Abstract

Vishnudatt Pandey, Gargi Tiwari and Rajendra Prasad Ojha

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/ojc/340635

HIV-I cellular infection triggered by CD4 receptor protein and viral envelop glycoprotein gp120 binding event. CD4:gp120 surface is directed by the contact points of a hydrophobic gp120 cavity capped by Phe43CD4 and ionic bonds residues Arg59CD4 and Asp368gp120. The binding sites originated by gp120 and CD4 interaction leads to the entry of HIV-I into the host membrane, where, gp120 and a CD4 binding site becomes the main mark for plenty of drug uncovering program. Here, we took the crystal structure of small-molecule of gp120 in a complex that concurrently pursues both of the hotspots of gp120 binding sites. All ligands in our study are small molecules that are able to obstruct the protein-protein interactions between CD4 and gp120. This study aims at the thermodynamical insights of the ligand binding in CD4 binding sites using Molecular Dynamics Simulations Study and calculation of binding free energy. The physical of binding of drugs distinctly indicates a hydrophobic and electrostatics interaction motivated binding of ligands which explicitly mark CD4 binding sites.

Gp120 Binding; HIV-1 Entry; MD Simulations; MMGBSA

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