Cyanovirin-N: a sugar-binding antiviral protein with a new twist

Cell Mol Life Sci. 2003 Feb;60(2):277-87. doi: 10.1007/s000180300023.

Abstract

Cyanovirin-N (CV-N), an 11-kDa protein from the cyanobacterium Nostoc ellipsosporum, is a highly potent virucidal agent that has generated interest as a lead natural product for the prevention and chemotherapy of human immunodeficiency virus infection. The antiviral activity of CV-N is mediated through specific, high-affinity interactions with the viral surface envelope glycoproteins. A number of structures of wild-type, mutant and sequence-shuffled CV-N have been solved by nuclear magnetic resonance and crystallography, showing that the protein exists as either a quasi-symmetric two-domain monomer or a domain-swapped dimer. Structures of several complexes of CV-N with oligosaccharides help in explaining the unique mode of high-affinity binding of these molecules to both forms of CV-N.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-HIV Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Dimerization
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / drug effects
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / metabolism
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control
  • HIV-1 / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Mutation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp120
  • cyanovirin N