Structure and polymorphism of the principal neutralization site of Thailand HIV-1 isolate

Refining the geometric parameters for the ensemble of conformers, derived earlier in terms of NMR-spectroscopy data for the immunogenic tip of Thailand HIV-1 isolate, was carried out by quantum chemical methods. As a result, (i) the energy characteristics of initial structures were significantly improved, (ii) their relative locations on the scale of formation heats were determined, and (iii) the energy barriers between conformers under study were computed. On the basis of all data obtained, the high resolution 3D structure model, describing the set of stable conformers and containing the biologically active conformation, was proposed for neutralizing epitope of Thailand HIV-1 isolate. The following major conclusions were made based on the analysis of simulated conformations: i) the Gly-Pro-Gly-Gln-Val-Phe stretch forming the immunogenic crown of Thailand HIV-1 isolate exhibits the properties characteristic for metastable oligopeptide that constitutes in solution the dominant structure with other conformations admissible; (ii) three structures out of five NMR-based starting models form the cluster of conformers which adequately describes general conformational features of this functionally important site of gp120; (iii) two structures residing in this cluster are found to be well-ground for implementing the function of immunoreactive conformation of the stretch of interest; (iv) in spite of this observation, the "global" structure which gives rise to inverse gamma-turn in the central Gly-Pro-Gly crest of Thailand HIV-1 gp120 is proposed to be the most probable conformation responsible for the formation of viral antigen-antibody complex in particular case under study.