1
|
Upadhyay C, Rao P, Behzadi MA, Feyznezhad R, Lambert GS, Kumar R, Kumar M, Yang W, Jiang X, Luo CC, Nadas A, Arthos J, Kong XP, Zhang H, Hioe CE, Duty JA. Signal peptide exchange alters HIV-1 envelope antigenicity and immunogenicity. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1476924. [PMID: 39380992 PMCID: PMC11458420 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1476924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction HIV-1 envelope (Env) is the key target for antibodies (Abs) against the virus and thus an important HIV-1 vaccine component. Env is synthesized from a gp160 precursor with a signal peptide (SP) at its N-terminus. This study investigated the influence of the SP on Env antigenicity and immunogenicity. Methods Env proteins from two HIV-1 isolates, AA05 and AC02, were analyzed as gp120 and gp160 in their native wild-type (WT) forms and as chimeras with swapped SPs (AA05-02 and AC02-05). The WT and chimeric Env were assessed for antigenicity and glycosylation using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and glycan probes. Immunogenicity was tested in mice using three vaccine types: gp120 protein, gp120 DNA+gp120 protein, and gp120 DNA+gp160 DNA. Results The recombinant AC02 gp120 protein was antigenically superior to AA05 as indicated by higher reactivity with most mAbs tested. When SPs were swapped, the antigenicity of the chimeric gp120s (AA05-02 and AC02-05) resembled that of the gp120s from which the SPs were derived; AA05-02 was similar to AC02 and vice versa. Glycan probe reactivity followed a similar pattern: AA05-02 and AC02 showed similar affinity to high-mannose specific mAbs and lectins. Interestingly, the antigenicity of gp160s showed an opposite pattern; membrane-bound gp160 expressed with the AA05 SP (AA05 and AC02-05) showed greater mAb binding than gp160 with the AC02 SP (AC02 and AA05-02). Mice immunized with gp120 protein showed that AA05-02 induced stronger cross-reactive binding Ab responses than AA05 WT, and AC02 elicited stronger responses than AC02-05, indicating AC02 SP enhanced gp120 immunogenicity. However, when DNA vaccines were included (gp120 DNA+gp120 protein and gp120 DNA+gp160 DNA), the use of heterologous SPs diminished the immunogenicity of the WT immunogens. Among the three vaccine regimens tested, only gp120 DNA+gp160 DNA immunization elicited low-level Tier 2 neutralizing Abs, with AA05 WT inducing Abs with greater neutralization capabilities than AA05-02. Conclusion These data demonstrate that the SP can significantly impact the antigenicity and immunogenicity of HIV-1 Env proteins. Hence, while SP swapping is a common practice in constructing Env immunogens, this study highlights the importance of careful consideration of the effects of replacing native SPs on the immunogenicity of Env vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chitra Upadhyay
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Priyanka Rao
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mohammad Amin Behzadi
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Roya Feyznezhad
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gregory S. Lambert
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rajnish Kumar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Madhu Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Weiming Yang
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Xunqing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Christina C. Luo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Arthur Nadas
- Department of Environment Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - James Arthos
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Xiang-Peng Kong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Catarina E. Hioe
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Research Service, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - J. Andrew Duty
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Felbinger N, Ribeiro-Filho H, Pierce B. Proscan: a structure-based proline design web server. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:W280-W286. [PMID: 38769060 PMCID: PMC11223860 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to control protein conformations and dynamics through structure-based design has been useful in various scenarios, including engineering of viral antigens for vaccines. One effective design strategy is the substitution of residues to proline amino acids, which due to its unique cyclic side chain can favor and rigidify key backbone conformations. To provide the community with a means to readily identify and explore proline designs for target proteins of interest, we developed the Proscan web server. Proscan provides assessment of backbone angles, energetic and deep learning-based favorability scores, and other parameters for proline substitutions at each position of an input structure, along with interactive visualization of backbone angles and candidate substitution sites on structures. It identifies known favorable proline substitutions for viral antigens, and was benchmarked against datasets of proline substitution stability effects from deep mutational scanning and thermodynamic measurements. This tool can enable researchers to identify and prioritize designs for prospective vaccine antigen targets, or other designs to favor stability of key protein conformations. Proscan is available at: https://proscan.ibbr.umd.edu.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Felbinger
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Helder V Ribeiro-Filho
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil
| | - Brian G Pierce
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhu Q, Liu J. A united model for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis with random forest and artificial neural network. Front Genet 2023; 14:1094099. [PMID: 36968608 PMCID: PMC10033863 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1094099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a chronic infectious disease and is the most common type of TB. Although the sputum smear test is a gold standard for diagnosing PTB, the method has numerous limitations, including low sensitivity, low specificity, and insufficient samples.Methods: The present study aimed to identify specific biomarkers of PTB and construct a model for diagnosing PTB by combining random forest (RF) and artificial neural network (ANN) algorithms. Two publicly available cohorts of TB, namely, the GSE83456 (training) and GSE42834 (validation) cohorts, were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. A total of 45 and 61 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the PTB and control samples, respectively, by screening the GSE83456 cohort. An RF classifier was used for identifying specific biomarkers, following which an ANN-based classification model was constructed for identifying PTB samples. The accuracy of the ANN model was validated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The proportion of 22 types of immunocytes in the PTB samples was measured using the CIBERSORT algorithm, and the correlations between the immunocytes were determined.Results: Differential analysis revealed that 11 and 22 DEGs were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, and 11 biomarkers specific to PTB were identified by the RF classifier. The weights of these biomarkers were determined and an ANN-based classification model was subsequently constructed. The model exhibited outstanding performance, as revealed by the area under the curve (AUC), which was 1.000 for the training cohort. The AUC of the validation cohort was 0.946, which further confirmed the accuracy of the model.Conclusion: Altogether, the present study successfully identified specific genetic biomarkers of PTB and constructed a highly accurate model for the diagnosis of PTB based on blood samples. The model developed herein can serve as a reliable reference for the early detection of PTB and provide novel perspectives into the pathogenesis of PTB.
Collapse
|
4
|
Ó'Fágáin C. Protein Stability: Enhancement and Measurement. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2699:369-419. [PMID: 37647007 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3362-5_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
This chapter defines protein stability, emphasizes its importance, and surveys the field of protein stabilization, with summary reference to a selection of 2014-2021 publications. One can enhance stability, particularly by protein engineering strategies but also by chemical modification and by other means. General protocols are set out on how to measure a given protein's (i) kinetic thermal stability and (ii) oxidative stability and (iii) how to undertake chemical modification of a protein in solution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ciarán Ó'Fágáin
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rosenberg YJ, Jiang X, Lees JP, Urban LA, Mao L, Sack M. Enhanced HIV SOSIP Envelope yields in plants through transient co-expression of peptidyl-prolyl isomerase B and calreticulin chaperones and ER targeting. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10027. [PMID: 35705669 PMCID: PMC9200074 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14075-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
High yield production of recombinant HIV SOSIP envelope (Env) trimers has proven elusive as numerous disulfide bonds, proteolytic cleavage and extensive glycosylation pose high demands on the host cell machinery and stress imposed by accumulation of misfolded proteins may ultimately lead to cellular toxicity. The present study utilized the Nicotiana benthamiana/p19 (N.b./p19) transient plant system to assess co-expression of two ER master regulators and 5 chaperones, crucial in the folding process, to enhance yields of three Env SOSIPs, single chain BG505 SOSIP.664 gp140, CH505TF.6R.SOSIP.664.v4.1 and CH848-10.17-DT9. Phenotypic changes in leaves induced by SOSIP expression were employed to rapidly identify chaperone-assisted improvement in health and expression. Up to 15-fold increases were obtained by co-infiltration of peptidylprolvl isomerase (PPI) and calreticulin (CRT) which were further enhanced by addition of the ER-retrieval KDEL tags to the SOSIP genes; levels depending on individual SOSIP type, day of harvest and chaperone gene dosage. Results are consistent with reducing SOSIP misfolding and cellular stress due to increased exposure to the plant host cell's calnexin/calreticulin network and accelerating the rate-limiting cis-trans isomerization of Xaa-Pro peptide bonds respectively. Plant transient co-expression facilitates rapid identification of host cell factors and will be translatable to other complex glycoproteins and mammalian expression systems.
Collapse
|
6
|
Pfaff-Kilgore JM, Davidson E, Kadash-Edmondson K, Hernandez M, Rosenberg E, Chambers R, Castelli M, Clementi N, Mancini N, Bailey JR, Crowe JE, Law M, Doranz BJ. Sites of vulnerability in HCV E1E2 identified by comprehensive functional screening. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110859. [PMID: 35613596 PMCID: PMC9281441 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The E1 and E2 envelope proteins of hepatitis C virus (HCV) form a heterodimer that drives virus-host membrane fusion. Here, we analyze the role of each amino acid in E1E2 function, expressing 545 individual alanine mutants of E1E2 in human cells, incorporating them into infectious viral pseudoparticles, and testing them against 37 different monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to ascertain full-length translation, folding, heterodimer assembly, CD81 binding, viral pseudoparticle incorporation, and infectivity. We propose a model describing the role of each critical residue in E1E2 functionality and use it to examine how MAbs neutralize infection by exploiting functionally critical sites of vulnerability on E1E2. Our results suggest that E1E2 is a surprisingly fragile protein complex where even a single alanine mutation at 92% of positions disrupts its function. The amino-acid-level targets identified are highly conserved and functionally critical and can be exploited for improved therapies and vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Edgar Davidson
- Integral Molecular, Inc., 3711 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Mayda Hernandez
- Integral Molecular, Inc., 3711 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Erin Rosenberg
- Integral Molecular, Inc., 3711 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ross Chambers
- Integral Molecular, Inc., 3711 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matteo Castelli
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Clementi
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; IRCSS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicasio Mancini
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; IRCSS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Justin R Bailey
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - James E Crowe
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Mansun Law
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Benjamin J Doranz
- Integral Molecular, Inc., 3711 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang P, Narayanan E, Liu Q, Tsybovsky Y, Boswell K, Ding S, Hu Z, Follmann D, Lin Y, Miao H, Schmeisser H, Rogers D, Falcone S, Elbashir SM, Presnyak V, Bahl K, Prabhakaran M, Chen X, Sarfo EK, Ambrozak DR, Gautam R, Martin MA, Swerczek J, Herbert R, Weiss D, Misamore J, Ciaramella G, Himansu S, Stewart-Jones G, McDermott A, Koup RA, Mascola JR, Finzi A, Carfi A, Fauci AS, Lusso P. A multiclade env-gag VLP mRNA vaccine elicits tier-2 HIV-1-neutralizing antibodies and reduces the risk of heterologous SHIV infection in macaques. Nat Med 2021; 27:2234-2245. [PMID: 34887575 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01574-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The development of a protective vaccine remains a top priority for the control of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Here, we show that a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine co-expressing membrane-anchored HIV-1 envelope (Env) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag proteins to generate virus-like particles (VLPs) induces antibodies capable of broad neutralization and reduces the risk of infection in rhesus macaques. In mice, immunization with co-formulated env and gag mRNAs was superior to env mRNA alone in inducing neutralizing antibodies. Macaques were primed with a transmitted-founder clade-B env mRNA lacking the N276 glycan, followed by multiple booster immunizations with glycan-repaired autologous and subsequently bivalent heterologous envs (clades A and C). This regimen was highly immunogenic and elicited neutralizing antibodies against the most prevalent (tier-2) HIV-1 strains accompanied by robust anti-Env CD4+ T cell responses. Vaccinated animals had a 79% per-exposure risk reduction upon repeated low-dose mucosal challenges with heterologous tier-2 simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV AD8). Thus, the multiclade env-gag VLP mRNA platform represents a promising approach for the development of an HIV-1 vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Qingbo Liu
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | | | - Shilei Ding
- Université de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Zonghui Hu
- Biostatistics Research Branch, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dean Follmann
- Biostatistics Research Branch, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yin Lin
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Huiyi Miao
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hana Schmeisser
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Denise Rogers
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xuejun Chen
- Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Rajeev Gautam
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Malcom A Martin
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joanna Swerczek
- Experimental Primate Virology Section, NIAID, Poolesville, MD, USA
| | - Richard Herbert
- Experimental Primate Virology Section, NIAID, Poolesville, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrés Finzi
- Université de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Anthony S Fauci
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Paolo Lusso
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Targeted destabilization of the HIV-1 gp120-gp41 interface leads to convergent evolution with mutations in the V1V2, HR1 and HR2 domains. J Virol 2021; 95:e0053221. [PMID: 34586861 PMCID: PMC8610599 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00532-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer is responsible for viral entry into target cells and is the sole target of neutralizing antibodies. The Env protein is therefore the focus of HIV-1 vaccine design. Env consists of two noncovalently linked subunits (gp120 and gp41) that form a trimer of heterodimers and this 6-subunit complex is metastable and conformationally flexible. Several approaches have been pursued to stabilize the Env trimer for vaccine purposes, which include structure-based design, high-throughput screening, and selection by mammalian cell display. Here, we employed directed virus evolution to improve Env trimer stability. Accordingly, we deliberately destabilized the Env gp120-gp41 interface by mutagenesis in the context of replicating HIV-1 LAI virus and virus evolution over time. We identified compensatory changes that pointed at convergent evolution, as they were largely restricted to specific Env regions, namely, the V1V2 domain of gp120 and the HR1 and HR2 domain of gp41. Specifically, S614G in V1V2 and Q567R in HR1 were frequently identified. Interestingly, the majority of the compensatory mutations were at distant locations from the original mutations and most likely strengthen intersubunit interactions. These results show how the virus can overcome Env instability and illuminate the regions that play a dominant role in Env stability. IMPORTANCE A successful HIV-1 vaccine most likely requires an envelope glycoprotein (Env) component, as Env is the only viral protein on the surface of the virus and the target for neutralizing antibodies. However, HIV Env is metastable and flexible because of the weak interactions between the Env subunits, complicating the generation of recombinant mimics of native Env. Here, we used directed viral evolution to study Env stability. We deliberately destabilized the interface between Env subunits and explored the capacity of the virus to repair trimer instability by evolution. We identified compensatory mutations that converged in specific Env locations: the apex and the trimer interface. Selected mutations enhanced the stability of recombinant soluble Env trimer proteins. These results provided clues on understanding the structural mechanisms involved in Env trimer stability, which can guide future immunogen design.
Collapse
|
9
|
Kumar S, Lin X, Ngo T, Shapero B, Sou C, Allen JD, Copps J, Zhang L, Ozorowski G, He L, Crispin M, Ward AB, Wilson IA, Zhu J. Neutralizing Antibodies Induced by First-Generation gp41-Stabilized HIV-1 Envelope Trimers and Nanoparticles. mBio 2021; 12:e0042921. [PMID: 34156262 PMCID: PMC8262854 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00429-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunogenicity of gp41-stabilized HIV-1 BG505 envelope (Env) trimers and nanoparticles (NPs) was recently assessed in mice and rabbits. Here, we combined Env-specific B-cell sorting and repertoire sequencing to identify neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) from immunized animals. A panel of mouse NAbs was isolated from mice immunized with a 60-meric I3-01 NP presenting 20 stabilized trimers. Three mouse NAbs potently neutralized BG505.T332N by recognizing a glycan epitope centered in the C3/V4 region on BG505 Env, as revealed by electron microscopy (EM), X-ray crystallography, and epitope mapping. A set of rabbit NAbs was isolated from rabbits immunized with a soluble trimer and a 24-meric ferritin NP presenting 8 trimers. Neutralization assays against BG505.T332N variants confirmed that potent rabbit NAbs targeted previously described glycan holes on BG505 Env and accounted for a significant portion of the autologous NAb response in both the trimer and ferritin NP groups. Last, we examined NAb responses that were induced by non-BG505 Env immunogens. We determined a 3.4-Å-resolution crystal structure for the clade C transmitted/founder (T/F) Du172.17 Env with a redesigned heptad repeat 1 (HR1) bend in gp41. This clade C Env, in a soluble trimer form and in a multivalent form with 8 trimers attached to ferritin NP, and the gp41-stabilized clade A Q482-d12 Env trimer elicited distinct NAb responses in rabbits, with notable differences in neutralization breadth. Although eliciting a broad NAb response remains a major challenge, our study provides valuable information on an HIV-1 vaccine design strategy that combines gp41 stabilization and NP display. IMPORTANCE Self-assembling protein nanoparticles (NPs) presenting BG505 envelope (Env) trimers can elicit tier 2 HIV-1-neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses more effectively than soluble trimers. In the present study, monoclonal NAbs were isolated from previously immunized mice and rabbits for structural and functional analyses, which revealed that potent mouse NAbs recognize the C3/V4 region and small NP-elicited rabbit NAbs primarily target known glycan holes on BG505 Env. This study validates the gp41 stabilization strategy for HIV-1 Env vaccine design and highlights the challenge in eliciting a broad NAb response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonu Kumar
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Xiaohe Lin
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Timothy Ngo
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Benjamin Shapero
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cindy Sou
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Joel D. Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey Copps
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gabriel Ozorowski
