Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Journal of Virology, September 2005, p. 12088-12094, Vol. 79, No. 18
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.79.18.12088-12094.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13RE, United Kingdom
Received 10 February 2005/ Accepted 16 June 2005
|
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
The HIV-1 VS assembles at the site of contact between an infected (effector) and receptor-expressing (target) cell and is exemplified by the recruitment of the viral receptors (CD4 and a chemokine receptor, CXCR4 or CCR5) and adhesion molecules on the target cell and of viral Env and Gag and cognate adhesion molecules on the effector cell (16, 17, 26). The assembly of these supramolecular complexes relies on engagement of the viral receptors by Env and on a functional actin cytoskeleton in the target cell (16). The recruitment of Env and Gag to the intercellular junction is followed by viral antigen transfer across the synapse into the target cell (16), which has been shown by others to lead to rapid de novo reverse transcription (8, 18, 31).
HIV-1 particles assemble under and bud through specific plasma membrane domains termed lipid rafts or related raft-like structures (6, 9, 15, 20, 22, 24). Rafts are biochemically and biophysically distinct regions of plasma membrane that are rich in cholesterol and sphingomyelin, maintain an ordered structure, and contain proteins important in immune cell signaling via the immunological synapse (IS) (13). Virion envelopes similarly contain a large proportion of cholesterol and sphingomyelin (1), which is important for the maintenance of virion structure and infectivity (7, 10). Virion assembly is targeted to rafts or raft-like regions of the plasma membrane via lipid interactions with acylated residues in viral Gag (6, 9, 15, 20, 22, 24) and Env (4, 29). What has not been investigated is the role of lipid rafts in the targeting of viral Env and Gag to the plasma membrane in infected T cells and in the subsequent assembly and function of the HIV-1 VS.
To localize HIV-1 Env and lipid rafts in the plasma membrane, we labeled T cells with the biotinylated cholera toxin ß subunit (B-Ctx) to detect the raft marker ganglioside GM1 and Env with the gp41-specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) 50-69 (16). B-Ctx and 50-69 binding was detected using streptavidin-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and anti-human-tetramethyl rhodamine isocyanate (TRITC), respectively, and immunofluorescence was analyzed by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Unless marked, images are single x-y optical sections through the middle of the T cell. Jurkat CE6.1 cells show strong GM1 membrane staining distributed around the entire plasma membrane, resting primary CD4+ T cells show no detectable fluorescence, and 3-day phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated CD4+ T-cell blasts show patchy diffuse membrane staining (Fig. 1A). This pattern of labeling agrees with previous studies showing a redistribution of GM1 from intracellular stores to the plasma membrane upon the activation of resting T cells (32). The infection of Jurkat cells with CXCR4-tropic HIV-1LAI (JurkatLAI) led to the plasma membrane expression of Env, as detected by MAb 50-69. Env was generally cocapped with GM1 at one pole of the T cell, and both markers showed strong colocalization (Fig. 1B). This pattern of staining was observed whether labeling was carried out prior to or after fixation, excluding the possibility of ligand-induced capping. Similar results were obtained with PHA-activated primary CD4+ T cells infected for 5 days with HIV-1LAI (Fig. 1C). To confirm the lipid raft nature of the GM1-Env membrane compartment, we labeled the phosphatidylinositol-linked CD59 molecule that segregates into rafts. JurkatLAI cells showed tight polarized clustering of GM1, CD59, and Env (Fig. 2A), whereas minimal copolarization of Env and GM1 was observed with the transferrin receptor (TfR), which is excluded from rafts (Fig. 2B) (14). Although colocalization by immunofluorescence labeling and LSCM suggests a cosegregation of molecules, the resolution of this technique is not sufficient to unequivocally demonstrate this. We therefore analyzed JurkatLAI cells immunolabeled for Env and GM1 by cryo-electron microscopy. Figure 2C shows GM1 in the plasma membrane and colabeling of GM1 and Env in a budding virion, in accord with previous studies showing that HIV incorporates raft markers into the viral envelope (22, 30). In contrast, budding virions did not incorporate control markers such as LAMP-2 (data not shown).
![]() View larger version (30K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 1. GM1 and Env expression in uninfected and infected T cells. (A) Jurkat CE6.1 T cells (top panels), naïve CD4+ T cells negatively enriched from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (middle panels), or 3-day PHA (5 µg/ml)- and interleukin-2 (10 IU)-activated primary CD4+ T cells (bottom panels) were washed and resuspended in RPMI-1% fetal calf serum (WB), and 5 x 105 cells were allowed to settle onto poly-L-lysine-coated coverslips, fixed in ice-cold 4% paraformaldehyde in phosphate-buffered saline-1% bovine serum albumin, and stained for GM1-containing lipid rafts (green) with 10 µg/ml biotinylated B-Ctx (Sigma, United Kingdom) at 4°C followed by streptavidin-FITC (Jackson Immunoresearch). All staining with B-Ctx was performed on fixed cells to prevent Ctx-induced cross-linking and GM1 capping. (B) HIV-1LAI-infected (JurkatLAI) effector cells were washed, allowed to settle onto poly-L-lysine-coated coverslips, and stained for surface Env (red) and GM1 (green) with 10 µg/ml of the human Env-specific antibody 50-69 (CFAR, United Kingdom) and 10 µg/ml B-Ctx followed by anti-human-TRITC and streptavidin-FITC, respectively. (C) HIV-1LAI-infected 3-day PHA- and interleukin-2-activated primary CD4+ T-cells negatively enriched from PBMC by magnetic selection (Miltenyi Biotech, United Kingdom) were stained for Env (red) and GM1 (green) as described above. All images represent single x-y sections through the center of a cell and were acquired using a Bio-Rad MicroRadiance laser scanning confocal microscope and subsequently processed using Metamorph v6 (Universal Imaging Corporation) and Photoshop 7.0 (Adobe Inc.). Fluorescence images are shown next to the corresponding Nomarski images, and the colocalization of red and green gives yellow staining.
|
![]() View larger version (80K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 2. HIV-1 Env colocalizes with the raft markers GM1 and CD59 but not with the nonraft marker TfR. JurkatLAI cells were incubated for 1 h at 12°C with B-Ctx, the human Env-specific antibody 50-69, and either a mouse CD59-specific monoclonal antibody (Serotec) or a mouse anti-human TfR-specific antibody (from T. Harder, University of Oxford). Cells were washed at 4°C and incubated for a further 1 h at 12°C with anti-human-TRITC, streptavidin-Cy5, and anti-mouse-FITC to promote antibody-induced patching of CD59 and TfR as described previously (14). Cells were then washed, fixed in paraformaldehyde, and analyzed by confocal microscopy. (A) CD59 (green) colocalizes with HIV-1 Env (red) and GM1 (blue). (B) TfR (green) does not colocalize with HIV-1 Env (red) and GM1 (blue). (C) Incorporation of GM1 into a budding HIV-1 virion. JurkatLAI cells were fixed sequentially in 4% and 8% paraformaldehyde, stained for Env with the human MAb 2G12 (20 µg/ml) and for GM1 with B-Ctx (20 µg/ml), washed, and labeled with anti-human immunoglobulin G and anti-biotin conjugated with 5-nm and 10-nm gold colloids, respectively (Agar, United Kingdom). Cells were then fixed in a mixture of glutaraldehyde and paraformaldehyde, washed, and postfixed in 1% osmium tetroxide in cacodylate buffer. After extensive washing, the cells were incubated in 0.5% magnesium uranyl acetate, dehydrated in ethanol and propylene oxide, and embedded in Epon resin. Ultrathin sections were examined using a Phillips FEI Technai 12 transmission electron microscope, and digital images were captured using Soft imaging software and processed using Photoshop. Bar, 100 nm.
|
![]() View larger version (19K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 3. GM1 colocalizes with Gag and Env and is polarized to the VS. (A) JurkatLAI cells were stained with MAb 50-69 for surface-expressed Env (red) and with B-Ctx for GM1 (green), fixed, permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100, and incubated with rabbit antisera against HIV-1 Gagp17/p24 (blue) obtained from CFAR, United Kingdom, followed by anti-human-TRITC, streptavidin-FITC, and anti-rabbit-Cy5. Merging of the three colors illustrates colocalization, which is superimposed in white on the corresponding Nomarski image. (B) Conjugates between equal numbers of JurkatLAI effector cells (lower cell in conjugate) and freshly isolated resting primary CD4+ T target cells negatively enriched from normal PBMC (upper cell) were made on poly-L-lysine-treated coverslips for 1 h at 37°C, during which cells were stained for CD4 with L120 (blue; CFAR, United Kingdom) and for Env with 50-69 (red). Conjugate evolution was arresting by fixing with paraformaldehyde prior to staining for GM1 with B-Ctx (green), followed by anti-mouse-Cy5, anti-human-TRITC, and streptavidin-FITC. Merging of the three colors illustrates colocalization, which is superimposed in white on the corresponding Nomarski image. Arrows point to regions of GM1 and Env in the target cell membrane. (C) Conjugates between JurkatLAI effector and primary CD4+ T target cells were made as described above, during which cells were stained for Env with 50-69 (red). Conjugate evolution was arrested by fixing with paraformaldehyde prior to staining with B-Ctx (green). Conjugates were then permeabilized in 0.1% Triton X-100 and labeled with rabbit antisera against Gagp17/p24 (blue), followed by anti-human-TRITC, streptavidin-FITC, and anti-rabbit-Cy5. Merging of the three colors illustrates colocalization, which is superimposed in white on the corresponding Nomarski image.
|
|
View this table: [in a new window] |
TABLE 1. Quantification of GM1 recruitment to the VSa
|
![]() View larger version (42K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 4. Depletion of cholesterol eliminates Env detection and prevents VS assembly. JurkatLAI effector cells were treated with 10 mM ß-CD in RPMI for 30 min at 37°C to extract membrane cholesterol. Red, green, and blue staining was converted to white in all images by using Photoshop to increase contrast. (A) ß-CD-treated JurkatLAI cells (lower cell in conjugate) were washed, mixed with an equal number of primary CD4+ target T cells (labeled with an asterisk), and incubated for 1 h at 37°C with the Env-specific MAb 50-69 (top right panel) and the CD4-specific MAb L120 (lower left panel). Conjugate evolution was arrested by fixing with paraformaldehyde prior to staining with B-Ctx to detect GM1 on the effector cell (top left panel). (B) JurkatLAI effector cells were either left untreated (top panel) or treated with 5 mM (middle panel) or 10 mM (bottom panel) ß-CD and stained with the HIV-1 Env-specific MAb 50-69 and an appropriate conjugate. (C) ELISA for soluble gp120. JurkatLAI cells (1 x 107) were treated with 10 mM ß-CD or left untreated, and supernatants were collected and assayed for their Env content by ELISA. Supernatants were serially diluted and captured on plates coated with the sheep anti-gp120 antibody D7320, and bound gp120 was detected using MAb 2G12 followed by anti-human-horseradish peroxidase and developed with Ultra-TMB ELISA substrate (Pierce). The data show the means ± 1 standard deviation for untreated ( ) and ß-CD-treated ( ) samples from two independent experiments performed in triplicate. (D) Flow cytometric analysis of surface-expressed Env. JurkatLAI cells were left untreated (solid line) or treated with 10 mM ß-CD (dotted line) and then were stained for surface-expressed Env using the MAb 2G12 followed by anti-human-phycoerythrin. Mean fluorescence intensities relative to the unstained control (shaded) are shown. (E) ß-CD-treated JurkatLAI effector cells were mixed with an equal number of primary CD4+ target T cells, incubated for 1 h at 37°C, fixed, and stained for GM1 (top left panel) and Env (top right panel). Conjugates were permeabilized and labeled with rabbit antisera against HIV Gagp17/p24 (lower left panel).
|
ß-CD is toxic at high concentrations and could not reasonably be considered an antiviral strategy against HIV-1 cell-cell (and potentially cell-free) dissemination. However, the interruption of the HIV-1 Env and/or Gag association with lipid rafts may be effected by other, less toxic approaches that disrupt lipid rafts and/or alter PIP2 distribution and should be explored as an avenue to novel prophylaxis in the form of microbicides or as a therapeutic intervention in HIV-1 infection.
|
|
|---|
This article has been cited by other articles:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»