Insertional oncogenesis by non-acute retroviruses: implications for gene therapy

Retroviruses cause cancers in a variety of animals and humans. Research on retroviruses has provided important insights into mechanisms of oncogenesis in humans, including the discovery of viral oncogenes and cellular proto-oncogenes. The subject of this review is the mechanisms by which retroviruses that do not carry oncogenes (non-acute retroviruses) cause cancers. The common theme is that these tumors result from insertional activation of cellular proto-oncogenes by integration of viral DNA. Early research on insertional activation of proto-oncogenes in virus-induced tumors is reviewed. Research on non-acute retroviruses has led to the discovery of new proto-oncogenes through searches for common insertion sites (CISs) in virus-induced tumors. Cooperation between different proto-oncogenes in development of tumors has been elucidated through the study of retrovirus-induced tumors, and retroviral infection of genetically susceptible mice (retroviral tagging) has been used to identify cellular proto-oncogenes active in specific oncogenic pathways. The pace of proto-oncogene discovery has been accelerated by technical advances including PCR cloning of viral integration sites, the availability of the mouse genome sequence, and high throughput DNA sequencing. Insertional activation has proven to be a significant risk in gene therapy trials to correct genetic defects with retroviral vectors. Studies on non-acute retroviral oncogenesis provide insight into the potential risks, and the mechanisms of oncogenesis.     

Catalytically-active complex of HIV-1 integrase with a viral DNA substrate binds anti-integrase drugs

HIV-1 integration into the host cell genome is a multistep process catalyzed by the virally-encoded integrase (IN) protein. In view of the difficulty of obtaining a stable DNA-bound IN at high concentration as required for structure determination, we selected IN–DNA complexes that form disulfide linkages between 5′-thiolated DNA and several single mutations to cysteine around the catalytic site of IN. Mild reducing conditions allowed for selection of the most thermodynamically-stable disulfide-linked species. The most stable complexes induce tetramer formation of IN, as happens during the physiological integration reaction, and are able to catalyze the strand transfer step of retroviral integration. One of these complexes also binds strand-transfer inhibitors of HIV antiviral drugs, making it uniquely valuable among the mutants of this set for understanding portions of the integration reaction. This novel complex may help define substrate interactions and delineate the mechanism of action of known integration inhibitors.     

The Trojan exosome hypothesis

We propose that retroviruses exploit a cell-encoded pathway of intercellular vesicle traffic, exosome exchange, for both the biogenesis of retroviral particles and a low-efficiency but mechanistically important mode of infection. This Trojan exosome hypothesis reconciles current paradigms of retrovirus-directed transmission with the unique lipid composition of retroviral particles, the host cell proteins present in retroviral particles, the complex cell biology of retroviral release, and the ability of retroviruses to infect cells independently of Envelope protein-receptor interactions. An exosomal origin also predicts that retroviruses pose an unsolvable paradox for adaptive immune responses, that retroviral antigen vaccines are unlikely to provide prophylactic protection, and that alloimmunity is a central component of antiretroviral immunity. Finally, the Trojan exosome hypothesis has important implications for the fight against HIV and AIDS, including how to develop new antiretroviral therapies, assess the risk of retroviral infection, and generate effective antiretroviral vaccines.     

In between: Gypsy in Drosophila melanogaster Reveals New Insights into Endogenous Retrovirus Evolution

Retroviruses are RNA viruses that are able to synthesize a DNA copy of their genome and insert it into a chromosome of the host cell. Sequencing of different eukaryote genomes has revealed the presence of many such endogenous retroviral sequences. The mechanisms by which these retroviral sequences have colonized the genome are still unknown, and the endogenous retrovirus gypsy of Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful experimental model for deciphering this process in vivo. Gypsy is expressed in a layer of somatic cells, and then transferred into the oocyte by an unknown mechanism. This critical step is the start of the endogenization process. Moreover gypsy has been shown to have infectious properties, probably due to its envelope gene acquired from a baculovirus. Recently we have also shown that gypsy maternal transmission is reduced in the presence of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. These studies demonstrate that gypsy is a unique and powerful model for understanding the endogenization of retroviruses.     

The retroviral restriction factor TRIM5α

Retroviruses are obligate intracellular parasites that have coevolved with their hosts for millions of years. It is therefore not surprising that retroviruses take advantage of numerous host factors during their life cycle. In addition to positive cellular factors that are of use to the virus, host cells have also evolved intracellular proteins to antagonize the retroviral replication cycle. Such inhibitory cellular factors have been called retroviral restriction factors. Recently, several such restriction factors have been cloned, including Friend virus susceptibility factor 1, apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic proteins 3F and 3G, and ZAP. Here, we review the explosion of publications from the past 2 years concerning TRIM5, a host factor that potently inhibits HIV-1 and other retroviruses.     

