Biomedical subjects

Peter Cherepanov

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Cherepanov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

LEDGF/p75 interacts with divergent lentiviral integrases and modulates their enzymatic activity in vitro.

Transcriptional co-activator LEDGF/p75 is the major cellular interactor of HIV-1 integrase (IN), critical to efficient viral replication. In this work, a series of INs from the Betaretrovirus, Gammaretrovirus, Deltaretrovirus, Spumavirus and Lentivirus retroviral genera were tested for interaction with the host factor. None of the non-lentiviral INs possessed detectable affinity for LEDGF in either pull-down or yeast two-hybrid assays. In contrast, all lentiviral INs examined, including those from bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV), maedi-visna virus (MVV) and equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) readily interacted with LEDGF. Mutation of Asp-366 to Asn in LEDGF ablated the interaction, suggesting a common mechanism of the host factor recognition by the INs. LEDGF potently stimulated strand transfer activity of divergent lentiviral INs in vitro. Unprecedentedly, in the presence of the host factor, EIAV IN almost exclusively catalyzed concerted integration, whereas HIV-1 IN promoted predominantly half-site integration, and BIV IN was equally active in both types of strand transfer. Concerted BIV and EIAV integration resulted in 5 bp duplications of the target DNA sequences. These results confirm that the interaction with LEDGF is conserved within and limited to Lentivirus and strongly argue that the host factor is intimately involved in the catalysis of lentiviral DNA integration.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2006

Structure-based mutagenesis of the integrase-LEDGF/p75 interface uncouples a strict correlation between in vitro protein binding and HIV-1 fitness.

LEDGF/p75 binding-defective IN mutant viruses were previously characterized as replication-defective, yet RNAi did not reveal an essential role for the host factor in HIV-1 replication. Correlative analyses of protein binding and viral fitness were expanded here by targeting 12 residues at the IN-LEDGF/p75 binding interface. Whereas many of the resultant viruses were defective, the majority of the INs displayed wild-type in vitro integration activities. Though an overall trend of parallel loss of LEDGF/p75 binding and HIV-1 infectivity was observed, a strict correlation was not. His-tagged IN(A128Q), derived from a phenotypically wild-type virus, failed to pull-down LEDGF/p75, but IN(A128Q) was effectively recovered in a reciprocal GST pull-down assay. Under these conditions, IN(H171A), also derived from a phenotypically wild-type virus, interacted less efficiently than a previously described interaction-defective mutant, IN(Q168A). Thus, the relative affinity of the in vitro IN-LEDGF/p75 interaction is not a universal predictor of IN mutant viral fitness.

Cell Line↗

PubMed2006

Transcriptional co-activator p75 binds and tethers the Myc-interacting protein JPO2 to chromatin.

Transcriptional co-activator p75 is implicated in human cancer, autoimmunity and replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as a dominant integrase-interacting protein. Although characterized as chromatin associated, the normal biological role(s) of p75 remains fairly unclear. To gain insight into p75 function, we have characterized its cellular binding partners and report that JPO2, a recently identified Myc-binding protein, associates with p75 in vitro and in vivo. The pseudo HEAT repeat analogous topology (PHAT) domain of p75, which mediates its interaction with integrase, also mediates the interaction with JPO2, and recombinant integrase protein competes with JPO2 protein for binding to p75 in vitro. JPO2 binds p75 through a 61-residue (amino acids 58-119) region that is distinct from its Myc-interacting domain. In cells, JPO2 and p75 co-localize throughout the cell cycle, and both proteins concentrate on condensed chromosomes during mitosis. Strikingly, the association of JPO2 with chromatin strictly depends upon p75, similar to that of ectopically expressed integrase. Also similar to its effect on integrase, p75 stabilizes intracellular steady-state levels of JPO2 protein. Our results suggest a role for p75 in the Myc regulatory network, and indicate that p75 is a general adaptor protein tethering divergent factors to chromatin through its versatile integrase-binding domain.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed2006

A tripartite DNA-binding element, comprised of the nuclear localization signal and two AT-hook motifs, mediates the association of LEDGF/p75 with chromatin in vivo.

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor p75 (LEDGF/p75) is a DNA-binding, transcriptional co-activator that participates in HIV-1 integration site targeting. Using complementary approaches, we determined the mechanisms of LEDGF/p75 DNA-binding in vitro and chromatin-association in living cells. The binding of highly-purified, recombinant protein was assayed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrophoretic mobility gel shift. Neither assay revealed evidence for sequence-specific DNA-binding. Residues 146-197 spanning the nuclear localization signal (NLS) and two AT-hook motifs mediated non-specific DNA-binding, and DNA-binding deficient mutants retained the ability to efficiently stimulate HIV-1 integrase activity in vitro. Chromatin-association was assessed by visualizing the localization of EGFP fusion proteins in interphase and mitotic cells. Although a conserved N-terminal PWWP domain was not required for binding to condensed mitotic chromosomes, its deletion subtly affected the nucleoplasmic distribution of the protein during interphase. A dual AT-hook mutant associated normally with chromatin, yet when the mutations were combined with NLS changes or deletion of the PWWP domain, chromatin-binding function was lost. As the PWWP domain did not readily bind free DNA in vitro, our results indicate that chromatin-association is primarily affected through DNA-binding, with the PWWP domain likely contributing a protein interaction to the overall affinity of LEDGF/p75 for human chromatin.

AT-Hook Motifs↗

PubMed2005

Structural basis for the recognition between HIV-1 integrase and transcriptional coactivator p75.

Integrase (IN) is an essential retroviral enzyme, and human transcriptional coactivator p75, which is also referred to as lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF), is the dominant cellular binding partner of HIV-1 IN. Here, we report the crystal structure of the dimeric catalytic core domain of HIV-1 IN complexed to the IN-binding domain of LEDGF. Previously identified LEDGF hotspot residues anchor the protein to both monomers at the IN dimer interface. The principal structural features of IN that are recognized by the host factor are the backbone conformation of residues 168-171 from one monomer and a hydrophobic patch that is primarily comprised of alpha-helices 1 and 3 of the second IN monomer. Inspection of diverse retroviral primary and secondary sequence elements helps to explain the apparent lentiviral tropism of the LEDGF-IN interaction. Because the lethal phenotypes of HIV-1 mutant viruses unable to interact with LEDGF indicate that IN function is highly sensitive to perturbations of the structure around the LEDGF-binding site, we propose that small molecule inhibitors of the protein-protein interaction might similarly disrupt HIV-1 replication.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2005

Solution structure of the HIV-1 integrase-binding domain in LEDGF/p75.

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 is the dominant binding partner of HIV-1 integrase (IN) in human cells. We have determined the NMR structure of the integrase-binding domain (IBD) in LEDGF and identified amino acid residues essential for the interaction. The IBD is a compact right-handed bundle composed of five alpha-helices. Based on folding topology, the IBD is structurally related to a diverse family of alpha-helical proteins that includes eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4G and karyopherin-beta. LEDGF residues essential for the interaction with IN were localized to interhelical loop regions of the bundle structure. Interaction-defective IN mutants were previously shown to cripple replication although they retained catalytic function. The initial structure determination of a host cell factor that tightly binds to a retroviral enzyme lays the groundwork for understanding enzyme-host interactions important for viral replication.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Lys-34, dispensable for integrase catalysis, is required for preintegration complex function and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication.

Retroviral integrases (INs) function in the context of preintegration complexes (PICs). Two conserved Lys residues in the N-terminal domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) IN were analyzed here for their roles in integration and virus replication. Whereas HIV-1(K46A) grew like the wild type, HIV-1(K34A) was dead. Yet recombinant IN(K34A) protein functioned in in vitro integration assays, and Vpr-IN(K34A) efficiently transcomplemented the infectivity defect of an IN active site mutant virus in cells. HIV-1(K34A) was therefore similar to a number of previously characterized mutant viruses that failed to replicate despite encoding catalytically competent IN. To directly analyze mutant PIC function, a sensitive PCR-based integration assay was developed. HIV-1(K34A) and related mutants failed to support detectable levels (<1% of wild type) of integration. We therefore concluded that mutations like K34A disrupted higher-order interactions important for PIC function/maturation compared to the innate catalytic activity of IN enzyme.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

PubMed2005

Mutations in both env and gag genes are required for HIV-1 resistance to the polysulfonic dendrimer SPL2923, as corroborated by chimeric virus technology.

A drug-resistant NL4.3/SPL2923 strain has previously been generated by in vitro selection of HIV-1(NL4.3) in the presence of the polysulfonic dendrimer SPL2923 and mutations were reported in its gp120 gene (Witvrouw et al., 2000). Here, we further analysed the (cross) resistance profile of NL4.3/SPL2923. NL4.3/SPL2923 was found to contain additional mutations in gp41 and showed reduced susceptibility to SPL2923, dextran sulfate (DS) and enfuvirtide. To delineate to what extent the mutations in each env gene were accountable for the phenotypic (cross) resistance of NL4.3/SPL2923, the gp120-, gp41- and gp160-sequences derived from this strain were placed into a wild-type background using env chimeric virus technology (CVT). The cross resistance of NL4.3/SPL2923 towards DS was fully reproduced following gp160-recombination, while it was only partially reproduced following gp120- or gp41-recombination. The mutations in gp41 of NL4.3/SPL2923 were sufficient to reproduce the cross resistance to enfuvirtide. Unexpectedly, the reduced sensitivity towards SPL2923 was not fully reproduced after gp160-recombination. The search for mutations in NL4.3/SPL2923 in viral genes other than env revealed several mutations in the gene encoding the HIV p17 matrix protein (MA) and one mutation in the gene encoding the p24 capsid protein (CA). In order to analyse the impact of the gag mutations alone and in combination with the mutations in env on the phenotypic resistance towards SPL2923, we developed a novel p17- and p17/gp160-CVT. Phenotypic analysis of the NL4.3/SPL2923 p17- and p17/gp160-recombined strains indicated that the mutations in both env and gag have to be present to fully reproduce the resistance of NL4.3/SPL2923 towards SPL2923.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

PubMed2004

Identification of an evolutionarily conserved domain in human lens epithelium-derived growth factor/transcriptional co-activator p75 (LEDGF/p75) that binds HIV-1 integrase.

Human lens epithelium-derived growth factor/transcriptional co-activator p75 (LEDGF/p75) protein was recently identified as a binding partner for HIV-1 integrase (IN) in human cells. In this work, we used biochemical and bioinformatic approaches to define the domain organization of LEDGF/p75. Using limited proteolysis and deletion mutagenesis we show that the protein contains a pair of evolutionarily conserved domains, assuming about 35% of its sequence. Whereas the N-terminal PWWP domain had been recognized previously, the second domain is novel. It is comprised of approximately 80 amino acid residues and is both necessary and sufficient for binding to HIV-1 IN. Strikingly, the integrase binding domain (IBD) is not unique to LEDGF/p75, as a second human protein, hepatoma-derived growth factor-related protein 2 (HRP2), contains a homologous sequence. LEDGF/p75 and HRP2 IBDs avidly bound HIV-1 IN in an in vitro GST pull-down assay and each full-length protein potently stimulated HIV-1 IN activity in vitro. LEDGF/p75 and HRP2 are predicted to share a similar domain organization and have an evident evolutionary and likely functional relationship.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Identification and characterization of a functional nuclear localization signal in the HIV-1 integrase interactor LEDGF/p75.

Human lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 protein forms a specific nuclear complex with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase and is essential for nuclear localization and chromosomal association of the viral protein. We now studied nuclear import of LEDGF/p75 in live and semipermeabilized cells. We show that nuclear import of LEDGF/p75 is GTP-, Ran-, importin-alpha/beta-, and energy-dependent and that the protein competes with the canonical SV40 large T antigen nuclear localization signal (NLS) for nuclear import receptors. We identified the NLS of LEDGF/p75 through deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis. The LEDGF/p75 NLS, 148GRKRKAEKQ156, belongs to the canonical SV40-like family. Fusion of this short peptide to the amino terminus of Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase rendered the fusion protein nuclear, confirming that the LEDGF/p75 NLS is transferable. Moreover, a single amino acid change in the NLS was sufficient to exclude the mutant LEDGF/p75 protein from the nucleus and abolish nuclear import of HIV-1 integrase.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed2004

Expression of HIV-1 integrase in CEM cells inhibits HIV-1 replication.

