The caveolin-1 binding domain of HIV-1 glycoprotein gp41 is an efficient B cell epitope vaccine candidate against virus infection.
Caveolin-1 is a scaffolding protein that organizes and concentrates specific ligands within the caveolae membranes. We identified a conserved caveolin-1 binding motif in the HIV-1 transmembrane envelope glycoprotein gp41 and designed several synthetic peptides, referred to as CBD1, corresponding to the consensus caveolin-1 binding domain in gp41. In rabbits, these peptides elicit the production of antibodies that inhibit infection of primary CD4(+) T lymphocytes by various primary HIV-1 isolates. Interestingly, gp41 exists as a stable complex with caveolin-1 in HIV-infected cells. Anti-CBD1 peptide antibodies, therefore, might be functional by inhibiting the potential interaction of gp41 with caveolin-1. Because of their capacity to elicit antibodies that inhibit the different clades of HIV-1, CBD1-based peptides may represent a novel synthetic universal B cell epitope vaccine candidate for HIV/AIDS. Moreover, such peptides could also have an application as a therapeutic vaccine since CBD1-specific antibodies are rare in HIV-infected individuals from several geographic origins.
Hovanessian
Ara G
AG
Unité de Virologie et Immunologie Cellulaire, URA 1930 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France. ara.hovanessian@univ-paris3.fr
Briand
Jean-Paul
JP
Said
Elias A
EA
Svab
Josette
J
Ferris
Stephane
S
Dali
Hayet
H
Muller
Sylviane
S
Desgranges
Claude
C
Krust
Bernard
B
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D051242:Caveolin 1; D022461:Caveolins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011817:Rabbits
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; C495540:CAV1 protein, human; D051242:Caveolin 1; D022461:Caveolins; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41