title: Cyanovirin-N: a sugar-binding antiviral protein with a new twist.
abstract: Cyanovirin-N (CV-N), an 11-kDa protein from the cyanobacterium Nostoc ellipsosporum, is a highly potent virucidal agent that has generated interest as a lead natural product for the prevention and chemotherapy of human immunodeficiency virus infection. The antiviral activity of CV-N is mediated through specific, high-affinity interactions with the viral surface envelope glycoproteins. A number of structures of wild-type, mutant and sequence-shuffled CV-N have been solved by nuclear magnetic resonance and crystallography, showing that the protein exists as either a quasi-symmetric two-domain monomer or a domain-swapped dimer. Structures of several complexes of CV-N with oligosaccharides help in explaining the unique mode of high-affinity binding of these molecules to both forms of CV-N.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, MCL, Bldg. 536, Rm. 5, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Botos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wlodawer
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D019281:Dimerization; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009154:Mutation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C107733:cyanovirin N