Structural highlights
Function
[Q2N0S6_9HIV1] The envelope glyprotein gp160 precursor down-modulates cell surface CD4 antigen by interacting with it in the endoplasmic reticulum and blocking its transport to the cell surface (By similarity).[RuleBase:RU004292][SAAS:SAAS000328_004_020447] The gp120-gp41 heterodimer allows rapid transcytosis of the virus through CD4 negative cells such as simple epithelial monolayers of the intestinal, rectal and endocervical epithelial barriers. Both gp120 and gp41 specifically recognize glycosphingolipids galactosyl-ceramide (GalCer) or 3' sulfo-galactosyl-ceramide (GalS) present in the lipid rafts structures of epithelial cells. Binding to these alternative receptors allows the rapid transcytosis of the virus through the epithelial cells. This transcytotic vesicle-mediated transport of virions from the apical side to the basolateral side of the epithelial cells does not involve infection of the cells themselves (By similarity).[SAAS:SAAS000328_004_240990] [Q2N0S7_9HIV1] Envelope glycoprotein gp160: Oligomerizes in the host endoplasmic reticulum into predominantly trimers. In a second time, gp160 transits in the host Golgi, where glycosylation is completed. The precursor is then proteolytically cleaved in the trans-Golgi and thereby activated by cellular furin or furin-like proteases to produce gp120 and gp41.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04083] Surface protein gp120: Attaches the virus to the host lymphoid cell by binding to the primary receptor CD4. This interaction induces a structural rearrangement creating a high affinity binding site for a chemokine coreceptor like CXCR4 and/or CCR5. Acts as a ligand for CD209/DC-SIGN and CLEC4M/DC-SIGNR, which are respectively found on dendritic cells (DCs), and on endothelial cells of liver sinusoids and lymph node sinuses. These interactions allow capture of viral particles at mucosal surfaces by these cells and subsequent transmission to permissive cells. HIV subverts the migration properties of dendritic cells to gain access to CD4+ T-cells in lymph nodes. Virus transmission to permissive T-cells occurs either in trans (without DCs infection, through viral capture and transmission), or in cis (following DCs productive infection, through the usual CD4-gp120 interaction), thereby inducing a robust infection. In trans infection, bound virions remain infectious over days and it is proposed that they are not degraded, but protected in non-lysosomal acidic organelles within the DCs close to the cell membrane thus contributing to the viral infectious potential during DCs' migration from the periphery to the lymphoid tissues. On arrival at lymphoid tissues, intact virions recycle back to DCs' cell surface allowing virus transmission to CD4+ T-cells.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04083] Transmembrane protein gp41: Acts as a class I viral fusion protein. Under the current model, the protein has at least 3 conformational states: pre-fusion native state, pre-hairpin intermediate state, and post-fusion hairpin state. During fusion of viral and target intracellular membranes, the coiled coil regions (heptad repeats) assume a trimer-of-hairpins structure, positioning the fusion peptide in close proximity to the C-terminal region of the ectodomain. The formation of this structure appears to drive apposition and subsequent fusion of viral and target cell membranes. Complete fusion occurs in host cell endosomes and is dynamin-dependent, however some lipid transfer might occur at the plasma membrane. The virus undergoes clathrin-dependent internalization long before endosomal fusion, thus minimizing the surface exposure of conserved viral epitopes during fusion and reducing the efficacy of inhibitors targeting these epitopes. Membranes fusion leads to delivery of the nucleocapsid into the cytoplasm.[HAMAP-Rule:MF_04083]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Characterizing polyclonal antibody responses via currently available methods is inherently complex and difficult. Mapping epitopes in an immune response is typically incomplete, which creates a barrier to fully understanding the humoral response to antigens and hinders rational vaccine design efforts. Here, we describe a method of characterizing polyclonal responses by using electron microscopy, and we applied this method to the immunization of rabbits with an HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein vaccine candidate, BG505 SOSIP.664. We detected known epitopes within the polyclonal sera and revealed how antibody responses evolved during the prime-boosting strategy to ultimately result in a neutralizing antibody response. We uncovered previously unidentified epitopes, including an epitope proximal to one recognized by human broadly neutralizing antibodies as well as potentially distracting non-neutralizing epitopes. Our method provides an efficient and semiquantitative map of epitopes that are targeted in a polyclonal antibody response and should be of widespread utility in vaccine and infection studies.
Electron-Microscopy-Based Epitope Mapping Defines Specificities of Polyclonal Antibodies Elicited during HIV-1 BG505 Envelope Trimer Immunization.,Bianchi M, Turner HL, Nogal B, Cottrell CA, Oyen D, Pauthner M, Bastidas R, Nedellec R, McCoy LE, Wilson IA, Burton DR, Ward AB, Hangartner L Immunity. 2018 Aug 21;49(2):288-300.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.07.009. Epub, 2018 Aug 7. PMID:30097292[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
See Also
References
- ↑ Bianchi M, Turner HL, Nogal B, Cottrell CA, Oyen D, Pauthner M, Bastidas R, Nedellec R, McCoy LE, Wilson IA, Burton DR, Ward AB, Hangartner L. Electron-Microscopy-Based Epitope Mapping Defines Specificities of Polyclonal Antibodies Elicited during HIV-1 BG505 Envelope Trimer Immunization. Immunity. 2018 Aug 21;49(2):288-300.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.07.009. Epub, 2018 Aug 7. PMID:30097292 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2018.07.009
