Dataset Information

Recombinant HIV envelope trimer selects for quaternary-dependent antibodies targeting the trimer apex.

ABSTRACT: Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) targeting the trimer apex of HIV envelope are favored candidates for vaccine design and immunotherapy because of their great neutralization breadth and potency. However, methods of isolating bnAbs against this site have been limited by the quaternary nature of the epitope region. Here we report the use of a recombinant HIV envelope trimer, BG505 SOSIP.664 gp140, as an affinity reagent to isolate quaternary-dependent bnAbs from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a chronically infected donor. The newly isolated bnAbs, named "PGDM1400-1412," show a wide range of neutralization breadth and potency. One of these variants, PGDM1400, is exceptionally broad and potent with cross-clade neutralization coverage of 83% at a median IC50 of 0.003 µg/mL. Overall, our results highlight the utility of BG505 SOSIP.664 gp140 as a tool for the isolation of quaternary-dependent antibodies and reveal a mosaic of antibody responses against the trimer apex within a clonal family.

SUBMITTER: Sok D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4267403 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Recombinant HIV envelope trimer selects for quaternary-dependent antibodies targeting the trimer apex.

Sok Devin D van Gils Marit J MJ Pauthner Matthias M Julien Jean-Philippe JP Saye-Francisco Karen L KL Hsueh Jessica J Briney Bryan B Lee Jeong Hyun JH Le Khoa M KM Lee Peter S PS Hua Yuanzi Y Seaman Michael S MS Moore John P JP Ward Andrew B AB Wilson Ian A IA Sanders Rogier W RW Burton Dennis R DR

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20141124 49

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) targeting the trimer apex of HIV envelope are favored candidates for vaccine design and immunotherapy because of their great neutralization breadth and potency. However, methods of isolating bnAbs against this site have been limited by the quaternary nature of the epitope region. Here we report the use of a recombinant HIV envelope trimer, BG505 SOSIP.664 gp140, as an affinity reagent to isolate quaternary-dependent bnAbs from the peripheral blood mononucl ...[more]

PMID: 25422458

Similar Datasets

Project description:The trimeric envelope glycoprotein spike (Env) of HIV-1 is the target of vaccine development to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Env trimer instability and heterogeneity in principle make subunit interfaces inconsistent targets for the immune response. Here, we investigate how functional stability of Env relates to neutralization sensitivity to V2 bnAbs and V3 crown antibodies that engage subunit interfaces upon binding to unliganded Env. Env heterogeneity was inferred when antibodies neutralized a mutant Env with a plateau of less than 100% neutralization. A statistically significant correlation was found between the stability of mutant Envs and the MPN of V2 bnAb, PG9, as well as an inverse correlation between stability of Env and neutralization by V3 crown antibody, 447-52D. A number of Env-stabilizing mutations and V2 bnAb-enhancing mutations were identified in Env, but they did not always overlap, indicating distinct requirements of functional stabilization versus antibody recognition. Blocking complex glycosylation of Env affected V2 bnAb recognition, as previously described, but also notably increased functional stability of Env. This study shows how instability and heterogeneity affect antibody sensitivity of HIV-1 Env, which is relevant to vaccine design involving its dynamic apex.IMPORTANCE The Env trimer is the only viral protein on the surface of HIV-1 and is the target of neutralizing antibodies that reduce viral infectivity. Quaternary epitopes at the apex of the spike are recognized by some of the most potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies to date. Being that their glycan-protein hybrid epitopes are at subunit interfaces, the resulting heterogeneity can lead to partial neutralization. Here, we screened for mutations in Env that allowed for complete neutralization by the bnAbs. We found that when mutations outside V2 increased V2 bnAb recognition, they often also increased Env stability-of-function and decreased binding by narrowly neutralizing antibodies to the V3 crown. Three mutations together increased neutralization by V2 bnAb and eliminated binding by V3 crown antibodies. These results may aid the design of immunogens that elicit antibodies to the trimer apex.

Project description:The envelope glycoprotein (Env) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the sole target of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Several mechanisms, such as the acquisition of mutations, variability of the loop length, and alterations in the glycan pattern, are employed by the virus to shield neutralizing epitopes on Env to sustain survival and infectivity within the host. The identification of mutations that lead to viral evasion of the host immune response is essential for the optimization and engineering of Env-based trimeric immunogens. Here, we report a rare leucine-to-phenylalanine escape mutation (L184F) at the base of hypervariable loop 2 (population frequency of 0.0045%) in a 9-month-old perinatally HIV-1-infected infant broad neutralizer. The L184F mutation altered the trimer conformation by modulating intramolecular interactions stabilizing the trimer apex and led to viral escape from autologous plasma bnAbs and known N160 glycan-targeted bnAbs. The L184F amino acid change led to the acquisition of a relatively open trimeric conformation, often associated with tier 1 HIV-1 isolates and increased susceptibility to neutralization by polyclonal plasma antibodies of weak neutralizers. While there was no impact of the L184F mutation on free virus transmission, a reduction in cell-to-cell transmission was observed. In conclusion, we report a naturally selected viral mutation, L184F, that influenced a change in the conformation of the Env trimer apex as a mechanism of escape from contemporaneous plasma V2 apex-targeted nAbs. Further studies should be undertaken to define viral mutations acquired during natural infection, to escape selection pressure exerted by bnAbs, to inform vaccine design and bnAb-based therapeutic strategies.IMPORTANCE The design of HIV-1 envelope-based immunogens capable of eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is currently under active research. Some of the most potent bnAbs target the quaternary epitope at the V2 apex of the HIV-1 Env trimer. By studying naturally circulating viruses from a perinatally HIV-1-infected infant with plasma neutralizing antibodies targeted to the V2 apex, we identified a rare leucine-to-phenylalanine substitution, in two out of six functional viral clones, that destabilized the trimer apex. This single-amino-acid alteration impaired the interprotomeric interactions that stabilize the trimer apex, resulting in an open trimer conformation and escape from broadly neutralizing autologous plasma antibodies and known V2 apex-directed bnAbs, thereby favoring viral evasion of the early bnAb response of the infected host. Defining the mechanisms by which naturally occurring viral mutations influence the sensitivity of HIV-1 to bnAbs will provide information for the development of vaccines and bnAbs as anti-HIV-1 reagents.

