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Journal of Virology, July 2008, p. 7089-7099, Vol. 82, No. 14
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.00570-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
R5X4 Viruses Are Evolutionary, Functional, and Antigenic Intermediates in the Pathway of a Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coreceptor Switch
Silvana Tasca,
Siu-Hong Ho, and
Cecilia Cheng-Mayer*
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, The Rockefeller University, 455 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016
Received 13 March 2008/
Accepted 2 May 2008

ABSTRACT
To examine the pathway of the coreceptor switching of CCR5-using
(R5) virus to CXCR4-using (X4) virus in simian-human immunodeficiency
virus SHIV
SF162P3N-infected rhesus macaque BR24, analysis was
performed on variants present at 20 weeks postinfection, the
time when the signature gp120 V3 loop sequence of the X4 switch
variant was first detected by PCR. Unexpectedly, circulating
and tissue variants with His/Ile instead of the signature X4
V3 His/Arg insertions predominated at this time point. Phylogenetic
analysis of the sequences of the C2 conserved region to the
V5 variable loop of the envelope (Env) protein showed that viruses
bearing HI insertions represented evolutionary intermediates
between the parental SHIV
SF162P3N and the final X4 HR switch
variant. Functional analyses demonstrated that the HI variants
were phenotypic intermediates as well, capable of using both
CCR5 and CXCR4 for entry. However, the R5X4 intermediate virus
entered CCR5-expressing target cells less efficiently than the
parental R5 strain and was more sensitive to both CCR5 and CXCR4
inhibitors than either the parental R5 or the final X4 virus.
It was also more sensitive than the parental R5 virus to antibody
neutralization, especially to agents directed against the CD4
binding site, but not as sensitive as the late X4 virus. Significantly,
the V3 loop sequence that determined CXCR4 use also conferred
soluble CD4 neutralization sensitivity. Collectively, the data
illustrate that, similar to human immunodeficiency virus type
1 (HIV-1) infection in individuals, the evolution from CCR5
to CXCR4 usage in BR24 transitions through an intermediate phase
with reduced virus entry and coreceptor usage efficiencies.
The data further support a model linking an open envelope gp120
conformation, better CD4 binding, and expansion to CXCR4 usage.

INTRODUCTION
Entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) into target
cells requires the CD4 receptor and one of two coreceptors,
CCR5 or CXCR4 (
2). CCR5-using (R5) virus predominates early
in infection, but in about 50% of subtype B-infected individuals,
CXCR4-tropic (X4) virus appears and coexists with R5 viruses,
and this is associated with more rapid decline of CD4
+ T cells
and poorer prognosis (
3,
5,
11,
12,
58,
66). The basis for X4
emergence late in infection remains ill defined, but among the
hypotheses proposed are mutation by chance, CCR5 bearing target
cell limitation, and differential immune recognition of X4 and
R5 viruses (
43,
53). Furthermore, it is unclear whether X4 viruses
evolve during the course of infection or were present at time
of transmission but preferentially suppressed early in infection.
In HIV-1-infected individuals and in tissue culture systems, the pathway to coreceptor switching transitions through intermediates with the ability to use CXCR4 in addition to CCR5 (12, 50, 57, 60, 61). Compared to the early or inoculating R5 viruses, these R5X4 dual-tropic viruses often display a loss in replicative fitness as well as less efficient use of the CCR5 coreceptor in vitro (30, 50). It has been suggested that the fitness disadvantage of the intermediates compared with the initial R5 virus constitutes one of the blockades to coreceptor switching, explaining the late appearance of X4 viruses (50). Additionally, recently emerged R5X4 and X4 viruses in humans are found to be more sensitive to antibody neutralization than coexisting R5 viruses, implicating antiviral antibody response as another obstacle to coreceptor switching (6).
