Project description:The anti-HIV humoral immune response following acute infection is delayed and ineffective. HIV envelope protein gp120 binds to and signals through α4β7 on T cells. We show that gp120 also binds and signals through α4β7 on B cells, resulting in an abortive proliferative response. In primary B cells, gp120 signaling through α4β7 resulted in increased expression of TGF-β1 and the B cell inhibitory receptor FcRL4. Co-culture of B cells with HIV-infected autologous CD4+ T cells also resulted in increased B cell FcRL4 expression. These findings indicate that, in addition to inducing chronic immune activation, viral proteins can contribute directly to HIV-associated B cell dysfunction, thus providing a mechanism whereby the virus subverts the early HIV-specific humoral immune response. Forty-two samples in two batches were run with different treatments and different time points.
Project description:The anti-HIV humoral immune response following acute infection is delayed and ineffective. HIV envelope protein gp120 binds to and signals through α4β7 on T cells. We show that gp120 also binds and signals through α4β7 on B cells, resulting in an abortive proliferative response. In primary B cells, gp120 signaling through α4β7 resulted in increased expression of TGF-β1 and the B cell inhibitory receptor FcRL4. Co-culture of B cells with HIV-infected autologous CD4+ T cells also resulted in increased B cell FcRL4 expression. These findings indicate that, in addition to inducing chronic immune activation, viral proteins can contribute directly to HIV-associated B cell dysfunction, thus providing a mechanism whereby the virus subverts the early HIV-specific humoral immune response.
Project description:During sexual transmission of HIV-1 from male to female partners, the vagina is the initial site of contact with HIV infected semen. The mechanism of HIV traversing the CD4 negative multi-layered stratified squamous epithelial barrier of the vagina to infect sub-epithelial susceptible immune cells, is hitherto unknown. HIV gp120 binds to several host proteins on vaginal epithelial cells. To gain an insight into the physiologic changes that may occur in vaginal epithelial cells in response to interactions with HIV gp120, and obtain an understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which HIV breaches the vaginal epithelium, a global snap shot of gene expression profiles in the vaginal epithelial cell line Vk2/E6E7, treated with HIV gp120 was determined. The vaginal epithelial cell line Vk2/E6E7 was treated with HIV gp120 (83nM) for 24 hr, and Agilent one colour, microarrays were performed.