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Journal of Virology, August 1999, p. 6937-6945, Vol. 73, No. 8
Departments of Pathology and Cell
Biology1 and Department of
Genetics,2 Yale University School of
Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
Received 8 February 1999/Accepted 28 April 1999
We describe a replication-competent, recombinant vesicular
stomatitis virus (VSV) in which the gene encoding the single
transmembrane glycoprotein (G) was deleted and replaced by an
env-G hybrid gene encoding the extracellular and
transmembrane domains of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
envelope protein fused to the cytoplasmic domain of VSV G. An
additional gene encoding a green fluorescent protein was added to
permit rapid detection of infection. This novel surrogate virus
infected and propagated on cells expressing the HIV receptor CD4 and
coreceptor CXCR4. Infection was blocked by SDF-1, the ligand for CXCR4,
by antibody to CD4 and by HIV-neutralizing antibody. This virus, unlike
VSV, entered cells by a pH-independent pathway and thus supports a pH-independent pathway of HIV entry. Additional recombinants carrying hybrid env-G genes derived from R5 or X4R5 HIV strains also
showed the coreceptor specificities of the HIV strains from which they were derived. These surrogate viruses provide a simple and rapid assay
for HIV-neutralizing antibodies as well as a rapid screen for molecules
that would interfere with any stage of HIV binding or entry. The
viruses might also be useful as HIV vaccines. Our results suggest wide
applications of other surrogate viruses based on VSV.
Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is
a nonsegmented negative-strand RNA virus (family
Rhabdoviridae) that encodes one transmembrane glycoprotein
(G). This protein is responsible for the very broad host range and
membrane fusion activity of VSV (14, 34) and is the only
protein of this virus targeted by neutralizing antibodies (19). VSV readily incorporates foreign viral membrane
proteins into its envelope, making it ideal for production of
pseudotype viruses carrying the envelope proteins of other viruses
(46).
In a recent study, our laboratory described a recombinant VSV with the
G gene deleted ( The purpose of the study described here was to determine if the HIV
Env-G gene could completely replace the VSV G gene to generate a viable
recombinant virus targeted with the specificity of HIV type 1 (HIV-1).
We wanted to examine the pathway of infection by such a surrogate
virus, to determine if it might be a useful tool for HIV-neutralization
assays and to determine if it could be used to detect specific
inhibitors of HIV binding or entry.
Enveloped viruses enter cells either by fusion of their envelope with
the host cell plasma membrane or by receptor-mediated endocytosis
(reviewed in reference 27). The glycoproteins of enveloped viruses that are endocytosed undergo a low-pH-dependent conformational change in the acidic environment of endosomes. This
change results in fusion of the viral membrane with the endosomal membrane and release of viral cores into the cytoplasm. Both influenza virus and VSV are well-studied examples of viruses employing the pH-dependent entry mechanism (27, 44).
The route of HIV-1 entry has been controversial. An early study
reported that HIV-1 infection was sensitive to ammonium chloride (25), an inhibitor of endosomal acidification that prevents entry of viruses that use the low-pH pathway. Morphological studies also showed HIV-1 particles in endosomes (32), supporting
entry through this route. Subsequent studies contradicted the initial reports: entry of HIV-1 and VSV(HIV) pseudotypes was shown to be
resistant to agents that block endosomal acidification, and fusion of
HIV-1 with the plasma membrane was observed (29, 42). In
addition, mutations altering the rate of CD4 endocytosis were shown to
not affect HIV-1 entry (26, 33). It therefore appears that
HIV-1 entry can occur in a pH-independent manner at the plasma membrane, although some entry may occur after endocytosis without a
requirement for reduced pH.
HIV Env is synthesized as a precursor gp160 molecule that is cleaved to
gp120 and gp41 subunits that are noncovalently linked. The glycoprotein
apparently forms trimers on the virion envelope with the spikes
composed of gp120 bound to the trimeric gp41 glycoprotein oligomer
(6, 22). Entry of HIV-1 into cells requires initial binding
to CD4 (25, 37), and recent studies have defined chemokine receptor molecules CXCR4 (3, 13) and CCR5 (1, 7,
9-11) as the major coreceptor molecules that are also required.
HIV entry occurs in stages: the initial binding to CD4 is followed by
conformational changes in the Env protein that allow it to bind
coreceptor and subsequently cause fusion of the viral and cellular
membranes (23, 43). Efficient incorporation of the gp120-gp41 complex into VSV virions requires replacement of the 150-amino-acid gp41 cytoplasmic tail with the 29-amino-acid cytoplasmic tail of VSV G (18, 31). It was initially thought that the VSV G tail provided a positive incorporation signal for the Env-G protein. However, it has recently been shown that poor incorporation of
the HIV Env protein into VSV virions results mainly from a signal
within the membrane-proximal 10 amino acids of the gp41 tail which
sequesters HIV Env away from VSV budding sites (17).
Plasmid construction.
The green fluorescent protein (GFP)
gene (Green Lantern; Life Technologies) was amplified by PCR by using
Vent polymerase (New England Biolabs). The forward primer was
5'GGGCCCCTCGAGGCAAT TGCGCGC TAGCTATGAAAAAAAC TAACAGATATCACCATGAGCAAGGGCGAGGAAC3'. This primer contained the minimally conserved VSV transcription stop and start sequences (underlined) as well as XhoI and
NheI sites (bold) for use in further cloning. The reverse
primer was 5'GCGGCGCTCTAGATCACTTGTACAGCTCGTCCATG3'.
This primer contained an XbaI site (bold). The PCR
product was digested with XhoI and XbaI and
ligated to pVSV-XN1 (39) that had been digested with XhoI and NheI. The resulting plasmid was called
pVSV-GFP.
0022-538X/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Replication-Competent Rhabdoviruses with Human Immunodeficiency
Virus Type 1 Coats and Green Fluorescent Protein: Entry by a
pH-Independent Pathway
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ABSTRACT
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
![]()
INTRODUCTION
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
G) and expressing instead the human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) receptor CD4 and coreceptor CXCR4 (40). Both CD4
and CXCR4 were incorporated into the VSV envelope and provided a novel
targeting specificity to HIV-infected cells expressing the HIV envelope
protein (Env). Our group also reported construction of a recombinant
VSV expressing an HIV Env-G hybrid protein from an extra gene
(18). The Env-G protein was incorporated into VSV virions
along with VSV G and was shown to mediate specific infection of
CD4+ HeLa cells when infectivity due to VSV G was neutralized.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
G-gp160G (16a) and ligated to pVSV-GFP from which the
VSV G gene had been removed by digestion with MluI and
NheI. The final plasmid was called pVSV
G-gp160G-GFP.
G-89.6gp160G. This DNA
was then digested with XbaI and NheI to remove a
fragment containing a portion of the VSV P gene, as well as the VSV M
and 89.6G genes. This fragment was then ligated to pVSV-GFP from which the same portion of the VSV P gene, as well as the VSV M and VSV G
genes, had been removed at the same restriction sites. The resulting plasmid was called pVSV
G-89.6G-GFP.
The JRFLG gene, encoding the Env protein of the HIV JRFL
strain with the cytoplasmic domain of VSV G replacing its native cytoplasmic domain, was generated by a two-step PCR strategy. First,
the sequence coding for the C-terminal 29 amino acid residues of the
VSV G protein was amplified by PCR. The forward primer was
5'TCTATAGTGAATAGAGTTAGGATCCATCTTTGCATTAAATTA3'.
This primer contained the VSV G cytoplasmic tail sequence,
beginning with the codon for the first cytoplasmic residue, fused to
the codons for the last four transmembrane and first three cytoplasmic
residues of the HIV JRFL env gene (underlined). The reverse
primer was 5'ACGTACGTGCTAGCTTACTTTCCAAGTCGGTTC3'.
This primer contained an NheI site (bold). The VSV G
tail PCR product was purified, and 10% of it was used in a second PCR
reaction in which the HIV JRFL env gene was the template
(the plasmid was kindly provided by B. Doranz and R. Doms). The forward
primer was 5'GGGCCCACGCGTATTATGAGAGTGAAGGGGATCAGG3'. This primer contained an MluI site (bold), followed by
the sequence encoding the N-terminal end of the HIV JRFL Env protein.
The reverse primer was the same primer used to amplify the VSV G
cytoplasmic tail. The PCR product was digested with MluI and
NheI, then ligated to pVSV-GFP from which the VSV G gene had
been removed by using the same enzymes. The resulting plasmid was
called pVSV
G-JRFLG-GFP.
Virus recoveries.
VSV-GFP virus was recovered from pVSV-GFP
by established methods (24, 40). Baby hamster kidney (BHK)
cells were plated to approximately 75% confluency on 10-cm-diameter
petri dishes. The cells were then infected at a multiplicity of
infection (MOI) of 10 with vTF7-3, a recombinant vaccinia virus that
expresses T7 RNA polymerase (15). After 1 h, each dish
of cells was transfected with 3 µg of pBS-N, 5 µg of pBS-P, 1 µg
of pBS-L, and 10 µg of pVSV-GFP by using a cationic liposome reagent
(36). Cells were then incubated at 37°C for 48 h.
Cell supernatants were passed through a 0.2-µm-pore-size filter to
remove vaccinia virus then applied to fresh BHK cells for an additional
48 h at 37°C. Recovery of infectious virus was confirmed by
scanning BHK cell monolayers for VSV cytopathic effect and GFP
fluorescence. The viral supernatants were then passed through a
0.1-µm-pore-size filter to remove residual vaccinia virus. From the
filtered supernatants, individual plaques were isolated and grown on
BHK cells. These stocks were then stored at
80°C.
G-gp160G-GFP,
pVSV
G-89.6G-GFP, and pVSV
G-JRFLG-GFP by using the same procedure, with the following modifications. After being infected with vTF7-3, BHK
cells were transfected with 3 µg of pBS-N, 5 µg of pBS-P, 1 µg of
pBS-L, 4 µg of pBS-G, and 10 µg of full-length VSV plasmid per
plate. After 48 h at 37°C, supernatants were filtered and passaged to BHK-G cells (40) that had been induced to
express G 12 h previously. After another 48 h incubation at
37°C, the viral supernatants were filtered, and single plaques were
picked and propagated on induced BHK-G cells.
Preparation of viral stocks.
VSV-GFP was purified from a
single plaque on BHK cells. Virus from this plaque (~105
PFU) was used to infect ~107 BHK cells on a
10-cm-diameter petri dish overnight. The medium was clarified by
low-speed centrifugation to remove cell debris and virus stocks
(~109 PFU/ml was frozen). The same procedure was used to
prepare stocks of
G viruses transcomplemented on BHK-G cells, but
the titers obtained were ~100-fold lower. For the preparation of
G
virus stocks not transcomplemented with VSV G, VSV G-complemented
stocks were first expanded by infecting 107 induced BHK-G
cells at an MOI of approximately 0.1. The infections were allowed to
proceed for approximately 32 h. At this time, nearly all cells
showed VSV cytopathic effect, and the viral titer in the supernatants
was shown to be at its peak. The entire supernatant from each dish was
then transferred to a confluent dish of ~107 BHK cells.
After infection for 3.5 h at 37°C, the viral inocula were
withdrawn to remove input, G-complemented virus. Cells were incubated
in fresh medium for an additional 11 h, and viral supernatants were then harvested, clarified, and stored at
80°C.
Metabolic labeling and analysis of infected cells.
BHK cells
on 6-cm-diameter petri dishes were infected at an MOI of 5 to 10 with
wild-type VSV, VSV-GFP, or G-complemented
G-gp160G-GFP. After 6 h at 37°C, cells were rinsed three times with methionine-free
Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) and then incubated at
37°C with methionine-free DMEM containing 200 µCi of
[35S]methionine. After 1 h, cells were rinsed three
times with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and lysed in 1 ml of
detergent solution (1% Nonidet P-40, 0.4% deoxycholate, 50 mM
Tris-HCl [pH 8], 62.5 mM EDTA). Labeled lysates were analyzed by
electrophoresis on a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-10% polyacrylamide
gel and detected by using a PhosphorImager (Molecular Dynamics).
Immunofluorescence microscopy.
HeLa-CD4 or HeLa cells were
plated to near confluency on coverslips and infected at an MOI of 0.75 with VSV-GFP or VSV
G-gp160G-GFP from BHK cells (not G complemented).
To neutralize residual G-complemented virions in the VSV
G-gp160G-GFP
stock, infections with this virus were performed in a 1:1,000 dilution
of I1, a monoclonal antibody against VSV G that neutralizes VSV. After
8 to 12 h at 37°C, cells on coverslips were fixed in 3%
paraformaldehyde. Coverslips were then washed in PBS containing 10 mM
glycine (PBS-glycine) and permeabilized in 1% Triton X-100. After more
PBS-glycine washes, coverslips were incubated with a 1:200 dilution of
a monoclonal antibody against VSV N protein, followed by a 1:50
dilution of a rhodamine-conjugated donkey anti-mouse antibody (Jackson
Research). The coverslips were then mounted on slides, and cells were
observed and photographed by using a Nikon Microphot-FX microscope with a 25× objective.
Inhibition of infection by chemokines and receptor
antibodies.
Sheep polyclonal antiserum to human CD4, a monoclonal
antibody to human CXCR4 (12G5 [12]; AIDS Reagent
Program [ARRRP]), and a monoclonal antibody to human CCR5 (2D7
[45]; ARRRP) were each diluted 1:10, 1:50, 1:250, and
1:1,250 in DMEM-10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Human chemokines SDF-1
(kindly provided by Thomas Turi, Pfizer) and RANTES (regulated upon
activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted) (PeproTech; ARRRP)
were each diluted to 0.004, 0.04, 0.4, and 4 µM in DMEM-10% FBS.
HeLa-CD4 cells, plated to confluency on 96-well plates, were incubated
with 100 µl of each diluted chemokine or antibody for 15 min at room
temperature. Noncomplemented VSV
G-gp160G-GFP was then diluted in
DMEM-10% FBS to a final concentration of approximately 100 infectious
units per 100 µl. The I1 monoclonal antibody was also included in the virus mixture, at a dilution of 1:1,000 to neutralize infection due to
traces of G in the viral stock. VSV
G-gp160G-GFP (100 µl) was then
added to each well of cells. To allow cells to express detectable
levels of GFP, infections were allowed to continue for about 10 to
15 h at 37°C. GFP-positive cells were then visualized by
fluorescence microscopy, by using a Nikon Microphot-FX microscope with
a 10× PlanApo objective.
Inhibition of viral entry by chloroquine and ammonium
chloride.
HeLa-CD4 cells plated to confluency in 96-well plates
were pretreated for 1 h at 37°C with varying concentrations of
chloroquine or ammonium chloride in DMEM-10% FBS. Cells were then
infected with approximately 100 infectious units/well of either VSV-GFP or noncomplemented VSV
G-gp160G-GFP for 90 min at 37°C, in the presence of the compounds. Cells were washed twice in DMEM-10% FBS to
remove input virus, and DMEM-10% FBS containing drug was then added
to the wells. Following an additional incubation at 37°C for either
2 h (chloroquine) or 5 h (ammonium chloride), the medium was
replaced with DMEM, and the samples were incubated again at 37°C. At
10 h postinfection, GFP-positive cells were counted by
fluorescence microscopy.
Neutralization of VSV
G-gp160G-GFP by antiviral sera.
HeLa-CD4 cells were plated to confluency on 96-well plates.
Noncomplemented VSV
G-gp160G-GFP was diluted in DMEM-10% FBS to a
final concentration of approximately 100 infectious units per 100 µl.
The I1 monoclonal antibody was included in this mixture, at a dilution
of 1:1,000 to completely neutralize a low level of infectivity due to
residual G. HIV serum immunoglobulin (HIVIg) (ARRRP) and normal human
serum were each diluted 1:10, 1:50, 1:250, and 1:1,250 in DMEM-10%
FBS. Equal volumes of diluted virus and diluted antibody were then
mixed and incubated for 15 min at 37°C, and 200 µl of this mixture
was used to infect each well of HeLa-CD4 cells. At 10 to 15 h
postinfection, GFP-positive cells were counted by fluorescence microscopy.
Virus titrations.
HeLa-CD4 cells, or derivatives of the CV-1
cell line expressing human CD4, human CD4 and human CXCR4, or human CD4
and human CCR5 (kindly provided by David Kabat) were plated to
confluency on 96-well dishes. Noncomplemented stocks of
VSV
G-gp160G-GFP, VSV
G-89.6G-GFP, and VSV
G-JRFLG-GFP were
diluted serially and used to infect these cells, again in the presence
of I1 at 1:1,000 dilution. At 10 to 15 h postinfection,
GFP-positive cells were counted by fluorescence microscopy, and viral
titer was calculated.
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RESULTS |
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Recovery of recombinant VSVs expressing GFP and HIV-gp160G. To generate a recombinant VSV expressing GFP for rapid monitoring of VSV infection, we inserted the GFP gene between the G and L genes in a VSV vector DNA plasmid (39). This plasmid expresses the recombinant VSV antigenome RNA under T7 promoter control and allows recovery of infectious VSVs from DNA (Fig. 1). We then recovered virus from this construct in cells expressing the recombinant VSV antigenome RNA as well as the VSV N, P, and L proteins. The recovered virus grew to titers of >109/ml (equivalent to wild-type VSV) and expressed abundant GFP. To generate a recombinant VSV surrogate virus with the cellular targeting specificity of HIV-1, we replaced the G gene in pVSV-GFP with the HIV-1 gp160G gene (18) (Fig. 1). This gene encodes the extracellular and transmembrane domains of the Env protein from the HIV IIIB strain. The cytoplasmic domain was replaced with the cytoplasmic domain of VSV G to facilitate incorporation of the protein into VSV particles. Virus was recovered from this construct in cells expressing the RNA antigenome and the VSV G, N, P, and L proteins (24, 40).
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G-gp160G-GFP does not encode G, we were able to propagate
it most easily on the complementing BHK-G cell line (40)
where titers of ~106 PFU/ml were obtained on BHK-G cells.
Producing viral stocks specifically targeted to CD4+ cells,
however, required that we propagate VSV
G-gp160G-GFP without G
complementation. To do this, we first expanded G-complemented virus on
BHK-G cells. We next transferred the cell supernatants to BHK cells and
then harvested the supernatants after one round of infection on these
cells. Stocks prepared in this way still contained traces of
G-complemented virus that would infect BHK cells, but this titer was
less than 1% of that seen on Hela-CD4+ cells and was
easily neutralized by antibody to VSV G.
Recombinant VSVs express the GFP and HIV-gp160G genes.
To
examine the proteins produced by the recombinant viruses, we analyzed
whole lysates of infected cells by SDS-polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis (PAGE). Because VSV shuts off host cell protein synthesis within 2 to 3 h of infection, proteins encoded by VSV recombinants can be visualized without immunoprecipitation. Figure 2 shows [35S]methionine
labeled lysates of BHK cells infected with VSV, VSV-GFP, or
VSV
G-gp160G-GFP as indicated. As expected, VSV-GFP expressed all
five VSV proteins. It also expressed a new protein migrating just ahead
of VSV M. The size of this protein (approximately 22 kDa) is that
expected for GFP. The VSV
G-gp160G-GFP virus also expressed the
22-kDa protein as well as a larger protein with a size consistent with
that of gp160G. Cells infected with VSV
G-gp160G-GFP did not express
VSV G protein.
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G-gp160G-GFP were used to infect HeLa-CD4 cells. Cells were then
stained with a monoclonal antibody to VSV N, followed by a
rhodamine-conjugated secondary antibody. In Fig.
3A and C, immunofluorescence staining
shows that both viruses readily infected HeLa-CD4 cells and expressed
VSV N. Furthermore, Fig. 3B and D illustrate that the same cells
staining positive for N also showed the green fluorescence characteristic of GFP.
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The VSV
G-gp160G-GFP virus specifically infects CD4+
cells.
