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Otte F, Zhang Y, Spagnuolo J, Thielen A, Däumer M, Wiethe C, Stoeckle M, Kusejko K, Klein F, Metzner KJ, Klimkait T. Revealing viral and cellular dynamics of HIV-1 at the single-cell level during early treatment periods. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100485. [PMID: 37426753 PMCID: PMC10326345 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
While combination therapy completely suppresses HIV-1 replication in blood, functional virus persists in CD4+ T cell subsets in non-peripheral compartments that are not easily accessible. To fill this gap, we investigated tissue-homing properties of cells that transiently appear in the circulating blood. Through cell separation and in vitro stimulation, the HIV-1 "Gag and Envelope reactivation co-detection assay" (GERDA) enables sensitive detection of Gag+/Env+ protein-expressing cells down to about one cell per million using flow cytometry. By associating GERDA with proviral DNA and polyA-RNA transcripts, we corroborate the presence and functionality of HIV-1 in critical body compartments utilizing t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (tSNE) and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) clustering with low viral activity in circulating cells early after diagnosis. We demonstrate transcriptional HIV-1 reactivation at any time, potentially giving rise to intact, infectious particles. With single-cell level resolution, GERDA attributes virus production to lymph-node-homing cells with central memory T cells (TCMs) as main players, critical for HIV-1 reservoir eradication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Otte
- Molecular Virology, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yuepeng Zhang
- Molecular Virology, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julian Spagnuolo
- Experimental Immunology, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Marcel Stoeckle
- Infectiology, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Kusejko
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Florian Klein
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Karin J. Metzner
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, and Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Klimkait
- Molecular Virology, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
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New Assay Reveals Vast Excess of Defective over Intact HIV-1 Transcripts in Antiretroviral Therapy-Suppressed Individuals. J Virol 2022; 96:e0160522. [PMID: 36448806 PMCID: PMC9769383 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01605-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Most of the HIV DNA in infected individuals is noninfectious because of deleterious mutations. However, it is unclear how much of the transcribed HIV RNA is potentially infectious or defective. To address this question, we developed and validated a novel intact viral RNA assay (IVRA) that uses droplet digital reverse transcriptase PCR (dd-RT-PCR) for the commonly mutated packaging signal (Psi) and Rev response element (RRE) regions (from the intact proviral DNA assay [IPDA]) to quantify likely intact (Psi+ RRE+), 3' defective (Psi+ RRE-), and 5' defective (Psi- RRE+) HIV RNA. We then applied the IPDA and IVRA to quantify intact and defective HIV DNA and RNA from peripheral CD4+ T cells from 9 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed individuals. Levels of 3' defective HIV DNA were not significantly different from those of 5' defective HIV DNA, and both were higher than intact HIV DNA. In contrast, 3' defective HIV RNA (median 86 copies/106 cells; 94% of HIV RNA) was much more abundant than 5' defective (2.1 copies/106 cells; 5.6%) or intact (0.6 copies/106 cells; <1%) HIV RNA. Likewise, the frequency of CD4+ T cells with 3' defective HIV RNA was greater than the frequency with 5' defective or intact HIV RNA. Intact HIV RNA was transcribed by a median of 0.018% of all proviruses and 2.2% of intact proviruses. The vast excess of 3' defective RNA over 5' defective or intact HIV RNA, which was not observed for HIV DNA, suggests that HIV transcription is completely blocked prior to the RRE in most cells with intact proviruses and/or that cells transcribing intact HIV RNA are cleared at very high rates. IMPORTANCE We developed a new assay that can distinguish and quantify intact (potentially infectious) as well as defective HIV RNA. In ART-treated individuals, we found that the vast majority of all HIV RNA is defective at the 3' end, possibly due to incomplete transcriptional processivity. Only a very small percentage of all HIV RNA is intact, and very few total or intact proviruses transcribe intact HIV RNA. Though rare, this intact HIV RNA is tremendously important because it is necessary to serve as the genome of infectious virions that allow transmission and spread, including rebound after stopping ART. Moreover, intact viral RNA may contribute disproportionately to the immune activation, inflammation, and organ damage observed with untreated and treated HIV infection. The intact viral RNA assay can be applied to many future studies aimed at better understanding HIV pathogenesis and barriers to HIV cure.
