Efficient inhibition of T-cell to T-cell transmission by gp41 directed inhibitors.
(A) Inhibition of T-cell to T-cell transmission. A3.01-CCR5 infected with JR-CSF or uninfected controls were co-cultured with A3.01-CCR5rhTRIM5α target cells (GFP positive) in the presence of the indicated inhibitors or medium alone. Infection of target cells was assessed by intracellular Gag staining by flow cytometry. Percentages of rhTRIM5α expressing, HIV infected cells are indicated. One representative of two independent experiments is shown. (B) Comparison of cell-free and cell-cell inhibition in rhTRIM5α restricted A3.01-CCR5 cells. Inhibition of cell-cell (cc, red and orange symbols) and cell-free (cf, black symbols) transmission of virus isolates JR-CSF, SF162 and NL4-3 by inhibitors (CD4-IgG2, b12 and 447-52D: 50 µg/ml, 2F5, 4E10: 100 µg/ml, T-20: 5 µg/ml, see also Table S2) was studied. To probe cell-cell transmission infected A3.01-CCR5 were cocultured with A3.01-CCR5rhTRIM5α target cells. To study free virus transmission cell-free virus preparations were used to infect non-restricted A3.01-CCR5 cells. Infection of target cells was assessed by intracellular Gag staining by flow cytometry as described in A). Infection achieved in absence of inhibitor was set to 100% and inhibitor activity expressed in relation to this value. Data depicted are means of two to seven independent experiments. (C) Comparison of cell-free and cell-cell inhibition in rhTRIM5α restricted PBMC. Inhibition of cell-cell (cc, red and orange symbols) and cell-free (cf, black symbols) transmission of virus isolates SF162 and NL4-3 by inhibitors (CD4-IgG2, VRC01, b12 and 447-52D: 50 µg/ml, 2F5, 4E10: 100 µg/ml, T-20: 5 µg/ml) was studied. To probe cell-cell transmission infected PBMC were cocultured with PBMCrhTRIM5α target cells. To study free virus transmission cell-free virus preparations were used to infect non-restricted PBMC cells. Infection of target cells was assessed by intracellular Gag staining by flow cytometry as described in A). Infection achieved in absence of inhibitor was set to 100% and inhibitor activity expressed in relation to this value. Data depicted are means of two independent experiments in duplicates.
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