Biological and biochemical characterization of HIV-1 Gag/dgp41 virus-like particles expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Abstract

The transmembrane HIV-1 envelope protein gp41 has been shown to play critical roles in the viral mucosal transmission and infection of CD4⁺ cells. Gag is a structural protein configuring the enveloped viral particles and has been suggested to constitute a target of the cellular immunity that may control viral load. We hypothesized that HIV enveloped virus-like particles (VLPs) consisting of Gag and a deconstructed form of gp41 comprising the membrane proximal external, transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains (dgp41) could be expressed in plants. To this end, plant-optimized HIV-1 genes were constructed and expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana by stable transformation, or transiently using a Tobamovirus-based expression system or a combination of both. Our results of biophysical, biochemical and electron microscopy characterization demonstrates that plant cells could support not only the formation of enveloped HIV-1 Gag VLPs, but also the accumulation of VLPs that incorporated dgp41. These findings provide further impetus for the journey towards a broadly efficacious and inexpensive subunit vaccine against HIV-1.

• Authors: Sarah A Kessans, Mark D Linhart, Nobuyuki Matoba, Tsafrir Mor
• Journal: Plant biotechnology journal (Plant Biotechnol J) Vol. 11 Issue 6 Pg. 681-90 (Aug 2013) ISSN: 1467-7652 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23506331 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
• Copyright: © 2013 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical References

• HIV Envelope Protein gp41
• gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• gp41 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1

Topics

• Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
• Genes, Synthetic
• HIV Envelope Protein gp41 (metabolism)
• HIV-1 (metabolism)
• Plant Leaves (ultrastructure, virology)
• Plants, Genetically Modified
• Tobacco (genetics, virology)
• Virion (ultrastructure)
• gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (metabolism)