Discovery of candidate HIV-1 latency biomarkers using an OMICs approach

Infection with HIV-1 remains uncurable due to reservoirs of latently infected cells. Any potential cure for HIV will require a mechanism to identify and target these cells in vivo. We created a panel of Jurkat cell lines latently infected with the HIV DuoFlo virus to identify candidate biomarkers of latency. SWATH mass spectrometry was used to compare the membrane proteomes of one of the cell lines to parental Jurkat cells. Several candidate proteins with significantly altered expression were identified. The differential expression of several candidates was validated in multiple latently infected cell lines. Three factors (LAG-3, CD147,CD231) were altered across numerous cell lines, but the expression of most candidate biomarkers was variable. These results confirm that phenotypic differences in latently infected cells exists and identify additional novel biomarkers. The variable expression of biomarkers across different cell clones suggests universal antigen-based detection of latently infected cells may require a multiplex approach.

Automated summary

The study identified candidate biomarkers of latency in HIV-infected cells by comparing the membrane proteomes of latently infected Jurkat cell lines. Several proteins with significantly altered expression were found, with three factors showing consistent changes across multiple cell lines. The variable expression of most biomarkers across different cell clones suggests a multiplex approach may be needed for universal detection of latently infected cells.