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Linling He
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew B. Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ian A. Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Agnolon V, Kiseljak D, Wurm MJ, Wurm FM, Foissard C, Gallais F, Wehrle S, Muñoz-Fontela C, Bellanger L, Correia BE, Corradin G, Spertini F. Designs and Characterization of Subunit Ebola GP Vaccine Candidates: Implications for Immunogenicity. Front Immunol 2020; 11:586595. [PMID: 33250896 PMCID: PMC7672190 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.586595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The humoral responses of Ebola virus (EBOV) survivors mainly target the surface glycoprotein GP, and anti-GP neutralizing antibodies have been associated with protection against EBOV infection. In order to elicit protective neutralizing antibodies through vaccination a native-like conformation of the antigen is required. We therefore engineered and expressed in CHO cells several GP variants from EBOV (species Zaire ebolavirus, Mayinga variant), including a soluble GP ΔTM, a mucin-like domain-deleted GP ΔTM-ΔMUC, as well as two GP ΔTM-ΔMUC variants with C-terminal trimerization motifs in order to favor their native trimeric conformation. Inclusion of the trimerization motifs resulted in proteins mimicking GP metastable trimer and showing increased stability. The mucin-like domain appeared not to be critical for the retention of the native conformation of the GP protein, and its removal unmasked several neutralizing epitopes, especially in the trimers. The soluble GP variants inhibited mAbs neutralizing activity in a pseudotype transduction assay, further confirming the proteins' structural integrity. Interestingly, the trimeric GPs, a native-like GP complex, showed stronger affinity for antibodies raised by natural infection in EBOV disease survivors rather than for antibodies raised in volunteers that received the ChAd3-EBOZ vaccine. These results support our hypothesis that neutralizing antibodies are preferentially induced when using a native-like conformation of the GP antigen. The soluble trimeric recombinant GP proteins we developed represent a novel and promising strategy to develop prophylactic vaccines against EBOV and other filoviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Agnolon
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Florian M Wurm
- ExcellGene SA, Monthey, Switzerland.,Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Foissard
- Université Paris Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Fabrice Gallais
- Université Paris Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Sarah Wehrle
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - César Muñoz-Fontela
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Laurent Bellanger
- Université Paris Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Bruno Emanuel Correia
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giampietro Corradin
- Department of Biochemistry, Université de Lausanne (UNIL), Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - François Spertini
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rawi R, Rutten L, Lai YT, Olia AS, Blokland S, Juraszek J, Shen CH, Tsybovsky Y, Verardi R, Yang Y, Zhang B, Zhou T, Chuang GY, Kwong PD, Langedijk JPM. Automated Design by Structure-Based Stabilization and Consensus Repair to Achieve Prefusion-Closed Envelope Trimers in a Wide Variety of HIV Strains. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108432. [PMID: 33238130 PMCID: PMC7714614 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Soluble envelope (Env) trimers, stabilized in a prefusion-closed conformation, can elicit neutralizing responses against HIV-1 strains closely related to the immunizing trimer. However, to date such stabilization has succeeded with only a limited number of HIV-1 strains. To address this issue, here we develop ADROITrimer, an automated procedure involving structure-based stabilization and consensus repair, and generate "RnS-DS-SOSIP"-stabilized Envs from 180 diverse Env sequences. The vast majority of these RnS-DS-SOSIP Envs fold into prefusion-closed conformations as judged by antigenic analysis and size exclusion chromatography. Additionally, representative strains from clades AE, B, and C are stabilized in prefusion-closed conformations as shown by negative-stain electron microscopy, and the crystal structure of a clade A strain MI369.A5 Env trimer provides 3.5 Å resolution detail into stabilization and repair mutations. The automated procedure reported herein that yields well-behaved, soluble, prefusion-closed Env trimers from a majority of HIV-1 strains could have substantial impact on the development of an HIV-1 vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reda Rawi
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lucy Rutten
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, 2333 CN Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Yen-Ting Lai
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Adam S Olia
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sven Blokland
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, 2333 CN Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jarek Juraszek
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, 2333 CN Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Chen-Hsiang Shen
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Raffaello Verardi
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yongping Yang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Baoshan Zhang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tongqing Zhou
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gwo-Yu Chuang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Peter D Kwong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pierce BG, Keck ZY, Wang R, Lau P, Garagusi K, Elkholy K, Toth EA, Urbanowicz RA, Guest JD, Agnihotri P, Kerzic MC, Marin A, Andrianov AK, Ball JK, Mariuzza RA, Fuerst TR, Foung SKH. Structure-Based Design of Hepatitis C Virus E2 Glycoprotein Improves Serum Binding and Cross-Neutralization. J Virol 2020; 94:e00704-20. [PMID: 32878891 PMCID: PMC7592221 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00704-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
