Binding of the mannose-specific lectin, griffithsin, to HIV-1 gp120 exposes the CD4-binding site

The glycans on HIV-1 gp120 play an important role in shielding neutralization-sensitive epitopes from antibody recognition. They also serve as targets for lectins that bind mannose-rich glycans. In this study, we investigated the interaction of the lectin griffithsin (GRFT) with HIV-1 gp120 and its effects on exposure of the CD4-binding site (CD4bs). We found that GRFT enhanced the binding of HIV-1 to plates coated with anti-CD4bs antibodies b12 and b6 or the CD4 receptor mimetic CD4-IgG2. The average enhancement of b12 or b6 binding was higher for subtype B viruses than for subtype C, while for CD4-IgG2, it was similar for both subtypes, although lower than observed with antibodies. This GRFT-mediated enhancement of HIV-1 binding to b12 was reflected in synergistic neutralization for 2 of the 4 viruses tested. The glycan at position 386, which shields the CD4bs, was involved in both GRFT-mediated enhancement of binding and neutralization synergism between GRFT and b12. Although GRFT enhanced CD4bs exposure, it simultaneously inhibited ligand binding to the coreceptor binding site, suggesting that GRFT-dependent enhancement and neutralization utilize independent mechanisms. This study shows for the first time that GRFT interaction with gp120 exposes the CD4bs through binding the glycan at position 386, which may have implications for how to access this conserved site.     

Actinohivin, a novel anti-human immunodeficiency virus protein from an actinomycete, inhibits viral entry to cells by binding high-mannose type sugar chains of gp120

We searched human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry inhibitors and found a novel anti-HIV protein, actinohivin (AH), in a culture filtrate of the newly discovered genus actinomycete Longispora albida gen. nov., sp. nov. This paper deals with the mechanism of action of the anti-HIV activity of AH. AH exhibited potent anti-HIV activities against various strains of HIV-1 and HIV-2. AH bound to the glycoprotein gp120 of various strains of HIV-1 and gp130 of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), but did not bind to non-glycosylated gp120 nor to cells having CD4 and coreceptors, suggesting that AH inhibits viral entry to cells by binding to the envelope glycoprotein. The investigation of the effects of various sugars on AH-gp120 binding by ELISA revealed that yeast mannan alone strongly inhibited the binding (IC50 = 3.0 microg/ml). Experiments investigating the binding of AH to other glycoproteins revealed that AH binds to ribonuclease B and thyroglobulin that have a high-mannose type saccharide chain, but not to other glycoproteins having a N-glycoside type saccharide chain. The above results indicate that high-mannose type saccharide chains of gp120 are molecular targets of AH in its anti-HIV activity.     

Mode of action for linear peptide inhibitors of HIV-1 gp120 interactions

The linear peptide 12p1 (RINNIPWSEAMM) was previously isolated from a phage display library and was found to inhibit interaction of HIV-1 gp120 with both CD4 and a CCR5 surrogate, mAb 17b [Ferrer, M., and Harrison, S. (1999) J. Virol. 73, 5795-5802]. In this work, we investigated the mechanism that leads to this dual inhibition of gp120 binding. We found that there is a direct interaction of 12p1 with gp120, which occurs with a binding stoichiometry of 1:1. The peptide inhibits binding of monomeric YU2 gp120 to both sCD4 and 17b at IC(50) values of 1.1 and 1.6 microM, respectively. The 12p1 peptide also inhibited the binding of these ligands to trimeric envelope glycoproteins, blocked the binding of gp120 to the native coreceptor CCR5, and specifically inhibited HIV-1 infection of target cells in vitro. Analyses of sCD4 saturation of monomeric gp120 in the presence or absence of a fixed concentration of peptide suggest that 12p1 suppression of CD4 binding to gp120 is due to allosteric inhibitory effects rather than competitive inhibition of CD4 binding. Using a panel of gp120 mutants that exhibit weakened inhibition by 12p1, the putative binding site of the peptide was mapped to a region immediately adjacent to, but distinguishable from, the CD4 binding footprint. In the case of the peptide, the effects of single-12p1 residue substitutions and various peptide truncations indicate that the side chain of Trp7 and other structural elements of 12p1 are critical for gp120 binding or efficient inhibition of binding of a ligand to gp120. Finally, 12p1 was unable to inhibit binding of sCD4 to a gp120 mutant that is believed to resemble the CD4-induced conformation of gp120. These results suggest that 12p1 preferentially binds gp120 prior to engagement of CD4; binding of the peptide to gp120 limits the interaction with ligands (CD4 and CCR5) that are generally crucial for viral entry. More importantly, these results indicate that 12p1 binds to a unique site that may prove to be a prototypic target for novel CD4-gp120 inhibitors.     

