SummaryEliciting HIV-1-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) remains a challenge for vaccine development, and the potential of passively delivered bNAbs for prophylaxis and therapeutics is being explored. We used neutralization data from four large virus panels to comprehensively map viral signatures associated with bNAb sensitivity, including amino acids, hypervariable region characteristics, and clade effects across four different classes of bNAbs. The bNAb signatures defined for the variable loop 2 (V2) epitope region of HIV-1 Env were then employed to inform immunogen design in a proof-of-concept exploration of signature-based epitope targeted (SET) vaccines. V2 bNAb signature-guided mutations were introduced into Env 459C to create a trivalent vaccine, and immunization of guinea pigs with V2-SET vaccines resulted in increased breadth of NAb responses compared with Env 459C alone. These data demonstrate that bNAb signatures can be utilized to engineer HIV-1 Env vaccine immunogens capable of eliciting antibody responses with greater neutralization breadth.

Summary Human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells respond to tumour cells by sensing elevated levels of phosphorylated intermediates of the dysregulated mevalonate pathway, which is translated into activating signals by the ubiquitously expressed butyrophilin A1 (BTN3A1) through yet unknown mechanisms. Here, we developed an unbiased, genome-wide screening method that identified RhoB as a critical mediator of Vγ9Vδ2 TCR activation in tumour cells. Our results show that Vγ9Vδ2 TCR activation is modulated by the GTPase activity of RhoB and its redistribution to BTN3A1. This is associated with cytoskeletal changes that directly stabilize BTN3A1 in the membrane, and the subsequent dissociation of RhoB from BTN3A1. Furthermore, phosphoantigen accumulation induces a conformational change in BTN3A1, rendering its extracellular domains recognizable by Vγ9Vδ2TCRs. These complementary events provide further evidence for inside-out signaling as an essential step in the recognition of tumor cells by a Vγ9Vδ2TCR.

In Table S3 of the originally published version of this article, details regarding the statistical support for certain signatures were inadvertently omitted by the authors. An updated version of Table S3 is now provided online. The associated legend remains unchanged, and the updating of Table S3 does not impact any conclusions of the study.

Glycan-protein interactions control numerous biological events from cell-cell recognition and signaling to pathogen host cell attachment for infections. To infect cells, some viruses bind to immune cells thanks to DC-SIGN (dendritic cell [DC]-specific ICAM3-grabbing non-integrin) C-type lectin expressed on dendritic and macrophage cell membrane, via their envelope protein. Prevention of this infectious interaction is a serious therapeutic option. Here, we describe the synthesis of first water-soluble tetravalent fucocluster pseudopeptide-based thiacalixarene 1,3-alternate as viral antigen mimics designed for the inhibition of DC-SIGN, to prevent viral particle uptake. Their preparation exploits straightforward convergent strategies involving one pot Ugi four-component (Ugi-4CR) and azido-alkyne click chemistry reactions as key steps. Surface plasmon resonance showed strong inhibition of DC-SIGN interaction properties by tetravalent ligands designed with high relative potencies and β avidity factors. All ligands block DC-SIGN active sites at nanomolar IC 50 preventing cis-cell infection by Ebola viral particles pseudotyped with EBOV glycoprotein (Zaïre species of Ebola virus) on Jurkat cells that express DC-SIGN. In addition, we observed strong inhibition of DC-SIGN/human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-gB recombinant glycoprotein interaction. This finding opens the way to the simple development of new models of water-soluble glycocluster-based thia-calixarene with wide-range antimicrobial activities.