HIV-1包膜蛋白2G12和2F5中和表位的改造对假病毒形成及中和活性的影响

目的 研究HIV-1膜蛋白(Env)特定中和表位的改造对功能性假病毒形成及中和活性的影响.方法 采用环形诱变及Dpn I筛选的方法对Env进行定点突变,将2G12和2F5两个中和表位整合入不含该表位的BC亚型的Env上,比较改造对假病毒的形成情况及对2G12和2F5单抗的中和活性的影响.结果 对5株假病毒(BC02、BE03、BC04、BC05和BC12)的Env特定中和表位进行改造,其中BC04和BCl2的2G12表位改造后,不能形成假病毒,BC02、BC03和BC05增加2G12和2F5两个表位后,仍能够形成假病毒,且假病毒滴度较改造前无明显变化,改造后的BC03假病毒较改造前对单抗2G12和2175的中和活性均有所提高,而改造后的BE02和BC05假病毒较改造前对单抗2F5的中和活性增强,而对单抗2G12的中和活性无变化.结论 2G12中和表位部分位点的改造影响假病毒的形成,中和表位的增加能够提高单抗2G12的中和活性,为免疫原的优化提供了新思路.     

新型冠状病毒614D和614G假病毒生物学特性研究

目的利用HIV慢病毒包装系统构建新型冠状病毒(2019 novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV)原始株614D和突变株614G假病毒, 并初步研究其生物学特性。方法将重组表达质粒pCDNA3.1-614D和pCDNA3.1-614G分别与慢病毒质粒psPAX2和pLenti CMV Puro LUC瞬时共转染293T细胞, 72 h后收集上清, 进行20%蔗糖垫层超速离心, 检测假病毒的滴度、形态、S蛋白表达和中和活性。结果间接免疫荧光检测可见S蛋白特异性荧光, Western blot分析可见2019-nCoV 614D和614G假病毒S蛋白表达, 透射电镜下可见假病毒颗粒具有明显刺突。614D和614G假病毒的滴度分别为1.12×104和2.52×104 TCID50/ml, 均能够中和S蛋白兔多克隆抗体, 表明假病毒具有特异性。结论本研究成功构建了2019-nCoV 614D和614G假病毒, 为建立基于假病毒的体外中和抗体检测平台奠定基础。     

猴免疫缺陷病毒外膜糖蛋白基因序列重组和突变克隆的转染研究

目的　研究猴免疫缺陷病毒 (SIV)外膜糖蛋白 (envGP)基因片段与病毒复制功能的关系。方法　利用两病毒株共有的内切酶位点 ,将非致病性SIVmac 142株envGP区的DNA片段与致病性SIVmac 2 39株的对应区域进行置换 ,构成多个重组体。RFLP和部分序列测序确定后 ,用等量突变病毒 (3μg)转染CD4 T淋巴细胞CEM× 174细胞系 ,用ELISA监测培养液中SIV核心蛋白P2 7水平的变化 ,以判定重组病毒的复制能力。结果　与SIVmac 2 39株相比 ,SIVmac 2 39envGP重组体 (SIV mac142 /2 39envGP/142 )仍保持高度的复制活性 ,SIVmac2 39gp41(SIVmac142 /2 39gp41/142 )或SIV mac2 39N gp41(SIVmac142 /2 39N gp41/142 )的复制能力明显降低 ,而SIVmac2 39C gp41(SIVmac142 /2 39C gp41/142 )重组体无复制活性。结论　envGP基因是SIVmac2 39株复制能力或毒力的重要调节因素。     

Ⅰ型人类免疫缺陷病毒包膜糖蛋白CD4结合位点修饰诱导小鼠体液免疫反应的实验研究

目的 探讨Ⅰ型人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV-1)包膜糖蛋白(Env) gp120的CD4结合位点(CD4BS)核心区第423、425和431位氨基酸三联突变ING/MKE对其诱导体液免疫反应的影响.方法 构建HIV-1原代毒株06044包膜gp120 ING/MKE三联突变表达载体pcT22-06044 gp120T-ING/MKE(gp120T-ING/MKE),在体外转染的HEK293T细胞表达三聚化野生型gp120Twt蛋白和突变体gp120T-ING/MKE蛋白.免疫BALB/c小鼠后检测结合抗体、中和抗体和骨髓抗原特异性浆细胞.结果 获得真核表达载体gp120T-ING/MKE.转染后,在293T细胞培养上清中检测到了三聚化重组蛋白.末次免疫后14 d,gp120Twt和gp120T-ING/MKE免疫血清中结合抗体滴度都大于1∶1 000,但两组血清抗体滴度无显著差异.突变体组骨髓特异性浆细胞分泌水平和非特异浆细胞水平均低于野生型gp120免疫组.野生型和突变体免疫诱导血清抗体的中和活性均不强.结论 HIV-1包膜蛋白CD4结合区423、425和431位三联突变没有改善gp120蛋白的免疫原性.     

一例未经抗病毒治疗的HIV-1 CRF07BC患者中和敏感性时序进化特征

本研究追踪了一例长期不进展的HIV-1 CRF07_BC感染者体内病毒进化的特征, 并分析了该病毒中和敏感性的变化。在2016年至2020年间采集患者四个时点的血浆, 所有血浆样本对Global panel假病毒的中和宽度均为100%。基于四个时点血浆, 扩增了59个全长env基因片段, 并成功构建了24株功能性假病毒。患者的env基因序列显示, V1和V5中潜在的N-连锁糖基化位点(PNGS)随着时间的推移显著增加。所有24株假病毒对同期和后期的自体血浆以及bNAbs(包括10E8、VRC01和12A21)敏感, 但自体血浆和bNAbs对后期采样时点构建的假病毒的中和敏感性下降。本研究发现Env的V5区S465T突变与VRC01中和敏感性下降相关。     

H5N1禽流感病毒HA假病毒的构建及特性研究

目的 构建包膜蛋白为H5N1禽流感病毒HA蛋白的假病毒,对其生物学特性进行研究,并将其初步应用于H5N1禽流感病毒的血清检测.方法 将我国分离的高致病性H5N1禽流感病毒的HA基因插入真核表达质粒,得到pLP-HA,与假病毒构建体系的三种质粒pLP1,pLF2和pEmGFP,瞬时共转染人胚肾细胞293T,48 h收集假病毒上清,对其感染性,血凝活性进行测定,并应用于微量中和实验.同时,构建了优化HA基因的假病毒以及一株含有越南禽流感病毒HA基因的假病毒,进行比较.结果 电镜下观察到假病毒颗粒的存在;Western-Blot表明HA蛋白存在于假病毒颗粒中;HA假病毒与野生型活病毒的微量中和实验相比,两者结果具有很好的相关性.结论 成功构建了不同高致病性H5N1禽流感病毒HA蛋白的假病毒,所构建的假病毒可以应用于微量中和实验.研究发现不同禽流感病毒株HA蛋白假病毒的包装效率不同,并且真核表达优化基因并不能显著提高假病毒颗粒包装效率.     

埃博拉假病毒突变体感染性及靶向抗体中和作用评价

目的：利用埃博拉假病毒（EBOV）报告系统，体外评价埃博拉病毒突变体对4种细胞系的相对感染力及3株单抗对突变体的中和能力。方法：构建表达埃博拉假病毒及其突变体GP蛋白的重组质粒GP-pcDNA3.1，与含有萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因的HIV骨架载体pSG3.ΔEnv.CMV.Fluc共转染HEK293T细胞获得假病毒上清。利用Western blot法及HIV p24 ELISA抗原定量试剂盒对假病毒进行鉴定及定量，采用等量的假病毒感染HEK293T、Huh7、A549及THP-1细胞，36 h后，裂解细胞测荧光素酶活性（RLU），计算突变体与母本的相对感染力。将mAb114、ADI-15946、rEBOV-520与EBOV及其突变体假病毒预孵育1 h，将假病毒上清和抗体混合液感染HEK293T细胞，36 h后测RLU值，计算抑制率。结果：相对于母本，所有突变体感染细胞的能力均有不同程度增强。单抗mAb114、ADI-15946能有效中和母本及14株突变体，rEBOV-520对N107D-P330S-G480D中和作用减弱。结论：体外实验证明14株突变体入侵靶细胞能力增强。3株中和抗体对突...     

六株不同地区分离的H7N9流感病毒假病毒制备与生物学特性研究CSCD

目的 选择不同地区分离的H7N9亚型流感病毒代表株,制备各代表株的假病毒,为H7N9疫苗对不同地区毒株的免疫保护效果评价奠定基础.方法 通过对29株H7N9流感病毒血凝素（Hemagglutinin,HA）的氨基酸序列分析,获得6株不同地区H7N9亚型流感病毒代表株病毒;采用基于慢病毒载体的假病毒包装系统,以HA与神经氨酸酶（Neuraminidase,NA）作为包膜质粒,包装获得6株带有荧光素酶报告基因的假病毒;通过电镜负染、Western blot检测、感染MDCK后的荧光素酶读值和血凝试验等了解6株假病毒的生物学特性,通过血清交叉中和试验了解其在中和抗体检测中的应用情况.结果 筛选获得6株不同地区分离的H7N9流感病毒代表株并制备了相应的假病毒颗粒,电镜下可观察到典型的流感病毒形态,Western blot可检测到HA、NA和P24的表达;滴度测定结果显示6株假病毒对MDCK细胞的感染力为104- 105TCID50/50μl,血凝活性可达64- 512;SH1上海株H7N9 HA疫苗免疫血清针对6株流感假病毒100TCID50剂量的中和效力不同,提示6株假病毒可用于疫苗的交叉免疫效果评价.结论 成功获得6株H7N9不同地区代表株流感假病毒,为疫苗的免疫效果评价奠定了基础.     

中国92例HIV/AIDS患者HIV-1 gp41 2F5和4E10中和抗体表位变异研究

目的 探讨92例HIV/AIDS患者HIV-1病毒近膜端(membrane proximal external re-gion,MPER)中和抗体2F5和4E10保守表位ELDKWA、NWFDIT氨基酸变异特点,为中国HIV/AIDS患者免疫治疗以及疫苗设计提供数据.方法 Nest-PCR扩增HIV-1 env区gp41段基因,核酸序列测定,翻译为氨基酸与HIV-1 Sequence Database HXB Ⅱ参考株中和抗体表位数据比对,分析2F5、4E10中和表位氨基酸变异情况.结果 92例HIV/AIDS患者HIV-1外膜蛋白env gp41段中和抗体2F5、4E10保守表位氨基酸均存在突变;2F5中和抗体表位主要有E662A(14.1%)、K665S(17.4%)、A667K(16.3%)突变;4E10中和抗体表位主要有N671S(13.0%)、D674S(3.3%)、T676S(16.3%)突变;CRF_B'C亚型与B'亚型的2F5和4E10表位氨基酸突变差异具有统计学意义(P<0-05);CRF_B'C与CRF01_AE亚型2F5表位突变差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);B'亚型缓慢进展者、HIV感染者和AIDS患者的4E10表位氨基酸突变差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05).结论 92例HIV/AIDS患者HIV.1包膜蛋白env gp41段中和抗体2F5、4E10中和表位氨基酸存在突变,且变异多样化;不同亚型中和抗体保守表位氨基酸位点变异有差异;B'亚型4E10中和抗体表位变异可能与疾病进展有一定联系.     

微生物学

SARS冠状病毒N蛋白单克隆抗体的制备及鉴定；含HIV-1 gp120基因的重组腺相关病毒和重组腺病毒联合免疫的研究；我国HIV-1感染者耐药突变的流行性研究；祛毒增宁胶囊治疗艾滋病的疗效观察；病毒感染相关基因微阵列的制备及其在HBV感染应答基因筛选中的应用；HIV-1B亚型gp120基因密码子优化前后免疫原性的比较；人乳头状瘤病毒协同“钴照射促进食管上皮细胞恶性转化；麻疹病毒全长cDNA构建及其感染性的研究；中国流行性乙型脑炎病毒分子生物学特性研究；在MDCK细胞上高产的乙型流行性感冒病毒株的筛选及其全基因组克隆；适用于疫苗株筛选的痘苗病毒载体的构建；肠道病毒ECHO13中国分离株的基因特征；泛紊与EB病毒核抗原1融合基因的DNA免疫研究；反转录病毒MSCV介导汉坦病毒核蛋白基因在NIH3T3细胞中整合和表达；抗HEV嵌合抗体的构建及在CHO细胞中的表达；黏液型肺炎链球菌的表型和遗传学特征；一种新型融合毒素IL15-PE△293的构建与体外活性测定。     

Dominant-negative effect of hetero-oligomerization on the function of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein complex

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env) glycoprotein forms trimers that mediate interactions with the CD4 receptor and a co-receptor on the target cell surface, thereby triggering viral fusion with the cell membrane. Cleavage of Env into its surface, gp120, and transmembrane, gp41, moieties is necessary for activation of its fusogenicity. Here, we produced pseudoviruses with phenotypically mixed wild-type (Wt) and mutant, cleavage-incompetent Env in order to quantify the effects of incorporating uncleaved Env on virion infectivity, antigenicity and neutralization sensitivity. We modeled the relative infectivity of three such phenotypically mixed viral strains, JR-FL, HXBc2 and a derivative of the latter, 3.2P, as a function of the relative amount of Wt Env. The data were fit very closely (R(2) > 0.99) by models which assumed that only Wt homotrimers were functional, with different approximate thresholds of critical numbers of functional trimers per virion for the three strains. We also produced 3.2P pseudoviruses containing both a cleavage-competent Env that is defective for binding the neutralizing monoclonal antibody (NAb) 2G12, and a cleavage-incompetent Env that binds 2G12. The 2G12 NAb was not able to reduce the infectivity of these pseudoviruses detectably. Their neutralization by the CD4-binding site-directed agents CD4-IgG2 and NAb b12 was also unaffected by 2G12 binding to uncleaved Env. These results further strengthen the conclusion that only homotrimers consisting of cleaved Env are functional. They also imply that the function of a trimer is unaffected sterically by the binding of an antibody to an adjacent trimer.     

HIV-1膜抗原部分糖基化位点改造对免疫原性及假病毒形成的影响

目的 研究HIV-1膜蛋白(Env)特定糖基化位点改造对Env免疫原性及功能性假病毒形成能力的影响.方法 采用环形诱变,DpnⅠ筛选的方法对Env进行定点突变,单周期感染试验检测功能性假病毒形成能力,免疫小鼠,利用假病毒中和试验与ELISPOT分别检测突变对中和抗体和T细胞分泌Env特异的IFN-γ的影响.结果 N197Q突变体使Env诱导中和抗体的能力提高而诱导T细胞分泌Env特异的IFN-γ的能力降低,并使Env不能形成功能性假病毒;G2突变体(N624Q,N637Q)诱导的中和抗体能更好地中和假病毒74-2,仉中和假病毒Wt的能力下降,对Env诱导T细胞分泌Env特异的IFN-γ的能力和功能性假病毒形成无明显影响.结论 特定糖基化位点的改造影响假病毒的形成及Env的免疫原性.     

Mutations in the C3 region of human and simian immunodeficiency virus envelope have differential effects on viral infectivity, replication, and CD4-dependency

Residues within the highly conserved C3 region of human and simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV, SIV) envelope proteins (Envs) bind directly to the cellular CD4 receptor. However, substitutions of D385, which is critical for CD4 engagement along with other changes such as G382R, G383R, frequently arise in SIV mac-infected macaques. We investigated the influence of substitutions in the SIVmac and HIV-1 C3 regions on viral entry, dependence on CD4, and replication. Mutations flanking the C3 region such as G382R or V388A enhanced and changes within the C3 region (i.e., G383R or D385N) impaired SIVmac infectivity. Several naturally occurring sequence variations in the SIVmac Env C3 region facilitated CD4-independent membrane fusion but abrogated viral replication, suggesting that efficient infection requires additional changes elsewhere in Env. Substitutions of S365R and D368G in the HIV-1 Env, which correspond to G382 and D385 in SIVmac Env, consistently impaired viral infectivity. In contrast, mutation of D368N resulted in a virus that could not spread in cells expressing low levels of CD4, but which replicated efficiently when high levels of CD4 were expressed. Thus, changes in the C3 region of HIV-1 or SIVmac Env can have differential effects on viral infectivity and CD4-dependency. We conclude that substitutions flanking the C3 region in SIVmac Env such as G382R or V388A represent one step toward adaptation to growth in target cells expressing low CD4 levels, whereas changes within the C3 region that disrupt CD4 binding might indicate the emergence of CD4-independent variants at later stages of infection, which could potentially broaden viral tropism.     