Project description:The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env) trimer evades antibody recognition by adopting a closed prefusion conformation. Here, we show that two conserved tyrosines (Y173, Y177) within the second variable (V2) loop of the gp120 Env glycoprotein are key regulators of the closed, antibody-protected state of the trimer by establishing intramolecular interaction with the base of the third variable (V3) loop. Mutation of Y177 and/or Y173 to phenylalanine or alanine dramatically altered the susceptibility of diverse HIV-1 strains to neutralization, increasing sensitivity to weakly and nonneutralizing antibodies directed against diverse Env regions, consistent with the adoption of an open trimer configuration. Conversely, potent broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against different supersites of HIV-1 vulnerability exhibited reduced potency against V2 loop tyrosine mutants, consistent with their preferential targeting of the closed trimer. Mutation of V3 loop residues predicted to interact with the V2 loop tyrosines yielded a similar neutralization phenotype. Sera from chronically HIV-1-infected patients contained very high titers of antibodies capable of neutralizing V2 loop tyrosine mutants but not wild-type viruses, indicating that the bulk of antibodies produced in infected hosts are unable to penetrate the protective shield of the closed trimer. These results identify the tyrosine-mediated V2-V3 loop complex at the trimer apex as a key structural constraint that facilitates HIV-1 evasion from the bulk of host antibodies.IMPORTANCE The extraordinary ability of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) to evade host immunity represents a major obstacle to the development of a protective vaccine. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms whereby HIV-1 protects its external envelope (Env), which is the sole target of virus-neutralizing antibodies, is an essential step toward vaccine design. We identified a key structural element that maintains the HIV-1 Env trimer in a closed, antibody-resistant conformation. A major role is played by two conserved tyrosines at the apex of the Env spike, whose mutation causes a global opening of the trimer structure, exposing multiple concealed targets for neutralizing antibodies. We also found that HIV-infected individuals produce very large amounts of antibodies that neutralize the open Env form; however, the bulk of these antibodies are unable to penetrate the tight defensive shield of the native virus. This work may help to devise new strategies to overcome the viral defensive mechanisms and facilitate the development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.

Project description:The HIV-1 envelope trimer (Env) is the target of broadly neutralizing antibodies and is being explored as a vaccine candidate to elicit protective antibodies. One of the most promising antigenic and structural mimics of HIV-1 Env is the SOSIP.664-stabilized soluble trimer from the clade A strain BG505, which is preferentially recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies. Trimer immunization elicits high-titer neutralization of the autologous tier 2 BG505 strain; however, breadth is limited, and substantial interest has focused on understanding and improving trimer immunogenicity. We sought to improve the antigenic specificity of BG505 SOSIP.664 by reducing recognition of the variable loop 3 (V3) region, which elicits only weakly neutralizing antibodies. To stabilize the trimer in its prefusion closed conformation, we complexed trimeric BG505 SOSIP.664 with the antigen-binding fragment (Fab) of PGT145, a broadly neutralizing quaternary-structure-specific antibody. Compared to the ligand-free trimer, the PGT145 Fab-BG505 SOSIP.664 complex displayed increased melting temperature stability and reduced V3 recognition. In guinea pigs, immunization with the PGT145 Fab-BG505 SOSIP.664 complex elicited ?100-fold lower V3-directed binding and neutralization titers than those obtained with ligand-free BG505 SOSIP.664. Both complexed and ligand-free BG505 SOSIP.664 elicited comparable neutralization of the autologous BG505 virus, and in both cases, BG505 neutralization mapped to the outer domain of gp120 for some guinea pigs. Our results indicate that it is possible to reduce immune recognition of the V3 region of the trimer while maintaining the antigenic profile needed to induce autologous neutralizing antibodies. These data suggest that appropriate modifications of trimer immunogens could further focus the immune response on key neutralization epitopes.HIV-1 Env trimers have been proposed as preferred HIV-1 vaccine immunogens. One version, BG505 SOSIP.664, a soluble stabilized trimer, was recently shown to elicit high-titer autologous neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in rabbits. Here we compared two immunogens: the ligand-free BG505 SOSIP.664 trimer and the same trimer bound to the antigen-binding fragment (Fab) of the PGT145 antibody, a broadly neutralizing antibody which recognizes the trimer at its membrane-distal apex. We hypothesized that the Fab-bound complex would stabilize BG505 SOSIP.664 in its prefusion closed conformation and limit reactivity to weakly neutralizing antibodies targeting the variable loop 3 (V3) region. In guinea pigs, the Fab-complexed trimer induced 100-fold lower responses to the V3 region, while both ligand-free and Fab-complexed trimers elicited similar levels of autologous NAbs. Our findings demonstrate the potential to reduce "off-target" immunogenicity while maintaining the capacity to generate autologous NAbs.

Dataset Information

Recombinant HIV envelope trimer selects for quaternary-dependent antibodies targeting the trimer apex.

Publications

Recombinant HIV envelope trimer selects for quaternary-dependent antibodies targeting the trimer apex.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets