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http://dspace.mediu.edu.my:8181/xmlui/handle/10261/3555| Title: | Structural and Functional Roles of HIV-1 gp41 Pretransmembrane Sequence Segmentation |
| Publisher: | Biophysical Society |
| Description: | Copyright © by Biophysical Society. Final full-text version of the paper available at: http://www.biophysj.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/6/3769 The membrane-proximal segment connecting the helical core with the transmembrane anchor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp41 is accessible to broadly neutralizing antibodies and plays a crucial role in fusion activity. New predictive approaches including computation of interfacial affinity and the corresponding hydrophobic moments suggest that this region is functionally segmented into two consecutive subdomains: one amphipathic at the N-terminal side and one fully interfacial at the C-terminus. The N-terminal subdomain would extend a-helices from the preceding carboxy-terminal heptad repeat and provide, at the same time, a hydrophobic-at-interface surface. Experiments were performed to compare a wild-type representing pretransmembrane peptide with a nonamphipathic defective sequence, which otherwise conserved interfacial hydrophobicity at the carboxy-subdomain. Results confirmed that both penetrated equally well into lipid monolayers and both were able to partition into membrane interfaces. However only the functional sequence: 1), adopted helical structures in solution and in membranes; 2), formed homo-oligomers in solution and membranes; and 3), inhibited gp41-induced cell-cell fusion. These data support two roles for gp41 aromatic-rich pretransmembrane sequence: 1), oligomerization of gp41; and 2), immersion into the viral membrane interface. Accessibility to membrane interfaces and subsequent adoption of the low-energy structure may augment helical bundle formation and perhaps be related to a concomitant loss of immunoreactivity. These results may have implications in the development of HIV-1 fusion inhibitors and vaccines. This work was supported by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologı´a (EET 2001-1954), the Basque Government (PI-1999-7), and the University of the Basque Country (UPV 042.310-13552/2001). A.S.C. was recipient of a predoctoral fellowship of the Basque Government. G. Melikyan was supported by National Institutes of Health grant GM54787. Peer reviewed |
| URI: | http://dspace.mediu.edu.my:8181/xmlui/handle/10261/3555 |
| Other Identifiers: | Biophys J. 2003 December; 85(6): 3769–3780 1542-0086 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/3555 |
| Appears in Collections: | Digital Csic |
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