Viruses (Oct 2023)

Macrophage-Derived Factors with the Potential to Contribute to Pathogenicity of HIV-1 and HIV-2: Role of CCL-2/MCP-1

  • Chunling Gao,
  • Weiming Ouyang,
  • Joseph Kutza,
  • Tobias A. Grimm,
  • Karen Fields,
  • Carla S. R. Lankford,
  • Franziska Schwartzkopff,
  • Mark Paciga,
  • Tzanko Stantchev,
  • Linda Tiffany,
  • Klaus Strebel,
  • Kathleen A. Clouse

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/v15112160
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 11
p. 2160

Abstract

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Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) is known to be less pathogenic than HIV-1. However, the mechanism(s) underlying the decreased HIV-2 pathogenicity is not fully understood. Herein, we report that β-chemokine CCL2 expression was increased in HIV-1-infected human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) but decreased in HIV-2-infected MDM when compared to uninfected MDM. Inhibition of CCL2 expression following HIV-2 infection occurred at both protein and mRNA levels. By microarray analysis, quantitative PCR, and Western blotting, we identified that Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1), a critical transcription factor for inducing CCL2 gene expression, was also reduced in HIV-2-infected MDM. Blockade of STAT1 in HIV-infected MDM using a STAT1 inhibitor significantly reduced the production of CCL2. In contrast, transduction of STAT1-expressing pseudo-retrovirus restored CCL2 production in HIV-2-infected MDM. These findings support the concept that CCL2 inhibition in HIV-2-infected MDM is meditated by reduction of STAT1. Furthermore, we showed that STAT1 reduction in HIV-2-infected MDM was regulated by the CUL2/RBX1 ubiquitin E3 ligase complex-dependent proteasome pathway. Knockdown of CUL2 or RBX1 restored the expression of STAT1 and CCL2 in HIV-2-infected MDM. Taken together, our findings suggest that differential regulation of the STAT1—CCL2 axis may be one of the mechanisms underlying the different pathogenicity observed for HIV-1 and HIV-2.

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