The role of CD8+ T cells in HIV control in the brain and the consequences of such control are unclear. Approximately 3% of peripheral CD8+ T cells dimly express CD4 on their surface. This population is known as CD4dimCD8bright T cells. We evaluated the role of CD4dimCD8bright and CD8 single positive T cells in HIV infected brain using NOD/SCID/IL-2rcγ−/− mice reconstituted with human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) (NSG-huPBMC). All three T cell populations (CD4 single positive, CD8 single positive, and CD4dimCD8bright) were found in NSG-huPBMC mice brain within 2 weeks of-infection. Wnts secreted from astrocytes induced CD4dimCD8bright T cells by 2-fold in vitro. Injection of highly purified CD8 single positive T cells into mouse brain induced CD4dimCD8bright T cells by 10-fold, which were proliferative and exhibited a terminally differentiated effector memory phenotype. Brain CD4dimCD8bright T cells from HIV infected mice exhibited anti-HIV specific responses, as demonstrated by induction of CD107ab post exposure to HIV-peptide loaded targets. Further, higher frequency of CD4dimCD8bright T cells (R= −0.62;p≤0.001), but not CD8 single positive T cells (R= −0.24;p≤0.27), negatively correlated with HIV-gag mRNA transcripts in HIV infected NSG-huPBMC brain. Together, these studies indicate that single positive CD8+ T cells entering the CNS during HIV infection can give rise to CD4dimCD8bright T cells, likely through a Wnt signaling-dependent manner, and that these cells are associated with potent anti-HIV control in the CNS. Thus, CD4dimCD8bright T cells are capable of HIV control in the CNS and may offer protection against HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders.

HIV-mediated neuropathogenesis is a multifaceted process involving several players, including resident brain cells (neurons, astrocytes, and microglia) and infiltrating cells (peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)). We evaluated the dynamic interaction between astrocytes and infiltrating PBMCs as it impacts HIV in the CNS. We demonstrate that human primary-derived astrocytes (PDAs) predominantly secrete Wnt 1, 2b, 3, 5b, and 10b. Wnts are small secreted glycoproteins that initiate either β-catenin-dependent or independent signal transduction. The Wnt pathway plays a vital role in the regulation of CNS activities including neurogenesis, neurotransmitter release, synaptic plasticity, and memory consolidation. We show that HIV infection of PDAs altered astrocyte Wnt profile by elevating Wnts 2b and 10b. Astrocyte conditioned media (ACM) inhibited HIV replication in PBMCs by 50%. Removal of Wnts from ACM abrogated its ability to suppress HIV replication in PBMCs. Inversely, PBMCs supernatant activated PDAs, as demonstrated by a 10-fold increase in HLA-DR and a 5-fold increase in IFNγ expression, and enhanced astrocyte susceptibility to HIV by 2-fold, which was mediated by IFNγ in a Stat-3-dependent manner. Collectively, these data demonstrate a dynamic interaction between astrocytes and PBMCs, whereby astrocyte-secreted Wnts exert an anti-HIV effect on infected PBMCs and PBMCs, in turn, secrete IFNγ that enhance astrocyte susceptibility to productive HIV infection and mediate their activation.

Cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage are an important target for HIV-1 infection. They are often at anatomical sites linked to HIV-1 transmission and are an important vehicle for disseminating HIV-1 throughout the body, including the central nervous system. Monocytes do not support extensive productive HIV-1 replication, but they become more susceptible to HIV-1 infection as they differentiate into macrophages. The mechanisms guiding susceptibility of HIV-1 replication in monocytes versus macrophages are not entirely clear. We determined whether endogenous activity of β-catenin signaling impacts differential susceptibility of monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to productive HIV-1 replication. We show that monocytes have an approximately 4-fold higher activity of β-catenin signaling than MDMs. Inducing β-catenin in MDMs suppressed HIV-1 replication by 5-fold while inhibiting endogenous β-catenin signaling in monocytes by transfecting with a dominant negative mutant for the downstream effector of β-catenin (TCF-4) promoted productive HIV-1 replication by 6-fold. These findings indicate that β-catenin/TCF-4 is an important pathway for restricted HIV-1 replication in monocytes and plays a significant role in potentiating HIV-1 replication as monocytes differentiate into macrophages. Targeting this pathway may provide a novel strategy to purge the latent reservoir from monocytes/macrophages, especially in sanctuary sites for HIV-1 such as the central nervous system.

Wnts are small secreted glycoproteins that are highly conserved among species. To date, 19 Wnts have been described, which initiate a signal transduction cascade that is either β-catenin dependent or independent, culminating in the regulation of hundreds of target genes. Extracellular release of Wnts is dependent on lipidation of Wnts by porcupine, a membrane-bound-O-acyltransferase protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. Studies demonstrating the requirement of porcupine for Wnts production are based on cell line and non-human primary cells. We evaluated the requirement for porcupine for Wnts production in human primary astrocytes and CD8+ T cells. Using IWP-2, an inhibitor of porcupine, or siRNA targeting porcupine, we demonstrate that porcupine is not required for the release of Wnt 1, 3, 5b, 6,7a, 10b, and 16a. While IWP had no effect on Wnt 2b release, knockdown of porcupine by siRNA reduced Wnt 2b release by 60%. These data indicate that porcupine-mediated production of Wnts is context dependent and is not required for all Wnts production, suggesting that alternative mechanisms exist for Wnts production.

Objective DKK1 is a soluble antagonist of the Wnt pathway. It binds to and sequesters LRP5/6 away from Wnts. Because the Wnt pathway regulates synaptic transmission and plasticity, we hypothesized that increased DKK1 would increase the risk for neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in HIV+ individuals. We evaluated here the relationship between plasma DKK1 and global NCI. Methods Plasma samples and data from 41 HIV+ and 42 HIV− adults were obtained from the University of California, San Diego. Concentrations of DKK1 and a comparator protein, MCP-1, were quantified in plasma by immunoassay. All subjects completed a standardized comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and their performance was summarized using the global deficit score (GDS) method. Results A higher DKK1 level was associated with NCI among HIV+ participants (d=0.63, p=0.05), particularly among the 26 participants whose plasma HIV RNA level was suppressed (d=0.74, p=0.08). DKK1 level was not associated with NCI among HIV− participants (p=0.98). MCP-1 was not associated with NCI in either group. In HIV+ adults with suppressed plasma HIV RNA, a receiver-operator characteristic curve identified that a DKK1 level of at least 735 pg/ml had a positive predictive value of 83.3% for a diagnosis of NCI. This association did not weaken after accounting for the effect of AIDS, nadir CD4+ T-cell count, addictive drug use, or demographic characteristics. Conclusion DKK1 is a specific biomarker for NCI in HIV+ adults, implicating the Wnt pathway in HIV neuropathogenesis.