Alternative coreceptor requirements for efficient CCR5- and CXCR4-mediated HIV-1 entry into macrophages

J Virol. 2011 Oct;85(20):10699-709. doi: 10.1128/JVI.05510-11. Epub 2011 Aug 10.

Abstract

Macrophage tropism of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is distinct from coreceptor specificity of the viral envelope glycoproteins (Env), but the virus-cell interactions that contribute to efficient HIV-1 entry into macrophages, particularly via CXCR4, are not well understood. Here, we characterized a panel of HIV-1 Envs that use CCR5 (n = 14) or CXCR4 (n = 6) to enter monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) with various degrees of efficiency. Our results show that efficient CCR5-mediated MDM entry by Env-pseudotyped reporter viruses is associated with increased tolerance of several mutations within the CCR5 N terminus. In contrast, efficient CXCR4-mediated MDM entry was associated with reduced tolerance of a large deletion within the CXCR4 N terminus. Env sequence analysis and structural modeling identified amino acid variants at positions 261 and 263 within the gp41-interactive region of gp120 and a variant at position 326 within the gp120 V3 loop that were associated with efficient CXCR4-mediated MDM entry. Mutagenesis studies showed that the gp41 interaction domain variants exert a significant but strain-specific influence on CXCR4-mediated MDM entry, suggesting that the structural integrity of the gp120-gp41 interface is important for efficient CXCR4-mediated MDM entry of certain HIV-1 strains. However, the presence of Ile326 in the gp120 V3 loop stem, which we show by molecular modeling is located at the gp120-coreceptor interface and predicted to interact with the CXCR4 N terminus, was found to be critical for efficient CXCR4-mediated MDM entry of divergent CXCR4-using Envs. Together, the results of our study provide novel insights into alternative mechanisms of Env-coreceptor engagement that are associated with efficient CCR5- and CXCR4-mediated HIV-1 entry into macrophages.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / genetics
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / metabolism*
  • HIV-1 / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Macrophages / virology*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutant Proteins / genetics
  • Mutant Proteins / metabolism
  • Receptors, CCR5 / genetics
  • Receptors, CCR5 / metabolism*
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / genetics
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / metabolism*
  • Receptors, HIV / metabolism*
  • Virus Internalization*

Substances

  • CXCR4 protein, human
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Receptors, CCR5
  • Receptors, CXCR4
  • Receptors, HIV
  • gp120 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1