Antigenic properties of the human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein gp120 on virions bound to target cells

PLoS Pathog. 2015 Mar 25;11(3):e1004772. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004772. eCollection 2015 Mar.

Abstract

The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp120, undergoes multiple molecular interactions and structural rearrangements during the course of host cell attachment and viral entry, which are being increasingly defined at the atomic level using isolated proteins. In comparison, antigenic markers of these dynamic changes are essentially unknown for single HIV-1 particles bound to target cells. Such markers should indicate how neutralizing and/or non-neutralizing antibodies might interdict infection by either blocking infection or sensitizing host cells for elimination by Fc-mediated effector function. Here we address this deficit by imaging fluorescently labeled CCR5-tropic HIV-1 pseudoviruses using confocal and superresolution microscopy to track the exposure of neutralizing and non-neutralizing epitopes as they appear on single HIV-1 particles bound to target cells. Epitope exposure was followed under conditions permissive or non-permissive for viral entry to delimit changes associated with virion binding from those associated with post-attachment events. We find that a previously unexpected array of gp120 epitopes is exposed rapidly upon target cell binding. This array comprises both neutralizing and non-neutralizing epitopes, the latter being hidden on free virions yet capable of serving as potent targets for Fc-mediated effector function. Under non-permissive conditions for viral entry, both neutralizing and non-neutralizing epitope exposures were relatively static over time for the majority of bound virions. Under entry-permissive conditions, epitope exposure patterns changed over time on subsets of virions that exhibited concurrent variations in virion contents. These studies reveal that bound virions are distinguished by a broad array of both neutralizing and non-neutralizing gp120 epitopes that potentially sensitize a freshly engaged target cell for destruction by Fc-mediated effector function and/or for direct neutralization at a post-binding step. The elucidation of these epitope exposure patterns during viral entry will help clarify antibody-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 as it is measured in vitro and in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Epitopes / chemistry*
  • Epitopes / genetics
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • HIV Antigens / chemistry*
  • HIV Antigens / genetics
  • HIV Antigens / immunology
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / chemistry*
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / genetics
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / immunology
  • HIV-1 / chemistry*
  • HIV-1 / genetics
  • HIV-1 / immunology
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Receptors, CCR5 / chemistry
  • Receptors, CCR5 / genetics
  • Receptors, CCR5 / immunology
  • Viral Tropism / genetics
  • Viral Tropism / immunology
  • Virion / chemistry*
  • Virion / genetics
  • Virion / immunology

Substances

  • CCR5 protein, human
  • Epitopes
  • HIV Antigens
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120
  • Receptors, CCR5
  • gp120 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1

Grants and funding

The present work was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, grant number OPP1033109 (GKL).The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.