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Query: UMLS:C0019693 (HIV)
 170,526 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The bestfit computer program was used to compare the amino acid sequence of the gp160 envelope glycoprotein of an apathogenic AGM and the pathogenic SIVAGM monkey lentiviruses. It was found that the gp120 envelope glycoproteins of these viruses resembled each other in their functional domains. However, an insert of 40 amino acids was found in the gp41 envelope glycoproteins of the pathogenic SIVAGM virus in the amino acid sequence between the membrane anchoring sequence and the carboxyterminus. The insert introduced a new "RRIR" proteolytic cleavage signal into gp41. Comparing HIV-1 gp41 to that of the pathogenic SIVAGM virus revealed that the HIV-1 sequence contains an "RR" sequence that also serves as a signal for proteolytic cleavage. Comparing HIV-2 gp41 to the apathogenic and pathogenic simian immunodeficiency viruses revealed that HIV-2 gp41 lacks the above proteolytic cleavage signal. It is hypothesized that the pathogenic human and simian immunodeficiency lentiviruses can be proteolytically cleaved at the carboxyterminus of gp41, releasing two peptides: a) an "immunodeficiency" 58 amino acid peptide and b) an IL-2-like peptide. The apathogenic AGM virus and the less pathogenic HIV-2 lack one proteolytic cleavage signal in the gp41 amino acid sequence and therefore can release only the IL-2-like peptide but not the "immunodeficiency" peptide. If indeed the pathogenic SIVAGM and HIV-1 do release an "immunodeficiency" peptide, then such a peptide can be regarded as a toxin. Immunization of healthy individuals or HIV-1 patients against the toxic effect of the viral gp41 toxic peptide might prevent damage to the immune system when the virus reactivation leads to ARC and AIDS in infected individuals. Synthetic peptides modeled according to the immunodeficiency peptide (the toxin) can be used to produce anti-toxin antibodies in healthy HIV-1 infected individuals. Such anti-toxin antibodies can be used for passive immunization of AIDS patients or for active immunization of HIV-1 positive individuals prior to ARC or AIDS.
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PMID:Computer analysis of the amino acid sequences in gp41 of apathogenic African green monkey (AGM) virus, less pathogenic HIV-2 and highly pathogenic SIV and HIV-1 lentiviruses. 133 29

Candidate AIDS vaccines consisting of recombinant forms of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein induce, in seronegative human volunteers, an env-specific T cell response that includes CD4+, MHC class II-restricted CTL capable of lysing HIV-1-infected target cells. In this study, we have analyzed the production of the cytokines TNF-alpha and lymphotoxin (LT) by a set of env-specific CD4+ human CTL clones. TNF-alpha and LT are of interest because of their potential role in target cell destruction by CD4+ CTL. Our studies focused on the possibility that a cell surface form of TNF-alpha expressed by CTL after physiologic activation with target APC might participate in the cytolytic reactions mediated by these clones. We found that, upon interaction with target cells expressing env epitopes in the context of the appropriate MHC class II molecules, CD4+ CTL released TNF-alpha with kinetics that were rapid, compared with other cytokines, and that were generally similar to the kinetics of target cell destruction. LT secretion was not detected during the time course of the cytolytic reactions. A novel flow cytometric assay was used to show that physiologic activation of CD4+ CTL with target APC induced expression by the CTL of cell surface forms of TNF-alpha. Immunoprecipitations from activated, surface-iodinated CTL clones revealed two forms of surface TNF-alpha, a 26-kDa form, representing the transmembrane precursor of secreted TNF-alpha, as well as the 17-kDa secreted form bound to the cell surface. For a subset of CD4+ CTL, we found that treatment of CTL with cyclosporin A inhibited Ag-induced production of both transmembrane and secreted forms of TNF-alpha but had no effect on cytolysis. Thus, although transmembrane and secreted TNF-alpha produced by HIV-1-specific CD4+ CTL may have important effects in vivo, the rapid destruction of target APC by the set of CD4+ CTL clones described here occurs through a TNF-alpha-independent mechanism.
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PMID:Production of transmembrane and secreted forms of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha by HIV-1-specific CD4+ cytolytic T lymphocyte clones. Evidence for a TNF-alpha-independent cytolytic mechanism. 135 Oct 88

Formation of large syncytia and rapid cell killing are characteristics of the Zairian human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolate HIV-1-NDK, which is highly cytopathic for CD4+ lymphocytes in comparison with the HIV-1-LAV prototype. Chimeric viruses containing different combinations of HIV-1-NDK genetic determinants corresponding to the splice donor, the packaging signal, and the coding sequence of the p18gag protein together with the HIV-1-NDK EcoRI5278-XhoI8401 fragment were obtained by polymerase chain reaction-directed recombination. Phenotypic analysis of recombinant viruses indicated that 75 amino acids from the N-terminal part of HIV-1-NDK p18gag protein together with the HIV-1-NDK envelope glycoprotein are responsible for enhanced fusogenicity of HIV-1-NDK in CD4+ lymphocytes as well as for enhanced infectivity of HIV-1-NDK in some CD4- cells lines. The HIV-1-NDK splice donor/packaging sequence and the sequence encoding the gag protein p25 were not important for the variation observed in HIV-1 fusogenicity.
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PMID:The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gag gene product p18 is responsible for enhanced fusogenicity and host range tropism of the highly cytopathic HIV-1-NDK strain. 135 91

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection in the human brain leads to characteristic neuropathological changes, which may result indirectly from interactions of the envelope glycoprotein gp120 with neurons and/or glial cells. We therefore investigated the binding of recombinant gp120 (rgp120) to human neural cells and its effect on intracellular signalling. Here we present evidence that rgp120, besides binding to galactocerebroside or galactosyl-sulfatide, specifically binds to a protein receptor of a relative molecular mass of approximately 180,000 Da (180 kDa) present on the CD4-negative glioma cells D-54, but not on Molt4 T lymphocytes. Binding of rgp120 to this receptor rapidly induced a tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity leading to tyrosine phosphorylation of 130- and 115-kDa proteins. The concentration of intracellular calcium was not affected by rgp120 in these cells. Our data suggest a novel signal transducing HIV-1 gp120 receptor on CD4-negative glial cells, which may contribute to the neuropathological changes observed in HIV-1-infected brains.
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PMID:HIV-1 gp120 receptor on CD4-negative brain cells activates a tyrosine kinase. 136 Jan 81

We have examined the biologic activities of native and recombinant preparations of human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein (gp120), both derived from the HIV-1B strain. Antibody to gp120 was used to evaluate the effects of crosslinking gp120 on signalling by the CD4 receptor. Our results indicate that native and recombinant gp120 produce identical effects in our assay systems. Crosslinking gp120 amplified its chemoattractant activity for lymphocytes and monocytes and increased the peak intracellular calcium level, compared with binding of gp120 alone. The induction of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) production, induction of interleukin 2 receptors (IL2R), and inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation following treatment with gp120 were not enhanced by the addition of crosslinking antibody.
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PMID:Biologic activities of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein: the effects of crosslinking. 136 93

Four major neutralizing regions of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein were identified and characterized with a panel of 80 HIV-1 antibody-positive human sera. Levels of neutralizing antibodies against the HIV-1 strains IIIB, SF2, and RF were compared with reactivity in ELISAs against peptides that correspond to certain regions of the HIV-1 envelope. A correlation between high neutralizing activity and strong seroreactivity against specific peptides suggested that the corresponding regions might be involved in neutralization. This was further substantiated by using peptides to inhibit neutralization by a panel of 10 HIV-1 antibody-positive sera. The positions of three neutralizing sites, defined earlier mostly by antisera from animals, were confirmed in the present study. Human sera thus recognize the strain-specific third variable region of gp120 (amino acids 304-318), the C-terminal end of gp120 (amino acids 489-508), and the conserved region in the intracellular part of gp41 (amino acids 732-746). It is likely that these different regions mediate help rather than self-sufficient neutralization. Furthermore, a human neutralizing region was detected in a conserved part of gp41 (amino acids 647-671). Accordingly, neutralizing antibodies directed to this region were found to be cross-reactive between HIV-1 strains. Peptides corresponding to these four regions were able to inhibit neutralization mediated by serum from HIV-1 antibody-positive individuals. These results indicate that this conserved B-cell epitope of the HIV-1 envelope elicits a virus-neutralizing antibody response during natural infection in humans and may therefore be considered for inclusion in a vaccine against HIV-1.
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PMID:Identification of human neutralization-inducing regions of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoproteins. 137 May 80

To identify the principal neutralization determinant (PND) of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), antisera were generated using recombinant gp110 [the SIV analog of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) external envelope glycoprotein, gp120], gp140, several large recombinant and proteolytic envelope fragments, and synthetic peptides of the SIVmac251 isolate. When purified under conditions that retain its native structure, gp110 bound CD4 and elicited antisera that neutralized SIVmac251 with high titer. Native gp110 also completely inhibited neutralizing antibody in sera from SIVmac251-infected macaques. In contrast, denatured gp110 and gp140, large envelope fragments, and synthetic peptides (including peptides analogous to the HIV-1 PND) elicited very low or undetectable neutralizing antibody titers and did not inhibit neutralizing antibody in infected macaque sera. Enzymatically deglycosylated gp110 efficiently absorbed neutralizing antibodies from macaque sera, showing that neutralizing antibodies primarily bind the protein backbone. A 45-kDa protease digest product, mapping to the carboxyl-terminal third of gp110, also completely absorbed neutralizing antibodies from infected macaque sera. These results show that the PND(s) of this SIV isolate depends on the native conformation and that linear peptides corresponding to the V3 loop of SIV envelope, in contrast to that of HIV-1, do not elicit neutralizing antibody. This may affect the usefulness of SIVmac for evaluating HIV-1 envelope vaccine approaches that rely on eliciting neutralizing antibody.
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PMID:The principal neutralization determinant of simian immunodeficiency virus differs from that of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. 137 58

The effects of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and recombinant envelope glycoprotein gp120 on the in vitro growth of enriched human haematopoietic progenitors (CD34+ cells) have been investigated. A 2 h exposure to HIV-1 resulted in a progressive and significant reduction of viable CD34+ cell number in liquid cultures and of granulocyte-macrophage, erythroid and megakaryocytic progenitors in semisolid cultures. In virus-treated CD34+ cells, no signs of active virus replication were observed and the possibility of latent infection was excluded by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Recombinant HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 added to CD34+ cell cultures displayed a dose-dependent inhibitory activity on CD34+ cell viability. Neutralizing antibody against gp120 was able to block completely the inhibitory activity on CD34+ cells of either HIV-1 or recombinant gp120. These results demonstrate that HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 has a direct cytotoxic effect on CD34+ cells.
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PMID:Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein gp120-mediated killing of human haematopoietic progenitors (CD34+ cells). 137 43

Cell surface-expressed CD4 binds to the envelope glycoprotein of HIV-1 and mediates syncytia formation through interacting with membrane expressed HIV-1 gp120. Further possible roles of the CD4 molecule in the process of cell infection by HIV-1 remain poorly understood. In our study we describe two mAb that recognize the V3/V4 domain of the CD4 molecule. Although these mAb do not inhibit gp120-CD4 binding or HIV-1-induced syncytia formation, they inhibit HIV-1 infection of human PBL. These findings suggest that discrete, definable domains of the CD4 molecule may be involved in interactions after HIV-1 envelope binding that lead to virus entry into the cell.
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PMID:Regions of the CD4 molecule not involved in virus binding or syncytia formation are required for HIV-1 infection of lymphocytes. 137 92

Although the immunologic basis of protective immunity in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection has not yet been defined, virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are likely to be an important host defense and may be a critical feature of an effective vaccine. These observations, along with the inclusion of the HIV-1 envelope in the majority of vaccine candidates presently in clinical trials, underscore the importance of the precise characterization of the cellular immune responses to this protein. Although humoral immune responses to the envelope protein have been extensively characterized, relatively little information is available regarding the envelope epitopes recognized by virus-specific CTL and the effects of sequence variation within these epitopes. Here we report the identification of two overlapping CTL epitopes in a highly conserved region of the HIV-1 transmembrane envelope protein, gp41, using CTL clones derived from two seropositive subjects. An eight-amino acid peptide was defined as the minimum epitope recognized by HLA-B8-restricted CTL derived from one subject, and in a second subject, an overlapping nine-amino acid peptide was identified as the minimal epitope for HLA-B14-restricted CTL clones. Selected single amino acid substitutions representing those found in naturally occurring HIV-1 isolates resulted in partial to complete loss of recognition of these epitopes. These data indicate the presence of a highly conserved region in the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein that is immunogenic for CTL responses. In addition, they suggest that natural sequence variation may lead to escape from immune detection by HIV-1-specific CTL. Since the region containing these epitopes has been previously shown to contain an immunodominant B cell epitope and also overlaps with a major histocompatibility complex class II T cell epitope recognized by CD4+ CTL from HIV-1 rgp160 vaccine recipients, it may be particularly important for HIV-1 vaccine development. Finally, the identification of minimal CTL epitopes presented by class I HLA molecules should facilitate the definition of allele-specific motifs.
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PMID:Identification of overlapping HLA class I-restricted cytotoxic T cell epitopes in a conserved region of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein: definition of minimum epitopes and analysis of the effects of sequence variation. 137 50


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