Anti-HIV Activity of Human Defensin 5 in Primary CD4+T Cells under Serum-Deprived Conditions Is a Consequence of Defensin-Mediated Cytotoxicity

作者：Ding Jian; Tasker Carley; Valere Kimyata; Sihvonen Tiina; Descalzi Montoya Dante B; Lu Wuyuan; Chang Theresa L^*

来源：PLos One, 2013, 8(9): e76038.

DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0076038

Background: We have previously shown that human defensin 5 (HD5) promotes HIV infectivity in both primary CD4+ T cells and HeLa cells expressing CD4 and CCR5. HD5 is induced in response to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, suggesting it plays a role in STI-mediated enhancement of HIV transmission. In contrast to our findings, a recent study reports that HD5 has an anti-HIV effect in primary CD4+ T cells under serum-deprived conditions. To resolve these apparently contradictory observations, we investigated experimental parameters that might contribute to contrasting effects of HD5.
Results: Serum-deprived culture conditions were associated with anti-HIV activity. In contrast to the dependence of the HIV enhancing effect on HD5 structure, the anti-HIV activity in serum-deprived primary CD4+ T cells was independent of HD5 structure as the linear peptide [Abu] HD5 exhibited similar anti-HIV activity. Under serum deprived conditions, HD5 blocked CD4-receptor-independent HIV-1(vsv) infection before or after viral entry. We found that HD5 and its linear form induced significant cell death in primary CD4+ T cells under serum-deprived culture conditions. HD5-mediated apoptosis was observed as early as 2 h after addition of defensins to serum-deprived primary CD4+ T cells. In contrast to primary CD4+ T cells, HD5 did not induce cytotoxicity and promote HIV infectivity of HeLa-CD4-CCR5 cells under serum-deprived conditions.
Conclusions: These results indicate that under serum-deprived culture conditions HD5 is toxic for primary CD4+ T cells, warranting caution in data interpretation.

• 出版日期2013-9-25