The unusually long Cytoplasmic tail (CT) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1) glycoprotein-41 (gp41) is highly conserved and engineered large truncations often render the virus non-infectious in a cell-type dependent manner. While large CT truncations occur infrequently in natural isolates, little is known about the mechanisms involved in infectious virions harbouring a large CT truncation. This thesis characterises RFgp34, a replication competent laboratory HIV-1 isolate with an acquired 100 amino acid CT truncation, and how it diverged from wildtype RF. The CT truncation and two possible compensatory mutations in Matrix (E40K and F44I) were introduced into the HIV-1 isolate NL4-3. These mutants were tested for infectivity, syncytia formation and glycoprotein incorporation into virions, alternative co-receptor usage and sensitivity to the fusion inhibitor T-20. Compared with RFwt, RFgp34-infected cultures displayed delayed viral replication kinetics in all cell types. Similar sized (MT-4 cells, PBMC) or larger and more numerous syncytia (Hut78 cells) were detected in RFgp34-infected cultures. Similar (Hut78 cells) or decreased (MT-4 cells, PBMC) amounts of glycoprotein was incorporated into RFgp34 virions, compared with RFwt virions. The increased syncytia in RFgp34-infected Hut78 cultures and the reduced glycoprotein incorporation into RFgp34 virions from MT-4 cells and PBMCs may explain the delayed RFgp34 replication kinetics. The Matrix E40K and F44I mutations were not able to directly compensate for the CT truncation to restore infectivity in Hut78 and MT-4 cells, as secondary mutations or the reversion of the CT truncation to a full-length CT were observed. In PBMCs the Matrix mutations alone were able to partially restore infectivity, suggesting specific mutations may compensate for the CT truncation in different cell types. None of the viruses utilised alternative HIV-1 co-receptors, nor were more resistant to T-20 than wildtype HIV-1 suggesting that the CT does not directly play a role in these viral functions. This thesis suggests that the sequence of mutations acquired by RFgp34 to compensate for the CT truncation and restore infectivity in multiple cell types may have occurred in a specific order and the evolution of RFgp34 to out-compete RFwt occurred over many passages.

Orientador: Erick da Cruz Castelli / Resumo: O Complexo Principal de Histocompatibilidade (MHC) é um complexo gênico que está intimamente envolvido com a regulação do sistema imune. Esse complexo comporta o sistema de Antígenos Leucocitários Humano (HLA), cuja principal importância está relacionada com o reconhecimento do que é próprio ou não do organismo. HLA-C é o gene polimórfico menos variável dos genes HLA clássicos e o que tem menor expressão nos tecidos, exceto na interface materno-fetal, em que é o único gene clássico expresso. A molécula codificada por esse gene possui significante função na apresentação antigênica e regulação da atividade de células NK, o que permite uma íntima associação com situações fisiológicas, como gestação, e patológicas, como doenças infecciosas, autoimunes, inflamatórias, neoplasias e rejeições a enxertos transplantados. Sua porção gênica mais estudada é a que codifica a fenda de ligação a peptídeos antigênicos, devido sua destacada importância na apresentação de antígenos a células T citotóxicas. No entanto, outras regiões do gene, que são negligenciadas nos estudos de variabilidade, também merecem destaque por influenciarem na sinalização e modulação da citotoxicidade de células efetoras, na ancoragem e estabilidade da molécula na membrana plasmática e na internalização e reciclagem da molécula HLA-C. Desta maneira, nós exploramos a variabilidade dos segmentos que codificam α3 (éxon 4), transmembrana (éxon 5) and cauda citoplasmática (éxon 6 and éxon 7) da molécula HLA-C em uma popu... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a gene complex closely involved in the regulation of the immune system. This complex includes the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system, whose main role is related to the recognition of self/non-self structures of humans. HLA-C is the least variable polymorphic gene of classical HLA genes and has the lowest expression in tissues, except at the maternal-fetal interface, where it is the only classical HLA class I expressed gene. The molecule encoded by this gene has a significant role in the antigen presentation and regulation of NK cells activities, which allows an intimate association with physiological conditions, such as pregnancy, and pathological conditions like infectious, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and transplantation rejection. The most studied HLA-C portion is that encoding the peptide-binding groove, due to its outstanding importance in presentation of antigens to cytotoxic T cells. However, other regions of the gene, which are neglected in the variability studies, are also important in influencing the signaling and modulation of effector cell cytotoxicity, in the anchorage and stability of the molecule on the cell surface, and in the internalization and recycling of the HLA-C molecule. Here, we explore the variability of the segments encoding the α3 (exon 4), transmembrane (exon 5) and cytoplasmic tail (exon 6 and exon 7) domains of the HLA-C molecule in an admixed population sample from Southeastern B... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine (VIH) est responsable du syndrome d'immunodéficience humaine acquise (SIDA). Le virus est très variable et est classé en divers sous-types dont le sous-type B qui est le plus étudié et le C qui est le plus répandu. L'enveloppe (Env) à la surface du virus lui permet d'infecter des cellules du système immunitaire, parmi lesquelles les lymphocytes T CD4 (LT CD4) et les macrophages sont des cibles privilégiées. Nous avons étudié le rôle de variations de séquences dans la partie de Env qui n'est pas exposée à la surface du virus (la queue intravirale (gp41CT)). Nos résultats montrent que ce domaine contribue à la réplication du virus dans les LT CD4 et que des variations dans ce domaine entravent l'assemblage des protéines de structure du virus, diminuant la production de nouveaux virus. Ce défaut n'est pas observé dans les macrophages, suggérant qu'un facteur cellulaire est impliqué. Identifier ce facteur pourrait fournir de nouvelles cibles antivirales / The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is responsible for the pandemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Being highly variable, the virus has been subdivided into viral subtypes. Subtype B is the most studied, while subtype C is the most spread. The envelope (Env) expressed at the surface of the virion enables infection of cells involved in the immune system, like CD4 cells (CD4 TL) and macrophages. We studied the Env region not exposed at the viral surface (intraviral tail, gp41CT), which also harbors sequence characteristics linked to viral subtype. Viruses with subtype C gp41CT had lower replication capacities in CD4 TL. Microscopy analysis showed a defect in clustering of the viral structural protein Gag, revealing that changes in gp41CT affect assembly of all viral components. This defect was seen in CD4 TL but not in macrophages, suggesting the involvement of a cellular factor. Identifying this factor could open new therapeutic leads