Autophagy and CD4+ T lymphocyte destruction by HIV-1.
The first step of HIV-1 infection is mediated by the binding of envelope glycoproteins (Env) to CD4 and two major coreceptors, CCR5 or CXCR4. The HIV-1 strains that use CCR5 are involved in primo-infection whereas those HIV-1 strains that use CXCR4 play a major role in the demise of CD4+ T lymphocytes and a rapid progression toward AIDS. Notably, binding of X4 Env expressed on cells to CXCR4 triggers apoptosis of uninfected CD4+ T cells. We now have just demonstrated that, independently of HIV-1 replication, transfected or HIV-1-infected cells that express X4 Env induce autophagy and accumulation of Beclin 1 in uninfected CD4+ T lymphocytes via CXCR4. Moreover, autophagy is a prerequisite to Env-induced apoptosis in uninfected bystander T cells, and CD4+ T cells still undergo an Env-mediated cell death with autophagic features when apoptosis is inhibited. To the best of our knowledge, these findings represent the first example of autophagy triggered through binding of virus envelope proteins to a cellular receptor, without viral replication, leading to apoptosis. Here, we proposed hypotheses about the significance of Env-induced Beclin 1 accumulation in CD4+ T cell death and about the role of autophagy in HIV-1 infected cells depending on the coreceptor involved.
Espert
Lucile
L
Laboratoire Infections Rétrovirales et Signalisation Cellulaire, CNRS/UM1 UMR 5121, Institut de Biologie, 4 Boulevard Henri IV, Montpellier 34000, France. lucile.espert@univ.montp1.fr
Denizot
Mélanie
M
Grimaldi
Marina
M
Robert-Hebmann
Véronique
V
Gay
Bernard
B
Varbanov
Mihayl
M
Codogno
Patrice
P
Biard-Piechaczyk
Martine
M
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy / Q000276:immunology*; D000071186:Beclin-1; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D016923:Cell Death; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000473:pathology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D011485:Protein Binding; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4