Immunogenic Display of Purified Chemically Cross-Linked HIV-1 Spikes.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) spikes are prime vaccine candidates, at least in principle, but suffer from instability, molecular heterogeneity and a low copy number on virions. We anticipated that chemical cross-linking of HIV-1 would allow purification and molecular characterization of trimeric Env spikes, as well as high copy number immunization. Broadly neutralizing antibodies bound tightly to all major quaternary epitopes on cross-linked spikes. Covalent cross-linking of the trimer also stabilized broadly neutralizing epitopes, although surprisingly some individual epitopes were still somewhat sensitive to heat or reducing agent. Immunodepletion using non-neutralizing antibodies to gp120 and gp41 was an effective method for removing non-native-like Env. Cross-lin

SUBMITTER: Leaman DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4468504 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature