title: Factors determining the breadth and potency of neutralization by V3-specific human monoclonal antibodies derived from subjects infected with clade A or clade B strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
abstract: The neutralizing activities of anti-V3 antibodies for HIV-1 isolates is affected both by sequence variation within V3 and by epitope masking by the V1/V2 domain. To analyze the relative contribution of V3 sequence variation, chimeric Env genes that contained consensus V3 sequences from seven HIV-1 subtypes in the neutralization-sensitive SF162 Env backbone were constructed. Resulting viral pseudotypes were tested for neutralization by 15 anti-V3 MAbs isolated from humans infected with viruses of either subtype B (anti-V3(B) MAbs) or subtype A (anti-V3(A) MAbs). Pseudovirions with the subtype B consensus V3 sequence were potently neutralized (IC(50) < 0.006 microg/ml) by all but one of these MAbs, while pseudovirions with V3 subtypes A, C, F, H, AG, and AE were generally neutralized more effectively by anti-V3(A) MAbs than by anti-V3(B) MAbs. A V1/V2-masked Env version of SF162 Env with the consensus B V3 sequence was also neutralized by these MAbs, although with considerably lower potency, while similarly masked chimeras with V3 sequences of subtype A, C, or AG were weakly neutralized by anti-V3(A) MAbs but not by anti-V3(B) MAbs. Mutations in the V1/V2 domain of YU-2 Env increased the sensitivity of this highly resistant Env to a pool of anti-V3(B) MAbs several thousand-fold. These results demonstrated (i) the exceptional sensitivity of representative V3 domains of multiple subtypes to neutralization in the absence of epitope masking, (ii) the broader neutralizing activity of anti-V3(A) MAbs for viruses containing diverse V3 sequences, and (iii) the generality and dominant effect of V1/V2 masking on restriction of V3-mediated neutralization.
authors.affiliation: The Public Health Research Institute, 255 Warren St., Newark, NJ 07103-3535, USA.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Krachmarov
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Honnen
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kayman
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Gorny
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zolla-Pazner
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinter
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D015686:Gene Products, env