An Engineered Microvirin Variant with Identical Structural Domains Potently Inhibits Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Cellular Entry.

ABSTRACT: Microvirin (MVN) is one of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) entry inhibitor lectins, which consists of two structural domains sharing 35% sequence identity and contrary to many other antiviral lectins, it exists as a monomer. In this study, we engineered an MVN variant, LUMS1, consisting of two domains with 100% sequence identity, thereby reducing the chemical heterogeneity, which is a major factor in eliciting immunogenicity. We determined carbohydrate binding of LUMS1 through NMR chemical shift perturbation and tested its anti-HIV activity in single-round infectivity assay and its anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) activity in three different assays including HCVcc, HCVpp, and replicon assays. We further investigated the effect of LUMS1 on the activation of T helper (T_h) and

SUBMITTER: Shahid M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7077325 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature