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Kuznetsova A, Kim K, Tumanov A, Munchak I, Antonova A, Lebedev A, Ozhmegova E, Orlova-Morozova E, Drobyshevskaya E, Pronin A, Prilipov A, Kazennova E. Features of Tat Protein in HIV-1 Sub-Subtype A6 Variants Circulating in the Moscow Region, Russia. Viruses 2023; 15:2212. [PMID: 38005889 PMCID: PMC10675479 DOI: 10.3390/v15112212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Tat, the trans-activator of transcription, is a multifunctional HIV-1 protein that can induce chronic inflammation and the development of somatic diseases in HIV-infected patients. Natural polymorphisms in Tat can impact the propagation of the inflammatory signal. Currently, Tat is considered an object for creating new therapeutic agents. Therefore, the identification of Tat protein features in various HIV-1 variants is a relevant task. The purpose of the study was to characterize the genetic variations of Tat-A6 in virus variants circulating in the Moscow Region. The authors analyzed 252 clinical samples from people living with HIV (PLWH) with different stages of HIV infection. Nested PCR for two fragments (tat1, tat2) with subsequent sequencing, subtyping, and statistical analysis was conducted. The authors received 252 sequences for tat1 and 189 for tat2. HIV-1 sub-subtype A6 was identified in 250 samples. The received results indicated the features of Tat1-A6 in variants of viruses circulating in the Moscow Region. In PLWH with different stages of HIV infection, C31S in Tat1-A6 was detected with different occurrence rates. It was demonstrated that Tat2-A6, instead of a functional significant 78RGD80 motif, had a 78QRD80 motif. Herewith, G79R in Tat2-A6 was defined as characteristic amino acid substitution for sub-subtype A6. Tat2-A6 in variants of viruses circulating in the Moscow Region demonstrated high conservatism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kuznetsova
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
| | - Kristina Kim
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
| | - Alexander Tumanov
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
| | - Iana Munchak
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
| | - Anastasiia Antonova
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
| | - Aleksey Lebedev
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
- Mechnikov Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums, 105064 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Ozhmegova
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
| | - Elena Orlova-Morozova
- Moscow Regional Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, 129110 Moscow, Russia; (E.O.-M.); (E.D.); (A.P.)
| | - Elena Drobyshevskaya
- Moscow Regional Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, 129110 Moscow, Russia; (E.O.-M.); (E.D.); (A.P.)
| | - Alexander Pronin
- Moscow Regional Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, 129110 Moscow, Russia; (E.O.-M.); (E.D.); (A.P.)
| | - Aleksey Prilipov
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
| | - Elena Kazennova
- Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia; (K.K.); (A.T.); (I.M.); (A.A.); (A.L.); (E.O.); (A.P.); (E.K.)
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Madlala P, Mkhize Z, Naicker S, Khathi SP, Maikoo S, Gopee K, Dong KL, Ndung’u T. Genetic variation of the HIV-1 subtype C transmitted/founder viruses long terminal repeat elements and the impact on transcription activation potential and clinical disease outcomes. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011194. [PMID: 37307292 PMCID: PMC10289673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011194] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
A genetic bottleneck is a hallmark of HIV-1 transmission such that only very few viral strains, termed transmitted/founder (T/F) variants establish infection in a newly infected host. Phenotypic characteristics of these variants may determine the subsequent course of disease. The HIV-1 5' long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter drives viral gene transcription and is genetically identical to the 3' LTR. We hypothesized that HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) T/F virus LTR genetic variation is a determinant of transcriptional activation potential and clinical disease outcome. The 3'LTR was amplified from plasma samples of 41 study participants acutely infected with HIV-1C (Fiebig stages I and V/VI). Paired longitudinal samples were also available at one year post-infection for 31 of the 41 participants. 3' LTR amplicons were cloned into a pGL3-basic luciferase expression vector, and transfected alone or together with Transactivator of transcription (tat) into Jurkat cells in the absence or presence of cell activators (TNF-α, PMA, Prostratin and SAHA). Inter-patient T/F LTR sequence diversity was 5.7% (Renge: 2-12) with subsequent intrahost viral evolution observed in 48.4% of the participants analyzed at 12 months post-infection. T/F LTR variants exhibited differential basal transcriptional activity, with significantly higher Tat-mediated transcriptional activity compared to basal (p<0.001). Basal and Tat-mediated T/F LTR transcriptional activity showed significant positive correlation with contemporaneous viral loads and negative correlation with CD4 T cell counts (p<0.05) during acute infection respectively. Furthermore, Tat-mediated T/F LTR transcriptional activity significanly correlated positively with viral load set point and viral load; and negatively with CD4 T cell counts at one year post infection (all p<0.05). Lastly, PMA, Prostratin, TNF-α and SAHA cell stimulation resulted in enhanced yet heterologous transcriptional activation of different T/F LTR variants. Our data suggest that T/F LTR variants may influence viral transcriptional activity, disease outcomes and sensitivity to cell activation, with potential implications for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paradise Madlala
