Lecture 13 - HIV - Virology, Epidemiology, Immunology Flashcards
How many people in the world are currently living with HIV?
35 Million
Which parts of the world are most affected by HIV?
Sub-saharan Africa (~25 million)
Describe the trend in rate of: • HIV infection • Death due to AIDS • Diagnoses in Australia over the last 10 years.
What is this due to?
Rate of infection: steadily dropping since 1997
Rate of death due to AIDS: peak in 2004, but has been dropping
Rate of diagnoses in Australia: has been steadily rising since 1999, but is much less than in the late 80’s
This is due to the increased access to anti-retroviral therapy
When did treatment coverage really start for AIDS in the third world?
2005
Which groups are most commonly represented with new HIV infection?
- Men who have sex with men (MSM)
* Heterosexual contact
What are some factors associated with the HIV epidemic?
Behavioural & social:
• little/no condom use
• multiple, overlapping sexual partners
• large sexual networks
Biology:
• high STI rate → predisposes to HIV and other STIs
• low rates of male circumcision
In which family is HIV?
What are some features of this family?
Lentiviridae family (cause disease slowly)
- retroviruses
- icosahedral capsid symmetry
- enveloped
- ssRNA, + sense
- genome replicated in the nucleus
- capsid assembled in the cytoplasm
What are the two major categories of retroviruses?
To which does HIV belong to?
Primate
Non-primate
HIV belongs to the primate category
What can be said about + sense RNA?
Same as mRNA, and thus can be translated directly
Outline the HIV genome
• ssRNA • + sense • 3 main genes: 1. gag 2. pol 3. env
Describe the three main genes of HIV
NB there are many others
- Gag: structural proteins
- Pol: viral enzymes:
• Reverse transcriptase (RT)
• Integrase (IN)
• Protease (PR) - Env: gp120 and gp41; the entrance tetramer that binds CD4, leading to entry
Describe the structure of the HIV virion
Env: gp120, gp41 Envelope Matrix Capsid Nucleocapsid Reverse transcriptase Integrase Protease
What are HIV clades?
What can we say about their global distribution?
These are the HIV subtypes
US, Europe & Australia share clade
Subsaharan Africa & India share clades
South America
Describe the life cycle of HIV
- CD4 - gp120 binding
- CoR engagement
- Fusion
- Reverse transcription of viral genome into DNA
- Integration of proviral DNA into host genome
- Transcription of DNA into viral RNA
- Translation
- Assembly
- Budding
- Maturation into new HIV virion
What are the key features of HIV replication?
- rapid
* error prone (RT)
Describe the engagement of receptors that leads to fusion of the HIV virion with the host cell
- gp120 binds CD4
- Conformational change, revealing CoR binding site
- CoR binds gp120-CD4 complex
- Fusion
What and where is the CoR?
The Co-receptor
• CCR5
• CXCR4
It is on the CD4+ T cell
What are the various chemokine receptors on CD4+ T cells that HIV can bind to?
These are the Co-receptors
- CCR5
• Engaged by R5-HIV - CXCR4
• Engaged by X4 HIV
NB D/M HIV expressed gp120 that can bind both CCR5 & CXCR4
This ability to infect both cells occurs over time
Describe a case of natural resistance to HIV
• There exists a mutation in CCR5: CCR5 Δ32
Heterozygotes:
• delayed progression to AIDS / death
Homozygous for the mutation
• rare infection with R5
NB The CCR5 Δ32 mutation does not affect immune function
Describe the global prevalence of CCR5 Δ32 mutation
What is the proposed origin of this mutation?
- US, Europe, Australia:
• Heterozygous: ~10-15
• Homozygous: 1% - Africa, South America, Southern Asia
• Rare
European origin around 1000 years ago
Possibly due to selection by a pandemic pathogen:
• Bubonic plague
• Smallpox
Which cells does HIV infect?
Cells expressing CD4:
• ‘helper’ T cells
• monocytes & macrophages
• DCs
What is APOBEC3G? What does HIV do to it?
- Host protein that edits RNA
* HIV protein vif inhibits it
What is TRIM 5α?
- Host protein that blocks uncoating of retroviruses
* HIV capsid proteins impervious to TRIM5α
What is Tetherin?
- Host protein that blocks release of virus
* HIV vpu inhibits it