Differential evolution of a CXCR4-using HIV-1 strain in CCR5wt/wt and CCR5∆32/∆32 hosts revealed by longitudinal deep sequencing and phylogenetic reconstruction

Sci Rep. 2015 Dec 3:5:17607. doi: 10.1038/srep17607.

Abstract

Rare individuals homozygous for a naturally-occurring 32 base pair deletion in the CCR5 gene (CCR5∆32/∆32) are resistant to infection by CCR5-using ("R5") HIV-1 strains but remain susceptible to less common CXCR4-using ("X4") strains. The evolutionary dynamics of X4 infections however, remain incompletely understood. We identified two individuals, one CCR5wt/wt and one CCR5∆32/∆32, within the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study who were infected with a genetically similar X4 HIV-1 strain. While early-stage plasma viral loads were comparable in the two individuals (~4.5-5 log10 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml), CD4 counts in the CCR5wt/wt individual reached a nadir of <20 CD4 cells/mm(3) within 17 months but remained >250 cells/mm(3) in the CCR5∆32/∆32 individual. Ancestral phylogenetic reconstructions using longitudinal envelope-V3 deep sequences suggested that both individuals were infected by a single transmitted/founder (T/F) X4 virus that differed at only one V3 site (codon 24). While substantial within-host HIV-1 V3 diversification was observed in plasma and PBMC in both individuals, the CCR5wt/wt individual's HIV-1 population gradually reverted from 100% X4 to ~60% R5 over ~4 years whereas the CCR5∆32/∆32 individual's remained consistently X4. Our observations illuminate early dynamics of X4 HIV-1 infections and underscore the influence of CCR5 genotype on HIV-1 V3 evolution.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Evolution
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / genetics
  • HIV Infections / genetics
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV-1 / genetics
  • HIV-1 / pathogenicity*
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions*
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics
  • Phylogeny*
  • RNA, Viral
  • Receptors, CCR5 / genetics*
  • Receptors, CCR5 / metabolism
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / genetics
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / metabolism*
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • CCR5 protein, human
  • CXCR4 protein, human
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120
  • HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321)
  • Peptide Fragments
  • RNA, Viral
  • Receptors, CCR5
  • Receptors, CXCR4