We recently described the first case of a coreceptor switch in rhesus macaque BR24 that was infected with the late R5 simian-human immunodeficiency virus SHIVSF162P3N isolate (23). Animal BR24 progressed to disease rapidly after transient seroconversion. Virus recovered at end-stage disease (28 weeks postinfection) was shown to use CXCR4 exclusively and, compared to the inoculating virus, was highly susceptible to antibody neutralization, in particular, to agents such as soluble CD4 (sCD4) and the monoclonal antibody (MAb) immunoglobulin G1b12 (IgG1b12) directed at the CD4 binding site (CD4BS). Furthermore, similar to cases reported in humans (10, 46), X4 emergence lagged rather than preceded or coincided with the onset of a precipitous CD4+ T-cell decline in macaque BR24, lending support to the notion that X4 emergence is the result, rather than the cause, of immune failure. The goal of the present study is to reconstruct the pathway to coreceptor switching in macaque BR24 and determine the consequences for envelope (Env) protein functions associated with evolution to CXCR4 usage. We seek to identify transitional intermediates and to assess the costs and benefits of, and reasons for, coreceptor switching in a nonhuman primate model of HIV/AIDS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Cells.
293T cells and TZM-bl cells were maintained in Dulbecco's modified
Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, penicillin,
streptomycin, and
L-glutamine. The latter expressed CD4, CCR5,
and CXCR4 and contained integrated reporter genes for firefly
luciferase and β-galactosidase under control of the HIV-1
long terminal repeat. U87 glioma cell lines stably expressing
CD4 and one of the chemokine receptors were maintained in Dulbecco's
modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum,
antibiotics, 1 µg/ml puromycin (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louise,
MO), and 300 µg/ml G418 (geneticin; Invitrogen, Carlsbad,
CA).
RNA/DNA extraction, sequencing, and analysis.
Viral RNA was prepared from 500 µl of BR24 week 20 plasma using a commercially available RNA extraction kit (Qiagen, Chatsworth, CA), and reverse transcribed with Superscript III RT (Invitrogen) and random hexamer primers (Amersham Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ). For DNA extraction, cells from axillary lymph node (LN) biopsy sampled at 20 weeks postinfection (wpi) or from tissues collected at necropsy were used. The V1 to V5 region of gp120 was amplified from the reverse transcription products or extracted proviral DNA by Taq DNA polymerase (Qiagen) with primers ED5 and ED12 or ES7 and ES8 as previously described (14). PCR products were cloned with the TOPO TA cloning kit (Invitrogen) per the manufacturer's instructions, followed by direct automated sequencing of cloned gp120 amplicons (SeqWright; Fisher Scientific, Houston, TX). Nucleotide sequences were aligned using the CLUSTAL X program, version 1.81, and further adjusted manually (28).
Env gp160 subcloning and pseudotype virus production.
The construction of Env expression plasmids for the inoculating R5 SHIVSF162P3 (EnvP3N), the final X4 SHIVBR24N (EnvBR24N), and EnvP3N expressing the V3 variable loop of EnvBR24N [EnvP3N(HR-V3)] has been previously described (23). For expression of the full-length gp160 coding sequence of viruses predominating at 20 wpi in macaque BR24 (EnvHI20, week 20 virus bearing the HI insertion in Env gp160), DNA was extracted from LN cells, amplified with primers SH52 (5'-TAG ATC GAA TTC TAG AGC CCT GGA AGC ATC CAG GAA GTC AGC CTA-3') and SH53 (5'-AGA GAG GGA TCC TCC AGT CCC CCC TTT TCT TTT AAA AA-3'), and subcloned into the pCAGGS expression plasmid. To generate P3N recombinant Env carrying the V3 loop of EnvHI20, PCR-based overlapping extension methodology was employed (21). Briefly, with EnvP3N serving as a template for PCR amplification, the outer primers used were SH43 (5'-AAGACAGAATTCATGAGAGTGAAGGGGATCAGGAAG-3') and SH44 (5'-AGAGAGGGATCCTTATAGCAAAGCCCTTTC AAAGCCCT-3'), and the inner primers were SH66 (5'-AATAATACAAGAAAAAGTATACGTATACATATAGGACCGGGGAGAGCATTTTATGC-3') and SH67 (5'-TATATGTATACGTATACTTTTTCTTGTATTATTGTTAGGTCTTGTACAATTAATTTCTAC-3'), which encompassed the amino acid changes found in the V3 loop of EnvHI20 (underlined). The resulting amplified fragment was verified by sequencing and subcloned back into pCAGGS. Single-cycle replication-competent luciferase reporter viruses were prepared by transfecting 293T cells with the NL4.3-Luc-E– R+ vector and the corresponding Env expression plasmid with polyethylenimine (Polyscience, Warrington, PA). Supernatants were harvested 72 h posttransfection and quantified for p24Gag antigen content by antigen capture assay (Alliance HIV-1 p24 antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit; Perkin Elmer, Waltham, MA).
Entry and blocking assays.
Single-cycle infectivity assays were used to measure the entry efficiency of various Env proteins. Briefly, 104 U87.CD4.CCR5 or U87.CD4.CXCR4 cells were seeded in 96-well plates 24 h before use. Cells were infected with 5 ng of a p24Gag-equivalent of the indicated pseudotyped viruses, followed by incubation for 72 h at 37°C. At the end of the incubation period, cells were harvested, lysed, and measured for luciferase activity according to the manufacturer's instructions (Luciferase Assay System; Promega, Madison, WI). Entry, as quantified by luciferase activity, was measured with a Dynex MLX microtiter plate luminometer (Dynex Technologies, Inc., Chantilly, VA). For the entry-blocking assays, U87.CD4 indicator or TZM-bl cells were pretreated with various concentrations of PSC-RANTES (gift of Oliver Hartley, University of Zurich), TAK-779, or AMD3100 for 30 min at 37°C before infection. The percentage of entry blocking was calculated by the amount of entry in the presence of the inhibitor relative to that in the absence of the inhibitor, and 50% and 90% inhibitory concentrations (IC50 and IC90, respectively) were determined using Prism 4 software (GraphPad, San Diego, CA).
Neutralization assay and antibodies.
Virus neutralization sensitivity was assessed using TZM-bl or U87.CD4 indicator cells in 96-well plates. Briefly, equal volumes (50 µl) of pseudotyped viruses (5 ng of p24Gag equivalent) and serial dilutions of heat-inactivated macaque serum or MAbs were incubated for 30 min at 37°C and then added to cells, in duplicate wells, for an additional 2 to 3 h at 37°C. A total of 100 µl of medium was then added to each well, and the virus-MAb cultures were maintained for 72 h. At the end of the culture period, the cells were lysed and processed for β-galactosidase (Galacto-Star System; Applied Biosystems, Bedford, MA) or luciferase activity. A neutralization curve was generated by plotting the percentage of neutralization versus serum or MAb dilution, with IC50 and IC90 values calculated as described above. Control cultures received virus in the absence of antibodies. The human MAb IgG1b12 was kindly supplied by Dennis Burton (Scripps Research institute, La Jolla, CA), CD4-IgG2 (PRO 542) was from William Olsen (Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY), and the anti-V3 antibody 447-52D was from Susan Zolla-Pazner. MAbs 2G12, 4E10, and 2F5 were obtained through the NIH AIDS Research and Reference Reagent Program.

RESULTS
Variants with HI insertions predominate at the time of first X4 virus appearance.
We recently reported that mutations within the gp120 V3 loop,
notably an insertion of two basic amino acids (HR) immediately
upstream of the tip of the GPGR crown of the R5 SHIV
SF162P3N virus, were responsible for the change in coreceptor preference
of the virus replicating in infected rhesus macaque BR24 at
the time of death (
23). Variants bearing HR sequences were first
detected by PCR in the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear
cells of BR24 at 20 wpi, 8 weeks prior to euthanasia. To determine
the spectrum of X4 variants at the time of their first emergence,
as well as to reconstruct the evolutionary pathway to the phenotypic
switch from R5 to X4 in an SHIV model, the Env V1 to V5 sequences
of week 20 circulating viruses were cloned, determined, and
compared. V3 loop sequence analysis showed that the predominating
virus (22 of 29 clones sequenced) had HI instead of HR insertions,
with a net positive charge of +7 or +8 instead of +9 for this
gp120 region (Fig.
1A). In contrast to the final X4, but similar
to the initial R5 virus, the highly conserved potential N-linked
glycosylation (PNG) site at the base of the V3 loop was intact
for all 29 sequences of week 20 Env examined. Variants with
HI insertions also predominated in the axillary LN sampled at
week 20. Of 41 Env clones obtained from this tissue site, 35
harbored HI insertions, 4 had HR insertions, while the remaining
2 clones retained wild-type (WT) R5 sequences. One of the 35
HI-bearing clones from the axillary LN lacked the V3 PNG site.