Retroviral vectors: post entry events and genomic alterations

The curative potential of retroviral vectors for somatic gene therapy has been demonstrated impressively in several clinical trials leading to sustained long-term correction of the underlying genetic defect. Preclinical studies and clinical monitoring of gene modified hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in patients have shown that biologically relevant vector induced side effects, ranging from in vitro immortalization to clonal dominance and oncogenesis in vivo, accompany therapeutic efficiency of integrating retroviral gene transfer systems. Most importantly, it has been demonstrated that the genotoxic potential is not identical among all retroviral vector systems designed for clinical application. Large scale viral integration site determination has uncovered significant differences in the target site selection of retrovirus subfamilies influencing the propensity for inducing genetic alterations in the host genome. In this review we will summarize recent insights gained on the mechanisms of insertional mutagenesis based on intrinsic target site selection of different retrovirus families. We will also discuss examples of side effects occurring in ongoing human gene therapy trials and future prospectives in the field.     

Significant increase of self-renewal in hematopoietic cells after forced expression of EVI1

EVI1 was first identified as a preferential integration site of ecotropic retroviruses in the MDS1/EVI1 genomic locus leading to myeloid tumors in susceptible mice. Later studies showed that retroviral integration in the MDS1/EVI1 locus results in the emergence of a non-malignant dominant hematopoietic stem cell clone in non-susceptible mice strains, in non-human primates, and in patients, suggesting that a gene encoded by the locus could affect the self-renewal potential of a cell. The locus encodes two genes. One of them, EVI1, has long been associated with myeloid leukemia. To understand whether EVI1 has a role in self-renewal control, we forcibly expressed EVI1 in the bone marrow progenitors of two mice strains that differ in their proliferation and self-renewal potential. By comparing the response of the hematopoietic cells to EVI1, we conclude that EVI1 has a role in prolonging the self-renewal potential of the cells and that this ability of EVI1 is limited and modulated by inherent characteristics of the cells.     

Mouse mammary tumor virus molecular biology and oncogenesis

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), which was discovered as a milk-transmitted, infectious cancer-inducing agent in the 1930s, has been used since that time as an animal model for the study of human breast cancer. Like other complex retroviruses, MMTV encodes a number of accessory proteins that both facilitate infection and affect host immune response. In vivo, the virus predominantly infects lymphocytes and mammary epithelial cells. High level infection of mammary epithelial cells ensures efficient passage of virus to the next generation. It also results in mammary tumor induction, since the MMTV provirus integrates into the mammary epithelial cell genome during viral replication and activates cellular oncogene expression. Thus, mammary tumor induction is a by-product of the infection cycle. A number of important oncogenes have been discovered by carrying out MMTV integration site analysis, some of which may play a role in human breast cancer.     

Active nuclear import of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 preintegration complexes.

After cell infection by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), nascent viral DNA in the form of a high molecular weight nucleoprotein preintegration complex must be transported to the nucleus of the host cell prior to integration of viral DNA with the host genome. The mechanism used by retroviruses for nuclear targeting of preintegration complexes and dependence on cell division has not been established. Our studies show that, after infection, the preintegration complex of HIV-1 was rapidly transported to the nucleus of the host cell by a process that required ATP but was independent of cell division. Functional HIV-1 integrase, an essential component of the preintegration complex, was not required for nuclear import of these complexes. The ability of HIV-1 to use host cell active transport processes for nuclear import of the viral preintegration complex obviates the requirement for host cell division in establishment of the integrated provirus. These findings are pertinent to our understanding of early events in the life cycle of HIV-1 and to the mode of HIV-1 replication in terminally differentiated nondividing cells such as macrophages (monocytes, tissue macrophages, follicular dendritic cells, and microglial cells).     

New Approaches to Multi-Parametric HIV-1 Genetics Using Multiple Displacement Amplification: Determining the What,How, and Where of the HIV-1 Reservoir

Development of potential HIV-1 curative interventions requires accurate characterization of the proviral reservoir, defined as host-integrated viral DNA genomes that drive rebound of viremia upon halting ART (antiretroviral therapy). Evaluation of such interventions necessitates methods capable of pinpointing the rare, genetically intact, replication-competent proviruses within a background of defective proviruses. This evaluation can be achieved by identifying the distinct integration sites of intact proviruses within host genomes and monitoring the dynamics of these proviruses and host cell lineages over longitudinal sampling. Until recently, molecular genetic approaches at the single proviral level have been generally limited to one of a few metrics, such as proviral genome sequence/intactness, host-proviral integration site, or replication competency. New approaches, taking advantage of MDA (multiple displacement amplification) for WGA (whole genome amplification), have enabled multiparametric proviral characterization at the single-genome level, including proviral genome sequence, host-proviral integration site, and phenotypic characterization of the host cell lineage, such as CD4 memory subset and antigen specificity. In this review, we will examine the workflow of MDA-augmented molecular genetic approaches to study the HIV-1 reservoir, highlighting technical advantages and flexibility. We focus on a collection of recent studies in which investigators have used these approaches to comprehensively characterize intact and defective proviruses from donors on ART, investigate mechanisms of elite control, and define cell lineage identity and antigen specificity of infected CD4+ T cell clones. The highlighted studies exemplify how these approaches and their future iterations will be key in defining the targets and evaluating the impacts of HIV curative interventions.     