CD4-induced T-20 binding to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp120 blocks interaction with the CXCR4 coreceptor

The synthetic peptide T-20, which corresponds to a sequence within the C-terminal heptad repeat region (HR2) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp41 envelope glycoprotein, potently inhibits viral membrane fusion and entry. Although T-20 is thought to bind the N-terminal heptad repeat region (HR1) of gp41 and interfere with gp41 conformational changes required for membrane fusion, coreceptor specificity determined by the V3 loop of gp120 strongly influences the sensitivity of HIV-1 variants to T-20. Here, we show that T-20 binds to the gp120 glycoproteins of HIV-1 isolates that utilize CXCR4 as a coreceptor in a manner determined by the sequences of the gp120 V3 loop. T-20 binding to gp120 was enhanced in the presence of soluble CD4. Analysis of T-20 binding to gp120 mutants with variable loop deletions and the reciprocal competition of T-20 and particular anti-gp120 antibodies suggested that T-20 interacts with a gp120 region near the base of the V3 loop. Consistent with the involvement of this region in coreceptor binding, T-20 was able to block the interaction of gp120-CD4 complexes with the CXCR4 coreceptor. These results help to explain the increased sensitivity of CXCR4-specific HIV-1 isolates to the T-20 peptide. Interactions between the gp41 HR2 region and coreceptor-binding regions of gp120 may also play a role in the function of the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins.     

Thermodynamics of binding of a low-molecular-weight CD4 mimetic to HIV-1 gp120

NBD-556 and the chemically and structurally similar NBD-557 are two low-molecular weight compounds that reportedly block the interaction between the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 and its receptor, CD4. NBD-556 binds to gp120 with a binding affinity of 2.7 x 10(5) M(-1) (K(d) = 3.7 muM) in a process characterized by a large favorable change in enthalpy partially compensated by a large unfavorable entropy change, a thermodynamic signature similar to that observed for binding of sCD4 to gp120. NBD-556 binding is associated with a large structuring of the gp120 molecule, as also demonstrated by CD spectroscopy. NBD-556, like CD4, activates the binding of gp120 to the HIV-1 coreceptor, CCR5, and to the 17b monoclonal antibody, which recognizes the coreceptor binding site of gp120. NBD-556 stimulates HIV-1 infection of CD4-negative, CCR5-expressing cells. The thermodynamic signature of the binding of NBD-556 to gp120 is very different from that of another viral entry inhibitor, BMS-378806. Whereas NBD-556 binds gp120 with a large favorable enthalpy and compensating unfavorable entropy changes, BMS-378806 does so with a small binding enthalpy change in a mostly entropy-driven process. NBD-556 is a competitive inhibitor of sCD4 and elicits a similar structuring of the coreceptor binding site, whereas BMS-378806 does not compete with sCD4 and does not induce coreceptor binding. These studies demonstrate that low-molecular-weight compounds can induce conformational changes in the HIV-1 gp120 glycoprotein similar to those observed upon CD4 binding, revealing distinct strategies for inhibiting the function of the HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein. Furthermore, competitive and noncompetitive compounds have characteristic thermodynamic signatures that can be used to guide the design of more potent and effective viral entry inhibitors.     

Structural and functional characterization of an epitope in the conserved C-terminal region of HIV-1 gp120.

Through an integrated study of the reactivity of a monoclonal antibody, 803-15.6, with synthetic peptides and native recombinant HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120, we have obtained structure-functional information on a region of rgp120 not yet elucidated by X-ray crystallography. mAb 803-15.6 binds with high affinity and broad cross-clade specificity to the conserved C-terminal region (amino acids 502-516) of HIV-1 rgp120. Phage display selection from a random peptide library identified the core binding motif as AXXKXRH, homologous to residues 502-508. Using quantitative binding analyses, the affinity of mAb 803-15.6 for native, monomeric recombinant gp120HXB2 (rgp120) was found to be similar to that for the synthetic gp120 peptide (502-516). Circular dichroism studies indicate that the synthetic peptide largely has a random coil conformation in solution. The results therefore suggest that the 803-15.6 epitope is fully accessible on rgp120 and that this region of rgp120 is as flexible as the synthetic peptide. Residues 502-504 are on the edge of a putative gp41 binding site that has been postulated to change conformation on CD4 binding. However, the affinity of mAb 803-15.6 for rgp120 is not affected by binding of CD4 and vice-versa. These results suggest either that the 502-504 region does not change conformation upon CD4 binding, or that recombinant gp120 does not undergo the same changes as occur in the native viral gp120-gp41 oligomer. The detailed characterization of the 803-15.6 epitope may be useful for further study of the role of the C5 region of gp120 in the viral attachment and fusion process.     

CD4-Induced Conformational Changes in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp120 Glycoprotein: Consequences for Virus Entry and Neutralization

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) entry into target cells involves sequential binding of the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein to CD4 and to specific chemokine receptors. Soluble CD4 (sCD4) is thought to mimic membrane-anchored CD4, and its binding alters the conformation of the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins. Two cross-competing monoclonal antibodies, 17b and CG10, that recognize CD4-inducible gp120 epitopes and that block gp120-chemokine receptor binding were used to investigate the nature and functional significance of gp120 conformational changes initiated by CD4 binding. Envelope glycoproteins derived from both T-cell line-adapted and primary HIV-1 isolates exhibited increased binding of the 17b antibody in the presence of sCD4. CD4-induced exposure of the 17b epitope on the oligomeric envelope glycoprotein complex occurred over a wide range of temperatures and involved movement of the gp120 V1/V2 variable loops. Amino acid changes that reduced the efficiency of 17b epitope exposure following CD4 binding invariably compromised the ability of the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins to form syncytia or to support virus entry. Comparison of the CD4 dependence and neutralization efficiencies of the 17b and CG10 antibodies suggested that the epitopes for these antibodies are minimally accessible following attachment of gp120 to cell surface CD4. These results underscore the functional importance of these CD4-induced changes in gp120 conformation and illustrate viral strategies for sequestering chemokine receptor-binding regions from the humoral immune response.     

Characterization of GP120 binding to CD4 and an assay that measures ability of sera to inhibit this binding