The tissue reservoirs of viruses with HI or HR insertion sequences
were further examined using samples obtained at necropsy (week
28). Results showed that these sequences were poorly represented
in the gut (intraepithelial and laminar propria lymphocytes
[LPL]) and intestinal LNs (colonic and mesenteric LNs) but predominated
in peripheral LNs such as the axillary, iliac, and inguinal
LNs (Fig.
1B). Within the latter tissue sites, variants with
HR insertions now dominated over those with HI insertions. For
example, of 43 Env clones sequenced from the axillary LNs at
time of death, 31 harbored HR insertions, 10 had WT sequences,
and only 2 contained HI insertions. The change in dominance
over time from variants with HI to those with HR insertions
in axillary LNs suggests that the former are less fit than the
late X4 variants.
HI-bearing variants are intermediates in the evolutionary pathway from CCR5 to CXCR4 use.
Neighbor-joining phylogenetic analysis of sequences of Env V1 to V5 supports a progressive mutational process leading to phenotypic switching in macaque BR24, with HI-bearing sequences present at 20 wpi representing evolutionary intermediates to HR-bearing sequences (Fig. 2A). Although minor week 20 viral populations sitting in various locations in the tree were noted, it is clear, based on the genetic distance, that the closest relatives of SHIVBR24N sequences were among the week 20 sequences. We previously reported that, compared to the inoculating R5 SHIVSF162P3N isolate, the final X4 SHIVBR24N variant harbored nine unique amino acid changes in V2 and V3 and in a C4 region of gp120 implicated in CCR5 binding (23). gp120 sequence of viruses bearing HI insertions differed from SHIVSF162P3N as well as SHIVBR24N in five of the nine amino acids (Fig. 2B). In addition, the HI variants differed from both the parental R5 and final X4 SHIV virus in the V5 hypervariable region, where a charge substitution (change of G to E) and repositioning of a PNG site (change of T to N) were noted. Besides the V3 loop (17, 20), several regions of gp120, including the V1-V2 loop (9, 17, 29, 72), are known to influence coreceptor choice. Furthermore, the C4 domain interacts with the V3 loop (44, 74) and influences the binding and fusion steps of the entry process (63). Combined, the data show that viruses predominating at week 20 are evolutionary intermediates, differing from the initial R5 SHIV and final X4 variant in Env regions known to modulate the efficiency of coreceptor use.
Variants with HI insertions use both CCR5 and CXCR4 for entry.
To determine the tropism of intermediate week 20 viruses bearing
the HI insertions, the predominant HI Env gp160 sequences (designated
EnvHI
20) were used to generate pseudotype viruses and tested
for coreceptor usage. Infection with viruses bearing the Env
of the parental R5 SHIV
SF162P3N (EnvP3N) and the final X4 variant
SHIV
BR24N (EnvBR24N) served as controls. In single-round infectivity
assays, infection of TZM-bl cells that express both coreceptors
with virus pseudotypes bearing EnvHI
20 was efficiently blocked
by the CCR5 inhibitors TAK-779 and PSC-RANTES (

80%) but only
minimally by the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 (

20%), mostly likely
because the virus is using the CCR5 coreceptor in these cells
for entry (Fig.
3A). Infection and blocking experiments in the
U87.CD4 indicator cells, however, demonstrated the dual-tropic
nature of HI
20 Env-bearing viruses, which were able to infect
cells expressing the CCR5 (Fig.
3B) or CXCR4 coreceptor (Fig.
3C) and were potently inhibited by cognate coreceptor inhibitors
in their respective indicator cell lines. Thus, HI variants
demonstrated the typical properties of a dual-tropic virus,
while the later HR-bearing variants used almost exclusively
the CXCR4 coreceptor. Variants with HI insertions in the V3
loop, therefore, are functional intermediates as well as evolutionary
ones.
R5X4 intermediates have reduced entry efficiency into CCR5-expressing cells and use CCR5 and CXCR4 less efficiently.
