Name: silac based proteomic characterization of exosomes from hiv-1 infected cells
Uploaded: 2017-03-03T12:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about SILAC Based Proteomic Characterization of Exosomes from HIV-1 Infected Cells at JoVE.com

This work was supported by an ARRA supplement to the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown CFAR, P30AI042853-13S1, NIH P20GM103421, P01AA019072, R01HD072693, and K24HD080539 to BR. This work was also supported by Lifespan Pilot Research Fund (#701- 5857), Rhode Island Foundation Medical Research Grant (#20133969), and NIH COBRE URI/RIH Pilot Research Grant (P20GM104317) to ML. We thank James Myall and Vy Dang for help with the manuscript and figure preparation.

1. Cell Culture and HIV-1 Infection
NOTE: Before starting experiments, it is recommended to check the cells&#39; viability through Trypan Blue staining11 and their proliferation through a MTT assay12. It is also critical to use newly prepared SILAC medium. Various cell lines can be used, as long as they are in an actively proliferative stage, and are susceptible to HIV-1 infection, or the test condition of choice. In this protocol, use H9 cell line...

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In the procedures described in this paper, we demonstrated the application of the SILAC technique to investigate the effect of HIV-1 infection on the host exosomal proteome. Initially, uninfected and HIV-1 infected cells are differentially isotope-labeled. The differentially labeled exosomes are then purified before performing protein extraction. Next, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is employed to analyze the exosomal proteome. Finally, the resulting mass spectrometry data and potential candidate proteins...

Many human diseases, including viral infections, are often associated with distinctive cellular processes that take place in and around the affected cells. Proteins, often acting as the ultimate cellular effectors, mediate these processes. Analysis of the proteins often can provide invaluable information as to the local environment of affected cells and help us to understand the underlying mechanism of disease pathogenesis. Among various protein analysis techniques, proteomics holds particularly great promise. As a powerful, large-scale tool, proteomics can provide a systemic understanding of cellular processes, particularly in the area of the function and interaction of proteins. Analyzing specific proteins is made simpler through the development of labeling techniques, which allow investigators to monitor the expression of cellular components, particularly proteins, in the site of investigation. Although many proteomic analyses have been performed at cellular proteome scale, proteomic characterizations on subcellular compartments have proved to be particularly informative1. This is exemplified well in the studies of HIV-1 infection.
Exosomes, 30-100 nm membrane vesicles secreted by a wide range of cell types2,3, are critical components of intercellular communication and molecular transport. They were previously discovered to play important roles in the HIV-1 budding process4,5. By combining proteomic analysis with functional dissection, we found that exosomes released from HIV-1 infected cells are composed of a unique and quantitatively different protein signature and harbor regulatory molecules that impact cellular properties on neighboring receptive cells, including cellular apoptosis and proliferation6. The methods are described in this protocol, namely SILAC (stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture)7 based proteomic characterization of exosomes from HIV-1 infected cells. Similar approaches can be applied to better understand other subcellular compartments during pathogenesis by adjusting the experimental stress to the specific compartment or fraction of interest and making necessary changes to the described procedures.
Given the recent development of quantitative proteomic methods, there are many to choose from when selecting the most efficient method for a particular experiment. Among these are the chemical-based iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification)8 and the label-free MRM (multiple reaction monitoring)9 techniques. Both methods are powerful tools and are good choices for specific settings. For a typical laboratory mainly working with cell lines, however, these two methods have relatively higher costs and are more time-consuming when compared to the SILAC based method. SILAC is a metabolic based labeling technique that incorporates nonradioactive isotopic forms of amino acids from the culture media into cellular proteins. Typically, SILAC experiments start with two cell populations, for example, infected and uninfected. Each is differentially labeled in its specific isotopic environment until full labeling is achieved. The labeled exosomes of these cells are then subjected to protein extraction. Once extracted, the labeled exosomal proteins are analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy10. Finally, the mass spectrometry results and significantly labeled proteins are subjected to statistical and bioinformatics analyses as well as rigorous biochemical verification. Our previous investigative reports suggest that the SILAC/exosome procedures are more appropriate for cell lines than primary cells, as cell lines are usually in an active proliferating state for efficient isotopic labeling,

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		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">H9 cell line</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">ATCC</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">HTB-176</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Trypan Blue</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">15250061</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">MTT assay kit</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">V13154</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:26px;width:227px;">Dialyzed fetal bovine serum (FBS)</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">26400044</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">SILAC Protein Quantitation Kit &#8211; RPMI 1640</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">89982</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">DMEM version (89983)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">L-Arginine-HCl, 13C6, 15N4 for SILAC</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">88434</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">L-Lysine-2HCl, 13C6 for SILAC</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">88431</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">HIV-1NL4-3&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">NIH AIDS Reagent Program</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">2480</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">Alliance HIV-1 p24 Antigen ELISA kit</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">PerkinElmer</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">NEK050001KT</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">Refrigerated super-speed centrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">22628045</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">Refrigerated ultracentrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">363118</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">Should be able to reach 100,000g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">50mL Conical Centrifuge Tubes</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">14-432-22</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Ultracentrifuge Tubes</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">326823</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">SW 32 Ti Rotor</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">369694</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">RIPA buffer</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">89900</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Protease Inhibitor Cocktails</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">&#160;78430</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">ThermoMixer&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">5384000020</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">BCA Protein Assay Kit&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">23250</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Spectrophotometer</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Biorad</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">1702525</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">SDS PAGE Gel apparatus</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">EI0001</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">Novex 4-20% Tris-Glycine Mini Gels</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Novex</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">XV04200PK20</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Gel staining reagent</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">G1041</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">Sequencing Grade Modified Trypsin</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">V5111</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">SpeedVac Concentrator</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">SPD131DDA</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Antibody to human annexin A5</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Abcam</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">ab14196</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">Antibody to human lactate dehydrogenase B chain</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Abcam</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">ab53292</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="28">
			<td height="28" style="height:28px;width:227px;">Graphing and Statistical Software</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Systat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">SigmaPlot&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">Or GraphPad Prism</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:227px;">Quantitative proteomics software suite</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Max Planck Institue of Biochemistry</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Maxquant&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">Software and databases</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Various vendors</td>
			<td style="width:111px;"></td>
			<td style="width:168px;">Refer to main text for details</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

silac based proteomic characterization of exosomes from hiv-1 infected cells

Proteomics is the large-scale analysis of proteins. Proteomic techniques, such as liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS), can characterize thousands of proteins at a time. These powerful techniques allow us to have a systemic understanding of cellular changes, especially when cells are subjected to various stimuli, such as infections, stresses, and specific test conditions. Even with recent developments, analyzing the exosomal proteome is time-consuming and often involves complex methodologies. In addition, the resultant large dataset often needs robust and streamlined analysis in order for researchers to perform further downstream studies. Here, we describe a SILAC-based protocol for characterizing the exosomal proteome when cells are infected with HIV-1. The method is based on simple isotope labeling, isolation of exosomes from differentially labeled cells, and mass spectrometry analysis. This is followed by detailed data mining and bioinformatics analysis of the proteomic hits. The resultant datasets and candidates are easy to understand and often offer a wealth of information that is useful for downstream analysis. This protocol is applicable to other subcellular compartments and a wide range of test conditions.

Figure 1A is a flowchart outlining the SILAC labeling procedure21. In order to purify the exosomes, the samples must be spun down via centrifuge. Figure 1B shows the steps of exosome purification by serial ultracentrifugation21. Once purified, the exosomes are subject to experimental proteomic analysis as outlined in the procedure.&#160;
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Watch this Scientific Journal Video about SILAC Based Proteomic Characterization of Exosomes from HIV-1 Infected Cells at JoVE.com

SILAC Based Proteomic Characterization of Exosomes from HIV-1 Infected Cells

Here, we describe a quantitative proteomics method using the technique of stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) to analyze the effects of HIV-1 infection on host exosomal proteomes. This protocol can be easily adapted to cells under different stress or infection conditions.

Proteomics is the large-scale analysis of proteins. Proteomic techniques, such as liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS), can ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to characterize the exosomal proteome from HIV-1 infected cells. This method can help answer the key question in the exosome biology field such as the effect of external stresses on the composition of the exosome proteome. The main advantage of this technique is that it can be learned even with a limited background in proteomics and exosome biology.Though this method can provide insight into HIV infection, it can also be applied to other disease studies such as bacterial infections. The H9 cell line is used in this experiment although various cell lines can be used as long as they are in actively proliferating stage and are susceptible to the test condition of choice. Seed two times 10 to the sixth stage nine cells into each of two cell culture flasks.Grow one population in 10 milliliters of labeled medium containing 10%stylized FBS, 100 milligrams per liter C13-labeled L-lysine, and 100 milligrams per liter C13 and N15-labeled L-arginine. Grow the other population in 10 milliliters of unlabeled medium with 10%stylized FBS, L-lysine, and L-arginine. Grow the cells for six doublings at which point the proteins of the cells in the labeled medium are more than 99%labeled with heavy amino acids.Add fresh media or change media at regular time intervals depending on the type of cells. At the end of labeling, increase the culture volume to 30 milliliters to accommodate the growth of more cells. Infect the labeled cells with the NL4-3 strain of HIV-1 using a standard HIV-1 infection protocol.Add an appropriate amount of virus to the cells and incubate for 48 hours while the unlabeled cells continue to grow in unlabeled medium without HIV-1 infection. At the end of HIV-1 infection, the supernatants from both cell populations are harvested for exosome isolation. Collect the supernatants of the cultures in 50-milliliter conical tubes avoiding the cells.Centrifuge for 10 minutes at 300 times g and four degrees Celsius to remove remaining cells. Collect the supernatants in new 50-milliliter conical tubes and centrifuge for 10 minutes at 2, 000 times g to remove dead cells. Transfer the resulting supernatants to commercial rotor-compatible tubes that are able to withstand ultracentrifugation.Be sure to balance the ultracentrifuge tubes. Centrifuge the tubes for 30 minutes at 10, 000 times g to remove cell debris. Collect the supernatants in new ultracentrifuge tubes.Centrifuge for 70 minutes at 100, 000 times g. Discard the supernatant. Resuspend each exosome-rich pellet in five milliliters of fresh PBS and transfer the solution to a fresh ultracentrifuge tube.Centrifuge again for 70 minutes at 100, 000 times g. After the final spin, discard the supernatant. The cell pellets are now ready for protein extraction.To begin this procedure, dissolve each isolated exosomal pellet in 100 to 200 microliters of fer-pa-lai-ses and extraction buffer with added protease inhibitors that can inhibit a full range of proteases. Centrifuge the dissolved solutions for 10 minutes at 13, 000 times g and four degrees Celsius. Transfer the cleared supernatants to new 1.5-milliliter microcentrifuge tubes.After quantifying the protein concentration of each sample by standard assays, mix equal amounts of proteins from the labeled and unlabeled samples. Run the equal mixture on a four to 20%SDS-PAGE gel for 30 minutes. Stain the gel with Coomassie blue followed by destaining.Using a razor blade, cut the sample lane from the gel, then cut the gel lane into 10 to 15 equal pieces. Put each piece into a fresh 1.5-milliliter microcentrifuge tube for a total of 10 to 15 tubes, and continue with the protein extraction procedure as described in the text protocol. The procedures for proteomic data analysis will not be demonstrated but are summarized in this flowchart.The extracted proteins are first analyzed by liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectroscopy, and the quality of the data is assessed. Next, the data is pretreated by removing proteins that have less than two quantified peptides. Significantly upregulated and downregulated proteins are then identified.Finally, the replicates of the significant candidates are compared to achieve consistency, and the data from all replicates are merged. To begin the characterization of the identified proteins, use their GenBank accession numbers or UniProt IDs to search against current exosome databases. ExoCarta will be used in this demonstration.Click query and input either the gene or protein name or accession number. Any evidence in exosomes verifies that the candidate proteins have been previously found in exosomes and it adds a layer of confidence that the candidates are indeed in exosomes. Next, search the candidates against the HIV-1 and human protein interaction database.On the protein domain name entry, enter the candidate's names or accession numbers, and click search. The search results can provide insight into the interactions between HIV-1 and the protein candidates, and suggest which of the candidates might be truly HIV-1-associated. The third step is to gain global insight on the candidates using a gene ontology or GO analysis software such as fun-brich.Under enrichment analysis, click add dataset and upload the GenBank accession numbers or UniProt IDs of the candidates, then select the chart type to visualize the GO analysis. GO analysis result are visualized in the form of pie charts that provide information about the candidate proteins in the areas of biological process, cellular component, and molecular function. The next step is to identify statistically overrepresented GO terms via DAVID analysis.Click the functional annotation tool, enter the candidate list, and select the identifier of the gene such as the UniProt ID.Select gene list and search. When the search is complete, click the annotation summary results page under the gene ontology category to view the enriched GO terms, p-values, and other parameters. Finally, investigate potential protein-protein interactions and possible biochemical pathways using the openly accessible STRING database.Input the protein ID or sequence into the designated search box and select the correct species for analysis. Click search. The results will give information on both direct and indirect associations.The top 10 known matches for the exosomal candidate displayed in the results should be considered for a significant candidate selection. Representative results from a DAVID analysis of a set of 14 proteins are shown. The biological process enrichment indicated that cell death-related processes are significantly enriched.The cellular component enrichment shows many proteins with an intracellular origin, and the molecular function enrichment identified a role in protein binding for most of the candidates. L-lactate dehydrogenase B chain or LDHB was selected as the most significant candidate, and STRING analysis identified the top 10 interacting partners of LDHB. The majority of LDHB partners were also functionally and locationally related to exosomes in HIV-1.Once mastered, this technique can be done in one week if it is performed properly. While attempting this procedure, it is important to remember to perform each step at the right temperature and condition. Following this procedure, other methods such as affinity isolation can be performed in order to confirm the predictions of bioinformatic analysis.After its development, this technique paved the way for researches in the exosomal field to explore the changes in the exosomal proteome associated with HIV-1 infections in biology. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to isolate exosome from cell culture, analyze their proteomes, and investigate their association with HIV. Don't forget, work with HIV or other infectious agent can be extremely hazardous and precautions such as wearing personal protective equipment should always be taken while performing this procedure.

silac-based-proteomic-characterization-exosomes-from-hiv-1-infected

Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

Genotypic Inference of HIV-1 Tropism Using Population-based Sequencing of V3

Background: Prior to receiving a drug from CCR5-antagonist class in HIV therapy, a patient must undergo an HIV tropism test to confirm that his or her viral population uses the CCR5 coreceptor for cellular entry, and not an alternative coreceptor. One approach to tropism testing is to examine the sequence of the V3 region of the HIV envelope, which interacts with the coreceptor.
Methods: Viral RNA is extracted from blood plasma. The V3 region is amplified in triplicate with nested reverse transcriptase-PCR. The amplifications are then sequenced and analyzed using the software, RE_Call. Sequences are then submitted to a bioinformatic algorithm such as geno2pheno to infer viral tropism from the V3 region. Sequences are inferred to be non-R5 if their geno2pheno false positive rate falls below 5.75%. If any one of the three sequences from a sample is inferred to be non-R5, the patient is unlikely to respond to a CCR5-antagonist.

HIV tropism can be inferred from the V3 region of the viral envelope. V3 is PCR amplified in triplicate using nested RT-PCR, sequenced, and interpreted using bioinformatic software. Samples with with 1 or more sequence(s) with low g2P scores are classified as non-R5 virus.

Background: Prior to receiving a drug from CCR5-antagonist class in HIV therapy, a patient must undergo an HIV tropism test to confirm that his or her ...

Preparation and Use of HIV-1 Infected Primary CD4+ T-Cells as Target Cells in Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxic Assays

Natural killer (NK) cells are a vital component of the innate immune response to virus-infected cells. It is important to understand the ability of NK cells to recognize and lyse HIV-1 infected cells because identifying any aberrancy in NK cell function against HIV-infected cells could potentially lead to therapies that would enhance their cytolytic activity. There is a need to use HIV-infected primary T-cell blasts as target cells rather then infected-T-cell lines in the cytotoxicity assays. T-cell lines, even without infection, are quite susceptible to NK cell lysis. Furthermore, it is necessary to use autologous primary cells to prevent major histocompatibility complex class I mismatches between the target and effector cell that will result in lysis. Early studies evaluating NK cell cytolytic responses to primary HIV-infected cells failed to show significant killing of the infected cells 1,2. However, using HIV-1 infected primary T-cells as target cells in NK cell functional assays has been difficult due the presence of contaminating uninfected cells 3. This inconsistent infected cell to uninfected cell ratio will result in variation in NK cell killing between samples that may not be due to variability in donor NK cell function. Thus, it would be beneficial to work with a purified infected cell population in order to standardize the effector to target cell ratios between experiments 3,4. Here we demonstrate the isolation of a highly purified population of HIV-1 infected cells by taking advantage of HIV-1's ability to down-modulate CD4 on infected cells and the availability of commercial kits to remove dead or dying cells 3-6. The purified infected primary T-cell blasts can then be used as targets in either a degranulation or cytotoxic assay with purified NK cells as the effector population 5-7. Use of NK cells as effectors in a degranulation assay evaluates the ability of an NK cell to release the lytic contents of specialized lysosomes 8 called "cytolytic granules". By staining with a fluorochrome conjugated antibody against CD107a, a lysosomal membrane protein that becomes expressed on the NK cell surface when the cytolytic granules fuse to the plasma membrane, we can determine what percentage of NK cells degranulate in response to target cell recognition. Alternatively, NK cell lytic activity can be evaluated in a cytotoxic assay that allows for the determination of the percentage of target cells lysed by release of 51Cr from within the target cell in the presence of NK cells.

Cytotoxicity assays to measure natural killer cell lytic responses to HIV-infected cells is limited by the purity of the target cells. We demonstrate here the isolation of a highly purified population of HIV-1 infected primary T-cell blasts by taking advantage of HIV-1 s ability to down-modulate CD4.

 Natural killer (NK) cells are a vital component of the innate immune response to virus-infected cells. It is important to understand the ability of NK ...

Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays

Amplifying viral genes and quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV-1 infected individuals with viral loads below the limit of detection by standard assays (below 50-75 copies/ml) is necessary to gain insight to viral dynamics and virus host interactions in patients who naturally control the infection and those who are on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). 
Here we describe how to amplify viral genomes by single genome sequencing (the SGS protocol) 13, 19 and how to accurately quantify HIV-1 RNA in patients with low viral loads (the single-copy assay (SCA) protocol) 12, 20. 
The single-copy assay is a real-time PCR assay with sensitivity depending on the volume of plasma being assayed. If a single virus genome is detected in 7 ml of plasma, then the RNA copy number is reported to be 0.3 copies/ml. The assay has an internal control testing for the efficiency of RNA extraction, and controls for possible amplification from DNA or contamination. Patient samples are measured in triplicate.
The single-genome sequencing assay (SGS), now widely used and considered to be non-labor intensive 3, 7, 12, 14, 15,is a limiting dilution assay, in which endpoint diluted cDNA product is spread over a 96-well plate. According to a Poisson distribution, when less than 1/3 of the wells give product, there is an 80% chance of the PCR product being resultant of amplification from a single cDNA molecule. SGS has the advantage over cloning of not being subjected to resampling and not being biased by PCR-introduced recombination 19. However, the amplification success of SCA and SGS depend on primer design. Both assays were developed for HIV-1 subtype B, but can be adapted for other subtypes and other regions of the genome by changing primers, probes, and standards.

Quantifying levels of HIV-1 RNA in plasma and sequencing single HIV-1 genomes from individuals with viral loads below the limit of detection (50-75 copies/ml) is difficult. Here we describe how to extract and quantify plasma viral RNA using a real time PCR assay that reliably measures HIV-1 RNA down to 0.3 copies/ml and how to amplify viral genomes by single genome sequencing, from samples with very low viral loads.

Amplifying viral genes and quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV-1 infected individuals with viral loads below the limit of detection by standard assays (below ...

In vitro Uncoating of HIV-1 Cores

The genome of the retroviruses is encased in a capsid surrounded by a lipid envelope. For lentiviruses, such as HIV-1, the conical capsid shell is composed of CA protein arranged as a lattice of hexagon. The capsid is closed by 7 pentamers at the broad end and 5 at the narrow end of the cone1, 2. Encased in this capsid shell is the viral ribonucleoprotein complex, and together they comprise the core.
Following fusion of the viral membrane with the target cell membrane, the HIV-1 is released into the cytoplasm. The capsid then disassembles releasing free CA in the soluble form3 in a process referred to as uncoating. The intracellular location and timing of HIV-1 uncoating are poorly understood. Single amino-acid substitutions in CA that alter the stability of the capsid also impair the ability of HIV-1 to infect cells4. This indicates that the stability of the capsid is critical for HIV-1 infection.
HIV-1 uncoating has been difficult to study due to lack of availability of sensitive and reliable assays for this process. Here we describe a quantitative method for studying uncoating in vitro using cores isolated from infectious HIV-1 particles. The approach involves isolation of cores by sedimentation of concentrated virions through a layer of detergent and into a linear sucrose gradient, in the cold. To quantify uncoating, the isolated cores are incubated at 37&deg;C for various timed intervals and subsequently pelleted by ultracentrifugation. The extent of uncoating is analyzed by quantifying the fraction of CA in the supernatant. This approach has been employed to analyze effects of viral mutations on HIV-1 capsid stability4, 5, 6. It should also be useful for studying the role of cellular factors in HIV-1 uncoating.

In vitro Uncoating of HIV-1 Cores

Uncoating is an essential step in the early phase of the HIV-1 life cycle and is defined as the disassembly of the capsid shell and the release of the viral ribonucleoprotein complex (vRNP). Here, we demonstrate techniques for isolating intact cores from HIV-1 virions and for quantifying their uncoating in vitro.

The genome of the retroviruses is encased in a capsid surrounded by a lipid envelope. For lentiviruses, such as HIV-1, the conical capsid shell is ...

New Tools to Expand Regulatory T Cells from HIV-1-infected Individuals

CD4+ Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are potent immune modulators and serve an important function in human immune homeostasis. Depletion of Tregs has led to measurable increases in antigen-specific T cell responses in vaccine settings for cancer and infectious pathogens. However, their role in HIV-1 immuno-pathogenesis remains controversial, as they could either serve to suppress deleterious HIV-1-associated immune activation and thus slow HIV-1 disease progression or alternatively suppress HIV-1-specific immunity and thereby promote virus spread. Understanding and modulating Treg function in the context of HIV-1 could lead to potential new strategies for immunotherapy or HIV vaccines. However, important open questions remain on their role in the context of HIV-1 infection, which needs to be carefully studied.
Representing roughly 5% of human CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood, studying the Treg population has proven to be difficult, especially in HIV-1 infected individuals where HIV-1-associated CD4 T cell and with that Treg depletion occurs. The characterization of regulatory T cells in individuals with advanced HIV-1 disease or tissue samples, for which only very small biological samples can be obtained, is therefore extremely challenging. We propose a technical solution to overcome these limitations using isolation and expansion of Tregs from HIV-1-positive individuals.
Here we describe an easy and robust method to successfully expand Tregs isolated from HIV-1-infected individuals in vitro. Flow-sorted CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127low Tregs were stimulated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 coated beads and cultured in the presence of IL-2. The expanded Tregs expressed high levels of FOXP3, CTLA4 and HELIOS compared to conventional T cells and were shown to be highly suppressive. Easier access to large numbers of Tregs will allow researchers to address important questions concerning their role in HIV-1 immunopathogenesis. We believe answering these questions may provide useful insight for the development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.

CD4+ Regulatory T cells are potent immune-modulators and serve important functions in immune homeostasis. The paucity of these cells in peripheral blood makes functional studies challenging, specifically in the context of HIV-1-infection. We here describe a method to isolate and expand functional CD4+ Tregs from peripheral blood from HIV-1-infected individuals.

CD4+ Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are potent immune modulators and serve an important function in human immune homeostasis. Depletion of Tregs has led to ...

Assessing the Innate Sensing of HIV-1 Infected CD4+ T Cells by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Using an Ex vivo Co-culture System.

HIV-1 innate sensing requires direct contact of infected CD4+ T cells with plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In order to study this process, the protocols described here use freshly isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to sense infections in either T cell line (MT4) or heterologous primary CD4+ T cells. In order to ensure proper sensing, it is essential that PBMC are isolated immediately after blood collection and that optimal percentage of infected T cells are used. Furthermore, multi-parametric flow cytometric staining can be used to confirm that PBMC samples contain the different cell lineages at physiological ratios. A number of controls can also be included to evaluate viability and functionality of pDCs. These include, the presence of specific surface markers, assessing cellular responses to known agonist of Toll-Like Receptors (TLR) pathways, and confirming a lack of spontaneous type-I interferon (IFN) production. In this system, freshly isolated PBMCs or pDCs are co-cultured with HIV-1 infected cells in 96 well plates for 18-22 hr. Supernatants from these co-cultures are then used to determine the levels of bioactive type-I IFNs by monitoring the activation of the ISGF3 pathway in HEK-Blue IFN-&#945;/&#946; cells. Prior and during co-culture conditions, target cells can be subjected to flow cytometric analysis to determine a number of parameters, including the percentage of infected cells, levels of specific surface markers, and differential killing of infected cells. Although, these protocols were initially developed to follow type-I IFN production, they could potentially be used to study other imuno-modulatory molecules released from pDCs and to gain further insight into the molecular mechanisms governing HIV-1 innate sensing.

Assessing the Innate Sensing of HIV-1 Infected CD4+ T Cells by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Using an Ex vivo Co-culture System.

Unlike cell-free HIV-1 particles, infected CD4+ T cells are effectively sensed by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). This manuscript describes a method where peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or isolated pDCs are co-cultured with HIV-1 infected T cells to evaluate innate sensing by pDCs as assessed by release of type-I IFN.

HIV-1 innate sensing requires direct contact of infected CD4+ T cells with plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In order to study this process, the ...

Conformational Evaluation of HIV-1 Trimeric Envelope Glycoproteins Using a Cell-based ELISA Assay

HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env) mediate viral entry into target cells and are essential to the infectious cycle. Understanding how those glycoproteins are able to fuel the fusion process through their conformational changes could lead to the design of better, more effective immunogens for vaccine strategies. Here we describe a cell-based ELISA assay that allows studying the recognition of trimeric HIV-1 Env by monoclonal antibodies. Following expression of HIV-1 trimeric Env at the surface of transfected cells, conformation specific anti-Env antibodies are incubated with the cells. A horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibody and a simple chemiluminescence reaction are then used to detect bound antibodies. This system is highly flexible and can detect Env conformational changes induced by soluble CD4 or cellular proteins. It requires minimal amount of material and no highly-specialized equipment or know-how. Thus, this technique can be established for medium to high throughput screening of antigens and antibodies, such as newly-isolated antibodies.

Understanding viral surface antigens conformations is required to evaluate antibody neutralization and guide the design of effective vaccine immunogens. Here we describe a cell-based ELISA assay that allows the study of the recognition of trimeric HIV-1 Env expressed at the surface of transfected cells by specific anti-Env antibodies.

HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env) mediate viral entry into target cells and are essential to the infectious cycle. Understanding how those glycoproteins ...

Isolation of Exosomes from the Plasma of HIV-1 Positive Individuals

Exosomes are small vesicles ranging in size from 30 nm to 100 nm that are released both constitutively and upon stimulation from a variety of cell types. They are found in a number of biological fluids and are known to carry a variety of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acid molecules. Originally thought to be little more than reservoirs for cellular debris, the roles of exosomes regulating biological processes and in diseases are increasingly appreciated.
Several methods have been described for isolating exosomes from cellular culture media and biological fluids. Due to their small size and low density, differential ultracentrifugation and/or ultrafiltration are the most commonly used techniques for exosome isolation. However, plasma of HIV-1 infected individuals contains both exosomes and HIV viral particles, which are similar in size and density. Thus, efficient separation of exosomes from HIV viral particles in human plasma has been a challenge.
To address this limitation, we developed a procedure modified from Cantin et. al., 2008 for purification of exosomes from HIV particles in human plasma. Iodixanol velocity gradients were used to separate exosomes from HIV-1 particles in the plasma of HIV-1 positive individuals. Virus particles were identified by p24 ELISA. Exosomes were identified on the basis of exosome markers acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and the CD9, CD63, and CD45 antigens. Our gradient procedure yielded exosome preparations free of virus particles. The efficient purification of exosomes from human plasma enabled us to examine the content of plasma-derived exosomes and to investigate their immune modulatory potential and other biological functions.

Techniques describing a gradient procedure to separate exosomes from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) particles are described. This procedure was used to isolate exosomes away from HIV particles in human plasma from HIV-infected individuals. The isolated exosomes were analyzed for cytokine/chemokine content.

Exosomes are small vesicles ranging in size from 30 nm to 100 nm that are released both constitutively and upon stimulation from a variety of cell types. ...

Phagosome Migration and Velocity Measured in Live Primary Human Macrophages Infected with HIV-1

Macrophages are phagocytic cells that play a major role at the crossroads between innate and specific immunity. They can be infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and because of their resistance to its cytopathic effects they can be considered to be persistent viral reservoirs. In addition, HIV-infected macrophages exhibit defective functions that contribute to the development of opportunistic diseases.
The exact mechanism by which HIV-1 impairs the phagocytic response of macrophages was unknown. We had previously shown that the uptake of various particulate material by macrophages was inhibited when they were infected with HIV-1. This inhibition was only partial and phagosomes did form within HIV-infected macrophages. Therefore, we focused on analyzing the fate of these phagosomes. Phagosome maturation is accompanied by migration of these compartments towards the cell center, where they fuse with lysosomes, generating phagolysosomes, responsible for degradation of the ingested material. We used IgG-opsonized Sheep Red Blood Cells as a target for phagocytosis. To measure the speed of centripetal movement of phagosomes in individual HIV-infected macrophages, we used a combination of bright field and fluorescence confocal microscopy. We established a method to calculate the distance of phagosomes towards the nucleus, and then to calculate the velocity of the phagosomes. HIV-infected cells were identified thanks to a GFP-expressing virus, but the method is applicable to non-infected cells or any type of infection or treatment.

We describe a method to measure the velocity of phagosomes moving towards the cell center in living cells infected with or without the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1, using spinning disk confocal fluorescence microscopy to identify fluorescent infected cells and bright field microscopy to detect phagosomes.

Macrophages are phagocytic cells that play a major role at the crossroads between innate and specific immunity. They can be infected by the human ...

Measurement of In Vitro Integration Activity of HIV-1 Preintegration Complexes

HIV-1 envelope proteins engage cognate receptors on the target cell surface, which leads to viral-cell membrane fusion followed by the release of the viral capsid (CA) core into the cytoplasm. Subsequently, the viral Reverse Transcriptase (RT), as part of a namesake nucleoprotein complex termed the Reverse Transcription Complex (RTC), converts the viral single-stranded RNA genome into a double-stranded DNA copy (vDNA). This leads to the biogenesis of another nucleoprotein complex, termed the pre-integration complex (PIC), composed of the vDNA and associated virus proteins and host factors. The PIC-associated viral integrase (IN) orchestrates the integration of the vDNA into the host chromosomal DNA in a temporally and spatially regulated two-step process. First, the IN processes the 3&#39; ends of the vDNA in the cytoplasm and, second, after the PIC traffics to the nucleus, it mediates integration of the processed vDNA into the chromosomal DNA. The PICs isolated from target cells acutely infected with HIV-1 are functional in vitro, as they are competent to integrate the associated vDNA into an exogenously added heterologous target DNA. Such PIC-based in vitro integration assays have significantly contributed to delineating the mechanistic details of retroviral integration and to discovering IN inhibitors. In this report, we elaborate upon an updated HIV-1 PIC assay that employs a nested real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR)-based strategy for measuring the in vitro integration activity of isolated native PICs.

Measurement of In Vitro Integration Activity of HIV-1 Preintegration Complexes

This report describes an in vitro assay for measuring the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) preintegration complex (PIC)-associated integration activity in the cytoplasmic extracts of acutely infected cells. The integration of PIC-associated HIV-1 DNA into heterologous target DNA is quantified by using a nested real-time polymerase chain reaction strategy.

HIV-1 envelope proteins engage cognate receptors on the target cell surface, which leads to viral-cell membrane fusion followed by the release of the ...