Download MendeleyInhibiting HIV Entry: Discovery of D-Peptide Inhibitors that Target the Gp41 Coiled-Coil Pocket
Eckert, D.M., Malashkevich, V.N., Hong, L.H., Carr, P.A., Kim, P.S.(1999) Cell 99: 103-105
- PubMed: 10520998
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80066-5
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
1CZQ, 2Q3I, 2Q5U, 2Q7C - PubMed Abstract:
The HIV-1 gp41 protein promotes viral entry by mediating the fusion of viral and cellular membranes. A prominent pocket on the surface of a central trimeric coiled coil within gp41 was previously identified as a potential target for drugs that inhibit HIV-1 entry. We designed a peptide, IQN17, which properly presents this pocket. Utilizing IQN17 and mirror-image phage display, we identified cyclic, D-peptide inhibitors of HIV-1 infection that share a sequence motif. A 1.5 A cocrystal structure of IQN17 in complex with a D-peptide, and NMR studies, show that conserved residues of these inhibitors make intimate contact with the gp41 pocket. Our studies validate the pocket per se as a target for drug development. IQN17 and these D-peptide inhibitors are likely to be useful for development and identification of a new class of orally bioavailable anti-HIV drugs.
Organizational Affiliation:
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, USA.