To assess the costs and benefits of coreceptor switching in
rhesus macaques, we examined the entry and coreceptor usage
efficiencies of the inoculating R5, R5X4 intermediate, and final
X4 viruses by infectivity and dose titration entry-blocking
experiments. Results of single-round infectivity assays showed
that EnvHI
20 mediated similar entry into CXCR4-expressing cells
compared to EnvBR24N but showed a 1.5 log lower entry into CCR5
expressing cells than the parental R5 EnvP3N (Fig.
4A). Substitution
of the V3 loop of EnvHI
20 into EnvP3N generated a recombinant
EnvP3N(HI-V3) that now mediated entry only in CXCR4-expressing
cells, albeit much less efficiently than the parental dual-tropic
HI
20 and the final X4 Envs, indicating that mutations outside
of the V3 loop of the R5X4 intermediate virus contribute to
coreceptor usage and virus entry efficiencies. Increased sensitivity
to antagonists of both coreceptors was also observed for viruses
expressing EnvHI
20. Concentrations of the CCR5 inhibitor PSC-RANTES
needed to suppress infection of the R5X4 intermediate were fourfold
less than those required to inhibit the parental R5 virus (IC
50s
of 0.6 nM and 2.4 nM, respectively) (Fig.
4B). Similarly, sensitivity
to inhibition with the CXCR4 blocker AMD3100 was enhanced 4.5-fold
compared to the final X4 virus (IC
50s of 71 nM and 323 nM, respectively)
(Fig.
4C). The findings of less efficient entry into CCR5-expressing
cells and increased sensitivity to CCR5 and CXCR4 blockers for
R5X4 viruses suggest a loss of competitive fitness of these
dual-tropic intermediates compared to the parental R5 and the
final X4 viruses.
R5X4 variants are neutralization-sensitive antigenic intermediates.
We showed previously that the final X4 SHIV
BR24N virus was more
sensitive to antibody-mediated neutralization than the parental
R5 SHIV
SF162P3N virus, particularly to CD4-IgG2 and MAb IgG1b12
that are directed against the CD4BS (
7,
23,
77). To determine
whether the R5X4 intermediates present at 20 wpi share this
characteristic with the final virus that uses only CXCR4, as
well as to assess the antigenic relatedness of the viral Envs,
the neutralization profile of these viruses to serum from macaques
infected with the parental R5 SHIV
SF162P3N and the final X4
variant SHIV
BR24N (
23) was first determined. Results showed
that EnvHI
20 and EnvBR24 virus pseudotypes were equally sensitive
to neutralization with antibodies present in the R5 SHIV serum
and more so than viruses bearing the parental R5 EnvP3N. Ninety
percent neutralization of the CXCR4-using viruses was achieved
at a serum dilution of 1:1,500, but a similar degree of neutralization
of the R5 virus required a 30-fold higher serum titer. Furthermore,
while the parental R5 virus was resistant to neutralization
with serum antibodies from an X4 SHIV-infected macaque, the
R5X4 virus was efficiently (90%) neutralized at a dilution of
1:120, and the final X4 virus was the most sensitive of all,
with 90% neutralization at a serum dilution of 1:750 (Fig.
5A).
The finding that EnvHI
20 can be differentiated from EnvBR24
in terms of neutralization sensitivity to the X4 SHIV serum
implies differences in their antigenic structures.
Neutralization with several well-defined broadly neutralizing
MAbs was performed to better understand the mechanism underlying
enhanced sensitivity to neutralization of the R5X4 intermediate
virus to SHIV-positive macaque serum. Soluble CD4 (CD4-IgG2)
neutralized the two CXCR4-using viruses with equal potency,
achieving 50% neutralization at concentrations that were 40-fold
lower than those required to neutralize the parental R5 virus
(IC
50s of 0.05 and 0.07 µg/ml for the R5X4 and X4 viruses,
respectively, compared to 2.2 µg/ml for the R5 virus).
While the parental virus was resistant, the R5X4 virus was sensitive
to neutralization with the CD4BS MAb IgG1b12 but with an IC
50 that was twofold higher than the final X4 virus (IC
50s of 0.15
and 0. 075 µg/ml, respectively) (Fig.
