation by highly diverse and ancestral HIV-1 isolates promotes the frequent elicitation of bNAbs. These results provide important clues for the development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine. IMPORTANCE Studies on neutralization by antibodies and their determinants in HIV-1-infected individuals have mostly been conducted in relatively recent epidemics caused by subtype B and C viruses. Results have suggested that elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) is uncommon. The mechanisms underlying the elicitation of bNAbs are still largely unknown. We performed the first characterization of the plasma neutralizing response in a cohort of HIV-1-infected patients from Angola. Angola is characterized by an old and dynamic epidemic caused by highly diverse HIV-1 variants. Remarkably, more than half of the patients produced bNAbs, mostly targeting the V3-glycan supersite in HIV-1. This was associated with higher age, longer infection time, lower CD4+ T cell counts, subtype C infection, or higher titer of C2V3C3-specific antibodies relative to patients that did not develop bNAbs. These results may help develop the next generation of vaccine candidates for HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Martin
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - José Maria Marcelino
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz, Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Claudia Palladino
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Bártolo
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Tracana
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Moranguinho
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Paloma Gonçalves
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Mateus
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Calado
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Pedro Borrego
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Thomas Leitner
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - Nuno Taveira
- Research Institute for Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz, Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Caparica, Portugal
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Godinho-Santos A, Foxall RB, Antão AV, Tavares B, Ferreira T, Serra-Caetano A, Matoso P, Sousa AE. Follicular Helper T Cells Are Major Human Immunodeficiency Virus-2 Reservoirs and Support Productive Infection. J Infect Dis 2020; 221:122-126. [PMID: 31504642 PMCID: PMC6910871 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Follicular helper T cells (Tfh), CD4 lymphocytes critical for efficient antibody responses, have been shown to be key human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 reservoirs. Human immunodeficiency virus-2 infection represents a unique naturally occurring model for investigating Tfh role in HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, given its slow rate of CD4 decline, low to undetectable viremia, and high neutralizing antibody titers throughout the disease course. In this study, we investigated, for the first time, Tfh susceptibility to HIV-2 infection by combining in vitro infection of tonsillar Tfh with the ex vivo study of circulating Tfh from HIV-2-infected patients. We reveal that Tfh support productive HIV-2 infection and are preferential viral targets in HIV-2-infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Godinho-Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | | | - Bárbara Tavares
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Ana Serra-Caetano
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Ana E Sousa
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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T-cell and B-cell perturbations are similar in ART-naive HIV-1 and HIV-1/2 dually infected patients. AIDS 2019; 33:1143-1153. [PMID: 30845069 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000002185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV-2 may slow progression of a subsequently acquired HIV-1 infection through cross-neutralizing antibodies and polyfunctional CD8 T cells. We hypothesized that HIV-1/2 dually infected patients compared with HIV-1-infected patients had more preserved immune maturation subsets and less immune activation of T and B cells. METHODS ART-naive patients with HIV-1 (n = 83) or HIV-1/2 dual (n = 27) infections were included in this cross-sectional study at an HIV clinic in Guinea-Bissau. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were analyzed by flow cytometry according to T-cell maturation and activation, regulatory T-cell fraction, and B-cell maturation and activation. RESULTS HIV-1/2 dually infected patients had lower levels of HIV-1 RNA compared with patients with HIV-1 infection, but the levels of total HIV RNA (HIV-1 and HIV-2) were similar in the two patient groups. T-cell maturation, and proportions of regulatory T cells (FoxP3+) were also similar in the two groups. HIV-1/2 dually infected patients had higher proportions of CD4 and CD8 T cells positive for the activation marker CD38, but there was no difference in other T-cell activation markers (CD28, CTLA-4, PD-1). HIV-1/2 dually infected patients also had higher proportions of IgM-only B cells and plasmablasts. CONCLUSION HIV-1/2 was not associated with less immune perturbations than for HIV-1 infection.
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