Because VSV
G-gp160G-GFP particles should have only HIV
gp160G protein on their surface, we expected noncomplemented virus particles to infect only CD4+ cells. To test this, we
infected HeLa or HeLa-CD4 cells with either VSV-GFP or
VSV
G-gp160G-GFP and then stained infected cells for VSV N. Figure
4A and B show that VSV-GFP was able to
infect both HeLa and HeLa-CD4 cells. In contrast, VSV
G-gp160G-GFP
infected HeLa-CD4 cells (Fig. 4D) but not HeLa cells (Fig. 4C),
indicating a requirement for CD4 in the absence of VSV G protein.
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G-gp160G-GFP infected HeLa-CD4 cells, we expected that it
would be possible to grow stocks of this virus on these cells. To
determine the titers attainable on HeLa-CD4 cells, we inoculated cells
with noncomplemented VSV
G-gp160G-GFP and allowed the infection to
spread throughout the culture. Cells showed cytopathic effect within
8 h, but virus harvested from the cells after 24 h, when
nearly all cells had been infected, had titers of only 104
PFU/ml. Although we were able to propagate virus indefinitely in
HeLa-CD4 cells (as determined by spread of GFP fluorescence and
cytopathic effect), the titers of virus grown on these cells were
approximately 10- to 100-fold lower than stocks grown on BHK cells. It
should be noted that even wild-type VSV produces approximately 100-fold
lower titers on HeLa cells than on BHK cells. We therefore prepared all
further stocks by using VSV G-complemented virus grown for one round on
BHK cells in the absence of VSV G.
Infection by VSV
G-gp160G-GFP is blocked by antibodies to CD4 or
coreceptor.
Besides requiring CD4, HIV-1 infection requires one of
a group of chemokine receptor proteins that function as coreceptors. Viral strains are assigned (according to coreceptor use) to one of
three groups: R5, for strains that use the CCR5 coreceptor; X4, for
strains that use the CXCR4 coreceptor; or R5X4, for strains that use
either coreceptor (2). The R5 group includes most virus
strains that are transmitted sexually and isolated from newly-infected
patients, while the X4 and R5X4 strains are typically isolated from
patients in late stages of infection or from isolates adapted for
growth on T cell lines (e.g., IIIB).
G-gp160G-GFP has a gp160 gene derived from the IIIB
strain and displayed the same CD4 dependence as HIV-1, we expected that
it, like HIV-1 IIIB, would require the CXCR4 cofactor. To test this, we
attempted to inhibit VSV
G-gp160G-GFP infection with antibodies to
CD4, CXCR4, or CCR5. We infected HeLa-CD4 cells with approximately 100 infectious units of VSV
G-gp160G-GFP in the presence of varying
concentrations of these antibodies and subsequently determined
infectivity by counting GFP-positive cells.
Figure 5A shows the results of this
experiment. Increasing concentrations of an anti-CD4 serum resulted in
increasing inhibition of VSV
G-gp160G-GFP infection, consistent with
the requirement for CD4 expression. A monoclonal antibody to CXCR4
(12), previously shown to inhibit HIV IIIB infection, also
blocked VSV
G-gp160G-GFP infection. By contrast, a monoclonal
antibody to CCR5 (45), previously shown to inhibit infection
by macrophage-tropic R5 HIV strains, did not reduce VSV
G-gp160G-GFP
infection.
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Infection is blocked by the ligand to CXCR4.
The results
described above indicated that VSV
G-gp160G-GFP retained the cofactor
specificity of the HIV strain from which its env gene was
taken. To further examine coreceptor usage, we examined the effects of
the chemokines SDF-1 and RANTES on infectivity (Fig. 5B). SDF-1 is the
ligand for CXCR4 (4, 30) and has previously been shown to
inhibit infection by X4 HIV strains such as HIV-1 IIIB. RANTES is a
ligand for CCR5 and is known to inhibit infection by macrophage-tropic
(R5) HIV strains (8). SDF-1 strongly inhibited
G-gp160G-GFP infection at concentrations as low as 0.2 mM. By
contrast, RANTES had no effect on infection. We therefore conclude
that, like HIV IIIB infection, VSV
G-gp160G-GFP infection requires
CD4 and CXCR4.
Entry by a pH-independent pathway.
Because our data showed
that VSV
G-gp160G-GFP required the same receptor and cofactor as HIV
IIIB, we wanted to determine if its entry pathway was pH-dependent or
-independent. As described above, the pathway of HIV entry has been
controversial, although recent studies favor pH-independent entry by
fusion at the cell surface. In contrast, VSV enters cells through an
endocytic pathway and requires the mildly acidic pH of the endosome to
trigger the membrane fusion activity of G (14, 27, 34).
G-gp160G-GFP entry, we
examined the effects of both compounds on infection. Figure
6 shows that increasing concentrations of
either drug increasingly inhibited VSV-GFP infection. In contrast,
neither drug had any inhibitory effect on infection by
VSV
G-gp160G-GFP. In fact, there appeared to be a significant
increase in infection in the presence of increasing ammonium chloride
concentrations. This effect was apparently unrelated to effects on
endosomal pH because a similar effect was not observed with
chloroquine. We therefore conclude that VSV
G-gp160G-GFP enters cells
through a pH-independent pathway presumably involving fusion with the
cell surface.
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Neutralization by anti-HIV serum.
Because VSV
G-gp160G-GFP
uses the HIV entry pathway and its infection can be monitored readily,
we wanted to test its utility in a neutralizing assay for HIV-1. To do
this, samples of 100 infectious units of virus were incubated with
dilutions of either normal human serum or pooled serum HIV-1
immunoglobulin (HIVIg) from infected donors prior to infection of HeLa
cells in 96-well microtiter plates. GFP-positive cells were then
counted after 10 to 15 h as a measure of infection.
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Recombinants expressing Env from other HIV strains retain the
cofactor specificities of those strains.
A potential application
of VSV
G-gp160G-GFP is in screening for compounds that might inhibit
any step of HIV entry, such as receptor or coreceptor binding. Because
HIV strains vary in coreceptor usage and sensitivity to neutralization,
it would be desirable to have VSV/HIV surrogate viruses displaying
alternative Env proteins from primary isolates that use different
coreceptors. Env genes were therefore taken from two primary isolates,
HIV 89.6, an X4R5 strain (10), and HIV JRFL, an R5 strain
(41). As with the initial construct, the env
genes from 89.6 and JRFL were engineered to encode the VSV G
cytoplasmic domain in place of the normal gp41 cytoplasmic domains, and
the GFP gene was included to simplify the assay of infection.
Recombinant VSV
G-gp160G-GFPs were then recovered and characterized.
Immunofluorescence showed that both viruses (termed
VSV
G-89.6G-GFP and VSV
G-JRFLG-GFP) expressed GFP and their
respective chimeric EnvG proteins on the cell surface (not shown).
G-gp160G-GFP virus did not
infect CD4+ or CD4+/CCR5+ cells but
did infect CD4+/CXCR4+ cells. The
VSV
G-JRFLG-GFP virus did not infect CD4+ or
CD4+/CXCR4+ cells but did infect
CD4+/CCR5+ cells. Finally, VSV
G-89.6G-GFP
failed to infect CD4+ cells but did infect
CD4+/CXCR4+ and
CD4+/CCR5+ cells. All three recombinant VSVs
thus have the same X4, X4R5, and R5 specificities as the HIV strains
from which their env genes are derived.
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DISCUSSION |
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We constructed a recombinant, VSV
G-gp160G-GFP, for use in
assays of HIV-1 entry and neutralization. This surrogate virus expresses a chimeric HIV-gp160G protein in place of VSV G protein. It
is thus able to specifically infect cells that express CD4 and CXCR4,
the coreceptor for the HIV-IIIB strain from which the env
gene was derived. Infection was blocked by polyclonal antibody to CD4,
by a monoclonal antibody to CXCR4, by the natural ligand for CXCR4, and
by antibodies that neutralize HIV-1. We have also prepared two
additional VSV
G recombinants carrying the hybrid env-G
genes derived from R5 or X4R5 HIV strains, and these show the
coreceptor specificities of the HIV strains from which they were derived.
Infection of cells by VSV G-gp160G-GFP was insensitive to compounds that block endosomal acidification and block VSV infection, thus supporting a mechanism of HIV entry through pH-independent fusion with the plasma membrane. These results also suggest that in a normal VSV infection exposure to the acidic environment of endosomes is not required except to induce the required conformational change in G. This situation contrasts with that of influenza virus, where the acidic environment of the endosome also has the important role of promoting subsequent dissociation of the matrix protein from the ribonucleocapsid (5, 28).
Assays commonly used to detect HIV neutralization involve mixing of
various dilutions of sera with HIV, followed by infection of T cell
lines or peripheral blood lymphocytes and measurement of HIV p24 or
reverse transcriptase production with time. Counting of syncytia formed
by infected cells can be used as a measure of infection for those
strains that cause cell-cell fusion. These assays require working with
infectious HIV and typically require 4 to 14 days before neutralizing
titers can be calculated. In addition, T cell lines employed in many of
these assays can be sensitive to cytotoxic components in serum, making
assay at low serum dilution very difficult. More recently developed
assays employ cell lines expressing indicator proteins such as
-galactosidase under HIV long terminal repeat control and permit
detection of infection and determination of neutralization titers in 2 to 3 days (20). The surrogate viruses expressing GFP
described here provide a simple alternative for assay of
HIV-neutralizing antibodies. The assay can be performed in as little as
10 h, and it does not require working with HIV-1. In addition, the
cell lines employed are adherent and insensitive to serum components.
Current HIV therapy employs cocktails of inhibitors of HIV reverse transcripts and protease (16). These compounds effectively block new infections by preventing production of reverse-transcribed DNA for integration, or by preventing cleavage of the HIV polyprotein encoded by gag and blocking assembly of infectious HIV virions. Compounds able to block the initial steps of HIV binding and entry could be included in combination antiviral cocktails and might be identified by using the surrogate viruses we describe here.
HIV-1 infection continues to spread in much of the world at an increasing and alarming rate, and a safe and effective vaccine is urgently needed. It is possible that the surrogate viruses described, or variants expressing additional HIV proteins such as the proteins encoded by gag, would also be useful as HIV vaccines. VSV recombinants expressing an influenza virus hemagglutinin protein (as well as VSV G) have already been shown to have potent mucosal-immunizing activity protecting against influenza virus infection (35).
Because the surrogate viruses described here should specifically target CD4+ cells, including professional antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells, they might be good inducers of both cellular and humoral immunity to HIV. However, the titers of viruses grown in culture are at best only 104 to 105 infectious units/ml, 104-fold lower than wild-type VSV. The low titers probably result from inefficient particle assembly in the absence of VSV G protein, as well as from the relatively low levels of EnvG incorporation (40). Our experience in vaccine studies of other poorly replicating surrogate viruses in mice (35a) suggests that this level of viral replication would not induce vigorous immune responses. However, the level of replication that might be achieved in vivo in primates expressing the appropriate receptor and coreceptor is unknown, and specific targeting of cells of the immune system might enhance immune responses greatly. Therefore, testing in appropriate animal models is warranted. It also might be possible to select or engineer viruses with higher replication capacity in vitro and in vivo.
We also note that VSV
G-based surrogate viruses could have
applications in the study of many other enveloped viruses. Engineering of the genes encoding the appropriate surface glycoproteins into the
VSV
G-GFP background could allow study of entry of viruses such as
hepatitis C that are difficult to propagate in culture. As long as the
foreign viral glycoproteins can be expressed well on the cell surface,
it is likely that sufficient quantities would be incorporated into
budding virions, since substantial amounts of most proteins tested to
date are incorporated into the VSV envelope with or without VSV G
(21, 38, 40).
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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We thank Linda Buonocore for helpful advice and assistance and other members of the Rose laboratory for encouragement throughout the course of this work. We are grateful to David Kabat for generously providing the CV-1 cell lines expressing receptor and coreceptors.
This study was supported by NIH grants RO1AI 40357 and RO1AI 24345.
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FOOTNOTES |
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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St. (BML 342), New Haven, CT 06510. Phone: (203) 785-6794. Fax: (203) 785-7467. E-mail: John.Rose{at}yale.edu.
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