1992—1994年HIV—1国际流行株和云南株膜蛋白V3区氨基酸共有序列比较

对１９９２～１９９４年间１６个云南ＨＩＶ１株膜蛋白基因Ｖ３区进行了ＤＮＡ序列测定,经计算机ＤＮＡＳＩＳ及ＰＲＯＳＩＳ软件进行同源性分析,得出其相应的氨基酸共有序列ＹＮＶ３和两组共有序列ＹＮＶ３Ａ和ＹＮＶ３Ｂ,计算了ＹＮＶ３中每个氨基酸的保守性。分别将ＹＮＶ３Ａ和ＹＮＶ３Ｂ与世界各地的ＨＩＶ１代表株的相应序列进行了同源性比较。结果表明,ＨＩＶ１云南株膜蛋白Ｖ３区氨基酸共有序列ＹＮＶ３中每个氨基酸的平均变异度为７．６６％。两组共有序列ＹＮＶ３Ａ和ＹＮＶ３Ｂ,分别与ＨＩＶ１美欧株及泰国流行株Ｂ亚群相应序列有较高同源性。这一结果提示,在进化上云南瑞丽ＨＩＶ１流行毒株间有非常密切的关系,在这一时期该地区的流行毒株以ＨＩＶ１美欧株、泰国株Ｂ亚群及其衍生株为主。     

Study on conformational homology of the HIV-1 gp120 protein V3 loop. Structural analysis of the HIV-RF and HIV-thailand viral strains

Based on NMR spectroscopy data, conformation of the HIV-RF gp120 protein V3 loop giving rise to the virus principal neutralizing determinant and also determinants of cell tropism and syncytium formation was calculated by computer modeling approaches. Elements of the HIV-RF V3 loop secondary structure and conformational states of its irregular stretches were determined. The calculated structure was compared with the conformation of the homologous stretch of the HIV-Thailand protein gp120 V3 loop, and structural elements preserved in the two viral strains were identified. Conservative elements of the HIV-1 V3 loop structure are considered to be promising targets for deriving chemically modified forms of this loop with the enhanced immunogenicity and cross-reactivity of neutralizing antibodies and also for creation of effective antiviral drugs on this base.     

Determination of structurally conservative amino acids of the HIV-1 protein gp120 V3 loop as promising targets for drug design by protein engineering approaches

Based on the published NMR spectroscopy data, three-dimensional structures of the HIV-1 gp120 protein V3 loop were obtained by computer modeling in the viral strains HIV-Haiti and HIV-MN. In both cases, the secondary structure elements and conformations of irregular stretches were determined for the fragment representing the principal antigenic determinant of the virus, as well as determinants of the cellular tropism and syncytium formation. Notwithstanding the high variability of the amino acid sequence of gp120 protein, more than 50% of the V3 loop residues retained their conformations in the different HIV-1 virions. The combined analysis of the findings and the literature data on the biological activity of the individual residues of the HIV-1 V3 loop resulted in identification of its structurally conservative amino acids, which seem to be promising targets for antiviral drug design by protein engineering approaches.     

Identification of three pertussis toxin substrates (41, 40 and 39 kDa proteins) in mammalian brain Comparison of predicted amino acid sequences from G-protein α-subunit genes and cDNAs with partial amino acid sequences from purified proteins

We have determined the partial amino acid sequences of the 40 kDa protein, one of the three pertussis toxin substrates in porcine brain. Purified 40 kDa protein from porcine brain was completely digested with TPCK-trypsin. Digested peptides were separated by reverse-phase HPLC and subjected to analysis by gas-phase protein sequencing. Several sequences of porcine brain 40 kDa protein completely matched with those which were deduced from the nucleotide sequences of the human G_i2α gene and rat G_i2α cDNA. On the other hand, the previously determined sequences of the rat brain 41 and 39 kDa proteins were in complete agreement with the predicted amino acid sequences of rat G_i1α and G_oα cDNAs, respectively.     

Applications of biotinylated V3 loop peptides of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 to flow cytometric analyses and affinity chromatographic techniques

A principal neutralizing determinant of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) lies within the V3 loop of gp120, the external major envelope glycoprotein. V3 loop peptides derived from two HIV-1 strains, HTLV-III BH-10 (V3-BH10) and LAV_ELI (V3-ELI), were synthesized and biotinylated. The binding of both biotinylated V3-BH10 and V3-ELI to the surfaces of MOLT-4 clone 8 cells was demonstrated by flow cytometric analyses. Both the peptides (more than 2 μM) bound to the cells (2 · 10⁵) in a dose-dependent manner. The binding of biotinylated V3-BH10 was specifically inhibited by a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (0.5β). The binding of both of the biotinylated V3 loop peptides was enhanced by the addition of unlabeled V3-BH10. In addition, the peptides were employed as ligands on affinity columns. A major V3 loop binding protein (V3BP) was purified from the membrane soluble fraction of MOLT-4 cells by successive application to two different V3 loop columns. V3BP consisted of two major polypeptides (32 and 33 kDa). The SDS-PAGE profile of V3BP did not change under non-reducing conditions, but only a single band was observed after analysis on native PAGE. The major peak of the eluate as determined by size exclusion chromatography was abroad and the estimated relative molecular mass was much larger than 33 kDa, suggesting that V3BP comprises several subunits. Taken together, we confirmed that the V3 loop peptides are useful in the characterization of V3BP(s) of which they are conformational ligands.