1
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López CA, Alam SM, Derdeyn CA, Haynes BF, Gnanakaran S. Influence of membrane on the antigen presentation of the HIV-1 envelope membrane proximal external region (MPER). Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 88:102897. [PMID: 39173417 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
The membrane proximal external region (MPER) of the HIV envelope glycoproteins has generated renewed interest after a recent phase I vaccine trial that presented MPER lipid-peptide epitopes demonstrated promise to elicit a broad neutralization response. The antigenicity of MPER is intimately associated with the membrane, and its presentation relies significantly on the lipid composition. This review brings together recent findings on the influence of membranes on the conformation of MPER and its recognition by broadly neutralizing antibodies. Specifically, the review highlights the importance of properly accounting for the balance between protein-protein and membrane-protein interactions in vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A López
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - S Munir Alam
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA; Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Cynthia A Derdeyn
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Barton F Haynes
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA; Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Immunology, Duke University of School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Sandrasegaram Gnanakaran
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
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2
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Kreer C, Lupo C, Ercanoglu MS, Gieselmann L, Spisak N, Grossbach J, Schlotz M, Schommers P, Gruell H, Dold L, Beyer A, Nourmohammad A, Mora T, Walczak AM, Klein F. Probabilities of developing HIV-1 bNAb sequence features in uninfected and chronically infected individuals. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7137. [PMID: 37932288 PMCID: PMC10628170 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42906-y] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are able to suppress viremia and prevent infection. Their induction by vaccination is therefore a major goal. However, in contrast to antibodies that neutralize other pathogens, HIV-1-specific bNAbs frequently carry uncommon molecular characteristics that might prevent their induction. Here, we perform unbiased sequence analyses of B cell receptor repertoires from 57 uninfected and 46 chronically HIV-1- or HCV-infected individuals and learn probabilistic models to predict the likelihood of bNAb development. We formally show that lower probabilities for bNAbs are predictive of higher HIV-1 neutralization activity. Moreover, ranking bNAbs by their probabilities allows to identify highly potent antibodies with superior generation probabilities as preferential targets for vaccination approaches. Importantly, we find equal bNAb probabilities across infected and uninfected individuals. This implies that chronic infection is not a prerequisite for the generation of bNAbs, fostering the hope that HIV-1 vaccines can induce bNAb development in uninfected people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Kreer
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Cosimo Lupo
- Laboratoire de physique de l'Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, and Université Paris Cité, 75005, Paris, France
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Roma I, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Meryem S Ercanoglu
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lutz Gieselmann
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Natanael Spisak
- Laboratoire de physique de l'Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, and Université Paris Cité, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jan Grossbach
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases & Institute for Genetics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maike Schlotz
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philipp Schommers
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Henning Gruell
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Leona Dold
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Beyer
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases & Institute for Genetics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Armita Nourmohammad
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Am Faßberg 17, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Physics, University of Washington, 3910 15th Ave Northeast, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, 4182 W Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, 85 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1241 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
| | - Thierry Mora
- Laboratoire de physique de l'Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, and Université Paris Cité, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Aleksandra M Walczak
- Laboratoire de physique de l'Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, and Université Paris Cité, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Florian Klein
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
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3
