title: Potent inhibition of HIV-1 by TRIM5-cyclophilin fusion proteins engineered from human components.
abstract: New World monkeys of the genus Aotus synthesize a fusion protein (AoT5Cyp) containing tripartite motif-containing 5 (TRIM5) and cyclophilin A (CypA) that potently blocks HIV-1 infection. We attempted to generate a human HIV-1 inhibitor modeled after AoT5Cyp, by fusing human CypA to human TRIM5 (hT5Cyp). Of 13 constructs, 3 showed substantial HIV-1-inhibitory activity when expressed in human cell lines. This activity required capsid binding by CypA and correlated with CypA linkage to the TRIM5a capsid-specificity determinant and the ability to form cytoplasmic bodies. CXCR4- and CCR5-tropic HIV-1 clones and primary isolates were inhibited from infecting multiple human macrophage and T cell lines and primary cells by hT5Cyp, as were HIV-2ROD, SIVAGMtan, FIVPET, and a circulating HIV-1 isolate previously reported to be AoT5Cyp resistant. The anti-HIV-1 activity of hT5Cyp was surprisingly more effective than that of the well-characterized rhesus TRIM5alpha, especially in T cells. hT5Cyp also blocked HIV-1 infection of primary CD4+ T cells and macrophages and conferred a survival advantage to these cells without disrupting their function. Extensive attempts to elicit HIV-1 resistance to hT5Cyp were unsuccessful. Finally, Rag2-/-gammac-/- mice were engrafted with human CD4+ T cells that had been transduced by optimized lentiviral vectors bearing hT5Cyp. Upon challenge with HIV-1, these mice showed decreased viremia and productive infection in lymphoid organs and preserved numbers of human CD4+ T cells. We conclude that hT5Cyp is an extraordinarily robust inhibitor of HIV-1 replication and a promising anti-HIV-1 gene therapy candidate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Martha R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Neagu
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pertel
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strambio-De-Castillia
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grütter
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinetti
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazzucchelli
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grütter
authors.forename: Markus G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Manz
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luban
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090103:Antiviral Restriction Factors; D016645:Aotidae; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D021984:Cyclophilin A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D015202:Protein Engineering; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000090103:Antiviral Restriction Factors; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C499308:Rag2 protein, mouse; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; C477346:TRIM5 protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D021984:Cyclophilin A