title: Inhibition of HIV-1 infection by synthetic peptides derived CCR5 fragments.
abstract: HIV-1 infection requires interaction of viral envelope protein gp160 with CD4 and a chemokine receptor, CCR5 or CXCR4 as entry coreceptor. We designed HIV-inhibitory peptides targeted to CCR5 using a novel computer program (ANTIS), which searched all possible sense-antisense amino acid pairs between proteins. Seven AHBs were found in CCR5 receptor. All AHB peptides were synthesized and tested for their ability to prevent HIV-1 infection to human T cells. A peptide fragment (LC5) which is a part of the CCR5 receptor corresponding to the loop between the fifth and sixth transmembrane regions (amino acids 222-240) proved to inhibit HIV-1IIIB infection of MT-4 cells. Interaction of these antisense peptides could be involved in sustaining HIV-1 infectivity. LC5 effectively indicated dose-dependent manner, and the suppression was enhanced additively by T20 peptide, which inhibits infection in vitro by disrupting the gp41 conformational changes necessary for membrane fusion. Thus, these results indicate that CCR5-derived AHB peptides could provide a useful tool to define the mechanism(s) of HIV infection, and may provide insight which will contribute to the development of an anti-HIV-1 reagent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Nagoya City University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, and Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Lajos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baranyi
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Hidechika
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015195:Drug Design; D004357:Drug Synergism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D012984:Software; D020298:U937 Cells; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; D019713:Receptors, CCR5