Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) hardly replicates in Old World monkeys. Recently, a mutant HIV-1 clone, NL-DT5R, in which a small part of gag and the entire vif gene are replaced with SIVmac239-derived ones, was shown to be able to replicate in pigtail monkeys but not in rhesus monkeys (RM). In the present study, we found that a modified monkey-tropic HIV-1 (HIV-1mt), MN4-5S, acquired the ability to replicate efficiently in cynomolgus monkeys as compared with the NL-DT5R, while neither NL-DT5R nor MN4-5S replicated in RM cells. These results suggest that multiple determinants may be involved in the restriction of HIV-1 replication in macaques, depending on the species of macaques. The new HIV-1mt clone will be useful for studying molecular mechanisms by which anti-viral host factors regulate HIV-1 replication in macaques.

PLT-derived mitochondrial DAMPs are candidate risk factors for the onset of NHTRs.

Background Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) productively infects only humans and chimpanzees but not cynomolgus or rhesus monkeys while simian immunodeficiency virus isolated from macaque (SIVmac) readily establishes infection in those monkeys. Several HIV-1 and SIVmac chimeric viruses have been constructed in order to develop an animal model for HIV-1 infection. Construction of an HIV-1 derivative which contains sequences of a SIVmac239 loop between α-helices 4 and 5 (L4/5) of capsid protein (CA) and the entire SIVmac239 vif gene was previously reported. Although this chimeric virus could grow in cynomolgus monkey cells, it did so much more slowly than did SIVmac. It was also reported that intrinsic TRIM5α restricts the post-entry step of HIV-1 replication in rhesus and cynomolgus monkey cells, and we previously demonstrated that a single amino acid in a loop between α-helices 6 and 7 (L6/7) of HIV type 2 (HIV-2) CA determines the susceptibility of HIV-2 to cynomolgus monkey TRIM5α. Results In the study presented here, we replaced L6/7 of HIV-1 CA in addition to L4/5 and vif with the corresponding segments of SIVmac. The resultant HIV-1 derivatives showed enhanced replication capability in established T cell lines as well as in CD8+ cell-depleted primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells from cynomolgus monkey. Compared with the wild type HIV-1 particles, the viral particles produced from a chimeric HIV-1 genome with those two SIVmac loops were less able to saturate the intrinsic restriction in rhesus monkey cells. Conclusion We have succeeded in making the replication of simian-tropic HIV-1 in cynomolgus monkey cells more efficient by introducing into HIV-1 the L6/7 CA loop from SIVmac. It would be of interest to determine whether HIV-1 derivatives with SIVmac CA L4/5 and L6/7 can establish infection of cynomolgus monkeys in vivo .

On transfusion, several plasma proteins can cause anaphylaxis in patients deficient in the corresponding plasma proteins. However, little is known about other allergens, which are encountered much more infrequently. Although it has been speculated that an allergen-independent pathway underlying allergic transfusion reactions (ATRs) is elicited by biological response modifiers accumulated in blood components during storage, the exact mechanisms remain unresolved. Furthermore, it is difficult even to determine whether ATRs are induced via allergen-dependent or allergen-independent pathways. To distinguish these two pathways in ATR cases, we established a basophil activation test, in which the basophil-activating ability of supernatants of residual transfused blood of ATR cases to whole blood basophils was assessed in the presence or absence of dasatinib, an inhibitor of IgE-mediated basophil activation. Three of 37 supernatants from the platelet concentrates with ATRs activated panel blood basophils in the absence, but not in the presence, of dasatinib. The basophil activation was inhibited by treatment of anti-fish collagen I MoAb in one case, suggesting that the involvement of fish allergens may have been present in donor plasma. We concluded that unknown non-plasma proteins, some of which had epitopes similar to fish antigens, in blood component may be involved in ATRs via an allergen/IgE-dependent pathway.

