Effect of mutations in the second extracellular loop of CXCR4 on its utilization by human and feline immunodeficiency viruses. (1/570)

CCR5 and CXCR4 are the principal CD4-associated coreceptors used by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). CXCR4 is also a receptor for the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The rat CXCR4 cannot mediate infection by HIV-1NDK or by FIVPET (both cell line-adapted strains) because of sequence differences with human CXCR4 in the second extracellular loop (ECL2). Here we made similar observations for HIV-189.6 (a strain also using CCR5) and for a primary HIV-1 isolate. It showed the role of ECL2 in the coreceptor activity of CXCR4 for different types of HIV-1 strains. By exchanging ECL2 residues between human and rat CXCR4, we found that several amino acid differences contributed to the inactivity of the rat CXCR4 toward HIV-189.6. In contrast, its inactivity toward HIV-1NDK seemed principally due to a serine at position 193 instead of to an aspartic acid (Asp193) in human CXCR4. Likewise, a mutation of Asp187 prevented usage of CXCR4 by FIVPET. Different mutations of Asp193, including its replacement by a glutamic acid, markedly reduced or suppressed the activity of CXCR4 for HIV-1NDK infection, indicating that the negative charge was not the only requirement. Mutations of Asp193 and of arginine residues (Arg183 and Arg188) of CXCR4 reduced the efficiency of HIV-1 infection for all HIV-1 strains tested. Other ECL2 mutations tested had strain-specific effects or no apparent effect on HIV-1 infection. The ECL2 mutants allowed us to identify residues contributing to the epitope of the 12G5 monoclonal antibody. Overall, residues with different charges and interspersed in ECL2 seem to participate in the coreceptor activity of CXCR4. This suggests that a conformational rather than linear epitope of ECL2 contributes to the HIV-1 binding site. However, certain HIV-1 and FIV strains seem to require the presence of a particular ECL2 residue.  (+info)

Differential cell tropism of feline immunodeficiency virus molecular clones in vivo. (2/570)

Independent studies have demonstrated different cell tropisms for molecular clones of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). In this report, we examined three clones, FIV-pF34, FIV-14, and FIV-pPPR, for replication in Crandell feline kidney (CrFK) cells, feline peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and feline macrophage cultures. Importantly, cell tropism for these three clones was also examined in vivo. FIV-pF34 replication was efficient in CrFK cells but severely restricted in PBMC, whereas replication of FIV-pPPR was vigorous in PBMC but severely restricted in CrFK cells. FIV-14 replication was productive in both CrFK cells and PBMC. Interestingly, all three molecular clones replicated with similar efficiencies in primary feline monocyte-derived macrophages. In vivo, FIV-pF34 proved least efficient for establishing persistent infection, and proviral DNA when detectable, was localized predominately to nonlymphoid cell populations (macrophages). FIV-pPPR proved most efficient for induction of a persistent viremia in vivo, and proviral DNA was localized predominately in CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocyte subsets. FIV-14 inoculation of cats resulted in an infection characterized by seroconversion and localization of proviral DNA in CD4(+) lymphocytes only. Results of this study on diverse FIV molecular clones revealed that in vitro replication efficiency of an FIV isolate in PBMC directly correlated with replication efficiency in vivo, whereas proficiency for replication in macrophages in vitro was not predictive for replication potential in vivo. Also, infection of both CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocyte subsets was associated with higher virus load in vivo. Results of the studies on these three FIV clones, which exhibited differential cell tropism, indicated a correlation between in vitro and in vivo cell tropism and virus replication.  (+info)

Feline immunodeficiency virus subtype C is prevalent in northern part of Taiwan. (3/570)

The seroepidemiological survey of cats conducted in northern part of Taiwan in 1998 revealed that the positive rate of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infection was 21.9% (7/32) and the rate was much higher than those of previous reports. We succeeded in isolation of three strains of FIV from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the blood samples. Nucleotide sequences of the env variable V3 to V5 region of the strains revealed that the isolates from distinct areas belong to subtype C. These data together with our previous report (Inada et al. 1997. Arch. Virol., 142: 1459-1467) indicate that FIV subtype C is prevalent in northern part of Taiwan.  (+info)

Vaccination with experimental feline immunodeficiency virus vaccines, based on autologous infected cells, elicits enhancement of homologous challenge infection. (4/570)

Cats were vaccinated with fixed autologous feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected cells in order to present viral proteins to the immune system of individual cats in an MHC-matched fashion. Upon vaccination, a humoral response against Gag was induced. Furthermore, virus-neutralizing antibodies were detected in a Crandell feline kidney cell-based neutralization assay, but not in a neutralization assay based on primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Despite the induction of these FIV-specific responses, vaccinated cats were not protected. Instead, accelerated virus replication was found, an observation similar to what previous experiments using other vaccine candidates have shown. Here, the results of the present study are discussed in the light of enhancement of lentivirus infections as a complicating factor in lentivirus vaccine development.  (+info)

Shared usage of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 by primary and laboratory-adapted strains of feline immunodeficiency virus. (5/570)

Strains of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) presently under investigation exhibit distinct patterns of in vitro tropism. In particular, the adaptation of FIV for propagation in Crandell feline kidney (CrFK) cells results in the selection of strains capable of forming syncytia with cell lines of diverse species origin. The infection of CrFK cells by CrFK-adapted strains appears to require the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and is inhibited by its natural ligand, stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha (SDF-1alpha). Here we found that inhibitors of CXCR4-mediated infection by human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1), such as the bicyclam AMD3100 and short peptides derived from the amino-terminal region of SDF-1alpha, also blocked infection of CrFK by FIV. Nevertheless, we observed differences in the ranking order of the peptides as inhibitors of FIV and HIV-1 and showed that such differences are related to the species origin of CXCR4 and not that of the viral envelope. These results suggest that, although the envelope glycoproteins of FIV and HIV-1 are substantially divergent, FIV and HIV-1 interact with CXCR4 in a highly similar manner. We have also addressed the role of CXCR4 in the life cycle of primary isolates of FIV. Various CXCR4 ligands inhibited infection of feline peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by primary FIV isolates in a concentration-dependent manner. These ligands also blocked the viral transduction of feline PBMC by pseudotyped viral particles when infection was mediated by the envelope glycoprotein of a primary FIV isolate but not by the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus, indicating that they act at an envelope-mediated step and presumably at viral entry. These findings strongly suggest that primary and CrFK-adapted strains of FIV, despite disparate in vitro tropisms, share usage of CXCR4.  (+info)

Suppression of feline immunodeficiency virus replication in vitro by a soluble factor secreted by CD8+ T lymphocytes. (6/570)

Mitogen-activated lymphoblasts isolated from the blood and lymph nodes, but not the spleen, of domestic cats acutely infected with the Petaluma or Glasgow8 isolates of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), suppressed the replication of FIV in the MYA-1 T-cell line in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was not limited to the homologous isolate of FIV. The suppressor activity declined with progression to chronic infection, with lower levels of activity detectable only in the lymph nodes. Immunization of domestic cats with whole inactivated FIV vaccine elicited profound suppressor activity in both the blood and lymph nodes. The suppressor activity was associated with the CD8+ T-cell subpopulation, the effect did not appear to be major histocompatibility complex-restricted, and was mediated by a soluble factor(s). This activity may be associated with the control of virus replication during both the asymptomatic stages of FIV infection, and in the protective immunity observed in cats immunized with whole inactivated virus vaccines.  (+info)

Minimum requirements for efficient transduction of dividing and nondividing cells by feline immunodeficiency virus vectors. (7/570)

The development of gene delivery vectors based on feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is an attractive alternative to vectors based on primate sources for the delivery of genes into humans. To investigate the requirements for efficient transduction of dividing and nondividing cells by vector particles based on FIV, a series of packaging and vector constructs was generated for which viral gene expression was minimized and from which unnecessary cis-acting sequences were deleted. Pseudotyped vector particles produced in 293T cells were used to transduce various target cells, including contact-inhibited human skin fibroblasts and growth-arrested HT1080 cells. FIV vectors in which the U3 promoter was replaced with the cytomegalovirus promoter gave rise to over 50-fold-higher titers than FIV vectors containing the complete FIV 5' long terminal repeat (LTR). Comparison of the transduction efficiencies of vectors containing different portions of the FIV Gag coding region indicates that at least a functional part of the FIV packaging signal (Psi) is located within an area which includes the 5' LTR and the first 350 bp of gag. Transduction efficiencies of vectors prepared without FIV vif and orf2 accessory gene expression did not differ substantially from those of vectors prepared with accessory gene expression in either dividing or nondividing cells. The requirement for FIV rev-RRE was, however, demonstrated by the inefficient production of vector particles in the absence of rev expression. Together, these results demonstrate the efficient transduction of nondividing cells in vitro by a multiply attenuated FIV vector and contribute to an understanding of the minimum requirements for efficient vector production and infectivity. In addition, we describe the ability of an FIV vector to deliver genes in vivo into hamster muscle tissue.  (+info)

Bicyclams, selective antagonists of the human chemokine receptor CXCR4, potently inhibit feline immunodeficiency virus replication. (8/570)

Bicyclams are low-molecular-weight anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) agents that have been shown to act as potent and selective CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) antagonists. Here, we demonstrate that bicyclams are potent inhibitors of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) replication when evaluated in Crandell feline kidney (CRFK) cells. With a series of bicyclam derivatives, 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) against FIV were obtained in this cell system that were comparable to those obtained for HIV-1 IIIB replication in the human CD4(+) MT-4 T-cell line. The bicyclams were also able to block FIV replication in feline thymocytes, albeit at higher concentrations than in the CRFK cells. The prototype bicyclam AMD3100, 1-1'-[1,4-phenylene-bis(methylene)]-bis(1,4,8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), was only fourfold less active in feline thymocytes (IC50, 62 ng/ml) than in CRFK cells (IC50, 14 ng/ml). AMD2763, 1,1'-propylene-bis(1,4,8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), which is a less potent CXCR4 antagonist, was virtually inactive against FIV in feline thymocytes (IC50, >66.5 microgram/ml), while it was clearly active in CRFK cells (IC50, 0.9 microgram/ml). The CXC chemokine stromal-cell-derived factor 1alpha had anti-FIV activity in CRFK cells (IC50, 200 ng/ml) but not in feline thymocytes (IC50, >2.5 microgram/ml). When primary FIV isolates were evaluated for their drug susceptibility in feline thymocytes, the bicyclams AMD3100 and its Zn2+ complex, AMD3479, inhibited all six primary isolates at equal potency. The marked susceptibility of FIV to the bicyclams suggests that FIV predominantly uses feline CXCR4 for entering its target cells.  (+info)