title: Endocytic Trafficking of HIV gp120 is Mediated by Dynamin and Plays a Role in gp120 Neurotoxicity.
abstract: Neurons that endocytose the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) protein gp120 exhibit neurite retraction and activation of caspase-3, suggesting that the endocytic process may be crucial for gp120-mediated neuronal injury. The goal of this study is to demonstrate that internalization and accumulation of gp120 play a role in its neurotoxic effects. In mammalian cells, endocytosis is primarily a dynamin-dependent process. To establish whether gp120 is endocytosed in a dynamin-dependent manner, we used fibroblasts in which deletion of dynamins was induced by tamoxifen. We observed a robust reduction of intracellular gp120 immunoreactivity in tamoxifen-treated cells. To examine whether endocytosis of gp120 is crucial for its neurotoxic effect, we blocked gp120 internalization into primary rat cortical neurons by dynasore, an inhibitor of the dynamin GTP-ase activity. We found that dynasore blocks both gp120 internalization and neurotoxicity. We then utilized gp120-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles to deliver gp120 intracellularly. We established that once internalized, gp120 is neurotoxic regardless of chemokine receptor activation. Our data suggest that dynamin-dependent endocytosis of gp120 is critical for its neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Preclinical Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, EP09 New Research Building, 3970 Reservoir Rd, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.|Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.
authors.forename: Erin D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Preclinical Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, EP09 New Research Building, 3970 Reservoir Rd, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bachis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Preclinical Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, EP09 New Research Building, 3970 Reservoir Rd, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Avdoshina
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomimetic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Taraballi
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomimetic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.|Department of Orthopedics, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tasciotti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Preclinical Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, EP09 New Research Building, 3970 Reservoir Rd, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA. moccheti@georgetown.edu.
authors.forename: Italo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5010-636X
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mocchetti
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D034281:Dynamins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; C514793:gp120 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D034281:Dynamins
keywords: CXCR4; Dynasore; Mesoporous silica nanoparticles; Tat; pErk