An effective vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major unmet need, and it requires an antigen that elicits immune responses to key conserved epitopes. Based on structures of antibodies targeting HCV envelope glycoprotein E2, we designed immunogens to modulate the structure and dynamics of E2 and favor induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in the context of a vaccine. These designs include a point mutation in a key conserved antigenic site to stabilize its conformation, as well as redesigns of an immunogenic region to add a new N-glycosylation site and mask it from antibody binding. Designs were experimentally characterized for binding to a panel of human monoclonal antibodies (HMAbs) and the coreceptor CD81 to confirm preservation of epitope structure and preferred antigenicity profile. Selected E2 designs were tested for immunogenicity in mice, with and without hypervariable region 1, which is an immunogenic region associated with viral escape. One of these designs showed improvement in polyclonal immune serum binding to HCV pseudoparticles and neutralization of isolates associated with antibody resistance. These results indicate that antigen optimization through structure-based design of the envelope glycoproteins is a promising route to an effective vaccine for HCV.IMPORTANCE Hepatitis C virus infects approximately 1% of the world's population, and no vaccine is currently available. Due to the high variability of HCV and its ability to actively escape the immune response, a goal of HCV vaccine design is to induce neutralizing antibodies that target conserved epitopes. Here, we performed structure-based design of several epitopes of the HCV E2 envelope glycoprotein to engineer its antigenic properties. Designs were tested in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating alteration of the E2 antigenic profile in several cases, and one design led to improvement of cross-neutralization of heterologous viruses. This represents a proof of concept that rational engineering of HCV envelope glycoproteins can be used to modulate E2 antigenicity and optimize a vaccine for this challenging viral target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian G Pierce
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Zhen-Yong Keck
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ruixue Wang
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick Lau
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Kyle Garagusi
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Khadija Elkholy
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Eric A Toth
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Richard A Urbanowicz
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Johnathan D Guest
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Pragati Agnihotri
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Melissa C Kerzic
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexander Marin
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexander K Andrianov
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan K Ball
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Roy A Mariuzza
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas R Fuerst
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Steven K H Foung
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Li SW, Wright M, Healey JF, Hutchinson JM, O’Rourke S, Mesa KA, Lollar P, Berman PW. Gene editing in CHO cells to prevent proteolysis and enhance glycosylation: Production of HIV envelope proteins as vaccine immunogens. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233866. [PMID: 32470085 PMCID: PMC7259603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Several candidate HIV subunit vaccines based on recombinant envelope (Env) glycoproteins have been advanced into human clinical trials. To facilitate biopharmaceutical production, it is necessary to produce these in CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cells, the cellular substrate used for the manufacturing of most recombinant protein therapeutics. However, previous studies have shown that when recombinant Env proteins from clade B viruses, the major subtype represented in North America, Europe, and other parts of the world, are expressed in CHO cells, they are proteolyzed and lack important glycan-dependent epitopes present on virions. Previously, we identified C1s, a serine protease in the complement pathway, as the endogenous CHO protease responsible for the cleavage of clade B laboratory isolates of -recombinant gp120s (rgp120s) expressed in stable CHO-S cell lines. In this paper, we describe the development of two novel CHOK1 cell lines with the C1s gene inactivated by gene editing, that are suitable for the production of any protein susceptible to C1s proteolysis. One cell line, C1s-/- CHOK1 2.E7, contains a deletion in the C1s gene. The other cell line, C1s-/- MGAT1- CHOK1 1.A1, contains a deletion in both the C1s gene and the MGAT1 gene, which limits glycosylation to mannose-5 or earlier intermediates in the N-linked glycosylation pathway. In addition, we compare the substrate specificity of C1s with thrombin on the cleavage of both rgp120 and human Factor VIII, two recombinant proteins known to undergo unintended proteolysis (clipping) when expressed in CHO cells. Finally, we demonstrate the utility and practicality of the C1s-/- MGAT1- CHOK1 1.A1 cell line for the expression of clinical isolates of clade B Envs from rare individuals that possess broadly neutralizing antibodies and are able to control virus replication without anti-retroviral drugs (elite neutralizer/controller phenotypes). The Envs represent unique HIV vaccine immunogens suitable for further immunogenicity and efficacy studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia W. Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Meredith Wright
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - John F. Healey
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jennie M. Hutchinson
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Sara O’Rourke
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Kathryn A. Mesa
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Pete Lollar
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Phillip W. Berman
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Malladi SK, Schreiber D, Pramanick I, Sridevi MA, Goldenzweig A, Dutta S, Fleishman SJ, Varadarajan R. One-step sequence and structure-guided optimization of HIV-1 envelope gp140. Curr Res Struct Biol 2020; 2:45-55. [PMID: 33688632 PMCID: PMC7939140 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stabilization of the metastable envelope glycoprotein (Env) of HIV-1 is hypothesized to improve induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies. We improved the expression yield and stability of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein BG505SOSIP.664 gp140 by means of a previously described automated sequence and structure-guided computational thermostabilization approach, PROSS. This combines sequence conservation information with computational assessment of mutant stabilization, thus taking advantage of the extensive natural sequence variation present in HIV-1 Env. PROSS is used to design three gp140 variants with 17–45 mutations relative to the parental construct. One of the designs is experimentally observed to have a fourfold improvement in yield and a 4 °C increment in thermostability. In addition, the designed immunogens have similar antigenicity profiles to the native flexible linker version of wild type, BG505SOSIP.664 gp140 (NFL Wt) to major epitopes targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies. PROSS eliminates the laborious process of screening many variants for stability and functionality, providing a proof of principle of the method for stabilization and improvement of yield without compromising antigenicity for next generation complex, highly glycosylated vaccine candidates. One-step stabilization of HIV-1 Env gp140. One-step yield improvement of HIV-1 Env gp140. Native-like oligomeric conformation of designed vaccine candidates. Unaltered antigenicity of designed vaccine candidates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Schreiber
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ishika Pramanick
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Adi Goldenzweig
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Somnath Dutta
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Raghavan Varadarajan
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bengaluru, India
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Jones LD, Moody MA, Thompson AB. Innovations in HIV-1 Vaccine Design. Clin Ther 2020; 42:499-514. [PMID: 32035643 PMCID: PMC7102617 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The field of HIV-1 vaccinology has evolved during the last 30 years from the first viral vector HIV gene insert constructs to vaccination regimens using a myriad of strategies. These strategies now include germline-targeting, lineage-based, and structure-guided immunogen design. This narrative review outlines the historical context of HIV vaccinology and subsequently highlights the scientific discoveries during the last 6 years that promise to propel the field forward. METHODS We conducted a search of 2 electronic databases, PubMed and EMBASE, for experimental studies that involved new HIV immunogen designs between 2013 and 2019. During the title and abstract reviews, publications were excluded if they were written in language other than English and/or were a letter to the editor, a commentary, or a conference-only presentation. We then used ClinicalTrials.gov to identify completed and ongoing clinical trials using these strategies. FINDINGS The HIV vaccinology field has undergone periods of significant growth during the last 3 decades. Findings elucidated in preclinical studies have revealed the importance of the interaction between the cellular and humoral immune system. As a result, several new rationally designed vaccine strategies have been developed and explored in the last 6 years, including native-like envelope trimers, nanoparticle, and mRNA vaccine design strategies among others. Several of these strategies have shown enough promise in animal models to progress toward first-in-human Phase I clinical trials. IMPLICATIONS Rapid developments in preclinical and early-phase clinical studies suggest that a tolerable and effective HIV vaccine may be on the horizon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Letitia D Jones
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - M Anthony Moody
- Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Amelia B Thompson
- Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Li SW, Yu B, Byrne G, Wright M, O'Rourke S, Mesa K, Berman PW. Identification and CRISPR/Cas9 Inactivation of the C1s Protease Responsible for Proteolysis of Recombinant Proteins Produced in CHO Cells. Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:2130-2145. [PMID: 31087560 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Proteolysis associated with recombinant protein expression in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells has hindered the development of biologics including HIV vaccines. When expressed in CHO cells, the recombinant HIV envelope protein, gp120, undergoes proteolytic clipping by a serine protease at a key epitope recognized by neutralizing antibodies. The problem is particularly acute for envelope proteins from clade B viruses that represent the major genetic subtype circulating in much of the developed world, including the US and Europe. In this paper, we have identified complement Component 1's (C1s), a serine protease from the complement cascade, as the protease responsible for the proteolysis of gp120 in CHO cells. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of the C1s protease in a CHO cell line was shown to eliminate the proteolytic activity against the recombinantly expressed gp120. In addition, the C1s-/- MGAT1- CHO cell line, with the C1s protease and the MGAT1 glycosyltransferase knocked out, enabled the production of unclipped gp120 from a clade B isolate (BaL-rgp120) and enriched for mannose-5 glycans on gp120 that are required for the binding of multiple broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bN-mAbs). The availability of this technology will allow for the scale-up and testing of multiple vaccine concepts in regions of the world where clade B viruses are in circulation. Furthermore, the proteolysis issues caused by the C1s protease suggests a broader need for a C1s-deficient CHO cell line to express other recombinant proteins that are susceptible to serine protease activity in CHO cells. Similarly, the workflow described here to identify and knockout C1s in a CHO cell line can be applied to remedy the proteolysis of biologics by other CHO proteases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia W Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, California
| | - Bin Yu
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, California
| | - Gabriel Byrne
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, California
| | - Meredith Wright
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, California
| | - Sara O'Rourke
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, California
| | - Kathryn Mesa
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, California
| | - Phillip W Berman
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, California
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kumar S, Sarkar A, Pugach P, Sanders RW, Moore JP, Ward AB, Wilson IA. Capturing the inherent structural dynamics of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein fusion peptide. Nat Commun 2019; 10:763. [PMID: 30770829 PMCID: PMC6377653 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08738-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The N-terminal fusion peptide (FP) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp41 subunit plays a critical role in cell entry. However, capturing the structural flexibility in the unbound FP is challenging in the native Env trimer. Here, FP conformational isomerism is observed in two crystal structures of a soluble clade B transmitted/founder virus B41 SOSIP.664 Env with broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) PGT124 and 35O22 to aid in crystallization and that are not specific for binding to the FP. Large rearrangements in the FP and fusion peptide proximal region occur around M530, which remains anchored in the tryptophan clasp (gp41 W623, W628, W631) in the B41 Env prefusion state. Further, we redesigned the FP at position 518 to reinstate the bNAb VRC34.01 epitope. These findings provide further structural evidence for the dynamic nature of the FP and how a bNAb epitope can be restored during vaccine design. The fusion peptide (FP) of HIV envelope (Env) is critical in the cell entry process. Here, Kumar et al. present crystal structures of B41 SOSIP.664 Env trimer and show the dynamic nature of the FP and proximal region, which likely relates to conformational rearrangements required for membrane fusion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonu Kumar