There is evidence that the initial interaction between HIV-1 and the host that is essential for infection is the specific binding of the viral envelope glycoprotein, gp120, to the CD4 molecule found on certain T cells and monocytes. Most individuals infected with HIV develop antibodies against the gp120 protein. Although in vitro treatment of CD4+ T cells with mAb to a specific epitope of the CD4 molecule (T4a) blocks virus binding, syncytia formation, and infectivity, it is unclear if antibodies to gp120 from an infected individual that can inhibit the binding of gp120 to CD4 is in any way related to the clinical course of disease. Our present study characterizes the binding of 125I-labeled rgp120 to CD4+ cells, and describes an assay system that measures a potentially relevant form of immunity to HIV infection, i.e., the blocking of HIV binding to CD4+ cells. Optimal binding conditions included a 2-h incubation at 22 degrees C, 4 x 10(6) CD4+ cells, and 1 nM gp120. The dissociation constant (KD) for gp120 binding to cell surface CD4 was 5 nM, and was inhibited by soluble CD4 and by mAb to T4a but not to T3 or T4. For the binding inhibition assay, negative controls included healthy seronegatives, seronegatives with connective tissue diseases, patients with HTLV-1 disease, and patients infected with HIV-2. In studying over 100 sera, the assay was highly sensitive (98%) and specific (100%). The majority of HIV+ sera could inhibit binding at dilutions of 1/100 to 1/1000. No correlation was noted between binding inhibition (BI) titer in this assay and clinical stage of HIV infection. In addition, there was no correlation between BI titer and HIV neutralizing activity. The BI titer was correlated with the titer of anti-gp160 (r = 0.63) and the titer of anti-gp120 (r = 0.52) antibodies determined by Western blot dilution. As with neutralizing antibodies and other forms of immune response to HIV, it is unclear what role antibody blocking of HIV binding to CD4+ cells may play in active immunity to HIV in infected individuals. This activity may prove to have some value in protection against initial HIV infection and, thus, the assay may be of use in monitoring vaccine trials.     

Retrocyclin,an antiretroviral theta-defensin,is a lectin

Theta-defensins are circular octadecapeptides that contain an internal tridisulfide ladder. Because retrocyclin-1, an ancestral hominid theta-defensin, can protect human cells in vitro from infection by T- and M-tropic strains of HIV-1, we used surface plasmon resonance techniques to study its binding to glycoproteins and glycolipids implicated in HIV-1 entry. Retrocyclin-1 bound with high affinity to gp120 (K(d), 35.4 nM), CD4 (K(d), 31 nM), and galactosylceramide (K(d), 24.1 nM). Neither a circular form of retrocyclin without its tridisulfide ladder nor its beta-hairpin precursor with these disulfides intact bound gp120 or CD4 effectively. Retrocyclin also bound fetuin, an extensively glycosylated protein, with high affinity, but it did not bind nonglycosylated gp120 or BSA. However, retrocyclin did bind to a neoglycoprotein, BSA, with covalently attached sugar residues. Experiments with glycosidase-treated fetuin, gp120, and CD4 revealed that both O-linked and N-linked sugars were used as binding sites. In a panel of retrocyclin variants, binding to immobilized gp120 and CD4 were highly correlated to each other and to the peptide's ability to protect human PBMCs from infection by HIV-1. Although small, cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides with lectin-like properties exist in plants, theta-defensins are the first such molecules to be identified in vertebrates. Retrocyclin's ability to recognize and bind carbohydrate-containing surface molecules is integrally related to its ability to protect cells from HIV-1 infection.     

Determinants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 entry in the CDR2 loop of the CD4 glycoprotein.

Various roles for the viral receptor, CD4, have been proposed in facilitating human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) entry, including virion binding to the target cell and the induction of conformational changes in the viral envelope glycoproteins required for the membrane fusion reaction. Here, we compare the structural requirements in the CDR2-like loop of CD4 domain 1, the major contact site of the gp120 envelope glycoprotein, for gp120 binding and virus entry. For every CD4 mutant examined, the level of cell surface expression and the gp120 binding affinity were sufficient to explain the relative ability to function as a viral receptor. The decrease in relative infectibility associated with decreased gp120 binding affinity was more pronounced at lower cell surface CD4 concentrations. These results imply that both receptor density and affinity determine the efficiency of HIV-1 entry and that specific structures in the CD4 residues examined are probably not required for HIV-1 entry functions other than gp120 binding.     