Production of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pseudoviruses using linear HIV-1 envelope expression cassettes

HIV-1 pseudoviruses constitute an important tool in HIV-1 vaccine and entry inhibitor research. Single-cycle pseudoviruses carrying functional envelopes are generated by co-transfecting HEK293T cells with pNL4-3.LucR(-)E(-) and Env expression plasmids. However, cloning of Env genes is time consuming and single Env clones are not representative of the diversity of HIV-1 in a patient's blood sample. A new method to construct Env expression cassettes is proposed which can be used for the rapid generation of heterogeneous HIV-1 pseudoviruses without a cloning step. The linear Env expression cassettes are constructed by ligating PCR amplified Env genes between a 5' CMV promoter and 3' SV40 polyadenylation element. The resulting cassettes generate pseudoviruses carrying heterogeneous Env variants of a primary HIV-1 isolate derived from viral RNA or proviral DNA. The influence of cis-acting sequences upstream of the Env gene on infectivity was compared between pseudoviruses generated from plasmids and linear expression cassettes. The results suggest that the presence of these upstream sequences tends to result in higher infectivity of pseudoviruses when present in heterogeneous Env expression cassettes, but they do not enhance infectivity of pseudoviruses generated with homogeneous Env expression constructs. Using linear expression cassettes allows for the rapid production of heterogeneous patient-derived functional Env genes.     

Macrophage entry mediated by HIV Envs from brain and lymphoid tissues is determined by the capacity to use low CD4 levels and overall efficiency of fusion

HIV infects macrophages and microglia in the central nervous system (CNS), which express lower levels of CD4 than CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood. To investigate mechanisms of HIV neurotropism, full-length env genes were cloned from autopsy brain and lymphoid tissues from 4 AIDS patients with HIV-associated dementia (HAD). Characterization of 55 functional Env clones demonstrated that Envs with reduced dependence on CD4 for fusion and viral entry are more frequent in brain compared to lymphoid tissue. Envs that mediated efficient entry into macrophages were frequent in brain but were also present in lymphoid tissue. For most Envs, entry into macrophages correlated with overall fusion activity at all levels of CD4 and CCR5. gp160 nucleotide sequences were compartmentalized in brain versus lymphoid tissue within each patient. Proline at position 308 in the V3 loop of gp120 was associated with brain compartmentalization in 3 patients, but mutagenesis studies suggested that P308 alone does not contribute to reduced CD4 dependence or macrophage-tropism. These results suggest that HIV adaptation to replicate in the CNS selects for Envs with reduced CD4 dependence and increased fusion activity. Macrophage-tropic Envs are frequent in brain but are also present in lymphoid tissues of AIDS patients with HAD, and entry into macrophages in the CNS and other tissues is dependent on the ability to use low receptor levels and overall efficiency of fusion.     

The effect of the membrane-proximal tyrosine-based sorting signal of HIV-1 gp41 on viral infectivity depends on sequences within gp120

The cytoplasmic domain of the HIV-1 Env glycoprotein (gp41) contains sequences that affect the trafficking of Env within the host cell. We previously showed that the membrane-proximal tyrosine-based adaptor protein (AP)-binding signal of gp41 (Y712XXL) is required for optimal viral infectivity and entry into target cells. Because these effects were not attributable to an effect on the incorporation of Env into virions, we hypothesized that they involved targeting of viral assembly to specific endosomal membranes that conferred greater fusogenicity. To further elaborate this hypothesis, we mutated the C-terminal leucine-based AP-binding signal of gp41 (LL855/856). In contrast to Env Y712, the leucine signal was dispensable for viral infectivity in both single cycle assays and during spreading infections within cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). To test the hypothesis that these AP-binding motifs target Env to endosomes during viral morphogenesis, we compared the subcellular localization of wild-type Env to mutants of the Y712 and LL855/856 signals. The results failed to support the hypothesis that these signals target viral assembly to specific endosomal membranes. Strikingly, in the context of a C2-V3 region that confers macrophage-tropism, mutation of Y712 no longer markedly affected viral infectivity in either single cycle assays or during spreading infection within PBMCs, and it did not impair viral entry. These data indicate that the importance of the tyrosine-based sorting signal in gp41 for optimal viral infectivity depends on sequences in gp120. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that the Y712 residue is part of the ectodomain of gp41 in virion-associated Env. We speculate that as part of the ectodomain, Y712 could affect specifically the conformation of the more positively charged CXCR4-tropic V3 loop in a manner that augments viral fusogenicity and infectivity.     

