Preferential use of the VH5-51 gene segment by the human immune response to code for antibodies against the V3 domain of HIV-1

Mol Immunol. 2009 Feb;46(5):917-26. doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2008.09.005. Epub 2008 Oct 25.

Abstract

Human anti-V3 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) generated from HIV-1 infected individuals display diversity in the range of their cross-neutralization that may be related to their immunogenetic background. The study of the immunoglobulin (Ig) variable region gene usage of heavy chains have shown a preferential usage of the VH5-51 gene segment which was detected in 35% of 51 human anti-V3 mAbs. In contrast, human mAbs against other envelope regions of HIV-1 (anti-Env), including the CD4-binding domain, the CD4-induced epitope, and gp41 preferentially used the VH1-69 gene segment, and none of them used the VH5-51 gene. Furthermore, the usage of the VH4 family by anti-V3 mAbs was restricted to only one gene segment, VH4-59, while the VH3 gene family was used at a significantly lower frequency by all of the analyzed anti-HIV-1 mAbs. Multivariate analysis showed that usage of VH gene segments was significantly different between anti-V3 and anti-Env mAbs, and compared to antibodies from healthy subjects. In addition, the anti-V3 mAbs preferentially used the JH3 and D2-15 gene segments. The preferential usage of selected Ig gene segments and the characteristic pattern of Ig gene usage by anti-V3 mAbs can be related to the conserved structure of the V3 region.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / genetics*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Antibodies, Viral / genetics*
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Antibody Specificity / genetics*
  • Antibody Specificity / immunology
  • Epitopes / genetics*
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp41*
  • HIV Infections / genetics*
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • HIV-1*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region / genetics*
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Epitopes
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp41
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region
  • gp41 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1