Mechanisms of Viral Escape from Neutralizing Antibodies during Subtype C HIV- 1 Infection 公开

Lynch, Rebecca Marie (2010)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/t722h911r?locale=zh
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Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) group M is responsible for the
current AIDS pandemic and exhibits exceedingly high levels of viral genetic
diversity around the world. This diversity reflects the remarkable ability of the
virus to adapt to selective pressures, the bulk of which is applied by the host
immune response, and represents an obstacle for developing a vaccine capable of
broad coverage. Studying how the virus escapes this immune pressure at both a
population as well as an individual level will ultimately aid in vaccine design. The
V3 region of the HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein gp120 is a key functional
domain yet it exhibits distinct mutational patterns across subtypes. Here an
invariant residue in V3 (Ile 309) is replaced with Leu in subtype C patient-
derived Envs. The results demonstrate that conservation of Ile 309 preserves a
V3-mediated masking function that occludes the CD4 binding site, revealing a
novel immune evasion strategy that subtype C HIV-1 uses to protect this immune
target. Within individual subjects, however, the virus can elicit diverse
neutralizing antibody (Nab) responses, leading to different escape pathways. In
order to elucidate this process in more detail, the early Nab response in a
Zambian seroconverter is characterized for the first time at the autologous
monoclonal antibody (Mab) level. Here five Mabs are described, and autologous
neutralization by Mabs representative of three distinct B-cell clones are mapped
to two residues (134 in V1 and 189 in V2). Mutational analysis reveals cooperative
effects between glycans and residues at these two positions, arguing that they
contribute to a single novel epitope. Further data demonstrates that although
independent B cells in this subject repeatedly target a single structure in V1V2,
this pressure is escaped by a single residue change with no demonstrable effect
on replication. Together this thesis suggests that subtype C HIV-1 can evade the
potent but limited humoral immune response using both sequence variation and
conservation, and thus I would propose that a successful vaccine might need to
expand the narrow response of natural infection by targeting multiple domains of
gp120 in order to achieve ultimate effectiveness.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents


Chapter One: Thesis Introduction 1


Origins of HIV 1


HIV Diversity 2


Function and structure of HIV Envelope 3


Subtype-specific Nab responses during HIV-1 infection 6


Targets of Nabs and subsequent viral escape 8


Consequences of viral escape 11


Summary 13


Chapter Two: Subtype-specific Conservation of Isoleucine 309 in the


Envelope V3 Domain is Linked to Immune Evasion in Subtype C


HIV-1 Infection 15


I. Abstract 15


II. Introduction 16


III. Materials and Methods 18


Env clones 18


PCR-based site mutagenesis 18


Virus neutralization and inhibition assays 20


Replication in CD4 and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) using an


NL4.3 proviral cassette 20


Receptor-dependent pseudovirus entry assay 22


Statistical analysis 22


IV. Results 23


I309L was created in a representative panel of diverse subtype C Envs 23


The I309L mutation does not decrease replication in primary CD4 T cells 26


The I309L mutation leads to a moderate enhancement of replication in


monocyte-derived macrophages 29


The I309L mutation confers increased entry into a cell line expressing low


CD4 32


The I309L mutation confers increased sensitivity to sCD4 35


The I309L mutation moderately increased sensitivity to monoclonal antibodies


directed against V3 and a CD4-induced epitope 38


V. Discussion 43


Replication is not dependent on conservation of I309 43


Conservation of I309 prevents exposure of neutralization targets 44


V3-mediated masking of the CD4 binding site 45


VI. Acknowledgements 50


VII. Contributors 51


Chapter Three: The B cell response is redundant and highly focused


on V1V2 during early subtype C infection in a Zambian


seroconverter 52


I. Abstract 52


II. Introduction 53


III. Materials and Methods 56


Env clones 56


PCR-based site mutagenesis and virus preparation 56


Generation of human monoclonal antibodies 58


Screening ELISA for Mabs 58


Neutralization Screening Assay for Mabs 59


Pseudovirus inhibition assays 59


Homology modeling of residues 134 and 189 in the V1V2 domain 60


Replication in CD4+ cells using an NL4.3 proviral cassette 60


IV. Results 62


Characterization of monoclonal antibodies isolated from a subtype C infected patient


and selected for neutralization activity against the founder Env 62


The monoclonal antibodies likely arose before eight months


post-seroconversion 66


Glycosylation in V1 can confer sensitivity to monoclonal antibodies 68


Amino acid sequence rather than glycosylation status in V2 defines neutralization


sensitivity to Mabs 71


Residues 134 and 189 may contribute to a single epitope near the V1V2 stem 74


Amino acid changes at residues 134 and 189 do not overtly affect replication fitness in


vitro 76


V. Discussion 79


By 8-months post-seroconversion, multiple B-cell clones produced somatic variations


of antibodies that neutralize the virus 79


Mutational analysis reveals that residues 134 and 189 contribute to a novel epitope


near the V1V2 stem 80


Glycosylation plays varying roles in neutralization during early infection 81


Replication kinetics of neutralization resistant Envs is similar to neutralization


sensitive Envs 82


VI. Acknowledgements 86


VII. Contributors 87


Chapter Four: Thesis Discussion 88


Conclusion 96


Bibliography 98

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