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A Restriction Enzyme Based Cloning Method to Assess the In vitro Replication Capacity of HIV-1 Subtype C Gag-MJ4 Chimeric Viruses
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A Restriction Enzyme Based Cloning Method to Assess the In vitro Replication Capacity of HIV-1 Subtype C Gag-MJ4 Chimeric Viruses

Published on: August 31, 2014

Functional properties of the HIV-1 subtype C envelope glycoprotein associated with mother-to-child transmission

Hong Zhang1, Marzena Rola, John T West

  • 1Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0900, USA.

Virology
|January 26, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Newly transmitted HIV-1 variants show distinct envelope glycoprotein properties, often evading maternal plasma neutralization but remaining susceptible to broader antibody responses. This informs strategies against perinatal HIV-1 transmission.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Perinatal transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) remains a significant global health challenge.
  • Understanding the viral characteristics that facilitate mother-to-child transmission is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
  • Previous research indicated that newly transmitted HIV-1 strains possess enhanced growth fitness due to their envelope glycoproteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the viral envelope glycoproteins of HIV-1 from mother-infant transmission pairs.
  • To determine if specific envelope functions correlate with the efficiency of perinatal HIV-1 subtype C transmission.
  • To investigate the neutralization susceptibility of newly transmitted viruses against maternal and heterologous plasma.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of viral envelope glycoproteins from six mother-infant HIV-1 transmission pairs.
  • Assessment of viral susceptibility to neutralization by autologous maternal plasma and pooled heterologous plasma.
  • Evaluation of neutralization resistance to specific antibodies, including IgG1 b12.
  • Examination of Env processing and incorporation efficiency as potential predictors of transmissibility.

Main Results:

  • Newly transmitted HIV-1 viruses exhibited reduced susceptibility to neutralization by their corresponding maternal plasma compared to maternal viruses.
  • These transmitted variants were generally sensitive to neutralization by pooled heterologous plasma.
  • Resistance to IgG1 b12 neutralization was observed in most newly transmitted variants.
  • Neither Env processing efficiency nor incorporation efficiency correlated with viral transmissibility.

Conclusions:

  • HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins play a key role in perinatal transmission, with newly transmitted strains possessing distinct neutralization resistance profiles.
  • The findings suggest that while transmitted viruses can evade maternal immune responses, they may remain vulnerable to broader antibody neutralization.
  • These insights are valuable for designing interventions and therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission.

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