Scientific Publications
- PMID: 22864288
- Title: Subunit organization of the membrane bound HIV 1 envelope glycoprotein trimer
- Abstract: The trimeric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env) spike is a molecular machine that mediates virus entry into host cells and is the sole target for virus-neutralizing antibodies. The mature Env spike results from cleavage of a trimeric glycoprotein precursor, gp160, into three gp120 and three gp41 subunits. Here, we describe an ~11-Å cryo-EM structure of the trimeric HIV-1 Env precursor in its unliganded state. The three gp120 and three gp41 subunits form a cage-like structure with an interior void surrounding the trimer axis. Interprotomer contacts are limited to the gp41 transmembrane region, the torus-like gp41 ectodomain and a trimer-association domain of gp120 composed of the V1, V2 and V3 variable regions. The cage-like architecture, which is unique among characterized viral envelope proteins, restricts antibody access, reflecting requirements imposed by HIV-1 persistence in the host.
- Date: 1970-08-21
- Year: 2012
- Journal: Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol.
- PMID Author: Mao Y, Wang L, Gu C, Herschhorn A, Xiang SH, Haim H, Yang X, Sodroski J
- PMC Link #: PMC3443289
Subunit organization of the membrane bound HIV 1 envelope glycoprotein trimer
Subunit organization of the membrane-bound HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimer. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 2012;19(9):893-9 doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2351
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