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Anita Sarkar
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Pavel Pugach
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Rogier W Sanders
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John P Moore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ian A Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA. .,IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA. .,Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA. .,Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhang P, Gorman J, Geng H, Liu Q, Lin Y, Tsybovsky Y, Go EP, Dey B, Andine T, Kwon A, Patel M, Gururani D, Uddin F, Guzzo C, Cimbro R, Miao H, McKee K, Chuang GY, Martin L, Sironi F, Malnati MS, Desaire H, Berger EA, Mascola JR, Dolan MA, Kwong PD, Lusso P. Interdomain Stabilization Impairs CD4 Binding and Improves Immunogenicity of the HIV-1 Envelope Trimer. Cell Host Microbe 2019; 23:832-844.e6. [PMID: 29902444 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The HIV-1 envelope (Env) spike is a trimer of gp120/gp41 heterodimers that mediates viral entry. Binding to CD4 on the host cell membrane is the first essential step for infection but disrupts the native antigenic state of Env, posing a key obstacle to vaccine development. We locked the HIV-1 Env trimer in a pre-fusion configuration, resulting in impaired CD4 binding and enhanced binding to broadly neutralizing antibodies. This design was achieved via structure-guided introduction of neo-disulfide bonds bridging the gp120 inner and outer domains and was successfully applied to soluble trimers and native gp160 from different HIV-1 clades. Crystallization illustrated the structural basis for CD4-binding impairment. Immunization of rabbits with locked trimers from two different clades elicited neutralizing antibodies against tier-2 viruses with a repaired glycan shield regardless of treatment with a functional CD4 mimic. Thus, interdomain stabilization provides a widely applicable template for the design of Env-based HIV-1 vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jason Gorman
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hui Geng
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Qingbo Liu
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yin Lin
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Eden P Go
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Barna Dey
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tsion Andine
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alice Kwon
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mit Patel
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Deepali Gururani
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ferzan Uddin
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Christina Guzzo
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Raffaello Cimbro
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Huiyi Miao
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Krisha McKee
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gwo-Yu Chuang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Loïc Martin
- CEA, Joliot, Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Francesca Sironi
- Department of Biological and Technological Research, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Mauro S Malnati
- Department of Biological and Technological Research, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Heather Desaire
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Edward A Berger
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - John R Mascola
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael A Dolan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Peter D Kwong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Paolo Lusso
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
He L, Kumar S, Allen JD, Huang D, Lin X, Mann CJ, Saye-Francisco KL, Copps J, Sarkar A, Blizard GS, Ozorowski G, Sok D, Crispin M, Ward AB, Nemazee D, Burton DR, Wilson IA, Zhu J. HIV-1 vaccine design through minimizing envelope metastability. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaau6769. [PMID: 30474059 PMCID: PMC6248932 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau6769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Overcoming envelope metastability is crucial to trimer-based HIV-1 vaccine design. Here, we present a coherent vaccine strategy by minimizing metastability. For 10 strains across five clades, we demonstrate that the gp41 ectodomain (gp41ECTO) is the main source of envelope metastability by replacing wild-type gp41ECTO with BG505 gp41ECTO of the uncleaved prefusion-optimized (UFO) design. These gp41ECTO-swapped trimers can be produced in CHO cells with high yield and high purity. The crystal structure of a gp41ECTO-swapped trimer elucidates how a neutralization-resistant tier 3 virus evades antibody recognition of the V2 apex. UFO trimers of transmitted/founder viruses and UFO trimers containing a consensus-based ancestral gp41ECTO suggest an evolutionary root of metastability. The gp41ECTO-stabilized trimers can be readily displayed on 24- and 60-meric nanoparticles, with incorporation of additional T cell help illustrated for a hyperstable 60-mer, I3-01. In mice and rabbits, these gp140 nanoparticles induced tier 2 neutralizing antibody responses more effectively than soluble trimers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linling He
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sonu Kumar
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center and the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Joel D. Allen
- Centre for Biological Sciences and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Deli Huang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Xiaohe Lin
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Colin J. Mann
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Karen L. Saye-Francisco
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jeffrey Copps
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Anita Sarkar
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center and the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Gabrielle S. Blizard
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Gabriel Ozorowski
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center and the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Devin Sok
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center and the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Max Crispin
- Centre for Biological Sciences and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Andrew B. Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center and the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - David Nemazee
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Dennis R. Burton
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center and the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139-3583, USA
| | - Ian A. Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center and the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Corresponding author. (I.A.W.); (J.Z.)
