scholarly journals Chromatin maturation of the HIV-1 provirus in primary resting CD4+ T cells

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgitta Lindqvist ◽  
Sara Svensson Akusjarvi ◽  
Anders Sonnerborg ◽  
Marios Dimitriou ◽  
J. Peter Svensson

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is a chronic condition, where viral DNA integrates into the genome. Latently infected cells form a persistent, heterogeneous reservoir. The reservoir that reinstates an active replication comprises only cells with intact provirus that can be reactivated. We confirmed that latently infected cells from patients exhibited active transcription throughout the provirus. To find transcriptional determinants, we characterized the establishment and maintenance of viral latency during proviral chromatin maturation in cultures of primary CD4+ T-cells for four months after ex vivo HIV-1 infection. As heterochromatin (marked with H3K9me3 or H3K27me3) gradually stabilized, the provirus became less accessible with reduced activation potential. In a subset of infected cells, active marks (i.e., H3K27ac) remained detectable, even after prolonged proviral silencing. After T-cell activation, the proviral activation occurred uniquely in cells with H3K27ac-marked proviruses. Our observations suggested that, after transient proviral activation, cells were actively returned to latency.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Vollbrecht ◽  
Aaron O. Angerstein ◽  
Bryson Menke ◽  
Nikesh M. Kumar ◽  
Michelli Faria Oliveira ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundA reservoir of replication-competent but latent virus is the main obstacle to a cure for HIV-infection. Much of this reservoir resides in memory CD4 T cells. We hypothesized that these cells can be reactivated with antigens from HIV and other common pathogens to reverse latency. ResultsWe obtained mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of antiretroviral-treated patients with suppressed viremia. We tested pools of peptides and proteins derived from HIV and from other pathogens including CMV for their ability to reverse latency ex vivo by activation of memory responses. We assessed activation of the CD4 T cells by measuring the up-regulation of cell-surface CD69. We assessed HIV-expression using two assays: a real-time PCR assay for virion-associated viral RNA and a droplet digital PCR assay for cell-associated, multiply spliced viral mRNA. Reversal of latency occurred in a minority of cells from some participants, but no single antigen induced HIV-expression ex vivo consistently. When reversal of latency was induced by a specific peptide pool or protein, the extent was proportionally greater than that of T cell activation. ConclusionsIn this group of patients in whom antiretroviral therapy was started during chronic infection, the latent reservoir does not appear to consistently reside in CD4 T cells of a predominant antigen-specificity. Peptide-antigens reversed HIV-latency ex vivo with modest and variable activity. When latency was reversed by specific peptides or proteins, it was proportionally greater than the extent of T cell activation, suggesting partial enrichment of the latent reservoir in cells of specific antigen-reactivity.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mateusz Stoszko ◽  
Abdullah M.S. Al-Hatmi ◽  
Anton Skriba ◽  
Michael Roling ◽  
Enrico Ne ◽  
...  

AbstractA leading pharmacological strategy towards HIV cure requires “shock” or activation of HIV gene expression in latently infected cells with Latency Reversal Agents (LRAs) followed by their subsequent clearance. In a screen for novel LRAs we used fungal secondary metabolites (extrolites) as a source of bio-active molecules. Using orthogonal mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to latency reversal bioassays, we identified gliotoxin (GTX) as a novel LRA. GTX significantly induced HIV-1 gene expression in latent ex vivo infected primary cells and in CD4+ T cells from all aviremic HIV-1+ participants. RNA sequencing identified 7SK RNA, the scaffold of the P-TEFb inhibitory 7SK snRNP complex to be significantly reduced upon GTX treatment of independent donor CD4+T cells. GTX disrupted 7SK snRNP, releasing active P-TEFb, which then phosphorylated RNA Pol II CTD, inducing HIV transcription. Our data highlight the power of combining a medium throughput bioassay, mycology and orthogonal mass spectrometry to identify novel potentially therapeutic compounds.


1993 ◽  
Vol 90 (23) ◽  
pp. 11094-11098 ◽  
Author(s):  
O K Haffar ◽  
M D Smithgall ◽  
J Bradshaw ◽  
B Brady ◽  
N K Damle ◽  
...  