5B). Both CXCR4-using
viruses but not the parental R5 virus were potently neutralized
by the V3 loop MAb 447-52D (IC
50 of 0.004 µg/ml). In contrast,
no difference in sensitivity of the three viruses to 2G12 directed
at sugar moieties of gp120 was observed. Of the two MAbs directed
against the membrane-proximal external region of gp41 tested,
4E10 moderately neutralized virus pseudotypes bearing the HI
20 and BR24N Envs (IC
50 of >1 µg/ml) but not P3N, while
2F5 neutralized the final X4 (IC
50 of 0.4 µg/ml) and to
some extent the parental R5 virus (IC
50 of 3 µg/ml), but
the R5X4 virus was resistant. A K-to-N mutation in the 2F5 epitope
of the dual-tropic virus accounted for its resistance (data
not shown). Taken together, the results showed that the R5X4
intermediate shares a generalized increased sensitivity to neutralization
with the final X4 virus but differs from the final X4 virus
due to its reduced sensitivity to X4 SHIV serum and to IgG1b12
neutralization. The finding of enhanced neutralization susceptibility
of the dual-tropic and the X4 viruses to agents directed at
the CD4BSs and the V3 loop compared to the parental R5 virus
suggests adoption of an increasingly open conformation of the
Env gp120 of viruses in macaque BR24 over time, with exposure
of both the CD4 and coreceptor binding sites. The data further
support the hypothesis proposed by us (
23) and others (
6,
36)
that lowered or absent antibody-mediated selective pressure
is one of the factors favoring the emergence of neutralization-sensitive,
CXCR4-using variants.
CXCR4 usage and sCD4 neutralization sensitivity are functionally linked.
CXCR4 usage and sCD4 neutralization sensitivity have been reported to be regulated by similar mechanisms via the V3 domain (27, 47), with the conserved 301N glycosylation site in the V3 base playing a particularly important role (35, 38, 51). To examine whether the increase in sCD4 neutralization sensitivity of the R5X4 and X4 SHIV viruses is functionally linked to their ability to use the CXCR4 coreceptor, the neutralization profile of R5 SHIVSF162P3N derivatives that contained the V3 loop of the R5X4 or X4 SHIV virus to CD4-IgG2 was examined. These derivatives, designated P3N(HI-V3) and P3N(HR-V3), respectively, altered the tropism of SHIVSF162P3N from CCR5 to CXCR4 use (Fig. 4A) (23). Results showed that the CXCR4-using V3 loop recombinant viruses displayed an sCD4 neutralization profile comparable to that observed with either the R5X4 or X4 SHIV virus (Table 1). Thus, mutations in V3 loop of the R5X4 intermediate and the final X4 SHIV variant that confer CXCR4 use are also sufficient to determine sCD4 neutralization sensitivity.

DISCUSSION
The characterization of SHIV variants present in a macaque at
the time of X4 virus emergence provides further insight into
the process of coreceptor switching. We find that viruses capable
of using both coreceptors predominated in plasma and lymphoid
tissues of macaque BR24 at week 20 but represented only a minor
population at the time of necropsy 8 weeks later. The dual-tropic
viruses occupied an intermediate position between the parental
R5 and final X4 SHIV virus in the phylogenetic tree, differing
from these viruses in Env gp120 sequence regions known to modulate
receptor and coreceptor binding. In vitro studies showed that
R5X4 SHIV viruses were compromised in the efficiency of use
of each of the coreceptors but shared Env conformations with
both the parental R5 and X4 SHIV viruses, as probed by sensitivity
to antibody neutralization. Thus, dual-tropic viruses represent
temporal, evolutionary, functional, and antigenic intermediates
in the pathway to coreceptor switch in rhesus macaques.
At necropsy, dual-tropic and X4 viruses predominated in peripheral LNs (axillary, iliac, and inguinal) but not in intestinal LNs (colonic and mesenteric) or LPL isolated from the jejunum or plasma. Memory CD4+ T lymphocytes are enriched in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and have much higher CCR5 expression than lymphocytes from blood and LNs (22, 69). Accordingly, the GALT is an early site of R5 virus replication and massive destruction of CD4+ T cells in humans and in macaques (4, 18, 19, 39, 40, 68). CCR5 expression levels have also been shown to be higher on CD4+ T cells in the mesenteric LN than in the axillary LN (69). Thus, intestinal LNs could provide optimal sites for R5 virus replication and pathogenesis following the depletion of susceptible target cells in the gut. In this regard, our finding that X4 viruses, which evolved late in infection, reside principally in the peripheral lymph nodes suggests that a significant proportion of CD4+ target T cells in the gut and intestinal LNs express both CCR5 and CXCR4, such that prior seeding and depletion of these CCR5/CXCR4-coexpressing target cells by R5 viruses limited the establishment of niches by the emerging X4 viruses at these sites. Alternatively, higher levels of stromal cell derived factor 1, the ligand of CXCR4, could be present in the GALT and intestinal LNs. Interestingly, a recent report in pediatric HIV infections indicates that the thymus or secondary lymphoid tissues may also play an important role in the evolution/amplification of coreceptor variants (55). Evolution and localization of X4 variants in peripheral lymphoid organs which are not frequently sampled could explain the observation of X4 emergence seen in only a subset of patients progressing to AIDS. Tissue data are very limiting for HIV-1 infection of humans, highlighting the usefulness of the SHIV model in providing a detailed picture of X4 evolution over time and in different tissue compartments of the host.
The dual-tropic SHIV intermediate virus entered CCR5-expressing cells less well and was more sensitive to entry inhibition with the CCR5 analog PSC-RANTES than the parental R5 virus. It was also more sensitive than the final X4 SHIV to inhibition with the CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100. Correlation between diminished coreceptor usage efficiency and enhanced sensitivity to neutralization with coreceptor inhibitors of HIV-1 variants has been reported (48, 52) although in the case of AMD3100 differences in sensitivity could be due to differences in V3 loop sequence that influence the overall conformation of gp120 (15). Increased sensitivity to PSC-RANTES is also a robust indicator of better patient outcome (64), suggesting that increased sensitivity to CCR5 antagonists may also be related to reduced viral fitness. Accordingly, our findings indicate that the R5X4 intermediates in macaque BR24 have reduced replicative capacity and decreased CCR5 and CXCR4 binding efficiency. HIV-1 R5X4 intermediates have also been found to have reduced fitness (49, 50, 67) and display greater sensitivity to CCR5 antagonists and lower binding affinity to CCR5 than R5 viruses (1, 57, 59, 76). Decreasing sensitivity to CXCR4 antagonists of X4 HIV-1 variants that evolved during the natural course of infection has also been reported (62). Collectively, the data support a similar mechanistic basis for coreceptor switching in humans and macaques. Ongoing evolution of Env variants toward CXCR4 coreceptor usage in both rhesus macaques and humans is at the expense of CCR5 use, and R5X4 intermediate viruses are inefficient in engaging each of the chemokine receptors.
Why, then, does the switch from CCR5 to CXCR4 need to transition through an apparently weak and inefficient intermediate? It is conceivable that the intermediate arises by chance as a result of high virus replication and mutation rates. Indeed, the HI insertions seen in the V3 loop of the R5X4 intermediate SHIV could arise from copying error, resulting in gene duplication of the HI sequence immediately upstream of the GPGR crown in one of the major variants in the R5 SHIV inoculum (Fig. 1A, 162P3N-2). The mutations might become fixed because they confer the selective advantage of CXCR4 use and, hence, target cell expansion. Furthermore, at this stage of the infection within the host, R5X4 viruses may, in fact, be more fit than coexisting X4 viruses. The transient rise in viremia that accompanied the appearance of these intermediates at 20 wpi in macaque BR24 suggests that they are indeed fit, and preliminary data indicate that compared to the R5X4 intermediate, CXCR4-using variants that harbor HR insertions present at 20 wpi are poor in mediating viral entry (data not shown). Lastly, we found a small but consistent difference in neutralization susceptibility of the CXCR4-using SHIVs to serum antibodies and IgG1b12, with the R5X4 intermediate being more resistant than the X4 variant. Thus, the possibility exists that in the presence of even minimal residual humoral immune pressure, perhaps localized at tissue sites that were not sampled in this study, replication of a more neutralization-resistant virus like the HI insertions bearing intermediate and not the highly sensitive final X4 SHIV will be favored. Coreceptor switching was recently observed in a second R5 SHIVSF162P3N-infected macaque (24). It will be of interest to determine whether R5X4 intermediate viruses are also present in this second animal and whether similar costs and benefits are associated with switching via a dual-tropic intermediate.
Compared to the parental R5 virus, the dual-tropic and X4 viruses were highly susceptibility to neutralization with sCD4 and the anti-V3 loop antibody 447-52D, but, as noted above, the final X4 virus was twofold more sensitive than the R5X4 intermediate to neutralization with the CD4BS MAb IgG1b12. Structural studies showed that the CD4BS is recessed on the virion surface, shielded by the V1/V2 loop and associated carbohydrate structures (8, 33, 34, 37, 56, 71, 72, 75). The V1/V2 loop also masks the coreceptor binding site on gp120 that is composed of parts of the V3 loop and a surface formed by the bridging sheet (13, 25, 54, 73). Higher sensitivity of viruses to neutralization with sCD4, IgG1b12, and anti-V3 loop antibodies implies greater exposure of the CD4BS and chemokine receptor binding site that are usually sequestered away from the humoral immune response (32, 34), indicative of a more open Env conformation. Enhanced neutralization susceptibility of the CXCR4-using viruses to MAb directed against epitopes in gp41 lends further support to an open Env configuration of these viruses. The observation that the final X4 SHIV virus is more sensitive than the R5X4 intermediate to neutralization with SHIV serum and IgG1b12 suggests that there is greater exposure of the receptor binding site on the virus that uses only CXCR4 than on viruses that are capable of interacting with both coreceptors. We show that acquisition of CXCR4 use and sCD4 neutralization sensitivity of the R5X4 and X4 SHIV viruses are mediated by similar mechanisms. Furthermore, X4 emergence in BR24 (23) and in another SHIVSF162P3N-infected macaque (24) lags rather than precedes the precipitous drop in CD4+ T cells. In humans, CXCR4 use is associated with a lower CD4 cell count (5, 26, 41, 45, 65, 70), and X4 viruses are frequently recovered from rapid progressors (31, 42). Thus, it is tempting to speculate that adoption of a more open Env conformation, driven perhaps by the need to bind CD4 efficiently as the number of CD4+ target T cells and/or amount of the receptor molecule on target cells becomes limited, will also facilitate interaction with CXCR4 but will, at the same time, reduce protection from antibody-mediated neutralization.
In conclusion, as in HIV-1 infection, evolution from CCR5 to CXCR4 in SHIVSF162P3N-infected rhesus macaque BR24 transitions through an R5X4 intermediate phase characterized by reduced entry capacity and less efficient coreceptor usage in vitro. Similar to the final X4 virus, the dual-tropic intermediate SHIV is sensitive to sCD4 and anti-V3 loop antibody neutralization. This, coupled with the finding that sCD4 neutralization sensitivity and CXCR4 use are regulated by similar mechanisms, supports a link between open Env configuration, increased CD4 binding, better CXCR4 use, and enhanced humoral immune recognition that merits further investigation. R5 SHIVSF162P3N infection of rhesus macaques, in which the precise timing, tissue sites, and cause for change in Env glycoprotein structure and coreceptor preference can be studied, provides a valid and invaluable animal model to further elucidate the reasons for coreceptor switching.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Lisa Chakrabarti for critical and insightful comments
on the manuscript, Zhiwei Chen for tree analysis, and Matt LaRoche
for help with p24 antigen assays. AMD3100, TAK-799, TZM-bl cells,
and the U87.CD4 indicator cell lines were obtained through the
NIH AIDS Research and Reference Reagent Program.
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants RO1 AI46980 and R37AI41945.

FOOTNOTES
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, The Rockefeller University, 455 First Ave., New York, NY 10016. Phone: (212) 448-5080. Fax: (212) 448-5158. E-mail:
cmayer{at}adarc.org 
Published ahead of print on 14 May 2008. 

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Journal of Virology, July 2008, p. 7089-7099, Vol. 82, No. 14
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.00570-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.