title: The CXCR4-tropic human immunodeficiency virus envelope promotes more-efficient gene delivery to resting CD4+ T cells than the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein G envelope.
abstract: Current gene transfer protocols for resting CD4(+) T cells include an activation step to enhance transduction efficiency. This step is performed because it is thought that resting cells are resistant to transduction by lentiviral-based gene therapy vectors. However, activating resting cells prior to transduction alters their physiology, with foreseeable and unforeseeable negative consequences. Thus, it would be desirable to transduce resting CD4(+) T cells without activation. We recently demonstrated, contrary to the prevailing belief, that wild-type human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) integrates into resting CD4(+) T cells. Based on that finding, we investigated whether a commonly used, vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein G (VSV-G)-pseudotyped lentiviral gene therapy vector could also integrate into resting CD4(+) T cells. To investigate this, we inoculated resting CD4(+) T cells with lentiviral particles that were pseudotyped with VSV-G or CXCR4-tropic HIV Env and assayed binding, fusion, reverse transcription, and integration. We found that the VSV-G-pseudotyped lentiviral vector failed to fuse to resting CD4(+) T cells while HIV Env-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors fused, reverse transcribed, and integrated in resting cells. Our findings suggest that HIV Env could be used effectively for the delivery of therapeutic genes to resting CD4(+) T cells and suggest that fusion may be the critical step restricting transduction of resting CD4(+) T cells by lentiviral gene therapy vectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Agosto
authors.forename: Jianqing J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Megan K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Liszewski
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baytop
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Korokhov
authors.forename: Laurent M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Humeau
authors.forename: Una
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: O'Doherty
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D002460:Cell Line; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016662:Virus Integration; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C028391:G protein, vesicular stomatitis virus; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus