Andrea Cimarelli

Basic Residues in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Nucleocapsid Promote Virion Assembly via Interaction with RNA

ABSTRACT Retroviral Gag polyproteins drive virion assembly by polymerizing to form a spherical shell that lines the inner membrane of nascent virions. Deletion of the nucleocapsid (NC) domain of the Gag polyprotein disrupts assembly, presumably because NC is required for polymerization. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 NC possesses two zinc finger motifs that are required for specific recognition and packaging of viral genomic RNA. Though essential, zinc fingers and genomic RNA are not required for virion assembly. NC promiscuously associates with cellular RNAs, many of which are incorporated into virions. It has been hypothesized that Gag polymerization and virion assembly are promoted by nonspecific interaction of NC with RNA. Consistent with this model, we found an inverse relationship between the number of NC basic residues replaced with alanine and NCs nonspecific RNA-binding activity, Gags ability to polymerize in vitro and in vivo, and Gags capacity to assemble virions. In contrast, mutation of NCs zinc fingers had only minor effects on these properties.

SIVSM/HIV-2 Vpx proteins promote retroviral escape from a proteasome-dependent restriction pathway present in human dendritic cells

BackgroundVpx is a non-structural protein coded by members of the SIVSM/HIV-2 lineage that is believed to have originated by duplication of the common vpr gene present in primate lentiviruses. Vpx is incorporated into virion particles and is thus present during the early steps of viral infection, where it is thought to drive nuclear import of viral nucleoprotein complexes. We have previously shown that Vpx is required for SIVMAC-derived lentiviral vectors (LVs) infection of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). However, since the requirement for Vpx is specific for DCs and not for other non-dividing cell types, this suggests that Vpx may play a role other than nuclear import.ResultsHere, we show that the function of Vpx in the infection of DCs is conserved exclusively within the SIVSM/HIV-2 lineage. At a molecular level, Vpx acts by promoting the accumulation of full length viral DNA. Furthermore, when supplied in target cells prior to infection, Vpx exerts a similar effect following infection of DCs with retroviruses as divergent as primate and feline lentiviruses and gammaretroviruses. Lastly, the effect of Vpx overlaps with that of the proteasome inhibitor MG132 in DCs.ConclusionOverall, our results support the notion that Vpx modifies the intracellular milieu of target DCs to facilitate lentiviral infection. The data suggest that this is achieved by promoting viral escape from a proteasome-dependent pathway especially detrimental to viral infection in DCs.

APOBEC3A Is a Specific Inhibitor of the Early Phases of HIV-1 Infection in Myeloid Cells

Myeloid cells play numerous roles in HIV-1 pathogenesis serving as a vehicle for viral spread and as a viral reservoir. Yet, cells of this lineage generally resist HIV-1 infection when compared to cells of other lineages, a phenomenon particularly acute during the early phases of infection. Here, we explore the role of APOBEC3A on these steps. APOBEC3A is a member of the APOBEC3 family that is highly expressed in myeloid cells, but so far lacks a known antiviral effect against retroviruses. Using ectopic expression of APOBEC3A in established cell lines and specific silencing in primary macrophages and dendritic cells, we demonstrate that the pool of APOBEC3A in target cells inhibits the early phases of HIV-1 infection and the spread of replication-competent R5-tropic HIV-1, specifically in cells of myeloid origins. In these cells, APOBEC3A affects the amount of vDNA synthesized over the course of infection. The susceptibility to the antiviral effect of APOBEC3A is conserved among primate lentiviruses, although the viral protein Vpx coded by members of the SIVSM/HIV-2 lineage provides partial protection from APOBEC3A during infection. Our results indicate that APOBEC3A is a previously unrecognized antiviral factor that targets primate lentiviruses specifically in myeloid cells and that acts during the early phases of infection directly in target cells. The findings presented here open up new venues on the role of APOBEC3A during HIV infection and pathogenesis, on the role of the cellular context in the regulation of the antiviral activities of members of the APOBEC3 family and more generally on the natural functions of APOBEC3A.

With a little help from a friend: increasing HIV transduction of monocyte-derived dendritic cells with virion-like particles of SIV MAC

Modification of dendritic cells (DCs) is a promising avenue for gene therapy purposes, given the versatility and the multiplicity of functions of these cells. In this study, we show that preincubation of monocyte-derived DCs with low amounts of non-infectious virion-like particles derived from the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVMAC VLPs) increases up to 10-fold the efficiency of transduction by HIV-1 lentiviral vectors at low multiplicity of infections yielding up to 90% of transduced cells, in the absence of alterations of DCs behavior. This effect is restricted to DCs and specified by the viral accessory protein Vpx. Thus, preincubation with empty VLPs of SIVMAC can be used in transduction protocols to increase the efficacy of HIV-1-mediated modification of DCs.

Specific Incorporation of Heat Shock Protein 70 Family Members into Primate Lentiviral Virions

ABSTRACT To determine if any heat shock proteins are incorporated into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions in a manner similar to that of the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase cyclophilin A, we probed purified virions with antibodies against heat shock proteins Hsp27, Hsp40, Hsp60, Hsp70, Hsc70, and Hsp90. Of these proteins, Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsc70 associated with virions purified based on either particle density or size and were shown to be incorporated within the virion membrane, where they were protected from digestion by exogenous protease. Virion incorporation of Hsp70 was also observed with HIV-2 and with simian immunodeficiency viruses SIVMAC and SIVAGM, but it appears to be specific for primate lentiviruses, since Hsp70 was not detected in association with Moloney murine leukemia virus virions. Of the HIV-1 genes, gag was found to be sufficient for Hsp70 incorporation, though Hsp70 was roughly equimolar with pol-encoded proteins in virions.

Characterization of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVSM/Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 Vpx Function in Human Myeloid Cells

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2)/simian immunodeficiency virus SIVSM Vpx is incorporated into virion particles and is thus present during the early steps of infection, when it has been reported to influence the nuclear import of viral DNA. We recently reported that Vpx promoted the accumulation of full-length viral DNA following the infection of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). This positive effect was exerted following the infection of DCs with cognate viruses and with retroviruses as divergent as HIV-1, feline immunodeficiency virus, and even murine leukemia virus, leading us to suggest that Vpx counteracted an antiviral restriction present in DCs. Here, we show that Vpx is required, albeit to a different extent, for the infection of all myeloid but not of lymphoid cells, including monocytes, macrophages, and monocytoid THP-1 cells that had been induced to differentiate with phorbol esters. The intracellular localization of Vpx was highly heterogeneous and cell type dependent, since Vpx localized differently in HeLa cells and DCs. Despite these differences, no clear correlation between the functionality of Vpx and its intracellular localization could be drawn. As a first insight into its function, we determined that SIVSM/HIV-2 and SIVRCM Vpx proteins interact with the DCAF1 adaptor of the Cul4-based E3 ubiquitin ligase complex recently described to associate with HIV-1 Vpr and HIV-2 Vpx. However, the functionality of Vpx proteins in the infection of DCs did not strictly correlate with DCAF1 binding, and knockdown experiments failed to reveal a functional role for this association in differentiated THP-1 cells. Lastly, when transferred in the context of a replication-competent viral clone, Vpx was required for replication in DCs.

A simple, versatile and efficient method to genetically modify human monocyte-derived dendritic cells with HIV-1–derived lentiviral vectors

Lentiviral vectors derived from the human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1 LV) are among the finest tools available today for the genetic modification of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs). However, this process is largely inefficient because MDDCs show a strong resistance to HIV-1 transduction. Here we describe a step-by-step protocol from the production of LVs to cell transduction that allows the efficient genetic modification of MDDCs. This protocol can be completed in 23 d from the initial phase of LV production to the final analysis of the results of MDDC transduction. The method relies on the simultaneous addition of HIV-1 LVs along with noninfectious virion-like particles carrying Vpx, a nonstructural protein encoded by the simian immunodeficiency virus (Vpx-VLPs). When thus provided in target cells, Vpx exerts a strong positive effect on incoming LVs by counteracting the restriction present in MDDCs; accordingly, 100% of cells can be transduced with low viral inputs. Vpx-VLPs will improve the efficiency of LV-mediated transduction of MDDCs with vectors for both ectopic gene expression and depletion studies.

Assembling the human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Abstract: Retroviral assembly proceeds through a series of concerted events that lead to the formation and release of infectious virion particles from the infected cell. Upon translation, structural proteins are targeted to the plasma membrane where they accumulate. There, the nascent particle forces the plasma membrane to form a bud, which pinches off releasing the virion particle from the cell. In this review we describe the molecular mechanisms now known to be behind the process of virion assembly. In particular, we focus on the human immunodeficiency virus type 1, the prototype member of the lentivirus subfamily of the Retroviridae.

Characterization of the Early Steps of Infection of Primary Blood Monocytes by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

ABSTRACT Blood-circulating monocytes migrate in tissues in response to danger stimuli and differentiate there into two major actors of the immune system: macrophages and dendritic cells. Given their migratory behavior and their pivotal role in the orchestration of immune responses, it is not surprising that cells of the monocyte lineage are the target of several viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). HIV-1 replicates in monocytoid cells to an extent that is influenced by their differentiation status and modulated by exogenous stimulations. Unstimulated monocytes display a relative resistance to HIV infection mostly exerted during the early steps of the viral life cycle. Despite intensive studies, the identity of the affected step remains controversial, although it is generally assumed to take place after viral entry. We reexamine here the early steps of viral infection of unstimulated monocytes using vesicular stomatitis virus G protein-pseudotyped HIV-1 virions. Our data indicate that a first block to the early steps of infection of monocytes with these particles occurs at the level of viral entry. After entry, reverse transcription and integration proceed with extremely slow kinetics rather than being blocked. Once completed, viral DNA molecules delay entry into the nucleus and integration for up to 5 to 6 days. The inefficacy of these steps accounts for the resistance of monocytes to HIV-1 during the early steps of infection.

Analysis of the Viral Elements Required in the Nuclear Import of HIV-1 DNA

ABSTRACT HIV-1 possesses an exquisite ability to infect cells independently from their cycling status by undergoing an active phase of nuclear import through the nuclear pore. This property has been ascribed to the presence of karyophilic elements present in viral nucleoprotein complexes, such as the matrix protein (MA); Vpr; the integrase (IN); and a cis-acting structure present in the newly synthesized DNA, the DNA flap. However, their role in nuclear import remains controversial at best. In the present study, we carried out a comprehensive analysis of the role of these elements in nuclear import in a comparison between several primary cell types, including stimulated lymphocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. We show that despite the fact that none of these elements is absolutely required for nuclear import, disruption of the central polypurine tract-central termination sequence (cPPT-CTS) clearly affects the kinetics of viral DNA entry into the nucleus. This effect is independent of the cell cycle status of the target cells and is observed in cycling as well as in nondividing primary cells, suggesting that nuclear import of viral DNA may occur similarly under both conditions. Nonetheless, this study indicates that other components are utilized along with the cPPT-CTS for an efficient entry of viral DNA into the nucleus.