title: Membrane-transferring sequences of the HIV-1 Gp41 ectodomain assemble into an immunogenic complex.
abstract: The membrane-proximal stem region of gp41 has been postulated to host the two conserved membrane-transferring domains that promote HIV-1 fusion: the amino-terminal fusion peptide (FP) and the highly aromatic pre-transmembrane sequence. Our results confirm that the hydrophobic FP and membrane-proximal sequences come into contact and form structurally defined complexes. These complexes are immunogenic and evoke responses in rabbits that compete with the recognition of native functional gp41 by the 2F5 monoclonal antibody. We conclude that co-assembly of the FP and the pre-transmembrane sequences might exert a constraint that helps maintain a gp41 stem region pre-fusion structure.
authors.affiliation: Biophysics Unit (CSIC-UPV/EHU) and Biochemistry Department, University of the Basque Country, P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Maier
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorizate
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gómara
authors.forename: Beatriz G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: de la Torre
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andreu
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Nieva
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000737:chemistry*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D000939:Epitopes; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins