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Santoro A, Buonocore M, Firoznezhad M, Grimaldi M, D'Ursi AM. Conformational analysis of a new peptide derived from feline immunodeficiency virus gp36 in SDS micelles: An NMR-MD based investigation. J Pept Sci 2024:e3645. [PMID: 39030892 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) shares structural similarities with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): the surface glycoprotein gp36 corresponds to the HIV gp41, which drives virus-host cell interactions and is targeted by the peptide entry inhibitor enfuvirtide. Following a similar drug design strategy for the development of an anti-FIV therapy, the present study investigates 627-646gp36 NHR, a peptide sequence derived from a region of gp36 that was previously found to interfere with the antiviral activity of the peptide C8, which instead derives from the gp36 MPER. CD, NMR, and MD simulations were employed to probe the conformational characteristics of 627-646gp36 NHR in the membrane-mimicking environment of SDS micelles. Our data show that 627-646gp36 NHR is characterized by three dynamic helix structures. MD simulations involving 627-646gp36 NHR, C8, and a larger protein, including the CHR and MPER regions, suggest that the interaction of C8 with the MPER region, the origin of the antiviral activity of C8, is disfavored in the presence of 627-646gp36 NHR in the simulation. This evidence can be useful for interpreting the molecular mechanism that leads to interference with the activity of C8, providing information on the folding/unfolding mechanism of the viral glycoprotein to design new strategies to inhibit viral entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Santoro
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, Scuola di Specializzazione in Farmacia Ospedaliera, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Michela Buonocore
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mohammad Firoznezhad
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
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2
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He L, McAndrew R, Barbu R, Gifford G, Halacoglu C, Drouin-Allaire C, Weber L, Kristensen LG, Gupta S, Chen Y, Petzold CJ, Allaire M, Li KH, Ralston CY, Gochin M. Structure and Interactions of HIV-1 gp41 CHR-NHR Reverse Hairpin Constructs Reveal Molecular Determinants of Antiviral Activity. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168650. [PMID: 38866091 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Engineered reverse hairpin constructs containing a partial C-heptad repeat (CHR) sequence followed by a short loop and full-length N-heptad repeat (NHR) were previously shown to form trimers in solution and to be nanomolar inhibitors of HIV-1 Env mediated fusion. Their target is the in situ gp41 fusion intermediate, and they have similar potency to other previously reported NHR trimers. However, their design implies that the NHR is partially covered by CHR, which would be expected to limit potency. An exposed hydrophobic pocket in the folded structure may be sufficient to confer the observed potency, or they may exist in a partially unfolded state exposing full length NHR. Here we examined their structure by crystallography, CD and fluorescence, establishing that the proteins are folded hairpins both in crystal form and in solution. We examined unfolding in the milieu of the fusion reaction by conducting experiments in the presence of a membrane mimetic solvent and by engineering a disulfide bond into the structure to prevent partial unfolding. We further examined the role of the hydrophobic pocket, using a hairpin-small molecule adduct that occluded the pocket, as confirmed by X-ray footprinting. The results demonstrated that the NHR region nominally covered by CHR in the engineered constructs and the hydrophobic pocket region that is exposed by design were both essential for nanomolar potency and that interaction with membrane is likely to play a role in promoting the required inhibitor structure. The design concepts can be applied to other Class 1 viral fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li He
- Department of Foundational Biomedical Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA
| | - Ryan McAndrew
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Razvan Barbu
- Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA
| | - Grant Gifford
- Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA
| | - Cari Halacoglu
- Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA
| | - Camille Drouin-Allaire
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lindsey Weber
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Line G Kristensen
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sayan Gupta
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Yan Chen
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Marc Allaire
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kathy H Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Corie Y Ralston
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Miriam Gochin
- Department of Foundational Biomedical Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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3
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Aisenbrey C, Bechinger B. Multimerization of the heptad repeat regions of the SARS-CoV 2 spike protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2024; 1866:184259. [PMID: 38061554 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The heptad repeat 1 and 2 (HR1, HR2) regions in the spike protein of SARS-CoV 2 play a key role in the fusogenic mechanism of the virus with the host cell. During the fusion process they are thought to rearrange into an interdomain multimer. Functional fragments of the heptad repeat 1 and 2 regions in the spike protein of SARS-CoV 2 were chemically synthesized, labeled with nitrofurazone (NBD) and their interactions investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. Steady state emission, fluorescence quenching, anisotropy and lifetime measurements in combination with a fluorophore dilution scheme were used to dissect multimer formation of HR1 and HR2 in quantitative detail. In addition, the investigation of the multimers by homo-FRET (via anisotropy) and lifetime measurements reveals new insights into the mechanism of fluorophore-fluorophore interactions in biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Aisenbrey
- University of Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Strasbourg Institute of Chemistry, Membrane Biophysics and NMR, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- University of Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Strasbourg Institute of Chemistry, Membrane Biophysics and NMR, 67000 Strasbourg, France; Institut Universitaire de France, 75231 Paris, France
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4
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Nguyen H, Nguyen HL, Lan PD, Thai NQ, Sikora M, Li MS. Interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with host cells and antibodies: experiment and simulation. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:6497-6553. [PMID: 37650302 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs01170g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the devastating global COVID-19 pandemic announced by WHO in March 2020. Through unprecedented scientific effort, several vaccines, drugs and antibodies have been developed, saving millions of lives, but the fight against COVID-19 continues as immune escape variants of concern such as Delta and Omicron emerge. To develop more effective treatments and to elucidate the side effects caused by vaccines and therapeutic agents, a deeper understanding of the molecular interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with them and human cells is required. With special interest in computational approaches, we will focus on the structure of SARS-CoV-2 and the interaction of its spike protein with human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) as a prime entry point of the virus into host cells. In addition, other possible viral receptors will be considered. The fusion of viral and human membranes and the interaction of the spike protein with antibodies and nanobodies will be discussed, as well as the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on protein synthesis in host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung Nguyen
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Hoang Linh Nguyen
- Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Faculty of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
| | - Pham Dang Lan
- Life Science Lab, Institute for Computational Science and Technology, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, 729110 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Physics and Engineering Physics, VNUHCM-University of Science, 227, Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, 749000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Quoc Thai
- Dong Thap University, 783 Pham Huu Lau Street, Ward 6, Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap, Vietnam
| | - Mateusz Sikora
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
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Chiliveri SC, Louis JM, Best RB, Bax A. Real-time Exchange of the Lipid-bound Intermediate and Post-fusion States of the HIV-1 gp41 Ectodomain. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167683. [PMID: 35700771 PMCID: PMC9378563 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The envelope glycoprotein gp41 of the HIV-1 virus mediates its entry into the host cell. During this process, gp41 undergoes large conformational changes and the energy released in the remodeling events is utilized to overcome the barrier associated with fusing the viral and host membranes. Although the structural intermediates of this fusion process are attractive targets for drug development, no detailed high-resolution structural information or quantitative thermodynamic characterization are available. By measuring the dynamic equilibrium between the lipid-bound intermediate and the post-fusion six-helical bundle (6HB) states of the gp41 ectodomain in the presence of bilayer membrane mimetics, we derived both the reaction kinetics and energies associated with these two states by solution NMR spectroscopy. At equilibrium, an exchange time constant of about 12 seconds at 38 °C is observed, and the post-fusion conformation is energetically more stable than the lipid-bound state by 3.4 kcal mol-1. The temperature dependence of the kinetics indicates that the folding occurs through a high-energy transition state which may resemble a 5HB structure. The energetics and kinetics of gp41 folding in the context of membrane bilayers provide a molecular basis for an improved understanding of viral membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Chaitanya Chiliveri
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. https://twitter.com/SaiChiliveri
| | - John M Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robert B Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Chiliveri SC, Louis JM, Ghirlando R, Bax A. Transient lipid-bound states of spike protein heptad repeats provide insights into SARS-CoV-2 membrane fusion. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabk2226. [PMID: 34623907 PMCID: PMC8500521 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk2226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Entry of SARS-CoV-2 into a host cell is mediated by spike, a class I viral fusion protein responsible for merging the viral and host cell membranes. Recent studies have revealed atomic-resolution models for both the postfusion 6-helix bundle (6HB) and the prefusion state of spike. However, a mechanistic understanding of the molecular basis for the intervening structural transition, important for the design of fusion inhibitors, has remained elusive. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and other biophysical methods, we demonstrate the presence of α-helical, membrane-bound, intermediate states of spike’s heptad repeat (HR1 and HR2) domains that are embedded at the lipid-water interface while in a slow dynamic equilibrium with the postfusion 6HB state. These results support a model where the HR domains lower the large energy barrier associated with membrane fusion by destabilizing the host and viral membranes, while 6HB formation actively drives their fusion by forcing physical proximity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Chaitanya Chiliveri
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Corresponding author. (S.C.C.); (A.B.)
| | - John M. Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Corresponding author. (S.C.C.); (A.B.)
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Warschawski DE, Lakshmi KV, Marcotte I. Foreword to: Biophysical studies of membrane systems and interactions - Commemorative issue in honour of Professor Michèle Auger. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183609. [PMID: 33794169 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dror E Warschawski
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, CNRS UMR 7203, Sorbonne Université, École normale supérieure, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - K V Lakshmi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and The Baruch '60 Center for Biochemical Solar Energy Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Isabelle Marcotte
- Department of Chemistry, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Downtown Station, H3C 3P8 Montreal, Canada.
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8
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Tamiz N, Mostashari-Rad T, Najafipour A, Claes S, Schols D, Fassihi A. Synthesis, Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation of 2- Thioxothiazolidin-4-One Derivatives against Gp41. Curr HIV Res 2021; 19:47-60. [PMID: 32885756 DOI: 10.2174/1570162x18666200903172127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gp41 and its conserved hydrophobic groove on the N-terminal heptad repeat region are attractive targets in the design of HIV-1 entry inhibitors. Linearly extended molecules have shown potent anti-HIV-1 activity for their effective interactions with the gp41 binding pocket. Rhodanine ring attached to substituted pyrrole or furan rings has been proved a preferred moiety to be inserted inside the molecular structure of the gp41 inhibitors. OBJECTIVES Based on the previous findings we are going to describe some rhodanine derivatives in which a substituted imidazole ring is introduced in place of the pyrrole or furan rings. The compounds' flexibility is increased by inserting methylene groups inside the main scaffold. METHODS Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations approaches were exploited to investigate the chemical interactions and the stability of the designed ligands-gp41 complex. All compounds were synthesized and their chemical structures were elucidated by 1HNMR, 13CNMR, FTIR and Mass spectroscopy. Biological activities of the compounds against HIV-1 and HIV-2 and their cellular toxicities against the T-lymphocyte (MT-4) cell line were determined. RESULTS All the designed compounds showed proper and stable chemical interactions with gp41 according to the in silico studies. The results of the biological tests proved none of the compounds active against HIV-1 replication in cell cultures. CONCLUSION Since all the studied compounds were potently toxic for the host cell; it was therefore not possible to assess their anti-HIV activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahid Tamiz
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Tahereh Mostashari-Rad
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Aylar Najafipour
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sandra Claes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dominique Schols
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Afshin Fassihi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Aisenbrey C, Rifi O, Bechinger B. Structure, membrane topology and influence of cholesterol of the membrane proximal region: transmembrane helical anchor sequence of gp41 from HIV. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22278. [PMID: 33335248 PMCID: PMC7746737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79327-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During the first steps of HIV infection the Env subunit gp41 is thought to establish contact between the membranes and to be the main driver of fusion. Here we investigated in liquid crystalline membranes the structure and cholesterol recognition of constructs made of a gp41 external region carrying a cholesterol recognition amino acid consensus (CRAC) motif and a hydrophobic membrane anchoring sequence. CD- und ATR-FTIR spectroscopies indicate that the constructs adopt a high degree of helical secondary structure in membrane environments. Furthermore, 15N and 2H solid-state NMR spectra of gp41 polypeptides reconstituted into uniaxially oriented bilayers agree with the CRAC domain being an extension of the transmembrane helix. Upon addition of cholesterol the CRAC NMR spectra remain largely unaffected when being associated with the native gp41 transmembrane sequence but its topology changes when anchored in the membrane by a hydrophobic model sequence. The 2H solid-state NMR spectra of deuterated cholesterol are indicative of a stronger influence of the model sequence on this lipid when compared to the native gp41 sequence. These observations are suggestive of a strong coupling between the transmembrane and the membrane proximal region of gp41 possibly enforced by oligomerization of the transmembrane helical region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Aisenbrey
- Institut de chimie de Strasbourg, UMR7177, University of Strasbourg/CNRS, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France
| | - Omar Rifi
- Institut de chimie de Strasbourg, UMR7177, University of Strasbourg/CNRS, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- Institut de chimie de Strasbourg, UMR7177, University of Strasbourg/CNRS, 4, Rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France.
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France.
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Zhou G, Chu S, Kohli A, Szoka FC, Gochin M. Biophysical studies of HIV-1 glycoprotein-41 interactions with peptides and small molecules - Effect of lipids and detergents. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2020; 1864:129724. [PMID: 32889078 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hydrophobic pocket (HP) of HIV-1 glycoprotein-41 ectodomain is defined by two chains of the N-heptad repeat trimer, within the protein-protein interface that mediates 6HB formation. It is a potential target for inhibitors of viral fusion, but its hydrophobic nature and proximity to membrane in situ has precluded ready analysis of inhibitor interactions. METHODS We evaluated the sensitivity of 19F NMR and fluorescence for detecting peptide and small molecule binding to the HP and explored the effect of non-denaturing detergent or phospholipid as cosolvents and potential mimics of the membrane environment surrounding gp41. RESULTS Chemical shifts of aromatic fluorines were found to be sensitive to changes in the hydrogen bonding network that occurred when inhibitors transitioned from solvent into the HP or into ordered detergent micelles. Fluorescence intensities and emission maxima of autofluorescent compounds responded to changes in the local environment. CONCLUSIONS Gp41 - ligand binding occurred under all conditions, but was diminished in the presence of detergents. NMR and fluorescence studies revealed that dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) was a poor substitute for membrane in this system, while liposomes could mimic the membrane surroundings. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Our findings suggest that development of high potency small molecule binders to the HP may be frustrated by competition between binding to the HP and binding to the bilayer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyan Zhou
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California, Vallejo, CA 94592, United States of America
| | - Shidong Chu
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California, Vallejo, CA 94592, United States of America
| | - Aditya Kohli
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States of America
| | - Francis C Szoka
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States of America; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States of America
| | - Miriam Gochin
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California, Vallejo, CA 94592, United States of America; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States of America.
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