[Computer modeling of the promising inhibitors of the HIV-1 subtype A replication as a framework for the rational anti-aids drug design].

The model of the structural complex of cyclophilin B belonging to the immunophilins family with the HIV-1 subtype A V3 loop presenting the principal neutralizing determinant of the virus gp120 envelope protein as well as determinants of cell tropism and syncutium formation was generated by molecular docking methods. Basing on the conformational and energy characteristics of the built complex, computer-aided design of the polypeptide able to block effectively the functionally crucial V3 segments was implemented. From the joint analysis of the results derived with the data of literature, the generated molecule was suggested to offer a promising pharmacological substance for making a reality of the protein engineering projects aimed at developing the anti-AIDS drugs able to stop the HIV's spread.

Computational anti-AIDS drug design based on the analysis of the specific interactions between immunophilins and the HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop. Application to the FK506-binding protein.

The object of the study was to model the structural complex of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) with the CRK peptide imitating the central region of the HIV-1 V3 loop, as well as to define the FKBP stretch giving rise to the binding site for V3 the synthetic copy of which, on the assumption of preserving the spatial peptide structure in the free state, can be considered as a promising applicant for the role of antiviral drug. To this end, the following successive steps were carried out: (i) the NMR-based conformational analysis of CRK was put into practice, and, in the light of the results derived, the best energy CRK structure meeting the requirements of the input NMR data was identified; (ii) molecular docking of the CRK structure with the X-ray FKBP conformation was implemented, and energy refining the simulated structural complex was realized; (iii) the matrix of distances between amino acids of the ligand and receptor was computed to specify the FKBP stretch keeping in touch with CRK followed by analyzing the types of interactions stabilizing the over-molecular ensemble; (iv) 3D structure of this stretch in the unbound status referred to as the FKBP peptide was predicted, and its collation with the X-ray conformation of the identical FKBP site was performed; (v) the potential energy function and its constituents were studied for the structural complex generated by molecular docking of the CRK molecule with the FKBP peptide; and (vi) from all evidence, the virtual FKBP-derived peptide was submitted to be utilized as a prospective structural framework in the anti-HIV-1 drug design. Summing up the results obtained, the following principal conclusion was drawn: a high affinity of the V3 loop peptide to the FKBP is based on the principle of "mirror similarity" that implies the near resemblance of 3D structures for the two individual fragments of the receptor and ligand, which, most likely, accounts for recognizing the immunophilin by V3 and determines the specificity of their efficacious interactions arising from the experimental observations.

Structural analysis of the HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop: application to the HIV-Haiti isolates.

The model describing the structure and conformational preferences of the HIV-Haiti V3 loop in the geometric spaces of Cartesian coordinates and dihedral angles was generated in terms of NMR spectroscopy data published in literature. To this end, the following successive steps were put into effect: (i) the NMR-based 3D structure for the HIV-Haiti V3 loop in water was built by computer modeling methods; (ii) the conformations of its irregular segments were analyzed and the secondary structure elements identified; and (iii) to reveal a common structural motifs in the HIV-Haiti V3 loop regardless of its environment variability, the simulated structure was collated with the one deciphered previously for the HIV-Haiti V3 loop in a water/trifluoroethanol (TFE) mixed solvent. As a result, the HIV-Haiti V3 loop was found to offer the highly variable fragment of gp120 sensitive to its environment whose changes trigger the large-scale structural rearrangements, bringing in substantial altering the secondary and tertiary structures of this functionally important site of the virus envelope. In spite of this fact, over half of amino acid residues that reside, for the most part, in the functionally important regions of the gp120 protein and may present promising targets for AIDS drug researches, were shown to preserve their conformational states in the structures under review. In particular, the register of these amino acids holds Asn-25 that is critical for the virus binding with primary cell receptor CD4 as well as Arg-3 that is critical for utilization of CCR5 co-receptor and heparan sulfate proteoglycans. The conservative structural motif embracing one of the potential sites of the gp120 N-linked glycosylation was detected, which seems to be a promising target for the HIV-1 drug design. The implications are discussed in conjunction with the literature data on the biological activity of the individual amino acids for the HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop.

[Study of conformational homology for the HIV-1 gpi20 V3 loop. structural analysis of the HIV-RF and HIV-Thailand viral strains].

A conformation of the H-IV-RF gp120 V3 loop giving rise to the virus principal neutralizing determinant as well as determinants of cell tropism and syncytium formation was built by computer modeling methods using NMR spectroscopy data. The elements of the HIV-RF V3 loop secondary structure and conformational states of its irregular stretches were determined. The structural elements preserved in two viral strains, were identified using the comparative analysis of simulated structure with that of homologous site for the HIV-Thailand gp120 V3 loop. Conservative structure elements of the HIV-1 V3 loop are considered to be promising targets for deriving its chemically modified forms characterized by the enhanced immunogenicity and cross-reactivity of neutralizing antibodies, as well as for the antiviral drug design resulting from these researches.

Determination of structurally conservative amino acids of the HIV-1 protein gp120 V3 loop as promising targets for drug design by protein engineering approaches.

Based on the published NMR spectroscopy data, three-dimensional structures of the HIV-1 gp120 protein V3 loop were obtained by computer modeling in the viral strains HIV-Haiti and HIV-MN. In both cases, the secondary structure elements and conformations of irregular stretches were determined for the fragment representing the principal antigenic determinant of the virus, as well as determinants of the cellular tropism and syncytium formation. Notwithstanding the high variability of the amino acid sequence of gp120 protein, more than 50% of the V3 loop residues retained their conformations in the different HIV-1 virions. The combined analysis of the findings and the literature data on the biological activity of the individual residues of the HIV-1 V3 loop resulted in identification of its structurally conservative amino acids, which seem to be promising targets for antiviral drug design by protein engineering approaches.

[Conformation of the HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop. Structure functional analysis of the HIV-Haiti viral strain].

The structural model describing the conformational preferences of the HIV-Haiti gp120 V3 loop in geometric space of dihedral angles was generated in terms of NMR spectroscopy data using the methods of computer modeling. The elements of secondary structure anti conformations of irregular stretches were deciphered for the fragment making the virus principal neutralizing determinant as well as the determinants of cell tropism and syncytium formation. The structurally conserved amino acids of the HIV-1 V3 loop, that may present the forward-looking targets for AIDS drug design, were identified based on the combined analysis of the results obtained with those derived previously. In particular, it was demonstrated that the register of these amino acids comprises Asn-25 critical for virus binding with primary cell receptor CD4 as well as Arg-3 critical for utilization of CCR5 coreceptor and heparan sulfate proteoglycan syndecans. The results obtained are discussed in conjunction with the literature data on the biological activity of individual amino acid residues of the HIV-1 gpl20 V3 loop.

Conformational preferences of the HIV-1 principal neutralizing determinant.

The model describing the conformational properties of the HIV-1 principal neutralizing determinant in the geometric space of dihedrals was generated in terms of NMR spectroscopy data published in literature. To gain an object in view, the following successive steps were put into effect: (i) the NMR-based local structures for the HIV(MN) V3 loop were determined in water and in a mixed water/trifluoroethanol (TFE) solvent (7:3), (ii) in either case, the conformations of its irregular segments were analyzed and the secondary structure elements identified, (iii) to appreciate the degree of conformational mobility of the stretch of interest, the simulated structures were compared with each other, (iv) to detect the amino acids retaining their conformations inside the diverse HIV-1 isolates, the structures computed were collated with the one derived previously for the V3 loop from Thailand isolate, and (v) as a matter of record, the structurally rigid residues, that may present the forward-looking targets for AIDS drug researches, were revealed. Summing up the principal results arising from these studies, the following conclusions were drawn: I. The HIV(MN) V3 loop offers the highly mobile fragment of gp120 sensitive to its environment whose changes trigger the large-scale structural reforms, bringing in substantial altering the secondary structure of this functionally important site of the virus envelope. II. In water, it exhibits extended site 1-14 separated by double beta-turn 15-20 with unordered region 21-35. III. Adding the TFE gives rise to destruction of the regular structure in the V3 loop N-terminal, stimulates the formation of 3(10)-helix in site 24-31, and affects also its central region 20-25 forming the HIV-1 immunogenic crown. IV. Regardless of statistically significant differences between local structures of the HIV(MN) V3 loop in water and in water/TFE solution, over one-third of residues keeps their conformational states; the register of these amino acids comprises Asn-25 critical for virus binding with primary cell receptor CD4 as well as Arg-3 critical for utilization of CCR5 coreceptor. V. There are no conserved structural motifs within the V3 loops from Minnesota and Thailand HIV-1 strains. However, perceptible portion of amino acids (more than 35%), including those appearing in the functionally important regions of gp120, holds the values of dihedral angles in which case. The implications are discussed in conjunction with the data on the experimental observations for the HIV-1 principal neutralizing determinant.

[Model of three dimensional structure of the immunodominant epitope of gp120 HIV(Thailand)]. / Model' trekhmernoi struktury immunodominantnogo épitopa belka GP120 HIV(Thailand).

The geometry of five preferred structures of the immunodominant epitope of the HIV(Thailand) protein gp120, derived earlier from the NMR spectroscopy data, was refined using the quantum chemical methods. As a result, (i) the energy characteristics of the initial structures were improved significantly, (ii) their relative locations on the scale of formation heats were determined, and (iii) the energy barriers dividing the conformers under study were computed. On this basis, only two out of five starting structures were proposed as biologically relevant conformations for the virus immunogenic crown. The results obtained are discussed in connection with the literature data on the structure of the HIV-1 principal neutralizing determinant.

