ABSTRACT
Peptide T, which is derived from the V2 region of HIV-1, inhibits replication of R5 and dual-tropic (R5/X4) HIV-1 strains in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), microglia, and primary CD4(+)T cells. Little to no inhibition by peptide T was observed with lab adapted X4 viruses such as IIIB, MN, or NL4-3 propagated in CD4(+) T cells or in the MAGI entry assay. The more clinically relevant R5/X4 early passage patient isolates were inhibited via either the X4 or R5 chemokine receptors, although inhibition was greater with R5 compared to X4 receptors. Virus inhibition ranged from 60 to 99%, depending on the assay, receptor target, viral isolate and amount of added virus. Peak inhibitory effects were detected at concentrations from 10(-12) to 10(-9) M. Peptide T acted to block viral entry as it inhibited in the MAGI cell assay and blocked infection in the luciferase reporter assay using HIV virions pseudotyped with ADA envelope. These results using early passage virus grown in primary cells, together with two different entry reporter assays, show that peptide T selectively inhibits HIV replication using chemokine receptor CCR5 compared to CXC4, explaining past inconsistencies of in vitro antiviral effects.
Subject(s)
HIV-1/physiology , Peptide T/physiology , Receptors, CCR5/physiology , Virus Replication/drug effects , Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology , Antiviral Agents/metabolism , Biological Assay , Cells, Cultured , Chemokines/antagonists & inhibitors , Chemokines/metabolism , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Fetus , Flow Cytometry , Genes, Reporter , HIV Core Protein p24/immunology , HIV-1/metabolism , HeLa Cells , Humans , Luciferases/analysis , Luciferases/genetics , Macrophages/drug effects , Macrophages/immunology , Macrophages/metabolism , Macrophages/virology , Microglia/cytology , Microglia/metabolism , Microglia/virology , Peptide T/immunology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The conformational profiles of Peptide T, (5-8)Peptide T, [Abu5](4-8)Peptide T and (4-8)Peptide T were computed independently to assess the geometrical characteristics of the bioactive conformation of Peptide T. The conformational profiles of the peptides were computed within the molecular mechanics framework using an effective dielectric constant of 80. The conformational space was thoroughly sampled using an iterative simulated annealing protocol. The bioactive conformation was assessed by pairwise cross comparisons of each of the unique low energy conformations found for each of the different analogs studied. After a putative bioactive conformation was selected, in order to further validate our hypothesis the conformational profile of the potent compound cyclo(Thr-Thr-Asn-Tyr-Thr-Asp) was computed and the putative bioactive conformation was found. The conformation exhibits a pseudo beta-turn involving the side chain of Thr5 and the carbonyl oxygen of Tyr7 forming a C12 ring.
Subject(s)
Peptide T/chemistry , Amino Acid Sequence , CD4 Antigens/physiology , Computer Simulation , HIV Envelope Protein gp120/chemistry , Humans , Hydrogen Bonding , Models, Molecular , Molecular Conformation , Peptide T/analogs & derivatives , Peptide T/physiology , Protein Structure, Secondary , ThermodynamicsABSTRACT
The envelope protein of the human immunodeficiency virus (gp120) causes neuronal death in developing murine hippocampal cultures or rat retinal ganglion cells. In HIV-infected individuals, gp120 released from HIV-infected macrophages or other cells in the brain has been proposed as the etiology for the pathophysiology of AIDS central nervous system (CNS) disease by diffusing to act at a distance to cause damage and/or death to neighboring neurons. In this study, 28 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from HIV-infected individuals (79% were WR stage 1 and 2) and neurological disease controls were tested, blind to the investigator, for the presence of in vitro neuronal killing activity. Neurotoxic activity was detected with peak effects at a 1:10(5) dilution in CSF from 9/18 HIV-infected individuals and 1/10 neurological disease controls. Thus half of CSF from early stages of HIV disease are characterized by the presence of neurotoxic activity which is not present in control CSF (Fischers exact test, P < 0.05). The neuronal toxicity by patient CSF could be prevented by peptide T (1 nM). A monoclonal antibody to mouse CD4, RL.172, also attenuated or prevented CSF-induced neuronal killing in all four CSF samples tested. In addition, an antiserum to peptide T previously shown to bind gp120 and neutralize both infectively and direct gp120 neurotoxicity, neutralized the CSF factor. gp120, or a modified small fragment, is suggested to be the responsible toxic molecular entity. These results may be relevant to the pathophysiology of HIV-related CNS disease and the mechanism by which peptide T causes improvements.