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Tarrés-Freixas F, Aguilar-Gurrieri C, Rodríguez de la Concepción ML, Urrea V, Trinité B, Ortiz R, Pradenas E, Blanco P, Marfil S, Molinos-Albert LM, Barajas A, Pons-Grífols A, Ávila-Nieto C, Varela I, Cervera L, Gutiérrez-Granados S, Segura MM, Gòdia F, Clotet B, Carrillo J, Blanco J. An engineered HIV-1 Gag-based VLP displaying high antigen density induces strong antibody-dependent functional immune responses. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:51. [PMID: 37024469 PMCID: PMC10077320 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00648-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Antigen display on the surface of Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) improves immunogenicity compared to soluble proteins. We hypothesised that immune responses can be further improved by increasing the antigen density on the surface of VLPs. In this work, we report an HIV-1 Gag-based VLP platform engineered to maximise the presence of antigen on the VLP surface. An HIV-1 gp41-derived protein (Min), including the C-terminal part of gp41 and the transmembrane domain, was fused to HIV-1 Gag. This resulted in high-density MinGag-VLPs. These VLPs demonstrated to be highly immunogenic in animal models using either a homologous (VLP) or heterologous (DNA/VLP) vaccination regimen, with the latter yielding 10-fold higher anti-Gag and anti-Min antibody titres. Despite these strong humoral responses, immunisation with MinGag-VLPs did not induce neutralising antibodies. Nevertheless, antibodies were predominantly of an IgG2b/IgG2c profile and could efficiently bind CD16-2. Furthermore, we demonstrated that MinGag-VLP vaccination could mediate a functional effect and halt the progression of a Min-expressing tumour cell line in an in vivo mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferran Tarrés-Freixas
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | | | - Victor Urrea
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Benjamin Trinité
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Raquel Ortiz
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Edwards Pradenas
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pau Blanco
- Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of Catalonia (CMCiB), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sílvia Marfil
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Luis Manuel Molinos-Albert
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Barajas
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Anna Pons-Grífols
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carlos Ávila-Nieto
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ismael Varela
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Laura Cervera
- Grup d'Enginyeria Cel•lular i Bioprocessos, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de Bellaterra, 08913, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sònia Gutiérrez-Granados
- Grup d'Enginyeria Cel•lular i Bioprocessos, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de Bellaterra, 08913, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - María Mercedes Segura
- Grup d'Enginyeria Cel•lular i Bioprocessos, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de Bellaterra, 08913, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesc Gòdia
- Grup d'Enginyeria Cel•lular i Bioprocessos, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de Bellaterra, 08913, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Bonaventura Clotet
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Carrillo
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Badalona, 08916, Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Julià Blanco
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain.
- University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain.
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Badalona, 08916, Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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4
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Morozov V, Lagaye S, Morozov A. The TZM-bl Reporter Cell Line Expresses Kynureninase That Can Neutralize 2F5-like Antibodies in the HIV-1 Neutralization Assay. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020641. [PMID: 35054825 PMCID: PMC8775840 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting ectodomain of the transmembrane (TM) glycoprotein gp41 HIV-1 provides a basis for the development of a universal anti-viral vaccine. The HeLa cell-derived TZM-bl reporter cell line is widely used for the estimation of lentiviruses neutralization by immune sera. The cell line is highly permissive to infection by most strains of HIV, SIV, and SHIV. Here we demonstrated that TZM-bl cells express a 48 kDa non-glycosylated protein (p48) recognized by broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) 2F5 targeting the ELDKWA (aa 669–674) epitope of gp41TM of HIV-1. A significant amount of p48 was found in the cell supernatant. The protein was identified as human kynureninase (KYNU), which has the ELDKWA epitope. The protein is further called “p48 KYNU”. The HIV-1 neutralization by mAb 2F5 and 4E10 in the presence of p48KYNU was tested on Jurkat and TZM-bl cells. It was demonstrated that p48KYNU reduces neutralization by 2F5-like antibodies, but it has almost no effect on mAb 4E10. Therefore, p48KYNU can attenuate HIV-1 neutralization by 2F5-like antibodies and hence create false-negative results. Thus, previously tested immune sera that recognized the ELDKWA-epitope and demonstrated a “weak neutralization” of HIV-1 in TZM-bl assay should be reevaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Morozov
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Correspondence: (V.M.); (A.M.)
| | - Sylvie Lagaye
- Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), INSERM—UMR-S 938/Sorbonne Université, CEDEX 12, 75571 Paris, France;
| | - Alexey Morozov
- Laboratory of Regulation of Intracellular Proteolysis, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: (V.M.); (A.M.)
