HIV-1 enters cells by membrane fusion, mediated by the trimeric viral envelope glycoprotein gp160, which is processed by a single proteolytic cleavage into stably associated gp120 and gp41. The gp120/gp41 trimer can be triggered to undergo an irreversible conformational change. Using a protein-based assay designed to mimic the gp41 conformational change, we screened for small molecules that pre...

Linear peptides derived from the membrane proximal region of the gp41 ectodomain are effective inhibitors of HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-mediated fusion events. These inhibitory peptides lack structure in solution, rendering mechanistic interpretation of their activity difficult. Using structurally constrained analogs of these molecules, we demonstrate that the peptides inhibit infectivity by adopting a...

The envelope spike (S) glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) mediates the entry of the virus into target cells. Recent studies point out to a cell entry mechanism of this virus similar to other enveloped viruses, such as HIV-1. As it happens with other viruses peptidic fusion inhibitors, SARS-CoV S protein HR2-derived peptides are potential ther...

Since the HIV-1 epidemic was first documented approximately 25 years ago, there has been an increased recognition that impacting the epidemic will require an emphasis on HIV prevention, including development of vaccines, male circumci-sion, preexposure prophylaxis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. With the increased recognition that fem-inization of the epidemic has occurred an...

AIDS is the final stage of the disease caused by HIV. It attacks the defense cells of the body, leaving the body vulnerable to all kinds of diseases. Therapeutic agents are divided according to their mechanism of action, nucleoside or nucleotide transcriptase inhibitor, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, fusion inhibitor, entry inhibitor and integrase inhibito...