Biochemical and genetic characterizations of a novel human immunodeficiency virus type 1 inhibitor that blocks gp120-CD4 interactions

BMS-378806 is a recently discovered small-molecule human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) attachment inhibitor with good antiviral activity and pharmacokinetic properties. Here, we demonstrate that the compound targets viral entry by inhibiting the binding of the HIV-1 envelope gp120 protein to cellular CD4 receptors via a specific and competitive mechanism. BMS-378806 binds directly to gp120 at a stoichiometry of approximately 1:1, with a binding affinity similar to that of soluble CD4. The potential BMS-378806 target site was localized to a specific region within the CD4 binding pocket of gp120 by using HIV-1 gp120 variants carrying either compound-selected resistant substitutions or gp120-CD4 contact site mutations. Mapping of resistance substitutions to the HIV-1 envelope, and the lack of compound activity against a CD4-independent viral infection confirm the gp120-CD4 interactions as the target in infected cells. BMS-378806 therefore serves as a prototype for this new class of antiretroviral agents and validates gp120 as a viable target for small-molecule inhibitors.     

Regions of the CD4 molecule not involved in virus binding or syncytia formation are required for HIV-1 infection of lymphocytes.

Cell surface-expressed CD4 binds to the envelope glycoprotein of HIV-1 and mediates syncytia formation through interacting with membrane expressed HIV-1 gp120. Further possible roles of the CD4 molecule in the process of cell infection by HIV-1 remain poorly understood. In our study we describe two mAb that recognize the V3/V4 domain of the CD4 molecule. Although these mAb do not inhibit gp120-CD4 binding or HIV-1-induced syncytia formation, they inhibit HIV-1 infection of human PBL. These findings suggest that discrete, definable domains of the CD4 molecule may be involved in interactions after HIV-1 envelope binding that lead to virus entry into the cell.     

Host-soluble galectin-1 promotes HIV-1 replication through a direct interaction with glycans of viral gp120 and host CD4

Sexual transmission of HIV-1 requires virus adsorption to a target cell, typically a CD4(+) T lymphocyte residing in the lamina propria, beneath the epithelium. To escape the mucosal clearance system and reach its target cells, HIV-1 has evolved strategies to circumvent deleterious host factors. Galectin-1, a soluble lectin found in the underlayers of the epithelium, increases HIV-1 infectivity by accelerating its binding to susceptible cells. By comparison, galectin-3, a family member expressed by epithelial cells and part of the mucosal clearance system, does not perform similarly. We show here that galectin-1 directly binds to HIV-1 in a β-galactoside-dependent fashion through recognition of clusters of N-linked glycans on the viral envelope gp120. Unexpectedly, this preferential binding of galectin-1 does not rely on the primary sequence of any particular glycans. Instead, glycan clustering arising from the tertiary structure of gp120 hinders its binding by galectin-3. Increased polyvalency of a specific ligand epitope is a common strategy for glycans to increase their avidity for lectins. In this peculiar occurrence, glycan clustering is instead exploited to prevent binding of gp120 by galectin-3, which would lead to a biological dead-end for the virus. Our data also suggest that galectin-1 binds preferentially to CD4, the host receptor for gp120. Together, these results suggest that HIV-1 exploits galectin-1 to enhance gp120-CD4 interactions, thereby promoting virus attachment and infection events. Since viral adhesion is a rate-limiting step for HIV-1 entry, modulation of the gp120 interaction with galectin-1 could thus represent a novel approach for the prevention of HIV-1 transmission.     

Mechanism of neutralization by the broadly neutralizing HIV-1 monoclonal antibody VRC01

The structure of VRC01 in complex with the HIV-1 gp120 core reveals that this broadly neutralizing CD4 binding site (CD4bs) antibody partially mimics the interaction of the primary virus receptor, CD4, with gp120. Here, we extended the investigation of the VRC01-gp120 core interaction to the biologically relevant viral spike to better understand the mechanism of VRC01-mediated neutralization and to define viral elements associated with neutralization resistance. In contrast to the interaction of CD4 or the CD4bs monoclonal antibody (MAb) b12 with the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env), occlusion of the VRC01 epitope by quaternary constraints was not a major factor limiting neutralization. Mutagenesis studies indicated that VRC01 contacts within the gp120 loop D, the CD4 binding loop, and the V5 region were necessary for optimal VRC01 neutralization, as suggested by the crystal structure. In contrast to interactions with the soluble gp120 monomer, VRC01 interaction with the native viral spike did not occur in a CD4-like manner; VRC01 did not induce gp120 shedding from the Env spike or enhance gp41 membrane proximal external region (MPER)-directed antibody binding to the Env spike. Finally, VRC01 did not display significant reactivity with human antigens, boding well for potential in vivo applications. The data indicate that VRC01 interacts with gp120 in the context of the functional spike in a manner distinct from that of CD4. It achieves potent neutralization by precisely targeting the CD4bs without requiring alterations of Env spike configuration and by avoiding steric constraints imposed by the quaternary structure of the functional Env spike.     