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5
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Marcelino R, Gramacho F, Martin F, Brogueira P, Janeiro N, Afonso C, Badura R, Valadas E, Mansinho K, Caldeira L, Taveira N, Marcelino JM. Antibody response against selected epitopes in the HIV-1 envelope gp41 ectodomain contributes to reduce viral burden in HIV-1 infected patients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8993. [PMID: 33903642 PMCID: PMC8076315 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88274-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The ectodomain of gp41 is the target of potent binding and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and is being explored in new strategies for antibody-based HIV vaccines. Previous studies have suggested that the W164A-3S (3S) and EC26-2A4 (EC26) peptides located in the gp41 ectodomain may be potential HIV vaccine candidates. We assessed 3S- and EC26-specific binding antibody responses and related neutralizing activity in a large panel of chronic HIV-1-infected Portuguese individuals on ART. A similar proportion of participants had antibodies binding to 3S (9.6%) and EC26 (9.9%) peptides but the level of reactivity against 3S was significantly higher compared to EC26, except in the rare patients with double peptide reactivity. The higher antigenicity of 3S was unrelated with disease stage, as assessed by CD4+ T cell counts, but it was directly related with plasma viral load. Most patients that were tested (89.9%, N = 268) showed tier 1 neutralizing activity, the potency being inversely associated with plasma viral load. In the subset of patients that were tested for neutralization of tier 2 isolates, neutralization breadth was inversely correlated with plasma viral load and directly correlated with CD4+ T cell counts. These results are consistent with a role for neutralizing antibodies in controlling viral replication and preventing the decline of CD4+ T lymphocytes. Importantly, in patients with 3S-specific antibodies, neutralizing titers were inversely correlated with viral RNA levels and proviral DNA levels. Moreover, patients with 3S and/or EC26-specific antibodies showed a 1.9-fold higher tier 2 neutralization score than patients without antibodies suggesting that 3S and/or EC26-specific antibodies contribute to neutralization breadth and potency in HIV-1 infected patients. Overall, these results suggest that antibodies targeting the S3 and EC26 epitopes may contribute to reduce viral burden and provide further support for the inclusion of 3S and EC26 epitopes in HIV-1 vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rute Marcelino
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine-GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical-IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa-UNL, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal.,Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511, Monte de Caparica, Portugal
| | - Filipa Gramacho
- Hospital de Santa Maria-HSM, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte-CHLN, E.P.E., Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francisco Martin
- Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pedro Brogueira
- Serviço de Doenças Infeciosas, Hospital Egas Moniz-HEM, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental-CHLO, E.P.E., Lisboa, 1349-019, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nuno Janeiro
- Hospital de Santa Maria-HSM, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte-CHLN, E.P.E., Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.,Clínica Universitária de Doenças Infeciosas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa-UL, Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Claudia Afonso
- Hospital de Santa Maria-HSM, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte-CHLN, E.P.E., Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.,Clínica Universitária de Doenças Infeciosas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa-UL, Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Robert Badura
- Hospital de Santa Maria-HSM, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte-CHLN, E.P.E., Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.,Clínica Universitária de Doenças Infeciosas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa-UL, Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Emília Valadas
- Hospital de Santa Maria-HSM, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte-CHLN, E.P.E., Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.,Clínica Universitária de Doenças Infeciosas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa-UL, Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Kamal Mansinho
- Serviço de Doenças Infeciosas, Hospital Egas Moniz-HEM, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental-CHLO, E.P.E., Lisboa, 1349-019, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luís Caldeira
- Hospital de Santa Maria-HSM, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte-CHLN, E.P.E., Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.,Clínica Universitária de Doenças Infeciosas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa-UL, Lisboa, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nuno Taveira
- Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal.,Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511, Monte de Caparica, Portugal
| | - José M Marcelino
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine-GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical-IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa-UNL, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal. .,Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal. .,Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511, Monte de Caparica, Portugal.
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6
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Selection and immune recognition of HIV-1 MPER mimotopes. Virology 2020; 550:99-108. [PMID: 32980676 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2020.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The membrane proximal external region (MPER) of HIV-1 gp41 is targeted by several neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and is of interest for vaccine design. In this study, we identified novel MPER peptide mimotopes and evaluated their reactivity with HIV + plasma antibodies to characterize the diversity of the immune responses to MPER during natural infection. We utilized phage display technology to generate novel mimotopes that fit antigen-binding sites of MPER NAbs 4E10, 2F5 and Z13. Plasma antibodies from 10 HIV + patients were mapped by phage immunoprecipitation, to identify unique patient MPER binding profiles that were distinct from, and overlapping with, those of MPER NAbs. 4E10 mimotope binding profiles correlated with plasma neutralization of HIV-2/HIV-1 MPER chimeric virus, and with overall plasma neutralization breadth and potency. When administered as vaccines, 4E10 mimotopes elicited low titer NAb responses in mice. HIV mimotopes may be useful for detailed analysis of plasma antibody specificity.
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7
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Pinto D, Fenwick C, Caillat C, Silacci C, Guseva S, Dehez F, Chipot C, Barbieri S, Minola A, Jarrossay D, Tomaras GD, Shen X, Riva A, Tarkowski M, Schwartz O, Bruel T, Dufloo J, Seaman MS, Montefiori DC, Lanzavecchia A, Corti D, Pantaleo G, Weissenhorn W. Structural Basis for Broad HIV-1 Neutralization by the MPER-Specific Human Broadly Neutralizing Antibody LN01. Cell Host Microbe 2019; 26:623-637.e8. [PMID: 31653484 PMCID: PMC6854463 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are the hallmark of HIV-1 protection by vaccination. The membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the HIV-1 gp41 fusion protein is targeted by the most broadly reactive HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies. Here, we examine the structural and molecular mechansims of neutralization by anti-MPER bnAb, LN01, which was isolated from lymph-node-derived germinal center B cells of an elite controller and exhibits broad neutralization breadth. LN01 engages both MPER and the transmembrane (TM) region, which together form a continuous helix in complex with LN01. The tilted TM orientation allows LN01 to interact simultaneously with the peptidic component of the MPER epitope and membrane via two specific lipid binding sites of the antibody paratope. Although LN01 carries a high load of somatic mutations, most key residues interacting with the MPER epitope and lipids are germline encoded, lending support for the LN01 epitope as a candidate for lineage-based vaccine development. bNAb LN01 neutralizes 92% of a 118-strain virus panel LN01 targets the HIV-1 gp41 MPER, the TM region, and lipids LN01-complexed MPER forms a continuous helix with TM Most LN01 paratope residues interacting with MPER-TM and lipids are germline encoded
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Pinto
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona 6500, Ticino, Switzerland
| | - Craig Fenwick
- Swiss Vaccine Research Institute, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Caillat
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Chiara Silacci
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona 6500, Ticino, Switzerland
| | - Serafima Guseva
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - François Dehez
- LPCT, UMR 7019 Université de Lorraine CNRS, 54500 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; Laboratoire International Associé CNRS and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, LPCT, UMR 7019 Universiteé de Lorraine CNRS, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy 54500, France
| | - Christophe Chipot
- LPCT, UMR 7019 Université de Lorraine CNRS, 54500 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; Laboratoire International Associé CNRS and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, LPCT, UMR 7019 Universiteé de Lorraine CNRS, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy 54500, France; Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sonia Barbieri
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona 6500, Ticino, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Minola
- Humabs Biomed SA, Vir Biotechnology, 6500 Bellinzona, Ticino, Switzerland
| | - David Jarrossay
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona 6500, Ticino, Switzerland
| | - Georgia D Tomaras
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Paris Diderot University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75013, France
| | | | - Agostino Riva
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, Università di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy; III Division of Infectious Diseases, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Maciej Tarkowski
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, Università di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Olivier Schwartz
- Institut Pasteur, Virus & Immunity Unit, CNRS UMR 3569, Paris 75015, France; Vaccine Research Institute, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Timothée Bruel
- Institut Pasteur, Virus & Immunity Unit, CNRS UMR 3569, Paris 75015, France; Vaccine Research Institute, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Jérémy Dufloo
- Institut Pasteur, Virus & Immunity Unit, CNRS UMR 3569, Paris 75015, France; Vaccine Research Institute, 94000 Créteil, France; Paris Diderot University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75013, France
| | - Michael S Seaman
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - David C Montefiori
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | | | - Davide Corti
- Humabs Biomed SA, Vir Biotechnology, 6500 Bellinzona, Ticino, Switzerland.
| | - Giuseppe Pantaleo
- Swiss Vaccine Research Institute, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Service of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Winfried Weissenhorn
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, 38000 Grenoble, France.
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8
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Structure of the membrane proximal external region of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E8892-E8899. [PMID: 30185554 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1807259115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) bears epitopes of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) from infected individuals; it is thus a potential vaccine target. We report an NMR structure of the MPER and its adjacent transmembrane domain in bicelles that mimic a lipid-bilayer membrane. The MPER lies largely outside the lipid bilayer. It folds into a threefold cluster, stabilized mainly by conserved hydrophobic residues and potentially by interaction with phospholipid headgroups. Antigenic analysis and comparison with published images from electron cryotomography of HIV-1 Env on the virion surface suggest that the structure may represent a prefusion conformation of the MPER, distinct from the fusion-intermediate state targeted by several well-studied bnAbs. Very slow bnAb binding indicates that infrequent fluctuations of the MPER structure give these antibodies occasional access to alternative conformations of MPER epitopes. Mutations in the MPER not only impede membrane fusion but also influence presentation of bnAb epitopes in other regions. These results suggest strategies for developing MPER-based vaccine candidates.