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) requires T-cell activation. Recent studies have shown that interactions of the T-lymphocyte receptors CD28 and CTLA-4 with their counter receptor, B7, on antigen-presenting cells are required for optimal T-cell activation. Here we show that HIV-1 infection is associated with decreased expression of CD28 and increased expression of B7 on CD4+ T-cell lines generated from seropositive donors by alloantigen stimulation. Loss of CD28 expression was not seen on CD4+ T-cell lines from seronegative donors, but up-regulation of B7 expression was observed upon more prolonged culture. Both T-cell proliferation and interleukin 2 mRNA accumulation in HIV-1-infected cultures required costimulation with exogenous B7 because these events were blocked by CTLA4Ig, a soluble form of CTLA-4 that binds B7 with high avidity. In contrast, levels of HIV-1 RNA were not affected by CTLA4Ig, indicating that regulation of virus transcription in these cultures did not depend upon CD28-B7 engagement. Infected T cells could present alloantigen to fresh, uninfected CD4+ T cells, leading to increased proliferation and virus spread to the activated cells. Both of these events were blocked by CTLA4Ig. Thus, chronic activation of HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells reduces expression of CD28 and increases expression of B7, thereby enabling these T cells to become antigen-presenting cells for uninfected CD4+ T cells; this might be another mechanism for HIV-1 transmission via T-cell-T-cell contact.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Vollbrecht ◽  
Aaron O. Angerstein ◽  
Bryson Menke ◽  
Nikesh M. Kumar ◽  
Michelli Faria Oliveira ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundA reservoir of replication-competent but latent virus is the main obstacle to a cure for HIV-1 infection. Much of this reservoir resides in memory CD4 T cells. We hypothesized that these cells can be reactivated with antigens from HIV-1 and other common pathogens to reverse latency. ResultsWe obtained mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of antiretroviral-treated patients with suppressed viremia. We tested pools of peptides and proteins derived from HIV-1 and from other pathogens including CMV for their ability to reverse latency ex vivo by activation of memory responses. We assessed activation of the CD4 T cells by measuring the up-regulation of cell-surface CD69. We assessed HIV-1 expression using two assays: a real-time PCR assay for virion-associated viral RNA and a droplet digital PCR assay for cell-associated, multiply spliced viral mRNA. Reversal of latency occurred in a minority of cells from some participants, but no single antigen induced HIV-1 expression ex vivo consistently. When reversal of latency was induced by a specific peptide pool or protein, the extent was proportionally greater than that of T cell activation. ConclusionsIn this group of patients in whom antiretroviral therapy was started during chronic infection, the latent reservoir does not appear to consistently reside in CD4 T cells of a predominant antigen-specificity. Peptide-antigens reversed HIV-1 latency ex vivo with modest and variable activity. When latency was reversed by specific peptides or proteins, it was proportionally greater than the extent of T cell activation, suggesting partial enrichment of the latent reservoir in cells of specific antigen-reactivity.


Retrovirology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Vollbrecht ◽  
Aaron O. Angerstein ◽  
Bryson Menke ◽  
Nikesh M. Kumar ◽  
Michelli Faria de Oliveira ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A reservoir of replication-competent but latent virus is the main obstacle to a cure for HIV-1 infection. Much of this reservoir resides in memory CD4 T cells. We hypothesized that these cells can be reactivated with antigens from HIV-1 and other common pathogens to reverse latency. Results We obtained mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of antiretroviral-treated patients with suppressed viremia. We tested pools of peptides and proteins derived from HIV-1 and from other pathogens including CMV for their ability to reverse latency ex vivo by activation of memory responses. We assessed activation of the CD4 T cells by measuring the up-regulation of cell-surface CD69. We assessed HIV-1 expression using two assays: a real-time PCR assay for virion-associated viral RNA and a droplet digital PCR assay for cell-associated, multiply spliced viral mRNA. Reversal of latency occurred in a minority of cells from some participants, but no single antigen induced HIV-1 expression ex vivo consistently. When reversal of latency was induced by a specific peptide pool or protein, the extent was proportionally greater than that of T cell activation. Conclusions In this group of patients in whom antiretroviral therapy was started during chronic infection, the latent reservoir does not appear to consistently reside in CD4 T cells of a predominant antigen-specificity. Peptide-antigens reversed HIV-1 latency ex vivo with modest and variable activity. When latency was reversed by specific peptides or proteins, it was proportionally greater than the extent of T cell activation, suggesting partial enrichment of the latent reservoir in cells of specific antigen-reactivity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siqin Duan ◽  
Xinfeng Xu ◽  
Jinshen Wang ◽  
Liwen Huang ◽  
Jie Peng ◽  
...  

