scholarly journals Stage-Dependent Inhibition of HIV-1 Replication by Antiretroviral Drugs in Cell Culture

2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 1047-1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Donahue ◽  
Richard D. Sloan ◽  
Björn D. Kuhl ◽  
Tamara Bar-Magen ◽  
Susan M. Schader ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Recent clinical trials have shown that the use of the HIV-1 integrase (IN) inhibitor raltegravir (RAL) results in drops in the viral load that are more rapid than those achieved by use of the reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor efavirenz. Previously, mathematical modeling of viral load decay that takes into account the stage of viral replication targeted by a drug has yielded data that closely approximate the clinical trial results. This model predicts greater inhibition of viral replication by drugs that act later in the viral replication cycle. In the present study, we have added drugs that target entry, reverse transcription, integration, or proteolytic processing to acutely infected cells and have shown modest viral inhibition by entry inhibitors, intermediate levels of inhibition by RT and IN inhibitors, and high levels of inhibition by protease inhibitors relative to the levels of growth for the no-drug controls. When dual or triple combinations of these drugs were added to acutely infected cells, we found that the levels of inhibition achieved by any given combination were comparable to those achieved by the latest-acting drug in the combination. In single-round infections in which the kinetics of reverse transcription and integration had been determined by quantitative PCR, addition of IN inhibitors at various times postinfection resulted in levels of inhibition equal to or greater than those achieved by addition of RT inhibitors. Collectively, our data provide in vitro evidence of the stage-dependent inhibition of HIV-1 by clinically relevant drugs. We discuss how stage-dependent inhibition helps to explain the unique viral load decay dynamics observed clinically with RAL.

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Thomas Gremminger ◽  
Zhenwei Song ◽  
Juan Ji ◽  
Avery Foster ◽  
Kexin Weng ◽  
...  

The reverse transcription of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) initiates upon annealing of the 3′-18-nt of tRNALys3 onto the primer binding site (PBS) in viral RNA (vRNA). Additional intermolecular interactions between tRNALys3 and vRNA have been reported, but their functions remain unclear. Here, we show that abolishing one potential interaction, the A-rich loop: tRNALys3 anticodon interaction in the HIV-1 MAL strain, led to a decrease in viral infectivity and reduced the synthesis of reverse transcription products in newly infected cells. In vitro biophysical and functional experiments revealed that disruption of the extended interaction resulted in an increased affinity for reverse transcriptase (RT) and enhanced primer extension efficiency. In the absence of deoxyribose nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs), vRNA was degraded by the RNaseH activity of RT, and the degradation rate was slower in the complex with the extended interaction. Consistently, the loss of vRNA integrity was detected in virions containing A-rich loop mutations. Similar results were observed in the HIV-1 NL4.3 strain, and we show that the nucleocapsid (NC) protein is necessary to promote the extended vRNA: tRNALys3 interactions in vitro. In summary, our data revealed that the additional intermolecular interaction between tRNALys3 and vRNA is likely a conserved mechanism among various HIV-1 strains and protects the vRNA from RNaseH degradation in mature virions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (16) ◽  
pp. 8119-8129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eytan Herzig ◽  
Nickolay Voronin ◽  
Nataly Kucherenko ◽  
Amnon Hizi

ABSTRACTThe process of reverse transcription (RTN) in retroviruses is essential to the viral life cycle. This key process is catalyzed exclusively by the viral reverse transcriptase (RT) that copies the viral RNA into DNA by its DNA polymerase activity, while concomitantly removing the original RNA template by its RNase H activity. During RTN, the combination between DNA synthesis and RNA hydrolysis leads to strand transfers (or template switches) that are critical for the completion of RTN. The balance between these RT-driven activities was considered to be the sole reason for strand transfers. Nevertheless, we show here that a specific mutation in HIV-1 RT (L92P) that does not affect the DNA polymerase and RNase H activities abolishes strand transfer. There is also a good correlation between this complete loss of the RT's strand transfer to the loss of the DNA clamp activity of the RT, discovered recently by us. This finding indicates a mechanistic linkage between these two functions and that they are both direct and unique functions of the RT (apart from DNA synthesis and RNA degradation). Furthermore, when the RT's L92P mutant was introduced into an infectious HIV-1 clone, it lost viral replication, due to inefficient intracellular strand transfers during RTN, thus supporting thein vitrodata. As far as we know, this is the first report on RT mutants that specifically and directly impair RT-associated strand transfers. Therefore, targeting residue Leu92 may be helpful in selectively blocking this RT activity and consequently HIV-1 infectivity and pathogenesis.IMPORTANCEReverse transcription in retroviruses is essential for the viral life cycle. This multistep process is catalyzed by viral reverse transcriptase, which copies the viral RNA into DNA by its DNA polymerase activity (while concomitantly removing the RNA template by its RNase H activity). The combination and balance between synthesis and hydrolysis lead to strand transfers that are critical for reverse transcription completion. We show here for the first time that a single mutation in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (L92P) selectively abolishes strand transfers without affecting the enzyme's DNA polymerase and RNase H functions. When this mutation was introduced into an infectious HIV-1 clone, viral replication was lost due to an impaired intracellular strand transfer, thus supporting thein vitrodata. Therefore, finding novel drugs that target HIV-1 reverse transcriptase Leu92 may be beneficial for developing new potent and selective inhibitors of retroviral reverse transcription that will obstruct HIV-1 infectivity.