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Ajamian L, Melnychuk L, Jean-Pierre P, Zaharatos GJ. DNA Vaccine-Encoded Flagellin Can Be Used as an Adjuvant Scaffold to Augment HIV-1 gp41 Membrane Proximal External Region Immunogenicity. Viruses 2018; 10:E100. [PMID: 29495537 PMCID: PMC5869493 DOI: 10.3390/v10030100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Flagellin's potential as a vaccine adjuvant has been increasingly explored over the last three decades. Monomeric flagellin proteins are the only known agonists of Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). This interaction evokes a pro-inflammatory state that impacts upon both innate and adaptive immunity. While pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) like flagellin have been used as stand-alone adjuvants that are co-delivered with antigen, some investigators have demonstrated a distinct advantage to incorporating antigen epitopes within the structure of flagellin itself. This approach has been particularly effective in enhancing humoral immune responses. We sought to use flagellin as both scaffold and adjuvant for HIV gp41 with the aim of eliciting antibodies to the membrane proximal external region (MPER). Accordingly, we devised a straightforward step-wise approach to select flagellin-antigen fusion proteins for gene-based vaccine development. Using plasmid DNA vector-based expression in mammalian cells, we demonstrate robust expression of codon-optimized full length and hypervariable region-deleted constructs of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi flagellin (FliC). An HIV gp41 derived sequence including the MPER (gp41607-683) was incorporated into various positions of these constructs and the expressed fusion proteins were screened for effective secretion, TLR5 agonist activity and adequate MPER antigenicity. We show that incorporation of gp41607-683 into a FliC-based scaffold significantly augments gp41607-683 immunogenicity in a TLR5 dependent manner and elicits modest MPER-specific humoral responses in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Ajamian
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada.
| | - Luca Melnychuk
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada.
| | - Patrick Jean-Pierre
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
| | - Gerasimos J Zaharatos
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine & Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
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10
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Molinos-Albert LM, Clotet B, Blanco J, Carrillo J. Immunologic Insights on the Membrane Proximal External Region: A Major Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Vaccine Target. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1154. [PMID: 28970835 PMCID: PMC5609547 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) targeting conserved regions within the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env) can be generated by the human immune system and their elicitation by vaccination will be a key point to protect against the wide range of viral diversity. The membrane proximal external region (MPER) is a highly conserved region within the Env gp41 subunit, plays a major role in membrane fusion and is targeted by naturally induced bNAbs. Therefore, the MPER is considered as an attractive vaccine target. However, despite many attempts to design MPER-based immunogens, further study is still needed to understand its structural complexity, its amphiphilic feature, and its limited accessibility by steric hindrance. These particular features compromise the development of MPER-specific neutralizing responses during natural infection and limit the number of bNAbs isolated against this region, as compared with other HIV-1 vulnerability sites, and represent additional hurdles for immunogen development. Nevertheless, the analysis of MPER humoral responses elicited during natural infection as well as the MPER bNAbs isolated to date highlight that the human immune system is capable of generating MPER protective antibodies. Here, we discuss the recent advances describing the immunologic and biochemical features that make the MPER a unique HIV-1 vulnerability site, the different strategies to generate MPER-neutralizing antibodies in immunization protocols and point the importance of extending our knowledge toward new MPER epitopes by the isolation of novel monoclonal antibodies. This will be crucial for the redesign of immunogens able to skip non-neutralizing MPER determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Molinos-Albert
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bonaventura Clotet
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julià Blanco
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Carrillo
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
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11
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Cerutti N, Loredo-Varela JL, Caillat C, Weissenhorn W. Antigp41 membrane proximal external region antibodies and the art of using the membrane for neutralization. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2017; 12:250-256. [PMID: 28422789 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We summarize the latest research on the progress to understand the neutralizing epitopes present within the membrane proximal external region (MPER) of the HIV-1 fusion protein subunit gp41. RECENT FINDINGS The HIV-1 fusion protein subunit gp41 contains a highly conserved sequence that is essential for membrane fusion and targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies such as 2F5, 4E10, Z13e1, and 10E8. These antibodies recognize a linear gp41 epitope with high affinity, but require additional hydrophobic sequences present in their heavy chain CDR3 for neutralization. Recent structural studies on mAbs 4E10 and 10E8 provide molecular details for specific interactions with lipids and implicate part of the transmembrane region as the relevant 10E8 epitope. Although many different approaches have been applied to engineer gp41 immunogens that can induce broadly neutralizing antibodies directed toward MPER, only modest success has yet been reported. SUMMARY The new structural details on the complex gp41-lipidic epitope will spur new approaches to design gp41-MPER immunogens that might induce broadly neutralizing antibody responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichole Cerutti
- aUniversity Grenoble Alpes bCEA cCNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Grenoble, France
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12
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Melnychuk L, Ajamian L, Jean-Pierre P, Liang J, Gheorghe R, Wainberg MA, Zaharatos GJ. Development of a DNA vaccine expressing a secreted HIV-1 gp41 ectodomain that includes the membrane-proximal external region. Vaccine 2017; 35:2736-2744. [PMID: 28392143 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A limited number of sites on the HIV-1 Envelope protein are vulnerable to broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). One of these sites, the membrane proximal external region (MPER), is located at the C-terminus of the gp41 ectodomain (gp41ecto). This highly conserved sequence is bound by several well-characterized bnAbs. Efforts to produce a gp41 immunogen are in part hampered by the MPER's hydrophobicity and propensity to induce aggregation. We sought to produce a DNA vaccine expressing a gp41ecto that is both secreted from mammalian cells and maintains binding by bnAbs to the MPER. Through in silico analysis, we predicted regions of gp41ecto that could induce aggregation and possibly hinder secretion. We generated deletion mutants of gp41ecto and tested their ability to be secreted by mammalian cells. Upon deletion of regions in either the fusion peptide (FP) or MPER, secretion of the gp41ecto increased. In an effort to both augment secretion and maintain binding by bnAbs, we developed constructs with the FP deletion and introduced point mutations in the MPER. Two constructs (gp41 ΔFP and gp41 ΔFP+I682E) maintained binding by gp41 MPER-specific bnAbs (4E10, Z13e1 and 10E8). These were evaluated as DNA vaccines in a mouse model. Both vaccines proved to be immunogenic and appeared to elicit some MPER-specific antibodies that bound gp41 ectodomain-derived proteins but not short peptides spanning the MPER. No neutralizing capacity was detected against a clade C virus containing a homologous MPER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Melnychuk
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Lara Ajamian
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Jiaming Liang
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Romina Gheorghe
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Mark A Wainberg
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gerasimos J Zaharatos
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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13
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Mühle M, Bleiholder A, Löchelt M, Denner J. Epitope Mapping of the Antibody Response Against the Envelope Proteins of the Feline Foamy Virus. Viral Immunol 2017; 30:388-395. [PMID: 28355125 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2016.0156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Foamy viruses (FV) are retroviruses that infect several species without pathological signs, but induce substantial antibody responses in the infected host. In the case of feline FV (FFV), antibodies against Gag, Bet, and Env have been used to indicate infection; however, it is unclear whether the response to specific epitopes correlates with immunity. Here, we investigated the epitope specificity of antibodies targeting the Env protein using peptide microarrays. Sera from naturally and experimentally FFV-infected cats and pumas and from rats immunized with FFV Env expression plasmids were analyzed. An immunodominant epitope was identified in the Env leader protein (Elp), and a strong reactivity to two epitope clusters in the transmembrane (TM) subunit of Env was observed. Moreover, a short stretch of residues in the C-terminal part of the surface (SU) protein was found to be significantly associated with FFV serotype FUV-mediated neutralization. Taken together, our results add a new level of detail on the B cell epitope repertoire induced during FFV infection. Furthermore, our results provide a basis for current attempts to modify FV vectors to express and present vaccine epitopes for the directed induction of humoral immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne Bleiholder
- 2 German Cancer Research Center , Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Löchelt
- 2 German Cancer Research Center , Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, Heidelberg, Germany
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14
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Proteoliposomal formulations of an HIV-1 gp41-based miniprotein elicit a lipid-dependent immunodominant response overlapping the 2F5 binding motif. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40800. [PMID: 28084464 PMCID: PMC5234007 DOI: 10.1038/srep40800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 gp41 Membrane Proximal External Region (MPER) is recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies and represents a promising vaccine target. However, MPER immunogenicity and antibody activity are influenced by membrane lipids. To evaluate lipid modulation of MPER immunogenicity, we generated a 1-Palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC)-based proteoliposome collection containing combinations of phosphatidylserine (PS), GM3 ganglioside, cholesterol (CHOL), sphingomyelin (SM) and the TLR4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA). A recombinant gp41-derived miniprotein (gp41-MinTT) exposing the MPER and a tetanus toxoid (TT) peptide that favors MHC-II presentation, was successfully incorporated into lipid mixtures (>85%). Immunization of mice with soluble gp41-MinTT exclusively induced responses against the TT peptide, while POPC proteoliposomes generated potent anti-gp41 IgG responses using lower protein doses. The combined addition of PS and GM3 or CHOL/SM to POPC liposomes greatly increased gp41 immunogenicity, which was further enhanced by the addition of MPLA. Responses generated by all proteoliposomes targeted the N-terminal moiety of MPER overlapping the 2F5 neutralizing epitope. Our data show that lipids impact both, the epitope targeted and the magnitude of the response to membrane-dependent antigens, helping to improve MPER-based lipid carriers. Moreover, the identification of immunodominant epitopes allows for the redesign of immunogens targeting MPER neutralizing determinants.