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Zakithi Mkhize
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Shamara Naicker
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Samukelisiwe P. Khathi
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Shreyal Maikoo
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Kasmira Gopee
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Krista L. Dong
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Thumbi Ndung’u
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), Durban, South Africa
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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3
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Ruhanya V, Jacobs GB, Paul RH, Joska JA, Seedat S, Nyandoro G, Glashoff RH, Engelbrecht S. HIV-1 subtype C Tat exon-1 amino acid residue 24K is a signature for neurocognitive impairment. J Neurovirol 2022; 28:392-403. [PMID: 35394614 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-022-01073-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Variation and differential selection pressures on Tat genes have been shown to alter the biological function of the protein, resulting in pathological consequences in a number of organs including the brain. We evaluated the impact of genetic variation and selection pressure on 147 HIV-1 subtype C Tat exon 1 sequences from monocyte-depleted peripheral lymphocytes on clinical diagnosis of neurocognitive impairment. Genetic analyses identified two signature amino acid residues, lysine at codon 24 (24K) with a frequency of 43.4% and arginine at codon 29 (29R) with a frequency of 34.0% in individuals with HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment. The analyses also revealed two signature residues, asparagine, 24 N (31.9%), and histidine, 29H (21.3%), in individuals without neurocognitive impairment. Both codons, 24 and 29, were associated with high entropy but only codon 29 was under positive selection. The presence of signature K24 increased by 2.08 times the risk of neurocognitive impairment, 3.15 times higher proviral load, and 69% lower absolute CD4 T-cell count compared to those without the signature. The results support a linkage between HIV-1 C Tat N24K polymorphism, proviral load, immunosuppression, and neurocognitive impairment. The signature may induce more neurotoxic effects, which contributes to establishment and severity of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vurayai Ruhanya
- Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Avenue, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa. .,Department of Medical Microbiology, Harare, Zimbabwe.
| | - Graeme Brendon Jacobs
- Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Avenue, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
| | - Robert H Paul
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Missouri-St Louis, University Boulevard, St Louis, USA
| | - John A Joska
- MRC Unit of Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- MRC Unit of Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Richard H Glashoff
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Tygerberg Business Unit, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Susan Engelbrecht
- Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Avenue, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.,National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Tygerberg Business Unit, Cape Town, South Africa
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Genome-wide association study reveals genetic variants associated with HIV-1C infection in a Botswana study population. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2107830118. [PMID: 34782459 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107830118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there have been many studies of gene variant association with different stages of HIV/AIDS progression in United States and European cohorts, few gene-association studies have assessed genic determinants in sub-Saharan African populations, which have the highest density of HIV infections worldwide. We carried out genome-wide association studies on 766 study participants at risk for HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) infection in Botswana. Three gene associations (AP3B1, PTPRA, and NEO1) were shown to have significant association with HIV-1C acquisition. Each gene association was replicated within Botswana or in the United States-African American or United States-European American AIDS cohorts or in both. Each associated gene has a prior reported influence on HIV/AIDS pathogenesis. Thirteen previously discovered AIDS restriction genes were further replicated in the Botswana cohorts, extending our confidence in these prior AIDS restriction gene reports. This work presents an early step toward the identification of genetic variants associated with and affecting HIV acquisition or AIDS progression in the understudied HIV-1C afflicted Botswana population.
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Ismail SD, Pankrac J, Ndashimye E, Prodger JL, Abrahams MR, Mann JFS, Redd AD, Arts EJ. Addressing an HIV cure in LMIC. Retrovirology 2021; 18:21. [PMID: 34344423 PMCID: PMC8330180 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-021-00565-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 persists in infected individuals despite years of antiretroviral therapy (ART), due to the formation of a stable and long-lived latent viral reservoir. Early ART can reduce the latent reservoir and is associated with post-treatment control in people living with HIV (PLWH). However, even in post-treatment controllers, ART cessation after a period of time inevitably results in rebound of plasma viraemia, thus lifelong treatment for viral suppression is indicated. Due to the difficulties of sustained life-long treatment in the millions of PLWH worldwide, a cure is undeniably necessary. This requires an in-depth understanding of reservoir formation and dynamics. Differences exist in treatment guidelines and accessibility to treatment as well as social stigma between low- and-middle income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries. In addition, demographic differences exist in PLWH from different geographical regions such as infecting viral subtype and host genetics, which can contribute to differences in the viral reservoir between different populations. Here, we review topics relevant to HIV-1 cure research in LMICs, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa, the region of the world bearing the greatest burden of HIV-1. We present a summary of ART in LMICs, highlighting challenges that may be experienced in implementing a HIV-1 cure therapeutic. Furthermore, we discuss current research on the HIV-1 latent reservoir in different populations, highlighting research in LMIC and gaps in the research that may facilitate a global cure. Finally, we discuss current experimental cure strategies in the context of their potential application in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherazaan D Ismail
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Joshua Pankrac
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A5C1, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Ndashimye
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A5C1, Canada
- Center for AIDS Research Uganda Laboratories, Joint Clinical Research Centre, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jessica L Prodger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A5C1, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Melissa-Rose Abrahams
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Jamie F S Mann
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A5C1, Canada
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
| | - Andrew D Redd
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eric J Arts
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A5C1, Canada.
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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MacLeod IJ, Rowley CF, Essex M. PANDAA intentionally violates conventional qPCR design to enable durable, mismatch-agnostic detection of highly polymorphic pathogens. Commun Biol 2021; 4:227. [PMID: 33603155 PMCID: PMC7892852 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01751-9] [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: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensitive and reproducible diagnostics are fundamental to containing the spread of existing and emerging pathogens. Despite the reliance of clinical virology on qPCR, technical challenges persist that compromise their reliability for sustainable epidemic containment as sequence instability in probe-binding regions produces false-negative results. We systematically violated canonical qPCR design principles to develop a Pan-Degenerate Amplification and Adaptation (PANDAA), a point mutation assay that mitigates the impact of sequence variation on probe-based qPCR performance. Using HIV-1 as a model system, we optimized and validated PANDAA to detect HIV drug resistance mutations (DRMs). Ultra-degenerate primers with 3' termini overlapping the probe-binding site adapt the target through site-directed mutagenesis during qPCR to replace DRM-proximal sequence variation. PANDAA-quantified DRMs present at frequency ≥5% (2 h from nucleic acid to result) with a sensitivity and specificity of 96.9% and 97.5%, respectively. PANDAA is an innovative advancement with applicability to any pathogen where target-proximal genetic variability hinders diagnostic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain J MacLeod
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
- Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Private Bag, Gaborone, Botswana.