2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (20) ◽  
pp. 9495-9508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Mwimanzi ◽  
Ian Tietjen ◽  
Scott C. Miller ◽  
Aniqa Shahid ◽  
Kyle Cobarrubias ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe emergence of transmissible HIV-1 strains with resistance to antiretroviral drugs highlights a continual need for new therapies. Here we describe a novel acylguanidine-containing compound, 1-(2-(azepan-1-yl)nicotinoyl)guanidine (or SM111), that inhibitsin vitroreplication of HIV-1, including strains resistant to licensed protease, reverse transcriptase, and integrase inhibitors, without major cellular toxicity. At inhibitory concentrations, intracellular p24Gagproduction was unaffected, but virion release (measured as extracellular p24Gag) was reduced and virion infectivity was substantially impaired, suggesting that SM111 acts at a late stage of viral replication. SM111-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 was partially overcome by a Vpu I17R mutation alone or a Vpu W22* truncation in combination with Env N136Y. These mutations enhanced virion infectivity and Env expression on the surface of infected cells in the absence and presence of SM111 but also impaired Vpu's ability to downregulate CD4 and BST2/tetherin. Taken together, our results support acylguanidines as a class of HIV-1 inhibitors with a distinct mechanism of action compared to that of licensed antiretrovirals. Further research on SM111 and similar compounds may help to elucidate knowledge gaps related to Vpu's role in promoting viral egress and infectivity.IMPORTANCENew inhibitors of HIV-1 replication may be useful as therapeutics to counteract drug resistance and as reagents to perform more detailed studies of viral pathogenesis. SM111 is a small molecule that blocks the replication of wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1 strains by impairing viral release and substantially reducing virion infectivity, most likely through its ability to prevent Env expression at the infected cell surface. Partial resistance to SM111 is mediated by mutations in Vpu and/or Env, suggesting that the compound affects host/viral protein interactions that are important during viral egress. Further characterization of SM111 and similar compounds may allow more detailed pharmacological studies of HIV-1 egress and provide opportunities to develop new treatments for HIV-1.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Bernhauerová ◽  
Veronica V. Rezelj ◽  
Laura I. Levi ◽  
Marco Vignuzzi

AbstractChikungunya and Zika viruses are arthropod-borne viruses that pose significant threat to public health. Experimental data show that duringin vitroinfection both viruses exhibit qualitatively distinct replication cycle kinetics. Chikungunya viral load rapidly accumulates within the first several hours post infection whereas Zika virus begins to increase at much later times. We sought to characterize these qualitatively distinctin vitrokinetics of chikungunya and Zika viruses by fitting a family of mathematical models to time course viral load datasets. We demonstrate that the standard viral kinetic model, which considers that new infections result only from free virus penetrating susceptible cells, does not fit experimental data as well as a model in which the number of virus-infected cells is the primary determinant of infection rate. We provide biologically meaningful quantifications of the main viral kinetic parameters and show that our results support cell-to-cell or localized transmission as a significant contributor to viral infection with chikungunya and Zika viruses.ImportanceMathematical modeling has become a useful tool to tease out information about virus-host interactions and thus complements experimental work in characterizing and quantifying processes within viral replication cycle. Importantly, mathematical models can fill in incomplete data sets and identify key parameters of infection, provided the appropriate model is used. Thein vitrotime course dynamics of mosquito transmitted viruses, such as chikungunya and Zika, have not been studied by mathematical modeling and thus limits our knowledge about quantitative description of the individual determinants of viral replication cycle. This study employs dynamical modeling framework to show that the rate at which cells become virus-infected is proportional to the number or virus-infected cells rather than free extracellular virus in the milieu, a widely accepted assumption in models of viral infections. Using the refined mathematical model in combination with viral load data, we provide quantification of the main drivers of chikungunya and Zikain vitrokinetics. Together, our results bring quantitative understanding of the basic components of chikungunya and Zika virus dynamics.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 4154-4160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor G. Kramer ◽  
Susan M. Schader ◽  
Maureen Oliveira ◽  
Susan P. Colby-Germinario ◽  
Daniel A. Donahue ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTHIV entry inhibitors, such as maraviroc (MVC), prevent cell-free viruses from entering the cells. In clinical trials, patients who were treated with MVC often displayed viral loads that were above the limit of conventional viral load detection compared to efavirenz-based regimens. We hypothesize that viruses blocked by entry inhibitors may be redistributed to plasma, where they artificially increase viral load measurements compared to those with the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) that act intracellularly. We infected PM-1 cells with CCR5-tropic HIV-1 BaL or CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 NL4-3 in the presence of inhibitory concentrations of efavirenz, raltegravir, enfuvirtide, maraviroc, and AMD3100, the latter three being entry inhibitors. Supernatant viral load, reverse transcriptase enzyme activity, and intracellular nucleic acid levels were measured at times up to 24 h postinfection. Infectivity of redistributed dual-tropic HIV-1 was assessed using TZM-bl cells. Extracellular viral load analysis revealed that entry inhibitor-treated cells had higher levels of virus in the supernatant than the cells treated with other ARVs at 8 h postinfection. By 24 h, the supernatant viral load was still higher for entry inhibitors than other ARVs. We observed a correlation between viral load and the step of entry inhibition. Dual-tropic virus infectivity was undiminished utilizing the CCR5 coreceptor following redistribution by CXCR4 entry inhibition. Thisin vitromodel indicates that entry inhibitors exhibit a redistribution effect unseen with intracellular ARV drugs. Based on these results, the effectiveness of some entry inhibitors may be underestimated if plasma viral load is used as a sole indicator of clinical success.


Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 764
Author(s):  
Melissa Stunnenberg ◽  
Lisa van Pul ◽  
Joris K. Sprokholt ◽  
Karel A. van Dort ◽  
Sonja I. Gringhuis ◽  
...  

The mitochondrial antiviral protein MAVS is a key player in the induction of antiviral responses; however, human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is able to suppress these responses. Two linked single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MAVS gene render MAVS insensitive to HIV-1-dependent suppression, and have been shown to be associated with a lower viral load at set point and delayed increase of viral load during disease progression. Here, we studied the underlying mechanisms involved in the control of viral replication in individuals homozygous for this MAVS genotype. We observed that individuals with the MAVS minor genotype had more stable total CD4+ T cell counts during a 7-year follow up and had lower cell-associated proviral DNA loads. Genetic variation in MAVS did not affect immune activation levels; however, a significantly lower percentage of naïve CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells was observed in the MAVS minor genotype. In vitro HIV-1 infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors with the MAVS minor genotype resulted in decreased viral replication. Although the precise underlying mechanism remains unclear, our data suggest that the protective effect of the MAVS minor genotype may be exerted by the initiation of local innate responses affecting viral replication and CD4+ T cell susceptibility.


2016 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viswanath Ragupathy ◽  
Wang Xue ◽  
Ji Tan ◽  
Krishnakumar Devadas ◽  
Yamei Gao ◽  
...  

In human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected women, oral or injectable progesterone containing contraceptive pills may enhance HIV-1 acquisition in vivo, and the mechanism by which this occurs is not fully understood. In developing countries, Herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) co-infection has been shown to be a risk for increase of HIV-1 acquisition and, if co-infected women use progesterone pills, infections may increase several fold. In this study, we used an in vitro cell culture system to study the effects of progesterone on HIV-1 replication and to explore the molecular mechanism of progesterone effects on infected cells. In our in vitro model, CEMss cells (lymphoblastoid cell line) were infected with either HIV-1 alone or co-infected with HSV-2. HIV-1 viral load was measured with and without sex hormone treatment. Progesterone-treated cells showed an increase in HIV-1 viral load (1411.2 pg/mL) compared with cells without progesterone treatment (993.1 pg/mL). Increased cell death was noted with HSV-2 co-infection and in progesterone-treated cells. Similar observations were noted in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cells derived from three female donors. Progesterone-treated cells also showed reduced antiviral efficacy. Inflammatory cytokines and associations with biomarkers of disease progression were explored. Progesterone upregulated inflammatory cytokines and chemokines conversely and downregulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression. Nuclear protein analysis by electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed the association of progesterone with progesterone response element (PRE), which may lead to downregulation of Bcl-2. These data indicate that progesterone treatment enhances HIV-1 replication in infected cells and co-infection with HSV-2 may further fuel this process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-90
Author(s):  
M. N. Nosik ◽  
K. A. Ryzhov ◽  
A. V. Potapova