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15
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Generation of Long-Lived Bone Marrow Plasma Cells Secreting Antibodies Specific for the HIV-1 gp41 Membrane-Proximal External Region in the Absence of Polyreactivity. J Virol 2016; 90:8875-90. [PMID: 27466419 PMCID: PMC5021391 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01089-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED An effective preventive vaccine is highly sought after in order to stem the current HIV-1 pandemic. Both conservation of contiguous gp41 membrane-proximal external region (MPER) amino acid sequences across HIV-1 clades and the ability of anti-MPER broadly neutralizing antibodies (BNAbs) to block viral hemifusion/fusion establish the MPER as a prime vaccination target. In earlier studies, we described the development of an MPER vaccine formulation that takes advantage of liposomes to array the MPER on a lipid bilayer surface, paralleling its native configuration on the virus membrane while also incorporating molecular adjuvant and CD4 T cell epitope cargo. Here we demonstrate that several immunizations with MPER/liposomes induce high levels of bone marrow long-lived plasma cell (LLPC) antibody production. Single-cell immunoglobulin gene retrieval analysis shows that these plasma cells are derived from a germ line repertoire of B cells with a diverse representation of immunoglobulin genes, exhibiting antigen-driven positive selection. Characterization of LLPC recombinant monoclonal antibodies (rMAbs) indicates that antigen recognition is achieved through convergence on a common epitopic focus by utilizing various complementarity-determining region H3 (CDRH3) lengths. Importantly, the vast majority of rMAbs produced from these cells lack polyreactivity yet manifest antigen specificity in the context of lipids, shaping MPER-specific paratopes through selective pressure. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the MPER is a vaccine target with minimal risk of generating off-target autoimmunity. IMPORTANCE A useful vaccine must generate desired long-term, antigen-specific antibody responses devoid of polyreactivity or autoreactivity. The common polyreactive features of some HIV-1 BNAbs have raised concern about elicitation of anti-MPER antibodies. Utilizing single-LLPC repertoire analysis and biophysical characterization of anti-MPER rMAbs, we show that their fine specificities require a structural fitness of the antibody combining site involving heavy and light chain variable domains shaped by somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation of B cells in the germinal center. Perhaps more importantly, our results demonstrate that the majority of MPER-specific antibodies are not inherently polyspecific and/or autoreactive, suggesting that polyreactivity of MPER-specific antibodies is separable from their antigen specificity.
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16
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Reichart TM, Baksh MM, Rhee JK, Fiedler JD, Sligar SG, Finn MG, Zwick MB, Dawson PE. Trimerization of the HIV Transmembrane Domain in Lipid Bilayers Modulates Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Binding. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201508421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M. Reichart
- Department of Chemistry; The Scripps Research Institute; 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
| | - Michael M. Baksh
- Department of Chemistry; The Scripps Research Institute; 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry; Georgia Institute of Technology; 901 Atlantic Drive Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Jin-Kyu Rhee
- Department of Food Science and Engineering; Ewha Womans University; Seoul 03760 Korea
| | - Jason D. Fiedler
- Department of Chemistry; The Scripps Research Institute; 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
| | - Stephen G. Sligar
- Department of Biochemistry; University of Illinois; Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - M. G. Finn
- Department of Chemistry; The Scripps Research Institute; 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry; Georgia Institute of Technology; 901 Atlantic Drive Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Michael B. Zwick
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science; The Scripps Research Institute; 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA USA
| | - Philip E. Dawson
- Department of Chemistry; The Scripps Research Institute; 10550 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
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Reichart TM, Baksh MM, Rhee JK, Fiedler JD, Sligar SG, Finn MG, Zwick MB, Dawson PE. Trimerization of the HIV Transmembrane Domain in Lipid Bilayers Modulates Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Binding. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016; 55:2688-92. [PMID: 26799917 PMCID: PMC5405556 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201508421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of HIV gp41 is an established target of antibodies that neutralize a broad range of HIV isolates. To evaluate the role of the transmembrane (TM) domain, synthetic MPER-derived peptides were incorporated into lipid nanoparticles using natural and designed TM domains, and antibody affinity was measured using immobilized and solution-based techniques. Peptides incorporating the native HIV TM domain exhibit significantly stronger interactions with neutralizing antibodies than peptides with a monomeric TM domain. Furthermore, a peptide with a trimeric, three-helix bundle TM domain recapitulates the binding profile of the native sequence. These studies suggest that neutralizing antibodies can bind the MPER when the TM domain is a three-helix bundle and this presentation could influence the binding of neutralizing antibodies to the virus. Lipid-bilayer presentation of viral antigens in Nanodiscs is a new platform for evaluating neutralizing antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Reichart
