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Article Abstract
The hydrophobic pocket found in the N-heptad repeat (NHR) region of HIV-1 gp41 is a highly conserved epitope that is the target of various HIV-1-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. Although the high conservation of the pocket makes it an attractive vaccine candidate, it has been challenging to elicit potent anti-NHR antibodies via immunization. Here, we solved a high-resolution structure of the NHR mimetic IQN17, and, consistent with previous ligand-bound gp41 pocket structures, we observed remarkable conformational plasticity of the pocket. The high malleability of this pocket led us to test whether we could improve the immunogenicity of the gp41 pocket by stabilizing its conformation. We show that the addition of five amino acids at the C terminus of IQN17, to generate IQN22, introduces a stabilizing salt bridge at the base of the peptide that rigidifies the pocket. Mice immunized with IQN22 elicited higher avidity antibodies against the gp41 pocket and a more potent, albeit still weak, neutralizing response against HIV-1 compared with IQN17. Stabilized epitope-focused immunogens could serve as the basis for future HIV-1 fusion-inhibiting vaccines.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10064241 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2023.103062 | DOI Listing |
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Article Synopsis
- The hydrophobic pocket of HIV-1 gp41 NHR is essential for forming a six-helix bundle during viral fusion, making it a prime target for drug design.
- However, the size of traditional antibodies like IgG prevents them from fitting into this pocket during the crucial fusion process.
- Nanobodies (Nbs), specifically Nb-172, have been developed to target this region and show promising neutralizing effects against various HIV-1 strains, suggesting their potential as a therapeutic option.