Efficient transduction of simian cells by HIV-1-based lentiviral vectors that contain mutations in the capsid protein

Recently, the cyclophilin A (CyPA)-binding region of the HIV-1 capsid protein was identified as a viral determinant involved in the post-entry restriction in Old World monkey cells. Here, we constructed a panel of HIV-1-based lentiviral vectors (LVs) that contain either mutations in the CyPA-binding region or the CyPA-binding region of the related viruses HIV-1 group O and HIV-2. We demonstrated that amino-acid changes in the CyPA-binding region of the capsid can alter the phenotype of the virus resulting in CyPA-independent infection in human cells and non-restricted infection in simian cells. Combining these data with the available structural data, we speculate that reduced affinity of the capsid for CyPA is associated with an unrestricted infection of simian cells. In addition, we observed that primary rhesus macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells could be transduced efficiently by the LV that contained the CyPA-binding region of HIV-2. Therefore, this LV might be very useful for long-term safety studies in large animal models like rhesus macaques.