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Corresponding author. (I.A.W.); (J.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Torrents de la Peña A, Sanders RW. Stabilizing HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimers to induce neutralizing antibodies. Retrovirology 2018; 15:63. [PMID: 30208933 PMCID: PMC6134781 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-018-0445-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
An effective HIV-1 vaccine probably will need to be able to induce broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibodies (bNAbs) in order to be efficacious. The many bNAbs that have been isolated from HIV-1 infected patients illustrate that the human immune system is able to elicit this type of antibodies. The elucidation of the structure of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer has further fueled the search for Env immunogens that induce bNAbs, but while native Env trimer mimetics are often capable of inducing strain-specific neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against the parental virus, they have not yet induced potent bNAb responses. To improve the performance of Env trimer immunogens, researchers have studied the immune responses that Env trimers have induced in animals; they have evaluated how to best use Env trimers in various immunization regimens; and they have engineered increasingly stabilized Env trimer variants. Here, we review the different approaches that have been used to increase the stability of HIV-1 Env trimer immunogens with the aim of improving the induction of NAbs. In particular, we draw parallels between the various approaches to stabilize Env trimers and ones that have been used by nature in extremophile microorganisms in order to survive in extreme environmental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Torrents de la Peña
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rogier W. Sanders
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021 USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Rutten L, Lai YT, Blokland S, Truan D, Bisschop IJM, Strokappe NM, Koornneef A, van Manen D, Chuang GY, Farney SK, Schuitemaker H, Kwong PD, Langedijk JPM. A Universal Approach to Optimize the Folding and Stability of Prefusion-Closed HIV-1 Envelope Trimers. Cell Rep 2018; 23:584-595. [PMID: 29642014 PMCID: PMC6010203 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The heavily glycosylated native-like envelope (Env) trimer of HIV-1 is expected to have low immunogenicity, whereas misfolded forms are often highly immunogenic. High-quality correctly folded Envs may therefore be critical for developing a vaccine that induces broadly neutralizing antibodies. Moreover, the high variability of Env may require immunizations with multiple Envs. Here, we report a universal strategy that provides for correctly folded Env trimers of high quality and yield through a repair-and-stabilize approach. In the repair stage, we utilized a consensus strategy that substituted rare strain-specific residues with more prevalent ones. The stabilization stage involved structure-based design and experimental assessment confirmed by crystallographic feedback. Regions important for the refolding of Env were targeted for stabilization. Notably, the α9-helix and an intersubunit β sheet proved to be critical for trimer stability. Our approach provides a means to produce prefusion-closed Env trimers from diverse HIV-1 strains, a substantial advance for vaccine development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Rutten
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, Leiden 2333, the Netherlands
| | - Yen-Ting Lai
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sven Blokland
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, Leiden 2333, the Netherlands
| | - Daphne Truan
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, Leiden 2333, the Netherlands
| | - Ilona J M Bisschop
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, Leiden 2333, the Netherlands
| | - Nika M Strokappe
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, Leiden 2333, the Netherlands
| | - Annemart Koornneef
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, Leiden 2333, the Netherlands
| | - Danielle van Manen
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Archimedesweg 4-6, Leiden 2333, the Netherlands
| | - Gwo-Yu Chuang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - S Katie Farney
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Peter D Kwong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
de Taeye SW, de la Peña AT, Vecchione A, Scutigliani E, Sliepen K, Burger JA, van der Woude P, Schorcht A, Schermer EE, van Gils MJ, LaBranche CC, Montefiori DC, Wilson IA, Moore JP, Ward AB, Sanders RW. Stabilization of the gp120 V3 loop through hydrophobic interactions reduces the immunodominant V3-directed non-neutralizing response to HIV-1 envelope trimers. J Biol Chem 2017; 293:1688-1701. [PMID: 29222332 PMCID: PMC5798299 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.000709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To provide protective immunity against circulating primary HIV-1 strains, a vaccine most likely has to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies to the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) spike. Recombinant Env trimers such as the prototype BG505 SOSIP.664 that closely mimic the native Env spike can induce autologous neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against relatively resistant (tier 2) primary viruses. Ideally, Env immunogens should present broadly neutralizing antibody epitopes but limit the presentation of immunodominant non-NAb epitopes that might induce off-target and potentially interfering responses. The V3 loop in gp120 is such a non-NAb epitope that can effectively elicit non-NAbs when animals are immunized with SOSIP.664 trimers. V3 immunogenicity can be diminished, but not abolished, by reducing the conformational flexibility of trimers via targeted sequence changes, including an A316W substitution in V3, that create the SOSIP.v4.1 and SOSIP.v5.2 variants. Here, we further modified these trimer designs by introducing leucine residues at V3 positions 306 and 308 to create hydrophobic interactions with the tryptophan residue at position 316 and with other topologically proximal sites in the V1V2 domain. Together, these modifications further stabilized the resulting SOSIP.v5.2 S306L/R308L trimers in the prefusion state in which V3 is sequestered. When we tested these trimers as immunogens in rabbits, the induction of V3 non-NAbs was significantly reduced compared with the SOSIP.v5.2 trimers and even more so compared with the SOSIP.664 prototype, without affecting the autologous NAb response. Hence, these additional trimer sequence modifications may be beneficial for immunization strategies that seek to minimize off-target non-NAb responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven W de Taeye
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Alba Torrents de la Peña
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Enzo Scutigliani
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Kwinten Sliepen
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Judith A Burger
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Patricia van der Woude
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Schorcht
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Edith E Schermer
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Marit J van Gils
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Celia C LaBranche
- the Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - David C Montefiori
- the Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Ian A Wilson
- the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps CHAVI-ID, IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center and Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, and
| | - John P Moore
- the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021
| | - Andrew B Ward
- the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps CHAVI-ID, IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center and Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, and
| | - Rogier W Sanders
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands, .,the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021
| |
Collapse
|