HIV type 1 subtype A envelope genetic evolution in a slow progressing individual with consistent broadly neutralizing antibodies.
Studies of viruses taken from individuals with broad cross-neutralizing antibodies against primary isolates may reveal novel antibody specificities and their associated epitopes that could be useful for immunogen design. We report on the Env antigenic variability of a slow progressing HIV-1 subtype A-infected donor with consistent broad cross-neutralizing antibodies during the second decade of disease progression after vertical transmission. The Env evolution is characterized by a genetic shift to variants with altered V1-V5 loop sequences, marked by consecutive changes in V1, V4-V5, and C3 and largely conserved V2 and V3 loop sequences. Major V1 Env sequence expansion, variation by a duplication event, and cumulative addition of cysteine residues and potential N-glycosylation sites over time may contribute to escape from antibody pressure directed to Env receptor domains by changing the exposure of neutralization-sensitive epitopes. Conservation of functional epitopes may correlate with the continued presence of broad cross-neutralizing antibodies.
Dieltjens
Tessa
T
Department of Microbiology, Unit of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. tdieltjens@itg.be
Loots
Nathalie
N
Vereecken
Katleen
K
Grupping
Katrijn
K
Heyndrickx
Leo
L
Bottieau
Emmanuel
E
Vanham
Guido
G
Davis
David
D
Janssens
Wouter
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D020276:HIV Long-Term Survivors; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus