Abstract
Background The receptor-binding site on the HIV glycoprotein gp120 is a highly conserved epitope, and certain antibodies directed against this CD4 binding site (CD4bs) can potently neutralize the majority of circulating HIV-1 isolates. One such antibody, VRC01, was isolated from a slow progressor HIV-1 infected donor who maintained low to moderate viral load without treatment. We recently described that almost all viruses in this donor plasma had escaped VRC01 neutralization. This raised the question of whether viral escape from a broadly reactive CD4bs antibody results in reduced affinity for CD4 and thus, a fitness cost to viral replication.
Highlights
The receptor-binding site on the HIV glycoprotein gp120 is a highly conserved epitope, and certain antibodies directed against this CD4 binding site (CD4bs) can potently neutralize the majority of circulating HIV-1 isolates
We recently described that almost all viruses in this donor plasma had escaped VRC01 neutralization
Env-pseudoviruses and infectious molecular clones (IMC) were constructed using near-full length gp160 env genes from three circulating VRC01-resistant viruses and their complementary revertants as well as from autologous env genes from the VRC01 donor
Summary
The receptor-binding site on the HIV glycoprotein gp120 is a highly conserved epitope, and certain antibodies directed against this CD4 binding site (CD4bs) can potently neutralize the majority of circulating HIV-1 isolates. One such antibody, VRC01, was isolated from a slow progressor HIV-1 infected donor who maintained low to moderate viral load without treatment. We recently described that almost all viruses in this donor plasma had escaped VRC01 neutralization. This raised the question of whether viral escape from a broadly reactive CD4bs antibody results in reduced affinity for CD4 and a fitness cost to viral replication
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