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Updated: Jun 25, 2025
Conformational Evaluation of HIV-1 Trimeric Envelope Glycoproteins Using a Cell-based ELISA Assay
Published on: September 14, 2014
The EBI2 receptor is coexpressed with CCR5 in CD4 + T cells and boosts HIV-1 R5 replication
Adeline Guigues1, Sandrine Gimenez1, Clément Mettling1
1Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS-Université de Montpellier UMR9002.
Objective:
CCR5, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is used by most HIV strains as a coreceptor. In this study, we looked for other GPCR able to modify HIV-1 infection.
Design:
We analyzed the effects of one GPCR coexpressed with CCR5, EBI2, on HIV-1 replicative cycle.
Methods:
We identified GPCR expressed in primary CD4 + CCR5 + T cells by multi-RT-qPCR. We studied GPCR dimerization by FRET technology. Cell lines expressing EBI2 were established by transduction with HIV vectors. HIV-1 entry was quantified with virions harboring β-lactamase fused to the viral protein vpr, early and late HIV-1 transcriptions by qPCR, NFkB nuclear activation by immunofluorescence and transfection, and viral production by measuring p24 concentration in culture supernatant by ELISA.
Results:
We showed that EBI2 is naturally expressed in primary CD4 + CCR5 + T cells, and that CCR5 and EBI2 heterodimerize. We observed that this coexpression reduced viral entry by 50%. The amount of HIV reverse transcripts was similar in cells expressing or not EBI2. Finally, the presence of EBI2 induced the translocation of NFkB and activated HIV-1 genome expression. Globally, the result was a drastic HIV-1 R5, but not X4, overproduction in EBI2 -transduced cells.
Conclusion:
EBI2 expression in CD4 + CCR5 + cells boosts HIV-1 R5 productive infection. As the natural ligand for EBI2 is present in blood and lymphoid tissues, the constant EBI2 activation might increase HIV replication in CD4 + T cells. It might be of interest to test the effect of EBI2 antagonists on the residual viral production persisting in patients aviremic under treatment.