以假病毒为基础的HIV-1中和抗体检测体系的建立以及初步应用

目的 建立以假病毒为基础的HIV-1中和抗体检测方法,并对其进行初步应用.方法 从重组质粒中扩增出gp160基因片段,并克隆到pcDNA3.1质粒上,酶切鉴定得到阳性克隆.将阳性克隆分别和pSG3△env质粒共转染获得假病毒.用假病毒分别检测单克隆抗体和HIV-1抗体阳性血清的中和活性.结果 成功地获得了4株假病毒CHB01、CHB02、CHBC03和CHAE04.单克隆抗体4E10可以中和4株假病毒;单克隆抗体2F5不能中和CHBC03假病毒株,但可以中和CHB01、CHB02和CHAE04假病毒株;单克隆抗体IgG1b12 可以中和CHBC03、CHB01和CHB02假病毒株,则不能中和CHAE04假病毒株.43份HIV-1抗体阳性血清中针对不同假病毒的中和抗体明显不同.结论 所获得的假病毒可以用于中和抗体的检测,但不同假病毒株的中和特性不同.     

Screening of HIV-1 Env Glycoproteins for the Ability to Raise Neutralizing Antibody Using DNA Immunization and Recombinant Vaccinia Virus Boosting

HIV-1 envelopes from two series of primary isolates (from Swedish patients 5 and 6), from JR-FL and BaL (prototypic monocyte/macrophage tropic viruses) and from HXB-2 (a prototypic T-cell-line-adapted virus), have been screened for their ability to elicit neutralizing antibody to HIV-1. Rabbits were primed by gene gun inoculation with plasmids expressing secreted monomeric (gp120) and oligomeric (gp140) forms of each Env. After four to six DNA immunizations administered over a 1-year period, rabbits were boosted with 10⁸plaque-forming units of a mixture of seven recombinant vaccinia viruses which express chimeric gp140 Envs (primary clade B sequences in a IIIb-related BH10 backbone). Neutralizing antibodies were assayed against two T-cell-line-adapted viruses (MN and IIIb), two non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) and two syncytium-inducing (SI) primary isolates, and two HIV-1-NL4-3-recombinants with patient 5 or 6 Envs (NL4-3/5A, NL4-3/6C). The DNA priming and recombinant vaccinia virus boosting raised low titers of neutralizing antibody in 10 of 19 rabbits. The highest titers of neutralizing activity (1:150 for MN) were raised in rabbits DNA primed with Envs from Swedish patient 5. These sera cross-neutralized IIIb and MN but did not neutralize the primary isolates or the NL4-3 recombinant with the homologous 5A Env. Sera from rabbits primed with the HXB-2 Env DNA were, for the most part, type-specific for neutralization of IIIb. In one of three assays, sera from rabbits primed with plasmids expressing the JR-FL and BaL Envs had possible low titer neutralizing activity for two NSI, but not two SI, primary isolates. Our results highlight the low immunogenic potential of the HIV-1 Env and demonstrate that different Envs have different potentials to raise low titer neutralizing antibody.     

A single amino acid substitution in the C4 region in gp120 confers enhanced neutralization of HIV-1 by modulating CD4 binding sites and V3 loop

Identification of vulnerability in the HIV-1 envelope (Env) will aid in Env-based vaccine design. We recently found an HIV-1 clade C Env clone (4-2.J45) amplified from a recently infected Indian patient showing exceptional neutralization sensitivity to autologous plasma in contrast to other autologous Envs obtained at the same time point. By constructing chimeric Envs and fine mapping between sensitive and resistant Env clones, we found that substitution of highly conserved isoleucine (I) with methionine (M) (ATA to ATG) at position 424 in the C4 domain conferred enhanced neutralization sensitivity of Env-pseudotyped viruses to autologous and heterologous plasma antibodies. When tested against monoclonal antibodies targeting different sites in gp120 and gp41, Envs expressing M424 showed significant sensitivity to anti-V3 monoclonal antibodies and modestly to sCD4 and b12. Substitution of I424M in unrelated Envs also showed similar neutralization phenotype, indicating that M424 in C4 region induces exposure of neutralizing epitopes particularly in CD4 binding sites and V3 loop.