Aim. To study how female hormones included in oral contraceptives (β-estradiol and progesteron) affect HIV-1 replication and efficacy of antiviral drugs. Material and methods. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cell lines MT-4, Jurkat were infected with HIV-1 (subtype A6). Afterwards the cells were cultured for 6 days in the presence of β-estradiol/progesteron with or without the presence of antiretroviral drugs Lamivudin (3TC), Etravirin(ETR) and Indinavir (IDV), which are widely used for HIV treatment. Virus production was monitored by p24 levels in culture supernatants on day 6. The experemints were performed in eight repetitions. Results. There was a 1,3-1,8-fold increase of virus replication in the presence of high concentrations of both hormones (26,136 μg/ml). Incomplete suppression of viral replication was observed when infected cells were co-cultivated in the presence of hormones (26 μg, 136 μg) and antiretroviral drugs. The mean suppression rate of viral replication for β-estradiol was 77.3% and 69.8% for progesterone. However, in the absence of hormones the virus production was completely suppressed by those drugs. Conclusion. The high concentrations of steroid hormones induce HIV-1 replication and as a result reduce the efficacy of antiretroviral drugs NVP and IDV in vitro. Thus it is advisable for women at high risk of HIV infection to monitor hormone levels that change during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy before prescribing hormonal contraception.


2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 1015-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Müller ◽  
Tilo Patschinsky ◽  
Hans-Georg Kräusslich

ABSTRACT The Gag-derived protein p6 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) plays a crucial role in the release of virions from the membranes of infected cells. It is presumed that p6 and functionally related proteins from other viruses act as adapters, recruiting cellular factors to the budding site. This interaction is mediated by so-called late domains within the viral proteins. Previous studies had suggested that virus release from the plasma membrane shares elements with the cellular endocytosis machinery. Since protein phosphorylation is known to be a regulatory mechanism in these processes, we have investigated the phosphorylation of HIV-1 structural proteins. Here we show that p6 is the major phosphoprotein of HIV-1 particles. After metabolic labeling of infected cells with [ortho- 32P]phosphate, we found that phosphorylated p6 from infected cells and from virus particles consisted of several forms, suggesting differential phosphorylation at multiple sites. Apparently, phosphorylation occurred shortly before or after the release of p6 from Gag and involved only a minor fraction of the total virion-associated p6 molecules. Phosphoamino acid analysis indicated phosphorylation at Ser and Thr, as well as a trace of Tyr phosphorylation, supporting the conclusion that multiple phosphorylation events do occur. In vitro experiments using purified virus revealed that endogenous or exogenously added p6 was efficiently phosphorylated by virion-associated cellular kinase(s). Inhibition experiments suggested that a cyclin-dependent kinase or a related kinase, most likely ERK2, was involved in p6 phosphorylation by virion-associated enzymes.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 244
Author(s):  
Laura Albentosa-González ◽  
Rosario Sabariegos ◽  
Armando Arias ◽  
Pilar Clemente-Casares ◽  
Antonio Mas

Usutu virus (USUV) is a flavivirus that mainly infects wild birds through the bite of Culex mosquitoes. Recent outbreaks have been associated with an increased number of cases in humans. Despite being a growing source of public health concerns, there is yet insufficient data on the virus or host cell targets for infection control. In this work we have investigated whether the cellular kinase Akt and USUV polymerase NS5 interact and co-localize in a cell. To this aim, we performed co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays, followed by confocal microscopy analyses. We further tested whether NS5 is a phosphorylation substrate of Akt in vitro. Finally, to examine its role in viral replication, we chemically silenced Akt with three inhibitors (MK-2206, honokiol and ipatasertib). We found that both proteins are localized (confocal) and pulled down (Co-IP) together when expressed in different cell lines, supporting the fact that they are interacting partners. This possibility was further sustained by data showing that NS5 is phosphorylated by Akt. Treatment of USUV-infected cells with Akt-specific inhibitors led to decreases in virus titers (>10-fold). Our results suggest an important role for Akt in virus replication and stimulate further investigations to examine the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway as an antiviral target.


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