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Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of the Replication-Competent HIV Reservoir in Treated Patients. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0078422. [PMID: 35770985 PMCID: PMC9431663 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00784-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In HIV infection, viral rebound after treatment discontinuation is considered to originate predominantly from viral genomes integrated in resting CD4+ T lymphocytes. Replication-competent proviral genomes represent a minority of the total HIV DNA. While the quantification of the HIV reservoir has been extensively studied, the diversity of genomes that compose the reservoir was less explored. Here, we measured the genotypic and phenotypic diversity in eight patients with different treatment histories. Between 4 and 14 (mean, 8) individual viral isolates per patient were obtained using a virus outgrowth assay, and their near-full-length genomes were sequenced. The mean pairwise distance (MPD) observed in different patients correlated with the time before undetectable viremia was achieved (r = 0.864, P = 0.0194), suggesting that the complexity of the replication-competent reservoir mirrors that present at treatment initiation. No correlation was instead observed between MPD and the duration of successful treatment (mean, 8 years; range, 2 to 21 years). For 5 of the 8 patients, genotypically identical viral isolates were observed in independent wells, suggesting clonal expansion of infected cells. Identical viruses represented between 25 and 60% of the isolates (mean, 48%). The proportion of identical viral isolates correlated with the duration of treatment (r = 0.822, P = 0.0190), suggesting progressive clonal expansion of infected cells during ART. A broader range of infectivity was also observed among isolates from patients with delayed viremia control (r = 0.79, P = 0.025). This work unveiled differences in the genotypic and phenotypic features of the replication-competent reservoir from treated patients and suggests that delaying treatment results in increased diversity of the reservoir. IMPORTANCE In HIV-infected and effectively treated individuals, integrated proviral genomes may persist for decades. The vast majority of the genomes, however, are defective, and only the replication-competent fraction represents a threat of viral reemergence. The quantification of the reservoir has been thoroughly explored, while the diversity of the genomes has been insufficiently studied. Its characterization, however, is relevant for the design of strategies aiming the reduction of the reservoir. Here, we explored the replication-competent near-full-length HIV genomes of eight patients who experienced differences in the delay before viremia control and in treatment duration. We found that delayed effective treatment was associated with increased genetic diversity of the reservoir. The duration of treatment did not impact the diversity but was associated with higher frequency of clonally expanded sequences. Thus, early treatment initiation has the double advantage of reducing both the size and the diversity of the reservoir.
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Wang L, Liang S, Huang J, Ding Y, He L, Hao Y, Ren L, Zhu M, Feng Y, Rashid A, Liu Y, Jiang S, Hong K, Ma L. Neutralization Sensitivity of HIV-1 CRF07_BC From an Untreated Patient With a Focus on Evolution Over Time. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:862754. [PMID: 35372102 PMCID: PMC8968086 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.862754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoproteins affects the potency and breadth of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), a promising alternative to antiretroviral drugs for the prevention and treatment of HIV-1 infection. To facilitate immunogen design and development of therapeutic neutralizing antibodies, we characterized viral evolution and monitored the changes in neutralizing activity/sensitivity of a long-term non-progressor patient with HIV-1 CRF07_BC infection. Fifty-nine full-length Env gene fragments were derived from four plasma samples sequentially harvested from the patient between 2016 and 2020. Sequencing of patient-derived Env genes revealed that potential N-linked glycosylation sites (PNGS) in V1 and V5 significantly increased over time. Further, 24 functional Env-pseudotyped viruses were generated based on Env gene sequences. While all 24 Env-pseudotyped viruses remained sensitive to concurrent and subsequent autologous plasma, as well as bNAbs, including 10E8, VRC01, and 12A21, Env-pseudotyped viruses corresponding to later sampling time were increasingly more resistant to autologous plasma and bNAbs. All 24 Env-pseudotyped viruses were resistant to bNAbs 2G12, PGT121, and PGT135. The neutralization breadth of plasma from all four sequential samples was 100% against the global HIV-1 reference panel. Immune escape mutants resulted in increased resistance to bNAb targeting of different epitopes. Our study identified known mutations F277W in gp41 and previously uncharacterized mutation S465T in V5 which may be associated with increased viral resistance to bNAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Shujia Liang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Control and Achievement Transformation, Guangxi Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanning, China
| | - Jianhua Huang
- Hengzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Hengzhou, China
| | - Yibo Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Lin He
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yanling Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Li Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Meiling Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Abdur Rashid
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/ National Health Council/Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kunxue Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Liying Ma, ; Kunxue Hong,
| | - Liying Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Liying Ma, ; Kunxue Hong,
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Svensson JP. Targeting Epigenetics to Cure HIV-1: Lessons From (and for) Cancer Treatment. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:668637. [PMID: 34026665 PMCID: PMC8137950 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.668637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrates in the host genome as a provirus resulting in a long-lived reservoir of infected CD4 cells. As a provirus, HIV-1 has several aspects in common with an oncogene. Both the HIV-1 provirus and oncogenes only cause disease when expressed. A successful cure of both cancer and HIV-1 includes elimination of all cells with potential to regenerate the disease. For over two decades, epigenetic drugs developed against cancer have been used in the HIV-1 field to modulate the state of the proviral chromatin. Cells with an intact HIV-1 provirus exist in three states of infection: productive, inducible latent, and non-inducible latent. Here focus is on HIV-1, transcription control and chromatin structure; how the inducible proviruses are maintained in a chromatin structure that allows reactivation of transcription; and how transcription switches between different stages to allow for an abundance of different transcripts from a single promoter. Recently it was shown that a functional cure of HIV can be achieved by encapsulating all intact HIV-1 proviruses in heterochromatin, giving hope that epigenetic interventions may be used to end the HIV-1 epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Peter Svensson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Huddinge, Sweden
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Chromatin maturation of the HIV-1 provirus in primary resting CD4+ T cells. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008264. [PMID: 31999790 PMCID: PMC6991963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is a chronic condition, where viral DNA integrates into the genome. Latently infected cells form a persistent, heterogeneous reservoir that at any time can reactivate the integrated HIV-1. Here we confirmed that latently infected cells from HIV-1 positive study participants exhibited active HIV-1 transcription but without production of mature spliced mRNAs. To elucidate the mechanisms behind this we employed primary HIV-1 latency models to study latency establishment and maintenance. We characterized proviral transcription and chromatin development in cultures of resting primary CD4+ T-cells for four months after ex vivo HIV-1 infection. As heterochromatin (marked with H3K9me3 or H3K27me3) gradually stabilized, the provirus became less accessible with reduced activation potential. In a subset of infected cells, active marks (e.g. H3K27ac) and elongating RNAPII remained detectable at the latent provirus, despite prolonged proviral silencing. In many aspects, latent HIV-1 resembled an active enhancer in a subset of resting cells. The enhancer chromatin actively promoted latency and the enhancer-specific CBP/P300-inhibitor GNE049 was identified as a new latency reversal agent. The division of the latent reservoir according to distinct chromatin compositions with different reactivation potential enforces the notion that even though a relatively large set of cells contains the HIV-1 provirus, only a discrete subset is readily able to reactivate the provirus and spread the infection. HIV infection is a devastating disease affecting 35 million people worldwide. Current anti-retroviral treatment is highly effective and has made the HIV infection chronic. However, despite more effective treatments, the prospects of a cure are distant. The problem for an HIV cure is that, even though the virus particles are eradicated, the infected cells maintain the information of remake the virus. This information is integrated in the host cell as a provirus. The provirus switches between active and inactive states. Thereby, the infected cells evade both the immune system and death associated with massive viral production. We have characterized the composition of proviral chromatin and how it connects with transcription and viral production. In resting primary CD4+ T-cells, we follow the fate of the provirus starting at infection until latency is firmly established. Only in a fraction of intact proviruses were we able to reverse latency and that this was highly regulated by the chromatin composition. Whereas the proviruses encompassed in heterochromatin were refractory to activation, latent proviruses with “enhancer” characteristics were readily activated. Our study provides key insights as to detect the remaining HIV-1 infected cells capable of reseeding the infection, and the mechanisms whereby they are maintained.
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Cohen YZ, Lorenzi JCC, Krassnig L, Barton JP, Burke L, Pai J, Lu CL, Mendoza P, Oliveira TY, Sleckman C, Millard K, Butler AL, Dizon JP, Belblidia SA, Witmer-Pack M, Shimeliovich I, Gulick RM, Seaman MS, Jankovic M, Caskey M, Nussenzweig MC. Relationship between latent and rebound viruses in a clinical trial of anti-HIV-1 antibody 3BNC117. J Exp Med 2018; 215:2311-2324. [PMID: 30072495 PMCID: PMC6122972 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20180936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A clinical trial was performed to evaluate 3BNC117, a potent anti-HIV-1 antibody, in infected individuals during suppressive antiretroviral therapy and subsequent analytical treatment interruption (ATI). The circulating reservoir was evaluated by quantitative and qualitative viral outgrowth assay (Q2VOA) at entry and after 6 mo. There were no significant quantitative changes in the size of the reservoir before ATI, and the composition of circulating reservoir clones varied in a manner that did not correlate with 3BNC117 sensitivity. 3BNC117 binding site amino acid variants found in rebound viruses preexisted in the latent reservoir. However, only 3 of 217 rebound viruses were identical to 868 latent viruses isolated by Q2VOA and near full-length sequencing. Instead, 63% of the rebound viruses appeared to be recombinants, even in individuals with 3BNC117-resistant reservoir viruses. In conclusion, viruses emerging during ATI in individuals treated with 3BNC117 are not the dominant species found in the circulating latent reservoir, but frequently appear to represent recombinants of latent viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehuda Z Cohen
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Julio C C Lorenzi
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Lisa Krassnig
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - John P Barton
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA
| | - Leah Burke
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Joy Pai
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Ching-Lan Lu
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Pilar Mendoza
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Thiago Y Oliveira
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | | | - Katrina Millard
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Allison L Butler
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Juan P Dizon
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Shiraz A Belblidia
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Maggi Witmer-Pack
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Irina Shimeliovich
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Roy M Gulick
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Michael S Seaman
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
| | - Mila Jankovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Marina Caskey
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Michel C Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD
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