| | - Christopher F Rowley
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Private Bag, Gaborone, Botswana
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M Essex
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Private Bag, Gaborone, Botswana
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Spector C, Mele AR, Wigdahl B, Nonnemacher MR. Genetic variation and function of the HIV-1 Tat protein. Med Microbiol Immunol 2019; 208:131-169. [PMID: 30834965 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-019-00583-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encodes a transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein, which has several functions that promote viral replication, pathogenesis, and disease. Amino acid variation within Tat has been observed to alter the functional properties of Tat and, depending on the HIV-1 subtype, may produce Tat phenotypes differing from viruses' representative of each subtype and commonly used in in vivo and in vitro experimentation. The molecular properties of Tat allow for distinctive functional activities to be determined such as the subcellular localization and other intracellular and extracellular functional aspects of this important viral protein influenced by variation within the Tat sequence. Once Tat has been transported into the nucleus and becomes engaged in transactivation of the long terminal repeat (LTR), various Tat variants may differ in their capacity to activate viral transcription. Post-translational modification patterns based on these amino acid variations may alter interactions between Tat and host factors, which may positively or negatively affect this process. In addition, the ability of HIV-1 to utilize or not utilize the transactivation response (TAR) element within the LTR, based on genetic variation and cellular phenotype, adds a layer of complexity to the processes that govern Tat-mediated proviral DNA-driven transcription and replication. In contrast, cytoplasmic or extracellular localization of Tat may cause pathogenic effects in the form of altered cell activation, apoptosis, or neurotoxicity. Tat variants have been shown to differentially induce these processes, which may have implications for long-term HIV-1-infected patient care in the antiretroviral therapy era. Future studies concerning genetic variation of Tat with respect to function should focus on variants derived from HIV-1-infected individuals to efficiently guide Tat-targeted therapies and elucidate mechanisms of pathogenesis within the global patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Spector
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anthony R Mele
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael R Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Aralaguppe SPG, Sharma S, Menon M, Prasad VR, Saravanan S, Murugavel KG, Solomon S, Ranga U. The Evolving Profile of the Signature Amino Acid Residues in HIV-1 Subtype C Tat. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2016; 32:503-14. [PMID: 26678403 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2015.0208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Using several HIV-1 tat exon 1 amino acid sequences available from public databases and additional sequences derived from a southern Indian clinical cohort, we compared the profile of the signature amino acid residues (SAR) between two different time periods, 1986-2004 and 2005-2014. The analysis identified eight positions as signature residues in subtype C Tat and demonstrated a changing pattern at four of these positions between the two periods. At three locations (histidine 29, serine 57, and proline 60), there appears to be a nonuniform negative selection against the SAR. The negative selection appears to be severe, especially against histidine 29 (p < .0001) and moderate against proline 60 (p < .0001). The negative selection against serine 57 is statistically insignificant and appears to have begun recently. At position 63, the frequency of signature residue glutamic acid increased over the past decade, although the difference was not significant. Importantly, at the three locations where the negative selection is in progress, the substitute amino acids are the generic residues present in most of the other HIV-1 subtypes. Our data demonstrate that viral evolution can subject specific amino acid residues to subtle and progressive selection pressures without affecting the prevalence of other amino acid residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shambhu Prasad G. Aralaguppe
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, HIV-AIDS Laboratory, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Shilpee Sharma
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, HIV-AIDS Laboratory, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Malini Menon
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, HIV-AIDS Laboratory, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Vinayaka R. Prasad
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, New York
| | | | | | - Suniti Solomon
- YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education, Chennai, India
| | - Udaykumar Ranga
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, HIV-AIDS Laboratory, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
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Roy CN, Khandaker I, Oshitani H. Intersubtype Genetic Variation of HIV-1 Tat Exon 1. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2015; 31:641-8. [PMID: 25748226 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2014.0346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 Tat is a regulatory protein that plays a pivotal role in viral transcription and replication. Our study aims to investigate the genetic variation of Tat exon 1 in all subtypes of HIV-1: A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, and K. We performed phylogenetic, mutation, and selection pressure analyses on a total of 1,179 sequences of different subtypes of HIV-1 Tat obtained from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The mean nucleotide divergences (%) among the analyzed sequences of subtypes A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, and K were 88, 89, 90, 88, 86, 89, 88, 97, and 97, respectively. We revealed that subtype B evolved relatively faster than other subtypes. The second and fifth domains were found comparatively more variable among all subtypes. Site-by-site tests of positive selection revealed that several positions in all subtypes were under significant positive selection. Positively selected sites were found in the acidic domain at positions 3, 4, and 19, in the cysteine-rich domains at positions 24, 29, 32, and 36, in the core domain at position 40, and in the basic domain for the rest of the positions for all subtypes. Positions 58 and 68 in the basic domain were positively selected in subtypes A, B, C and B, C, F, respectively. We also observed high variability within positively selected sites in amino acid positions. Our study findings on HIV-1 Tat genetic variability may contribute to a better understanding of HIV-1 evolution as well as to the development of effective Tat-targeted therapeutics and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Nath Roy
