Specific Activation In Vivo of HIV-1 by a Bromodomain Inhibitor from Monocytic Cells in Humanized Mice under Antiretroviral Therapy.

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) effectively suppresses HIV-1 replication and enables HIV­infected individuals to live long, productive lives. However, the persistence of HIV-1 reservoirs of both T and myeloid cells with latent or low-replicating HIV-1 in patients under cART makes HIV-1 infection an incurable disease. Recent studies have focused on the development of strategies to activate and purge these reservoirs. Bromodomain and extraterminal domain proteins (BETs) are epigenetic readers involved in modulating gene expression. Several bromodomain inhibitors (BETi) are reported to activate viral transcription in vitro in HIV-1 latency cell lines in a P-TEFb (CDK9/cyclin T1)-dependent manner. Little is known about BETi efficacy in activating HIV-1 reservoir cells under cART in vivo Here we report that a BETi (I-BET151) efficiently activated HIV-1 reservoirs under effective cART in humanized mice in vivo Interestingly, I-BET151 during suppressive cART in vivo activated HIV-1 gene expression only in monocytic cells and not in CD4+ T cells. We further demonstrate that BETi preferentially enhanced HIV-1 gene expression in monocytic cells rather than in T cells and that whereas CDK9 was involved in activating HIV-1 by I-BET151 in both monocytic and T cells, CDK2 enhanced HIV-1 transcription in monocytic cells but inhibited it in T cells. Our findings reveal a role for CDK2 in differential modulation of HIV-1 gene expression in myeloid cells and in T cells and provide a novel strategy to reactivate monocytic reservoirs with BETi during cART.IMPORTANCE Bromodomain inhibitors have been reported to activate HIV-1 transcription in vitro, but their effect on activation of HIV-1 reservoirs during cART in vivo is unclear. We found that BETi (I-BET151) treatment reactivated HIV-1 gene expression in humanized mice during suppressive cART. Interestingly, I-BET151 preferentially reactivated HIV-1 gene expression in monocytic cells, but not in CD4 T cells, in cART-treated mice. Furthermore, I-BET151 significantly increased HIV-1 transcription in monocytic cells, but not in HIV-1-infected CD4 T cells, via CDK2-dependent mechanisms. Our findings suggest that BETi can preferentially activate monocytic HIV-1 reservoir cells and that a combination of reservoir activation agents targeting different cell types and pathways is needed to achieve reactivation of different HIV-1 reservoir cells during cART.

Regulatory T Cells Contribute to HIV-1 Reservoir Persistence in CD4+ T Cells Through Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate-Dependent Mechanisms in Humanized Mice In Vivo.

Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress T-cell immune activation and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication, but the role of Tregs in HIV-1 reservoir persistence is poorly defined. Methods: Tregs were depleted by denileukin diftitox in humanized mice with chronic HIV-1 infection. Viral replication in lineage cells was determined by p24 expression. Levels of HIV-1 RNA and DNA in human cells, as well as replication-competent-virus-producing cells, were measured to quantified viral replication and reservoirs. Results: Treg depletion resulted in a blip of HIV-1 replication in T cells but not in myeloid cells. The major activated reservoir cells were memory CD4+ T cells in vivo. Interestingly, the transient activation of viral replication led to HIV-1 reservoir reduction after viremia resuppression, as indicated by the quantity of HIV-1 DNA and replication-competent-virus-producing cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Tregs use cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A pathway to inhibit HIV-1 activation and replication in resting conventional T cells in vitro. Conclusion: Tregs suppress HIV-1 replication in T cells and contribute to HIV-1 reservoir persistence. cAMP produced in Tregs is involved in their suppression of viral gene activation and expression. Treg depletion combined with combination antiretroviral therapy provides a novel strategy for HIV-1 cure.

Minicircle HBV cccDNA with a Gaussia luciferase reporter for investigating HBV cccDNA biology and developing cccDNA-targeting drugs.

Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is generally not curable with current anti-viral drugs. Virus rebounds after stopping treatment from the stable HBV covalently-closed-circular DNA (cccDNA). The development of drugs that directly target cccDNA is hampered by the lack of robust HBV cccDNA models. We report here a novel HBV cccDNA technology that will meet the need. We engineered a minicircle HBV cccDNA with a Gaussia Luciferase reporter (mcHBV-GLuc cccDNA), which serves as a surrogate to measure cccDNA activity. The mcHBV-GLuc cccDNA was easily produced in bacteria, and it formed minichromosomes as HBV cccDNA episome DNA does when it was transfected into human hepatocytes. Compared to non-HBV minicircle plasmids, mcHBV-GLuc cccDNA showed persistent HBV-GLuc activity and HBx-dependent gene expression. Importantly, the mcHBV-GLuc cccDNA showed resistance to interferons (IFN) treatment, indicating its unique similarity to HBV cccDNA that is usually resistant to long-term IFN treatment in chronic HBV patients. Most importantly, GLuc illuminates cccDNA as a surrogate of cccDNA activity, providing a very sensitive and quick method to detect trace amount of cccDNA. The mcHBV-GLuc cccDNA model is independent of HBV infection, and will be valuable for investigating HBV cccDNA biology and for developing cccDNA-targeting drugs.

Hepatitis B Virus X Protein Promotes Degradation of SMC5/6 to Enhance HBV Replication.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) regulatory protein X (HBx) activates gene expression from the HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) genome. Interaction of HBx with the DDB1-CUL4-ROC1 (CRL4) E3 ligase is critical for this function. Using substrate-trapping proteomics, we identified the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complex proteins SMC5 and SMC6 as CRL4(HBx) substrates. HBx expression and HBV infection degraded the SMC5/6 complex in human hepatocytes in vitro and in humanized mice in vivo. HBx targets SMC5/6 for ubiquitylation by the CRL4(HBx) E3 ligase and subsequent degradation by the proteasome. Using a minicircle HBV (mcHBV) reporter system with HBx-dependent activity, we demonstrate that SMC5/6 knockdown, or inhibition with a dominant-negative SMC6, enhance HBx null mcHBV-Gluc gene expression. Furthermore, SMC5/6 knockdown rescued HBx-deficient HBV replication in human hepatocytes. These results indicate that a primary function of HBx is to degrade SMC5/6, which restricts HBV replication by inhibiting HBV gene expression.

Ribavirin Contributes to Hepatitis C Virus Suppression by Augmenting pDC Activation and Type 1 IFN Production.

Ribavirin is used as a component of combination therapies for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection together with pegylated interferon and/or direct-acting antiviral drugs. Its mechanism of action, however, is not clear. Direct antiviral activity and immunomodulatory functions have been implicated. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are the principal source of type 1 interferon during viral infection. The interaction of pDCs with HCV-infected hepatocytes is the subject of intense recent investigation, but the effect of ribavirin on pDC activation has not been evaluated. In this study we showed that ribavirin augments toll-like receptors 7 and 9-mediated IFNα/ß expression from pDCs and up-regulated numerous interferon-stimulated genes. Using the H77S.3 HCV infection and replication system, we showed that ribavirin enhanced the ability of activated pDCs to inhibit HCV replication, correlated with elevated induction of IFNα. Our findings provide novel evidence that ribavirin contributes to HCV inhibition by augmenting pDCs-derived type 1 IFN production.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells promote HIV-1-induced group 3 innate lymphoid cell depletion.

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) have demonstrated roles in promoting antibacterial immunity, maintaining epithelial barrier function, and supporting tissue repair. ILC3 alterations are associated with chronic inflammation and inflammatory disease; however, the characteristics and relevant regulatory mechanisms of this cell population in HIV-1 infection are poorly understood due in part to a lack of a robust model. Here, we determined that functional human ILC3s develop in lymphoid organs of humanized mice and that persistent HIV-1 infection in this model depletes ILC3s, as observed in chronic HIV-1-infected patients. In HIV-1-infected mice, effective antiretroviral therapy reversed the loss of ILC3s. HIV-1-dependent reduction of ILC3s required plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), IFN-I, and the CD95/FasL pathway, as targeted depletion or blockade of these prevented HIV-1-induced ILC3 depletion in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Finally, we determined that HIV-1 infection induces CD95 expression on ILC3s via a pDC- and IFN-I-dependent mechanism that sensitizes ILC3s to undergo CD95/FasL-mediated apoptosis. We conclude that chronic HIV-1 infection depletes ILC3s through pDC activation, induction of IFN-I, and CD95-mediated apoptosis.

HIV-1 Env and Nef Cooperatively Contribute to Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Activation via CD4-Dependent Mechanisms.

UNLABELLED: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are the major source of type I IFN (IFN-I) in response to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. pDCs are rapidly activated during HIV-1 infection and are implicated in reducing the early viral load, as well as contributing to HIV-1-induced pathogenesis. However, most cell-free HIV-1 isolates are inefficient in activating human pDCs, and the mechanisms of HIV-1 recognition by pDCs and pDC activation are not clearly defined. In this study, we report that two genetically similar HIV-1 variants (R3A and R3B) isolated from a rapid progressor differentially activated pDCs to produce alpha interferon (IFN-α). The highly pathogenic R3A efficiently activated pDCs to induce robust IFN-α production, while the less pathogenic R3B did not. The viral determinant for efficient pDC activation was mapped to the V1V2 region of R3A Env, which also correlated with enhanced CD4 binding activity. Furthermore, we showed that the Nef protein was also required for the activation of pDCs by R3A. Analysis of a panel of R3A Nef functional mutants demonstrated that Nef domains involved in CD4 downregulation were necessary for R3A to activate pDCs. Our data indicate that R3A-induced pDC activation depends on (i) the high affinity of R3A Env for binding the CD4 receptor and (ii) Nef activity, which is involved in CD4 downregulation. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanism by which HIV-1 induces IFN-α in pDCs, which contributes to pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are the major type I interferon (IFN-I)-producing cells, and IFN-I actually contributes to pathogenesis during chronic viral infections. How HIV-1 activates pDCs and the roles of pDCs/IFN-I in HIV-1 pathogenesis remain unclear. We report here that the highly pathogenic HIV R3A efficiently activated pDCs to induce IFN-α production, while most HIV-1 isolates are inefficient in activating pDCs. We have discovered that R3A-induced pDC activation depends on (i) the high affinity of R3A Env for binding the CD4 receptor and (ii) Nef activity, which is involved in CD4 downregulation. Our findings thus provide new insights into the mechanism by which HIV-1 induces IFN-α in pDCs and contributes to HIV-1 pathogenesis. These novel findings will be of great interest to those working on the roles of IFN and pDCs in HIV-1 pathogenesis in general and on the interaction of HIV-1 with pDCs in particular.