New Connections: Cell-to-Cell HIV-1 Transmission, Resistance to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies, and an Envelope Sorting Motif

J Virol. 2017 Apr 13;91(9):e00149-17. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00149-17. Print 2017 May 1.

Abstract

HIV-1 infection from cell-to-cell may provide an efficient mode of viral spread in vivo and could therefore present a significant challenge for preventative or therapeutic strategies based on broadly neutralizing antibodies. Indeed, Li et al. (H. Li, C. Zony, P. Chen, and B. K. Chen, J. Virol. 91:e02425-16, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02425-16) showed that the potency and magnitude of multiple HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibody classes are decreased during cell-to-cell infection in a context-dependent manner. A functional motif in gp41 appears to contribute to this differential susceptibility by modulating exposure of neutralization epitopes.

Keywords: broadly neutralizing antibody; human immunodeficiency virus; viral envelope; virological synapse.

Publication types

  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • HIV Antibodies / immunology*
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / immunology
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / immunology*
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • HIV Infections / transmission*
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV-1 / immunology*
  • Humans

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Epitopes
  • HIV Antibodies
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp41
  • gp41 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1