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Irona Khandaker
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Oshitani
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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Bagaya BS, Vega JF, Tian M, Nickel GC, Li Y, Krebs KC, Arts EJ, Gao Y. Functional bottlenecks for generation of HIV-1 intersubtype Env recombinants. Retrovirology 2015; 12:44. [PMID: 25997955 PMCID: PMC4445978 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-015-0170-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Intersubtype recombination is a powerful driving force for HIV evolution, impacting both HIV-1 diversity within an infected individual and within the global epidemic. This study examines if viral protein function/fitness is the major constraint shaping selection of recombination hotspots in replication-competent HIV-1 progeny. A better understanding of the interplay between viral protein structure-function and recombination may provide insights into both vaccine design and drug development. Results In vitro HIV-1 dual infections were used to recombine subtypes A and D isolates and examine breakpoints in the Env glycoproteins. The entire env genes of 21 A/D recombinants with breakpoints in gp120 were non-functional when cloned into the laboratory strain, NL4-3. Likewise, cloning of A/D gp120 coding regions also produced dead viruses with non-functional Envs. 4/9 replication-competent viruses with functional Env’s were obtained when just the V1-V5 regions of these same A/D recombinants (i.e. same A/D breakpoints as above) were cloned into NL4-3. Conclusion These findings on functional A/D Env recombinants combined with structural models of Env suggest a conserved interplay between the C1 domain with C5 domain of gp120 and extracellular domain of gp41. Models also reveal a co-evolution within C1, C5, and ecto-gp41 domains which might explain the paucity of intersubtype recombination in the gp120 V1-V5 regions, despite their hypervariability. At least HIV-1 A/D intersubtype recombination in gp120 may result in a C1 from one subtype incompatible with a C5/gp41 from another subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard S Bagaya
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - José F Vega
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Meijuan Tian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.
| | - Gabrielle C Nickel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Yuejin Li
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Kendall C Krebs
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Eric J Arts
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.
| | - Yong Gao
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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Roy CN, Khandaker I, Furuse Y, Oshitani H. Molecular characterization of full-length Tat in HIV-1 subtypes B and C. Bioinformation 2015; 11:151-60. [PMID: 25914449 PMCID: PMC4403036 DOI: 10.6026/97320630011151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1Tat (trans-acting activator of transcription) plays essential roles in the replication through viral mRNA and genome transcription from the HIV-1 LTR promoter. However, Tat undergoes continuous amino acid substitutions. As a consequence, the virus escapes from host immunity indicating that genetic diversity of Tat protein in major HIV-1 subtypes is required to be continuously monitored. We analyzed available full-length HIV-1 sequences of subtypes B (n=493) and C (n=280) strains circulating worldwide. We observed 81% and 84% nucleotide sequence identities of HIV-1 Tat for subtypes B and C, respectively. Based on phylogenetic and mutation analyses, global diversity of subtype B was apparently higher compared to that of subtype C. Positively selected sites, such as positions Ser68 and Ser70 in both subtypes, were located in the Tat-transactivation responsive RNA (TAR) interaction domain. We also found positively selected sites in exon 2, such as positions Ser75, Pro77, Asp80, Pro81 and Ser87 for both subtypes. Our study provides useful information on the full-length HIV-1 Tat sequences in globally circulating strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Nath Roy
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi, Japan-9808575
| | - Irona Khandaker
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi, Japan-9808575
| | - Yuki Furuse
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi, Japan-9808575
| | - Hitoshi Oshitani
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi, Japan-9808575
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Reactivation of latent HIV-1 by new semi-synthetic ingenol esters. Virology 2014; 462-463:328-39. [PMID: 25014309 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The ability of HIV to establish long-lived latent infection is mainly due to transcriptional silencing of viral genome in resting memory T lymphocytes. Here, we show that new semi-synthetic ingenol esters reactivate latent HIV reservoirs. Amongst the tested compounds, 3-caproyl-ingenol (ING B) was more potent in reactivating latent HIV than known activators such as SAHA, ingenol 3,20-dibenzoate, TNF-α, PMA and HMBA. ING B activated PKC isoforms followed by NF-κB nuclear translocation. As virus reactivation is dependent on intact NF-κB binding sites in the LTR promoter region ING B, we have shown that. ING B was able to reactivate virus transcription in primary HIV-infected resting cells up to 12 fold and up to 25 fold in combination with SAHA. Additionally, ING B promoted up-regulation of P-TEFb subunits CDK9/Cyclin T1. The role of ING B on promoting both transcription initiation and elongation makes this compound a strong candidate for an anti-HIV latency drug combined with suppressive HAART.
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