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) productively infects only humans and chimpanzees but not Old World monkeys, such as rhesus and cynomolgus (CM) monkeys. To establish a monkey model of HIV-1/AIDS, several HIV-1 derivatives have been constructed. We previously reported that efficient replication of HIV-1 in CM cells was achieved after we replaced the loop between α-helices 6 and 7 (L6/7) of the capsid protein (CA) with that of SIVmac239 in addition to the loop between α-helices 4 and 5 (L4/5) and vif. This virus (NL-4/5S6/7SvifS) was supposed to escape from host restriction factors cyclophilin A, CM TRIM5α, and APOBEC3G. However, the replicative capability of NL-4/5S6/7SvifS in human cells was severely impaired.ResultsBy long-term cultivation of human CEMss cells infected with NL-4/5S6/7SvifS, we succeeded in rescuing the impaired replicative capability of the virus in human cells. Sequence analysis of the CA region of the adapted virus revealed a G-to-E substitution at the 116th position of the CA (G116E). Introduction of this substitution into the molecular DNA clone of NL-4/5S6/7SvifS indeed improved the virus' replicative capability in human cells. Although the G116E substitution occurred during long-term cultivation of human cells infected with NL-4/5S6/7SvifS, the viruses with G116E unexpectedly became resistant to CM, but not human TRIM5α-mediated restriction. The 3-D model showed that position 116 is located in the 6th helix near L4/5 and L6/7 and is apparently exposed to the protein surface. The amino acid substitution at the 116th position caused a change in the structure of the protein surface because of the replacement of G (which has no side chain) with E (which has a long negatively charged side chain).ConclusionsWe succeeded in rescuing the impaired replicative capability of NL-4/5S6/7SvifS and report a mutation that improved the replicative capability of the virus. Unexpectedly, HIV-1 with this mutation became resistant to CM TRIM5α-mediated restriction.

The serum ALT test may be unsuitable for monitoring for additional risks of TTIs in blood donors who were negative for typical TTIs using serologic and nucleic acid tests. Although MGA is less sensitive than PCR, it remains the best technology to detect known viruses in these donors.

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Background and objectives To detect HPA‐15 alloantibodies, we previously developed a human platelet antigen 15 (HPA‐15)‐expressing cell line‐based modified rapid monoclonal antibody immobilization of platelet antigen (CL‐MR‐MAIPA) assay. In this study, the protocol was modified for easier performance by introducing the mixed‐passive haemagglutination (MPHA) principle. Material and methods In total, 20 samples that tested negative for HPA alloantibodies and eight that tested positive for HPA‐15 alloantibodies (two and six positive for HPA‐15a and HPA‐15b antibodies, respectively) by CL‐MR‐MAIPA assay were used in this study. HPA‐15 cell lines were incubated with serum/plasma and then solubilized. The lysate was transferred to a round‐bottom well, which was coated with anti‐human CD109 monoclonal antibodies. After incubation and repeated washings, sheep red blood cells, coated with anti‐human IgG, were added to the wells. Haemagglutination was assessed the next day. Results The proposed cell line‐based immune complex capture‐dependent mixed‐passive haemagglutination (CL‐IC‐MPHA) assay consisted of four steps, but required only 2 h to perform, except for overnight incubation for haemagglutination. Two HPA‐15a alloantibody samples were reactive only for HPA‐15a cells, and six HPA‐15b alloantibody samples were reactive only for HPA‐15b cells with the CL‐IC‐MPHA assay. The 20 samples that tested negative for HPA alloantibodies did not react with HPA‐15a or HPA‐15b cells. These data indicated that the CL‐IC‐MPHA assay was highly specific and sensitive. Unfortunately, the CL‐IC‐MPHA assay's analytic sensitivity was twofold to eightfold lower than that of the CL‐MR‐MAIPA assay. Conclusion A novel, easy‐to‐perform protocol was successfully developed to detect HPA‐15 alloantibodies with high specificity and sensitivity.