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael M Baksh
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Jin-Kyu Rhee
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Korea
| | - Jason D Fiedler
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Stephen G Sligar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - M G Finn
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Michael B Zwick
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Philip E Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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18
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Anti-V3/Glycan and Anti-MPER Neutralizing Antibodies, but Not Anti-V2/Glycan Site Antibodies, Are Strongly Associated with Greater Anti-HIV-1 Neutralization Breadth and Potency. J Virol 2015; 89:5264-75. [PMID: 25673728 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00129-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The membrane-proximal external region (MPER), the V2/glycan site (initially defined by PG9 and PG16 antibodies), and the V3/glycans (initially defined by PGT121-128 antibodies) are targets of broadly neutralizing antibodies and potential targets for anti-HIV-1 antibody-based vaccines. Recent evidence shows that antibodies with moderate neutralization breadth are frequently attainable, with 50% of sera from chronically infected individuals neutralizing ≥ 50% of a large, diverse set of viruses. Nonetheless, there is little systematic information addressing which specificities are preferentially targeted among such commonly found, moderately broadly neutralizing sera. We explored associations between neutralization breadth and potency and the presence of neutralizing antibodies targeting the MPER, V2/glycan site, and V3/glycans in sera from 177 antiretroviral-naive HIV-1-infected (>1 year) individuals. Recognition of both MPER and V3/glycans was associated with increased breadth and potency. MPER-recognizing sera neutralized 4.62 more panel viruses than MPER-negative sera (95% prediction interval [95% PI], 4.41 to 5.20), and V3/glycan-recognizing sera neutralized 3.24 more panel viruses than V3/glycan-negative sera (95% PI, 3.15 to 3.52). In contrast, V2/glycan site-recognizing sera neutralized only 0.38 more panel viruses (95% PI, 0.20 to 0.45) than V2/glycan site-negative sera and no association between V2/glycan site recognition and breadth or potency was observed. Despite autoreactivity of many neutralizing antibodies recognizing MPER and V3/glycans, antibodies to these sites are major contributors to neutralization breadth and potency in this cohort. It may therefore be appropriate to focus on developing immunogens based upon the MPER and V3/glycans. IMPORTANCE Previous candidate HIV vaccines have failed either to induce wide-coverage neutralizing antibodies or to substantially protect vaccinees. Therefore, current efforts focus on novel approaches never before successfully used in vaccine design, including modeling epitopes. Candidate immunogen models identified by broadly neutralizing antibodies include the membrane-proximal external region (MPER), V3/glycans, and the V2/glycan site. Autoreactivity and polyreactivity of anti-MPER and anti-V3/glycan antibodies are thought to pose both direct and indirect barriers to achieving neutralization breadth. We found that antibodies to the MPER and the V3/glycans contribute substantially to neutralization breadth and potency. In contrast, antibodies to the V2/glycan site were not associated with neutralization breadth/potency. This suggests that the autoreactivity effect is not critical and that the MPER and the V3/glycans should remain high-priority vaccine candidates. The V2/glycan site result is surprising because broadly neutralizing antibodies to this site have been repeatedly observed. Vaccine design priorities should shift toward the MPER and V3/glycans.
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19
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Drift of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 toward increased neutralization resistance over the course of the epidemic: a comprehensive study using the most potent and broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. J Virol 2014; 88:13910-7. [PMID: 25231299 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02083-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Extending our previous analyses to the most recently described monoclonal broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), we confirmed a drift of HIV-1 clade B variants over 2 decades toward higher resistance to bNAbs targeting almost all the identified gp120-neutralizing epitopes. In contrast, the sensitivity to bNAbs targeting the gp41 membrane-proximal external region remained stable, suggesting a selective pressure on gp120 preferentially. Despite this evolution, selected combinations of bNAbs remain capable of neutralizing efficiently most of the circulating variants.
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