Adaptation of a CCR5-Using, Primary Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Isolate for CD4-Independent Replication

The gp120 envelope glycoprotein of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) promotes virus entry by sequentially binding CD4 and chemokine receptors on the target cell. Primary, clinical HIV-1 isolates require interaction with CD4 to allow gp120 to bind the CCR5 chemokine receptor efficiently. We adapted a primary HIV-1 isolate, ADA, to replicate in CD4-negative canine cells expressing human CCR5. The gp120 changes responsible for the adaptation were limited to alteration of glycosylation addition sites in the V2 loop-V1-V2 stem. The gp120 glycoproteins of the adapted viruses bound CCR5 directly, without prior interaction with CD4. Thus, a major function of CD4 binding in the entry of primary HIV-1 isolates can be bypassed by changes in the gp120 V1-V2 elements, which allow the envelope glycoproteins to assume a conformation competent for CCR5 binding.     

Peptides from second extracellular loop of C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) inhibit diverse strains of HIV-1

To initiate HIV entry, the HIV envelope protein gp120 must engage its primary receptor CD4 and a coreceptor CCR5 or CXCR4. In the absence of a high resolution structure of a gp120-coreceptor complex, biochemical studies of CCR5 have revealed the importance of its N terminus and second extracellular loop (ECL2) in binding gp120 and mediating viral entry. Using a panel of synthetic CCR5 ECL2-derived peptides, we show that the C-terminal portion of ECL2 (2C, comprising amino acids Cys-178 to Lys-191) inhibit HIV-1 entry of both CCR5- and CXCR4-using isolates at low micromolar concentrations. In functional viral assays, these peptides inhibited HIV-1 entry in a CD4-independent manner. Neutralization assays designed to measure the effects of CCR5 ECL2 peptides when combined with either with the small molecule CD4 mimetic NBD-556, soluble CD4, or the CCR5 N terminus showed additive inhibition for each, indicating that ECL2 binds gp120 at a site distinct from that of N terminus and acts independently of CD4. Using saturation transfer difference NMR, we determined the region of CCR5 ECL2 used for binding gp120, showed that it can bind to gp120 from both R5 and X4 isolates, and demonstrated that the peptide interacts with a CD4-gp120 complex in a similar manner as to gp120 alone. As the CCR5 N terminus-gp120 interactions are dependent on CD4 activation, our data suggest that gp120 has separate binding sites for the CCR5 N terminus and ECL2, the ECL2 binding site is present prior to CD4 engagement, and it is conserved across CCR5- and CXCR4-using strains. These peptides may serve as a starting point for the design of inhibitors with broad spectrum anti-HIV activity.     

Role of N-linked glycans of envelope glycoproteins in infectivity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