BACKGROUND: HIV-1 integrase (IN) is an interesting target for the gene therapy of AIDS. Although the in vivo functions are not well characterized, it is thought that IN has pleiotropic effects and plays a central role in the interplay between the virus and the host cell. Expression of IN in mammalian cells has proven difficult. We have previously established a 293T-derived cell line that stably expresses high levels of HIV-1 IN from a synthetic gene. We now have constructed CEM-derived cell lines stably expressing the enzyme or its different domains and studied the impact of IN expression on HIV-1 replication. METHODS: The CEM cell lines were selected following transduction with a retroviral vector encoding the full-length IN, the N-terminal domain, the catalytic core or the C-terminal domain. Stable IN expression in CEM cell lines was verified by Western blotting. The impact of IN expression on HIV-1 replication and HIV-1 vector transduction was studied. RESULTS: A marked inhibitory effect on HIV-1 replication was observed in CEM cells expressing IN. Expression of IN interfered with both particle production and integration. Expression of the N-terminal domain alone was sufficient for the inhibiting of HIV-1 replication. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of IN in CEM cells inhibits HIV-1 replication by a cumulative inhibitory effect on integration and particle production, in accord with the known pleiotropic interactions of IN. The inhibition of HIV-1 replication in CEM cells expressing the N-terminal domain of IN may lead to a novel approach for the gene therapy of AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2004

Class II integrase mutants with changes in putative nuclear localization signals are primarily blocked at a postnuclear entry step of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication.

Integrase has been implicated in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) nuclear import. Integrase analyses, however, can be complicated by the pleiotropic nature of mutations: whereas class I mutants are integration defective, class II mutants display additional assembly and/or reverse transcription defects. We previously determined that HIV-1(V165A), originally reported as defective for nuclear import, was a class II mutant. Here we analyzed mutants containing changes in other putative nuclear localization signals, including (186)KRK(188)/(211)KELQKQITK(219) and Cys-130. Previous work established HIV-1(K186Q), HIV-1(Q214L/Q216L), and HIV-1(C130G) as replication defective, but phenotypic classification was unclear and nuclear import in nondividing cells was not addressed. Consistent with previous reports, most of the bipartite mutants studied here were replication defective. These mutants as well as HIV-1(V165A) synthesized reduced cDNA levels, but a normal fraction of mutant cDNA localized to dividing and nondividing cell nuclei. Somewhat surprisingly, recombinant class II mutant proteins were catalytically active, and class II Vpr-integrase fusion proteins efficiently complemented class I mutant virus. Since a class I Vpr-integrase mutant efficiently complemented class II mutant viruses under conditions in which class II Vpr-integrases failed to function, we conclude that classes I and II define two distinct complementation groups and suggest that class II mutants are primarily defective at a postnuclear entry step of HIV-1 replication. HIV-1(C130G) was also defective for reverse transcription, but Vpr-integrase(C130G) did not efficiently complement class I mutant HIV-1. Since HIV-1(C130A) grew like the wild type, we conclude that Cys-130 is not essential for replication and speculate that perturbation of integrase structure contributed to the pleiotropic HIV-1(C130G) phenotype.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2003

LEDGF/p75 is essential for nuclear and chromosomal targeting of HIV-1 integrase in human cells.