The complete eradication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is blocked by latent reservoirs in CD4 + T cells and myeloid lineage cells. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) can induce the reversal of HIV-1 latency and trigger the innate immune response. To the best of our knowledge, there is little evidence show the “killing” effect of TLR1/2 agonists but only with a small “shock” potential. To identify a new approach for eradicating the HIV latent reservoir, we evaluated the effectiveness of SMU-Z1, a novel TLR1/2 small molecule agonist, in the “shock and kill” strategy. The results showed that SMU-Z1 can not only enhance latent HIV-1 transcription in ex vivo peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from aviremic HIV-1-infected donors receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) but also in cells of myeloid-monocytic origin in vitro targeting the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Interestingly, activation marker CD69 was significantly upregulated in NK cells, B cells, and monocytes 48 hours after SMU-Z1 treatment. Furthermore, SMU-Z1 was able to activate T cells without global T cell activation, as well as increase NK cell degranulation and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production which further block HIV-1-infected CD4 lymphocytes. In summary, the present study found that SMU-Z1 can both enhance HIV-1 transcription and promote NK cell-mediated inhibition of HIV-1-infected autologous CD4 + T cells. These findings indicate that novel TLR1/2 agonist SMU-Z1 is a promising latency-reversing agent (LRA) for eradication of HIV-1 reservoirs. IMPORTANCE Multiple in vivo studies have shown that many LRAs implemented in the “shock and kill” approach could activate viral transcription but could not induce “killing” effectively. Therefore, a dual function LRA is needed for elimination of HIV-1 reservoirs. We previously developed a small molecule TLR1/2 agonist, SMU-Z1, and demonstrated that it could upregulate NK cells and CD8 + T cells with immune adjuvant and anti-tumor properties in vivo . In the present study, SMU-Z1 can activate innate immune cells without global T cell activation, induce production of proinflammatory and antiviral cytokines, and enhance the cytotoxic function of NK cells. We showed that SMU-Z1 displayed dual potential ex vivo in the “shock” of exposure of HIV-1 latently infected cells and in the “kill” of clearance of infected cells, which is critical for effective use in combination with therapeutic vaccines or broadly neutralizing antibody treatments aimed at curing AIDS.


Author(s):  
Alyssa R Martin ◽  
Alexandra M Bender ◽  
Jada Hackman ◽  
Kyungyoon J Kwon ◽  
Briana A Lynch ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The HIV-1 latent reservoir (LR) in resting CD4 + T cells is a barrier to cure. LR measurements are commonly performed on blood samples and therefore may miss latently infected cells residing in tissues, including lymph nodes. Methods We determined the frequency of intact HIV-1 proviruses and proviral inducibility in matched peripheral blood (PB) and lymph node (LN) samples from ten HIV-1-infected patients on ART using the intact proviral DNA assay and a novel quantitative viral induction assay. Prominent viral sequences from induced viral RNA were characterized using a next-generation sequencing assay. Results The frequencies of CD4 + T cells with intact proviruses were not significantly different in PB vs LN (61vs104/10 6CD4 + cells), and were substantially lower than frequencies of CD4 + T cells with defective proviruses. The frequencies of CD4 + T cells induced to produce high levels of viral RNA were not significantly different in PB vs LN (4.3/10 6 vs 7.9/10 6), but were 14-fold lower than the frequencies of cells with intact proviruses. Sequencing of HIV-1 RNA from induced proviruses revealed comparable sequences in paired PB and LN samples. Conclusions These results further support the use of PB as an appropriate proxy for the HIV-1 LR in secondary lymphoid organs


2008 ◽  
Vol 364 (1517) ◽  
pp. 689-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Lin Chiu ◽  
Warner C Greene

The intrinsic antiretroviral factor APOBEC3G (A3G) is highly active against HIV-1 and other retroviruses. In different cell types, A3G is expressed in high-molecular-mass (HMM) RNA–protein complexes or low-molecular-mass (LMM) forms displaying different biological activities. In resting CD4 T cells, a LMM form of A3G potently restricts HIV-1 infection soon after virion entry. However, when T cells are activated, LMM A3G is recruited into HMM complexes that include Staufen-containing RNA granules. These complexes are probably nucleated by the induced expression of Alu/hY retroelement RNAs that accompany T-cell activation. HMM A3G sequesters these retroelement RNAs away from the nuclear long interspersed nuclear element-derived enzymes required for Alu/hY retrotransposition. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exploits this ‘window of opportunity’ provided by the loss of LMM A3G in activated CD4 T cells to productively infect these cells. During HIV virion formation, newly synthesized LMM A3G is preferentially encapsidated but only under conditions where Vif is absent and thus not able to target A3G for proteasome-mediated degradation. Together, these findings highlight the discrete functions of the different forms of A3G. LMM A3G opposes the external threat posed by exogenous retroviruses, while HMM A3G complexes oppose the internal threat posed by the retrotransposition of select types of retroelements.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (13) ◽  
pp. 4161-4164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suha Saleh ◽  
Ajantha Solomon ◽  
Fiona Wightman ◽  
Miranda Xhilaga ◽  
Paul U. Cameron ◽  
...  

Latent HIV-1 infection of resting memory CD4+ T cells represents the major barrier to HIV-1 eradication. To determine whether the CCR7 ligands involved in lymphocyte migration can alter HIV-1 infection of resting CD4+ T cells, we infected purified resting CD4+ T cells after incubation with the chemokines CCL19 and CCL21. Incubation with CCL19 or CCL21 did not alter markers of T-cell activation or proliferation. However, after HIV-1 infection of CCL19- or CCL21-treated CD4+ T-cells, we observed low-level HIV-1 production but high concentrations of integrated HIV-1 DNA, approaching that seen in mitogen-stimulated T-cell blasts. Restimulation of CCL19-treated infected CD4+ T cells resulted in virus production consistent with establishment of postintegration latency. CCR7 ligands facilitate efficient entry of HIV-1 into resting CD4+ T cells. These studies demonstrate a unique action of the chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 and provide a novel model with which to study HIV-1 latency in vitro.


2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (22) ◽  
pp. 11284-11293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Sun ◽  
Dhohyung Kim ◽  
Xiaodong Li ◽  
Maja Kiselinova ◽  
Zhengyu Ouyang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe ability to persist long term in latently infected CD4 T cells represents a characteristic feature of HIV-1 infection and the predominant barrier to efforts aiming at viral eradication and cure. Yet, increasing evidence suggests that only small subsets of CD4 T cells with specific developmental and maturational profiles are able to effectively support HIV-1 long-term persistence. Here, we analyzed how the functional polarization of CD4 T cells shapes and structures the reservoirs of HIV-1-infected cells. We found that CD4 T cells enriched for a Th1/17 polarization had elevated susceptibilities to HIV-1 infection inex vivoassays, harbored high levels of HIV-1 DNA in persons treated with antiretroviral therapy, and made a disproportionately increased contribution to the viral reservoir relative to their contribution to the CD4 T memory cell pool. Moreover, HIV-1 DNA levels in Th1/17 cells remained stable over many years of antiretroviral therapy, resulting in a progressively increasing contribution of these cells to the viral reservoir, and phylogenetic studies suggested preferential long-term persistence of identical viral sequences during prolonged antiretroviral treatment in this cell compartment. Together, these data suggest that Th1/17 CD4 T cells represent a preferred site for HIV-1 DNA long-term persistence in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.IMPORTANCECurrent antiretroviral therapy is very effective in suppressing active HIV-1 replication but does not fully eliminate virally infected cells. The ability of HIV-1 to persist long term despite suppressive antiretroviral combination therapy represents a perplexing aspect of HIV-1 disease pathogenesis, since most HIV-1 target cells are activated, short-lived CD4 T cells. This study suggests that CD4 T helper cells with Th1/17 polarization have a preferential role as a long-term reservoir for HIV-1 infection during antiretroviral therapy, possibly because these cells may imitate some of the functional properties traditionally attributed to stem cells, such as the ability to persist for extremely long periods of time and to repopulate their own pool size through homeostatic self-renewal. These observations support the hypothesis that HIV-1 persistence is driven by small subsets of long-lasting stem cell-like CD4 T cells that may represent particularly promising targets for clinical strategies aiming at HIV-1 eradication and cure.


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