A stable complex between integrase and viral DNA ends mediates human immunodeficiency virus integration in vitro.

Retroviral replication depends on integration of the viral genome into a chromosome of the host cell. The steps in this process are orchestrated in vivo by a large nucleoprotein complex and are catalyzed by the retroviral enzyme integrase. Several biochemical properties of the in vivo nucleoprotein complex were reproduced in vitro with purified integrase of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and model viral DNA substrates. A stable complex between integrase and viral DNA was detected as an early intermediate in the integration reaction. After formation of this initial complex, the enzyme processively catalyzed the 3' end processing and strand transfer steps in the reaction. Complexes containing only purified integrase and the model viral DNA end were stable under a variety of conditions and efficiently used nonviral DNA molecules as integration targets. These complexes required a divalent cation for their formation, and their stability was highly dependent on the 5'-terminal dinucleotide of the viral DNA, for which no functional role has previously been defined. Thus, interactions between integrase and the extreme ends of the viral DNA molecule may be sufficient to account for the stability of the in vivo integration complex.     

Characterization of a full-length endogenous beta-retrovirus, EqERV-beta1, in the genome of the horse (Equus caballus)

Information on endogenous retroviruses fixed in the horse (Equus caballus) genome is scarce. The recent availability of a draft sequence of the horse genome enables the detection of such integrated viruses by similarity search. Using translated nucleotide fragments from gamma-, beta-, and delta-retroviral genera for initial searches, a full-length beta-retrovirus genome was retrieved from a horse chromosome 5 contig. The provirus, tentatively named EqERV-beta1 (for the first equine endogenous beta-retrovirus), was 10434 nucleotide (nt) in length with the usual retroviral genome structure of 5'LTR-gag-pro-pol-env-3'LTR. The LTRs were 1361 nt long, and differed approximately 1% from each other, suggestive of a relatively recent integration. Coding sequences for gag, pro and pol were present in three different reading-frames, as common for beta-retroviruses, and the reading frames were completely open, except that the env gene was interrupted by a single stopcodon. No reading frame was apparent downstream of the env gene, suggesting that EqERV-beta1 does not encode a superantigen like mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV). A second proviral genome of EqERV-beta1, with no stopcodon in env, is additionally integrated on chromosome 5 downstream of the first virus. Single EqERV-beta1 LTRs were abundantly present on all chromosomes except chromosome 24. Phylogenetically, EqERV-beta1 most closely resembles an unclassified retroviral sequence from cattle (Bos taurus), and the murine beta-retrovirus MMTV.     

Integration of mini-retroviral DNA: a cell-free reaction for biochemical analysis of retroviral integration.

After retroviral infection of a permissive cell, the viral RNA is reverse-transcribed to make a DNA copy of the viral genome. Integration of this DNA copy into the host genome is a necessary step for efficient viral replication. We have developed a cell-free system for integration of exogenous mini-retroviral DNA. The termini of this linear mini-Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) DNA are designed to mimic the ends of authentic unintegrated MoMLV DNA. The viral proteins required for integration can be provided either as a cytoplasmic extract of MoMLV-infected NIH 3T3 cells or as disrupted MoMLV particles. Phage lambda DNA serves as the target for integration. Genetic markers present on the mini-MoMLV DNA enable integration events to be detected, and the recombinants recovered, by selection in Escherichia coli. Integration, which occurs at heterogeneous locations in the target DNA, is absolutely dependent on the presence of a source of viral proteins and a divalent cation in the reaction mixture. The fidelity of the integration reaction was confirmed by sequencing the junctions between the integrated MoMLV DNA and adjacent lambda DNA sequence. In each case, as expected for authentic MoMLV DNA integration, a 4-base-pair duplication of target DNA sequence flanked the integrated MoMLV DNA.     

Identification of candidate cancer-causing genes in mouse brain tumors by retroviral tagging

Murine retroviruses may cause malignant tumors in mice by insertional mutagenesis of host genes. The use of retroviral tagging as a means of identifying cancer-causing genes has, however, almost entirely been restricted to hematopoietic tumors. The aim of this study was to develop a system allowing for the retroviral tagging of candidate genes in malignant brain tumors. Mouse gliomas were induced by a recombinant Moloney murine leukemia virus encoding platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) B-chain. The underlying idea was that tumors evolve through a combination of PDGF-mediated autocrine growth stimulation and insertional mutagenesis of genes that cooperate with PDGF in gliomagenesis. Common insertion sites (loci that were tagged in more than one tumor) were identified by cloning and sequencing retroviral flanking segments, followed by blast searches of mouse genome databases. A number of candidate brain tumor loci (Btls) were identified. Several of these Btls correspond to known tumor-causing genes; these findings strongly support the underlying idea of our experimental approach. Other Btls harbor genes with a hitherto unproven role in transformation or oncogenesis. Our findings indicate that retroviral tagging with a growth factor-encoding virus may be a powerful means of identifying candidate tumor-causing genes in nonhematopoietic tumors.