Sulfated Polyester Interactions with the CD4 Molecule and with the Third Variable Loop Domain (v3) of gp120 Are Chemically Distinct

Sulfated polyesters (SP) that inhibit HIV infection interact with both the gp120 binding region of CD4 molecules and with the v3 domain loop of gp120 molecules (gp120/v3) but the contributions of these interactions to the inhibition of HIV env-mediated fusion are presently unclear. In order to characterize the molecular mechanisms by which SP inhibit HIV env-mediated fusion, we studied the effect of SP treatment on env-mediated fusion of CD4+ cells driven by recombinant vaccinia virus (vPE-16) and on the binding of anti-HIV MAbs to cellular gp120 or purified, rgp120. SP were more effective than neutralizing anti-gp120/v3 MAbs in inhibiting env-mediated fusion. In addition, SP interacted with the v3 loop of gp120 to inhibit the binding of the neutralizing MAb 9284 but not the binding of 9305, a neutralizing anti-gp120/v3 MAb that binds to an adjacent epitope. Because SP are polyanions, we compared the chemical properties of the SP-gp120/v3 and SP-CD4 interactions. Whereas the ability of SP to inhibit the binding of MAb 9284 and rgp120 was relatively independent of NaCl concentrations, the ability of SP to interfere with rCD4-rgp120 binding depended on the NaCl concentration and was maximal at low NaCl concentrations. In addition, the SP-gp120 interaction was found to be reversible, in contrast to the SP-rCD4 interaction which was previously shown to be relatively irreversible at low salt. These data are consistant with the notions that the interaction of SP with CD4 is primarily electrostatic, but that the interaction of SP with gp120 has complex characteristics that implicate a role for protein conformation.