Journal article
Roles of variable linker length in dual acting virucidal entry inhibitors on HIV-1 potency via on-the-fly free energy molecular simulations
Protein science, v 29(11), pp 2304-2310
Nov 2020
PMID: 32926485
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
The Dual-Acting Virolytic Entry Inhibitors, or DAVEI's, are a class of recombinant chimera fusion proteins consisting of a lectin, a flexible polypeptide linker, and a fragment of the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of HIV-1 gp41. DAVEIs trigger virolysis of HIV-1 virions through interactions with the trimeric envelope glycoprotein complex (Env), though the details of these interactions are not fully determined as yet. The purpose of this work was to use structural modeling to rationalize a dependence of DAVEI potency on the molecular length of the linker connecting the two components. We used temperature accelerated molecular dynamics and on-the-fly parameterization to compute free energy versus end-to-end distance for two different linker lengths, DAVEI L0 (His
) and DAVEI L2 ([Gly
Ser]
His
). Additionally, an envelope model was created based on a cryo-electron microscopy-derived structure of a cleaved, soluble Env construct, with high-mannose glycans added which served as putative docking locations for the lectin, along with MPER added that served as a putative docking location for the MPER region of DAVEI (MPER
). Using MD simulation, distances between the lectin C-terminus and Env gp41 MPER were measured. We determined that none of the glycans were close enough to gp41 MPER to allow DAVEI L0 to function, while one, N448, will allow DAVEI L2 to function. These findings are consistent with the previously determined dependence of lytic function on DAVEI linker lengths. This supports the hypothesis that DAVEI's engage Env at both glycans and the Env MPER in causing membrane poration and lysis.
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Details
- Title
- Roles of variable linker length in dual acting virucidal entry inhibitors on HIV-1 potency via on-the-fly free energy molecular simulations
- Creators
- Steven T Gossert - Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USABibek Parajuli - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAIrwin Chaiken - Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USACameron F Abrams - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Publication Details
- Protein science, v 29(11), pp 2304-2310
- Publisher
- Wiley; United States
- Grant note
- R01 GM115249 / NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM115249 / NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000573509200001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85091688959
- Other Identifier
- 991014969763104721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology