Peptide T revisited: conformational mimicry of epitopes of anti-HIV proteins.

Peptide T (ASTTTNYT), a fragment corresponding to residues 185-192 of gp120, the coat protein of HIV, is endowed with several biological properties in vitro, notably inhibition of the binding of both isolated gp120 and HIV-1 to the CD4 receptor, and chemotactic activity. Based on previous nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies performed in our laboratory, which were consistent with a regular conformation of the C-terminal pentapeptide, and SAR studies showing that the C-terminal pentapeptide retains most of the biological properties, we designed eight hexapeptides containing in the central part either the TNYT or the TTNY sequence, and charged residues (D/E/R) at the two ends. Conformational analysis based on NMR and torsion angle dynamics showed that all peptides assume folded conformations. albeit with different geometries and stabilities. In particular, peptides carrying an acidic residue at the N-terminus and a basic residue at the C-terminus are characterized by stable helical structures and retain full chemotactic activity. The solution conformation of peptide ETNYTR displays strong structural similarity to the region 19-26 of both bovine pancreatic and bovine seminal ribonuclease, which are endowed with anti-HIV activity. Moreover, the frequent occurrence, in many viral proteins, of TNYT and TTNY, the two core sequences employed in the design of the hexapeptides studied in the present work, hints that the sequence of the C-terminal pentapeptide TTNYT is probably representative of a widespread viral recognition motif.