[Structure and conformational properties of the HIV Thailand gp120 immunodominant epitope]. / Struktura i konformatsionnye svoistva immunodominantnogo épitopa belka gp120 HIV Thailand.

NMR data and the previously developed theoretical method were used to determine the three-dimensional structure of the immunodominant epitope (IDE) of the HIVThailand. protein gp120. The best energy IDE conformers consistent with the theoretical and experimental data were calculated, and their ensemble was shown to give rise to the main chain folds found earlier in examining the HIVMN IDE structure. The gp120 IDE is supposed to behave as a metastable oligopeptide that, depending on the microenvironment, largely assumes one of the conformations from the ensemble. The results are discussed in the light of literature data on HIV-1 IDE structure.

[Spatial structure of the rp142 peptide containing the immunodominant epitope of the HIV-1 gp120 protein. A theoretical study]. / Prostranstvennaia struktura peptida rp142, soderzhashchego immunodominantnyi épitop belka gp120 VICh-1. Teoreticheskoe issledovanie.

A model of spatial structure of the synthetic peptide rp142 (24 amino acid residues) containing the immunodominant epitope of the HIV-1 protein gp120 in the region Gly-10-Phe-15 was constructed by the method of "constrained" molecular mechanics, which uses the algorithms of theoretical conformational analysis, based on NMR spectroscopy data. A comparative analysis of calculated conformations revealed that the spatial structure of rp142 in solution can be described by a family of conformations to which nine different structural clusters involving the sets of topologically close conformers correspond. It is shown that the main chain of the peptide forms irregular but "structured" conformations in which the main portion of amino acid residues is incorporated into beta-turns and helix-like fragments, while Pro-11 and Gly-12 form in some structures inverse gamma-turns, which rarely occur in protein-peptide molecules. It was found that the spatial packing of the Gly-10-Phe-15 hexapeptide in different clusters is realized at different internal rotation angles, to which topologically close structures correspond. It is assumed that this invariant structural element describes the "conformation of complex formation" that is complementary to the antigen-binding center of antibodies and is responsible for their binding to the peptide.

Global and local structural properties of the principal neutralizing determinant of the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120.

The model of spatial structure for the principal neutralizing determinant (PND) of the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 is proposed in terms of two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) spectroscopy data. To build the model, the NMR-based theoretical conformational analysis of synthetic PND peptides of length 40, 24, and 12 residues is carried out. The modeling of the molecular spatial structures is performed by a new approach to research of conformationally mobile peptides using the algorithms of the restrained molecular mechanics method developed earlier. The following major conclusions are made based on the analysis of the simulated peptide conformations: i) there is not unique PND structure in solution, ii) there are seven different PND structures each of which agrees with the experimental data and stereochemical criteria used in computing its spatial model, iii) the PND is characterized by irregular conformation containing a number of reverse turns, iv) all of the selected conformations are conserved in the Gly-Pro-Gly-Arg-Ala-Phe stretch, the most probable viral immunodominant epitope. These data allow to suppose that binding properties of this site are determined by the structural motif which forms the conformation of a double beta-turn and appears common for all hexapeptide structures.

Spatial structure model of the CD4 receptor-binding site of the HIV envelope protein gp120.

In this study we have undertaken attempt to predict 3D structure of the CD4 receptor-binding site of the HIV envelope protein gp120. The structure of this site has been constructed by the analysis of low-energy conformers of peptide T, an HIV reproduction inhibitor with amino acid sequence corresponding to the fragment Ala-Ser-Thr-Thr-Thr-Asn-Tyr-Thr of protein gp120, ensuring the interaction of virus with T4 lymphocytes. To do this, the following researches have been carried out: i) the spatial structure models of peptide T and similar fragment 4-11 of an analogues of vasoactive intestinal peptide have been modeled by the restrained molecular mechanics method developed earlier, ii) conformational parameters of these models have been compared to geometrical characteristics of homologous segments of unrelated proteins with known spatial structures. The following major conclusions have been made based on the comparative analysis: i) the conformation of C-terminal fragment Thr-Thr-Asn-Tyr-Thr of peptide T, responsible for the biological activity of the molecule, does not undergo the essential distortions while embedding into the peptide chains of unrelated proteins; ii) this conformation, that is realized in isolated molecule and includes two consecutive reverse turns of the polypeptide chain, adequately describes the main conformational features of an appropriate site of the HIV protein gp120; iii) the fragment Ala-Ser-Thr-Thr-Thr-Asn-Tyr-Thr of protein gp120 accepts one of six spatial forms which are characteristic for peptide T.