We have shown that enzymatic removal of N-linked glycans from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) recombinant envelope glycoproteins gp160 and gp120 produced in BHK-21 cells did not significantly reduce their ability to bind to CD4, the cellular receptor for the virus. Because recombinant proteins may behave differently from proteins present on virions, we investigated whether such viral envelope glycoproteins either in a purified form or present on viral particles could be deglycosylated by treatment with an endoglycosidase F-N-glycanase mixture which cleaves all accessible glycan moieties. Endoglycosidase analysis of the carbohydrate composition of purified viral gp120 (vgp120) indicated a glycosylation pattern similar to that for recombinant gp120 (rgp120), and treatment with endoglycosidase F-N-glycanase resulted in comparable molecular weight (MW) reduction for both molecules. Similarly, after immunoblotting of the deglycosylated viral preparation, the characteristic 160- and 120-kilodalton (kDa) bands were replaced by 90- and 60-kDa bands, respectively. The apparent MW of gp41 shifted to 35 kDa. These results are consistent with complete deglycosylation. The immunoreactive conformation of envelope glycoproteins remained unaltered after deglycosylation: they were recognized to the same extent by specific human polyclonal or mouse monoclonal antibodies, and no proteolysis of viral proteins occurred during enzymatic treatment. Deglycosylation of vgp120 resulted in a less than 10-fold reduction of the ability to bind to CD4, presented either in a soluble form or at the cell membrane. In addition, deglycosylation significantly reduced, but did not abolish, HIV-1 binding to and infectivity of CD4+ cells as determined, respectively, by an indirect immunofluorescence assay and a quantitative dose-response infection assay. Taken together, these results indicate that removal of glycans present on mature envelope glycoproteins of HIV-1 diminishes but does not abolish either virus binding to CD4 or its capacity to infect CD4+ cells.     

Virions of primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolates resistant to soluble CD4 (sCD4) neutralization differ in sCD4 binding and glycoprotein gp120 retention from sCD4-sensitive isolates.

Primary isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are much less sensitive to neutralization by soluble CD4 (sCD4) and sCD4-immunoglobulin (Ig) chimeras (CD4-IgG) than are HIV-1 strains adapted to growth in cell culture. We demonstrated that there are significant reductions (10- to 30-fold) in the binding of sCD4 and CD4-IgG to intact virions of five primary isolates compared with sCD4-sensitive, cell culture-adapted isolates RF and IIIB. However, soluble envelope glycoproteins (gp120) derived from the primary isolate virions, directly by detergent solubilization or indirectly by recombinant DNA technology, differed in affinity from RF and IIIB gp120 by only one- to threefold. The reduced binding of sCD4 to these primary isolate virions must therefore be a consequence of the tertiary or quaternary structure of the envelope glycoproteins in their native, oligomeric form on the viral surface. In addition, the rate and extent of sCD4-induced gp120 shedding from these primary isolates was lower than that from RF. We suggest that reduced sCD4 binding and increased gp120 retention together account for the relative resistance of these primary isolates to neutralization by sCD4 and CD4-IgG and that virions of different HIV-1 isolates vary both in the mechanism of sCD4 binding and in subsequent conformational changes in their envelope glycoproteins.     

Synthetic multimeric peptides derived from the principal neutralization domain (V3 loop) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 bind to galactosylceramide and block HIV-1 infection in a human CD4-negative mucosal epithelial cell line.

The glycosphingolipid galactosylceramide (GalCer), which binds gp120 with high affinity and specificity, is a potential alternative receptor for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in some CD4-negative neural and epithelial human cells, including the human colonic epithelial cell line HT-29. In the present study, we demonstrate that synthetic multibranched peptides derived from the consensus sequence of the HIV-1 V3 loop block HIV-1 infection in HT-29 cells. The most active peptide was an eight-branched multimer of the motif Gly-Pro-Gly-Arg-Ala-Phe which at a concentration of 1.8 microM induced a 50% inhibition of HIV-1 infection in competition experiments. This peptide was not toxic to HT-29 cells, and preincubation with HIV-1 did not affect viral infectivity, indicating that the antiviral activity was not due to a nonspecific virucidal effect. Using a high-performance thin-layer chromatography binding assay, we found that multibranched V3 peptides recognized GalCer and inhibited binding of recombinant gp120 to the glycosphingolipid. In addition, these peptides abolished the binding of an anti-GalCer monoclonal antibody to GalCer on the surface of live HT-29 cells. These data provide additional evidence that the V3 loop is involved in the binding of gp120 to the GalCer receptor and show that multibranched V3 peptides are potent inhibitors of the GalCer-dependent pathway of HIV-1 infection in CD4-negative mucosal epithelial cells.