biostudies-literatureMartin GMU.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNIAID NIH HHSMedical Research CouncilEC | Horizon 2020 Framework ProgrammeBill and Melinda Gates Foundation101https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10345191biostudies-literatureUnknown8(1)Chemical cross-linking is used to stabilize protein structures with additional benefits of pathogen and toxin inactivation for vaccine use, but its use has been restricted by the potential for local or global structural distortion. This is of particular importance when the protein in question requires a high degree of structural conservation for inducing a biological outcome such as the elicitation of antibodies to conformationally sensitive epitopes. The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer is metastable and shifts between different conformational states, complicating its use as a vaccine antigen. Here we have used the hetero-bifunctional zero-length reagent 1-Ethyl-3-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-Carbodiimide (EDC) to cross-link two soluble Env trimers, selected well-folded trimer species NPJ vaccinesProfound structural conservation of chemically cross-linked HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein experimental vaccine antigens.PMC10345191G0000635UM1AI144462UM1 AI144462681137OPP1115782OPP1170236UM1 AI100663Sanders RWSchiffner TShattock RAldon YSattentau QJFabian KHarris STolazzi MJovanoska LMcFarlane LKatinger DRussell RACheeseman HMartin GMSchermer EEMundsperger PScarlatti GBreemen MWard ABKunert RTrajano LFSliepen KfalseProfound structural conservation of chemically cross-linked HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein experimental vaccine antigens.Chemical cross-linking is used to stabilize protein structures with additional benefits of pathogen and toxin inactivation for vaccine use, but its use has been restricted by the potential for local or global structural distortion. This is of particular importance when the protein in question requires a high degree of structural conservation for inducing a biological outcome such as the elicitation of antibodies to conformationally sensitive epitopes. The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer is metastable and shifts between different conformational states, complicating its use as a vaccine antigen. Here we have used the hetero-bifunctional zero-length reagent 1-Ethyl-3-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-Carbodiimide (EDC) to cross-link two soluble Env trimers, selected well-folded trimer species 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Jul2026-06-02T06:38:54.508Z2025-07-12T03:04:47.255ZS-EPMC103451913744336610.1038/s41541-023-00696-w