SUMMARY Broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV are much sought-after (a) to guide vaccine design, both as templates and to inform on the authenticity of vaccine candidates, (b) to assist in structural studies and (c) as potential therapeutics. However, the number of targets on the viral envelope spike for such antibodies is limited. Here, we describe a set of human monoclonal antibodies that define a previously undefined target on HIV Env. The antibodies recognize a glycan-dependent epitope on the prefusion conformation of gp41 and unambiguously distinguish cleaved from uncleaved Env trimers, an important property given increasing evidence that cleavage is required for vaccine candidates that seek to mimic the functional HIV envelope spike. The availability of this set of antibodies expands the number of vaccine targets on HIV and provides reagents to characterize the native envelope spike.

Summary Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) directed to the V2 apex of the HIV envelope (Env) trimer isolated from individual HIV-infected donors potently neutralize diverse HIV strains, but strategies for designing immunogens to elicit bnAbs have not been identified. Here, we compared four prototypes (PG9, CH01, PGT145 and CAP256.VRC26.09) of V2 apex bnAbs and showed that all recognized a core epitope of basic V2 residues and the glycan-N160. Two prototype bnAbs were derived from VH-germlines that were 99% identical and used a common germline D-gene encoded YYD-motif to interact with the V2-epitope. We identified viruses that were neutralized by iGL from three prototype bnAbs and soluble Env derived from one of the isolates was shown to form a well-ordered Env trimer that mimics that on the surface of virions and could serve to initiate a V2-apex bnAb response. These studies illustrate a strategy to transition from panels of bnAbs to vaccine candidates.

SUMMARY The high-mannose patch on HIV Env is a preferred target for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), but to date, no vaccination regimen has elicited bnAbs against this region. Here, we present the development of a bnAb lineage targeting the high-mannose patch in an HIV-1 subtype-C-infected donor from sub-Saharan Africa. The Abs first acquired autologous neutralization, then gradually matured to achieve breadth. One Ab neutralized >47% of HIV-1 strains with only ~11% somatic hypermutation and no insertions or deletions. By sequencing autologous env, we determined key residues that triggered the lineage and participated in Ab-Env coevolution. Next-generation sequencing of the Ab repertoire showed an early expansive diversification of the lineage followed by independent maturation of individual limbs, several of them developing notable breadth and potency. Overall, the findings are encouraging from a vaccine standpoint and suggest immunization strategies mimicking the evolution of the entire high-mannose patch and promoting maturation of multiple diverse Ab pathways.

No immunogen to date has reliably elicited broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to HIV in humans or animal models. Advances in the design of immunogens (BG505 SOSIP) that antigenically mimic the HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env)1 have improved the elicitation of potent isolate-specific Ab responses in rabbits2 and macaques3, but so far failed to induce bnAbs. One possible contributor to this failure is that the relevant antibody repertoires are poorly suited to target somewhat occluded conserved epitope regions on Env relative to exposed variable epitopes. To test this hypothesis, we immunized four cows with BG505 SOSIP. The antibody repertoire of cows contains long third heavy chain complementary determining regions (HCDR3) with an ultralong subset that can reach over 70 amino acids in length4–9. Remarkably, BG505 SOSIP immunization resulted in rapid elicitation of broad and potent serum antibody responses in all four cows. Longitudinal serum analysis for one cow showed the development of neutralization breadth (20%, n = 117 cross-clade isolates) in 42 days and 96% breadth (n = 117) at 381 days. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) isolated from this cow harbored an ultralong HCDR3 of 60 amino acids and neutralized 72% of cross-clade isolates (n = 117) with a potent median IC50 of 0.028 μg/ml. We note that breadth was elicited with a single trimer immunogen and did not require additional envelope diversity. Immunization of cows may provide an avenue to rapidly generate antibody prophylactics and therapeutics to address disease agents that have evolved to avoid human antibody responses.