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The lipid membrane of HIV-1 stabilizes the viral envelope glycoproteins and modulates their sensitivity to antibody neutralization.

ABSTRACT: The envelope glycoproteins (Envs) of HIV-1 are embedded in the cholesterol-rich lipid membrane of the virus. Chemical depletion of cholesterol from HIV-1 particles inactivates their infectivity. We observed that diverse HIV-1 strains exhibit a range of sensitivities to such treatment. Differences in sensitivity to cholesterol depletion could not be explained by variation in Env components known to interact with cholesterol, including the cholesterol-recognition motif and cytoplasmic tail of gp41. Using antibody-binding assays, measurements of virus infectivity, and analyses of lipid membrane order, we found that depletion of cholesterol from HIV-1 particles decreases the conformational stability of Env. It enhances exposure of partially cryptic epitopes on the trimer and increases sensitivity to structure-perturbing treatments such as antibodies and cold denaturation. Substitutions in the cholesterol-interacting motif of gp41 induced similar effects as depletion of cholesterol. Surface-acting agents, which are incorporated into the virus lipid membrane, caused similar effects as disruption of the Env-cholesterol interaction. Furthermore, substitutions in gp120 that increased structural stability of Env (i.e. induced a "closed" conformation of the trimer) increased virus resistance to cholesterol depletion and to the surface-acting agents. Collectively, these results indicate a critical contribution of the viral membrane to the stability of the Env trimer and to neutralization resistance against antibodies. Our findings suggest that the potency of poorly neutralizing antibodies, which are commonly elicited in vaccinated individuals, may be markedly enhanced by altering the lipid composition of the viral membrane.

SUBMITTER: Salimi H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6956520 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The lipid membrane of HIV-1 stabilizes the viral envelope glycoproteins and modulates their sensitivity to antibody neutralization.

Salimi Hamid H Johnson Jacklyn J Flores Manuel G MG Zhang Michael S MS O'Malley Yunxia Y Houtman Jon C JC Schlievert Patrick M PM Haim Hillel H

The Journal of biological chemistry 20191122 2

The envelope glycoproteins (Envs) of HIV-1 are embedded in the cholesterol-rich lipid membrane of the virus. Chemical depletion of cholesterol from HIV-1 particles inactivates their infectivity. We observed that diverse HIV-1 strains exhibit a range of sensitivities to such treatment. Differences in sensitivity to cholesterol depletion could not be explained by variation in Env components known to interact with cholesterol, including the cholesterol-recognition motif and cytoplasmic tail of gp41 ...[more]

PMID: 31757809

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Project description:HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Envs) mediate viral entry and are the sole target of neutralizing antibodies. Envs of most primary HIV-1 strains exist in a closed conformation and occasionally sample more open Env states. Thus, current knowledge guides immunogen design to mimic the closed Env conformation as the preferred target for eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to block HIV-1 entry. Here we show that Env-preferred conformations of 6 out of 13 (46%) transmitted/founder (T/F) strains tested are incompletely closed. As a result, entry of these T/Fs into target cells is sensitive to antibodies that recognize internal epitopes exposed on open Env conformations. A cryo-electron microscopy structure of unliganded, incompletely closed T/F Envs (1059-SOSIP) at 3.6 Å resolution exhibits an asymmetric configuration of Env protomers with increased sampling of states with incompletely closed trimer apex. An additional structure of the 1059-SOSIP complexed with the CD4-induced antibody 17b without the requirement for prior sCD4 binding, together with double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy, provided further evidence for enriched occupancy of more open conformations. 1059 Env conformational flexibility was associated with resistance to bnAbs that preferentially neutralize the closed Env conformation. To follow the fate of incompletely closed Env in patients, we reconstructed de novo the post-transmission evolutionary pathway of a second T/F Env (CH040), which is sensitive to the V3-targeting antibody 19b and highly resistant to most bnAbs. Evolved viruses exhibited increased resistance to cold, soluble CD4 and 19b, all of which correlate with the evolution of a more closed Env state. Lastly, we show a correlation between efficient neutralization of multiple Env conformations and increased antiviral breadth of CD4-binding site (CD4bs) bnAbs. In particular, N6 CD4bs bnAb, which uniquely recognizes different Env conformations, efficiently neutralizes 50% of the HIV-1 strains that were resistant to VRC01 and transmitted during the first-in-humans antibody-mediated prevention trial (HVTN 704). VRC01-resistant Envs are incompletely closed based on their sensitivity to cold and on partial sensitivity to antibodies targeting internal epitopes, which are typically occluded in tightly closed Envs. Most VRC01-resistant Envs retain the VRC01 epitope according to VRC01 binding to their gp120 subunit at concentrations that have no significant effect on virus entry, and they exhibit cross resistance to other CD4bs bnAbs that preferentially neutralize the closed Env conformation. Our findings refine current knowledge of Env conformational states and provide guidance for developing new strategies for bnAb immunotherapy and Env-based immunogen design.

Dataset Information

The lipid membrane of HIV-1 stabilizes the viral envelope glycoproteins and modulates their sensitivity to antibody neutralization.

Publications

The lipid membrane of HIV-1 stabilizes the viral envelope glycoproteins and modulates their sensitivity to antibody neutralization.

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