We have reported that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) forms a specific nuclear complex with human lens epithelium-derived growth factor/transcription co-activator p75 (LEDGF/p75) protein. We now studied the IN-LEDGF/p75 interaction and nuclear import of IN in living cells using fusions of IN and LEDGF/p75 with enhanced green fluorescent protein and far-red fluorescent protein HcRed1. We show that both the N-terminal zinc binding domain and the central core domains of IN are involved in the interaction with LEDGF/p75. Both domains are essential for nuclear localization of IN as well as for the association of IN with condensed chromosomes during mitosis. However, upon overexpression of LEDGF/p75, the core domain fragment of IN was recruited to the nuclei and mitotic chromosomes with a distribution pattern characteristic of the full-length protein, indicating that it harbors the main determinant for interaction with LEDGF/p75. Although the C-terminal domain of IN was dispensable for nuclear/chromosomal localization, a fusion of the C-terminal IN fragment with enhanced green fluorescent protein was found exclusively in the nucleus, with a diffuse nuclear/nucleolar distribution, suggesting that the C-terminal domain may also play a role in the nuclear import of IN. In contrast to LEDGF/p75, its alternative splice variant, p52, did not interact with HIV-1 IN in vitro and in living cells. Finally, RNA interference-mediated knock-down of endogenous LEDGF/p75 expression abolished nuclear/chromosomal localization of IN. We conclude, therefore, that the interaction with LEDGF/p75 accounts for the karyophilic properties and chromosomal targeting of HIV-1 IN.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2002

pH6 antigen of Yersinia pestis interacts with plasma lipoproteins and cell membranes.

The bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis expresses a potential adhesin, the pH6 antigen (pH6-Ag), which appears as fimbria-like structures after exposure of the bacteria to low pH. pH6-Ag was previously shown to agglutinate erythrocytes and to bind to certain galactocerebrosides. We demonstrate that purified pH6-Ag selectively binds to apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins in human plasma, mainly LDL. Binding was not prevented by antibodies to apoB. pH6-Ag interacted also with liposomes and with a lipid emulsion, indicating that the lipid moiety of the lipoprotein was responsible for the interaction. Both apoB-containing lipoproteins and liposomes prevented binding of pH6-Ag to THP-I monocyte-derived macrophages as well as pH6-Ag-mediated agglutination of erythrocytes. Binding of pH6-Ag to macrophages was not dependent on the presence of LDL receptors. Treatment of the cells with Triton X-100 or with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin indicated that the binding of pH6-Ag was partly dependent on lipid rafts. We suggest that interaction of pH6-Ag with apoB-containing lipoproteins could be of importance for the establishment of Y. pestis infections. Binding of lipoproteins to the bacterial surface could prevent recognition of the pathogen by the host defence systems. This might be important for the ability of the pathogen to replicate in the susceptible host.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed2002

HIV-1 integrase forms stable tetramers and associates with LEDGF/p75 protein in human cells.

We studied human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) complexes derived from nuclei of human cells stably expressing the viral protein from a synthetic gene. We show that in the nuclear extracts IN exists as part of a large distinct complex with an apparent Stokes radius of 61 A, which dissociates upon dilution yielding a core molecule of 41 A. We isolated the IN complexes from cells expressing FLAG-tagged IN and demonstrated that the 41 A core is a tetramer of IN, whereas 61 A molecules are composed of IN tetramers associated with a cellular protein with an apparent molecular mass of 76 kDa. This novel integrase interacting protein was found to be identical to lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75), a protein implicated in regulation of gene expression and cellular stress response. HIV-1 IN and LEDGF co-localized in the nuclei of human cells stably expressing IN. Furthermore, recombinant LEDGF robustly enhanced strand transfer activity of HIV-1 IN in vitro. Our findings indicate that the minimal IN molecule in human cells is a homotetramer, suggesting that at least an octamer of IN is required to accomplish coordinated integration of both retroviral long terminal repeats and that LEDGF is a cellular factor involved in this process.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

New class of HIV integrase inhibitors that block viral replication in cell culture.

BACKGROUND: To improve the existing combination therapies of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to cope with virus strains that are resistant to multiple drugs, we initiated a search for effective inhibitors of HIV integrase, the enzyme responsible for inserting the viral cDNA into the host cell chromosome. RESULTS: We have now identified a series of 5H-pyrano[2,3-d:-6,5-d']dipyrimidines that block the replication of various strains of HIV-1 and HIV-2. The most potent congener, 5-(4-nitrophenyl)-2,8-dithiol-4,6-dihydroxy-5H-pyrano[2,3-d:-6,5-d']dipyrimidine (V-165), inhibited the replication of HIV-1(III(B)) in MT-4 cells at a 50% effective concentration (EC(50)) of 8.9 microM, which is 14-fold below its cytotoxic concentration. V-165 was equally active against virus strains that were resistant toward inhibitors of viral entry or reverse transcriptase. In combination regimens in cell culture, V-165 acted subsynergistically with zidovudine or nelfinavir and synergistically with nevirapine. V-165 inhibited both reverse transcriptase and integrase activities in enzymatic assays at micromolar concentrations, but only a close correlation was found between the anti-HIV activity observed in cell culture and the inhibitory activity in the integrase strand transfer assays. Time-of-addition experiments indicated that V-165 interfered with the viral replication cycle at a time point coinciding with integration. Quantitative Alu-PCR corroborated that the anti-HIV activity of V-165 is based upon the inhibition of proviral DNA integration. CONCLUSIONS: Based on their mode of action, which is different from that of clinically approved anti-HIV drugs, PDPs are good candidates for further development into new drugs and to be included in future combination regimens.

Cell Line↗

PubMed2002

Role of Yersinia murine toxin in survival of Yersinia pestis in the midgut of the flea vector.

Transmission by flea bite is a relatively recent adaptation that distinguishes Yersinia pestis, the plague bacillus, from closely related enteric bacteria. Here, a plasmid-encoded phospholipase D (PLD), previously characterized as Yersinia murine toxin (Ymt), was shown to be required for survival of Y. pestis in the midgut of its principal vector, the rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis. Intracellular PLD activity appeared to protect Y. pestis from a cytotoxic digestion product of blood plasma in the flea gut. By enabling colonization of the flea midgut, acquisition of this PLD may have precipitated the transition of Y. pestis to obligate arthropod-borne transmission.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

env chimeric virus technology for evaluating human immunodeficiency virus susceptibility to entry inhibitors.

We describe the development of chimeric virus technology (CVT) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 (HIV-1) env genes gp120, gp41, and gp160 for evaluation of the susceptibilities of HIV to entry inhibitors. This env CVT allows the recombination of env sequences derived from different strains into a proviral wild-type HIV-1 clone (clone NL4.3) from which the corresponding env gene has been deleted. An HIV-1 strain (strain NL4.3) resistant to the fusion inhibitor T20 (strain NL4.3/T20) was selected in vitro in the presence of T20. AMD3100-resistant strain NL3.4 (strain NL4.3/AMD3100) was previously selected by De Vreese et al. (K. De Vreese et al., J. Virol. 70:689-696, 1996). NL4.3/AMD3100 contains several mutations in its gp120 gene (De Vreese et al., J. Virol. 70:689-696, 1996), whereas NL4.3/T20 has mutations in both gp120 and gp41. Phenotypic analysis revealed that NL4.3/AMD3100 lost its susceptibility to dextran sulfate, AMD3100, AMD2763, T134, and T140 but not its susceptibility to T20, whereas NL4.3/T20 lost its susceptibility only to the inhibitory effect of T20. The recombination of gp120 of NL4.3/AMD3100 and gp41 of NL4.3/T20 or recombination of the gp160 genes of both strains into a wild-type background reproduced the phenotypic (cross-)resistance profiles of the corresponding strains selected in vitro. These data imply that mutations in gp120 alone are sufficient to reproduce the resistance profile of NL4.3/AMD3100. The same can be said for gp41 in relation to NL4.3/T20. In conclusion, we demonstrate the use of env CVT as a research tool in the delineation of the region important for the phenotypic (cross-)resistance of HIV strains to entry inhibitors. In addition, we obtained a proof of principle that env CVT can become a helpful diagnostic tool in assessments of the phenotypic resistance of clinical HIV isolates to HIV entry inhibitors.

Antiviral Agents↗