Figure 1
Mutations in HIV-1 Env. A schematic representation of HIV-1 Env. Functional and structural domains within the gp120 and gp41 subunits are labeled at the top: V3 loop (3rd variable loop), CD4 BS (CD4 binding site), FP (fusion peptide), TRR (tryptophan-rich region), TM (transmembrane domain). For various inactivating mutants in the LAI Env (designations encircled), the approximate locations of specific point mutants are indicated underneath, and the deletion mutants are indicated on the right. The specific point mutations are: V3 (R320G in the conserved GPGR motif at the tip of the V3 loop); BS (D368R within the CD4 binding site); various positions in the fusion peptide including FP2 (Val→Glu), FP9 (Leu→Arg) and FP26 (Leu→Arg); heptad repeat mutations HR1e (V570R) and HR1a (I573P). HT-1 and HT-2 are chimeric LAI Env/Thy-1.1 glycoproteins that are membrane-associated via a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. HT-1 contains the gp41 ectodomain minus the tryptophan-rich region (K665 through I682), whereas HT-2 contains the entire gp41 ectodomain; both constructs have 22 intervening amino acid residues from the C-terminus of Thy1.1. The Δ665-682 construct has a selective deletion of the TRR (K665 through I682) and the Δ665-856 construct has an introduced premature stop codon that results in deletion of the C-terminal 192 aa of Env, including the TM and cytoplasmic domains. See Methods for construction and references.