The crown and stem of the V3 loop play distinct roles in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein interactions with the CCR5 coreceptor.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 interacts with CD4 and the CCR5 coreceptor in order to mediate viral entry. A CD4-induced surface on gp120, primarily composed of residues in the V3 loop and the C4 domain, interacts with CCR5. In the present study, we generated envelope glycoproteins comprising chimeric V3 loops and/or V3 loops with deletions and studied their binding to CCR5 amino-terminal domain (Nt)-based sulfopeptides and cell surface CCR5, as well as their ability to mediate viral entry. We thus delineated two functionally distinct domains of the V3 loop, the V3 stem and the V3 crown. The V3 stem alone mediates soluble gp120 binding to the CCR5 Nt. In contrast, both the V3 stem and crown are required for soluble gp120 binding to cell surface CCR5. Within the context of a virion, however, the V3 crown alone determines coreceptor usage. Our data support a two-site gp120-CCR5 binding model wherein the V3 crown and stem interact with distinct regions of CCR5 in order to mediate viral entry.