Synthetic gp41 analogs inhibit feline virus function.(Brief Article)

2002 OCT 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in North Carolina have identified several synthetic molecules capable of suppressing the feline version of HIV (FIV).

The conserved HIV glycoprotein gp41 "is divided into the N-terminal fusion peptide, the heptad repeat 1 (HR1) and HR2 regions, and the C-terminal transmembrane region, which are collectively responsible for virus fusion and entry into the cell," explained R. J. Medinas and colleagues at North Carolina State University in Raleigh and Durham-based Trimeris, Inc.

Medinas and colleagues found synthetic versions of gp41's C-terminal HR2 domain that could be even more potent than similar agents showing promise in clinical trials.

The researchers developed a set of 15 peptide analogs to this region of FIV gp41. These synthetic peptides were each 35 amino acids in length although the beginning sequence of most peptides overlapped with the ends of others, they noted.

A number of the peptides were able to suppress FIV entry into cultured cells expressing the FIV coreceptor CXCR4, with some active at nanogram doses, study data showed. FIV reverse transcriptase was also inhibitied in an acute-infection assay involving feline CD4 ...