Lack of correlation between soluble CD4-induced shedding of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 exterior envelope glycoprotein and subsequent membrane fusion events.

The noncovalent association of the gp120 and gp41 envelope glycoproteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is disrupted by soluble CD4 binding, resulting in shedding of the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein. This observation has led to the speculation that interaction of gp120 with the CD4 receptor triggers shedding of the exterior envelope glycoprotein, allowing exposure of gp41 domains necessary for membrane fusion steps involved in virus entry or syncytium formation. To test this hypothesis, a set of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein mutants were used to examine the relationship of soluble CD4-induced shedding of the gp120 glycoprotein to envelope glycoprotein function in syncytium formation and virus entry. All mutants with a threefold or greater reduction in CD4-binding ability exhibited marked decreases in gp120 shedding in response to soluble CD4, even though several of these mutants exhibited significant levels of envelope glycoprotein function. Conversely, most fusion-defective mutants with wild-type gp120-CD4 binding affinity, including those with changes in the V3 loop, efficiently shed gp120 following soluble CD4 binding. Thus, soluble CD4-induced shedding of gp120 is not a generally useful marker for conformational changes in the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins necessary for the virus entry or syncytium formation processes. Some gp120 mutants, despite being expressed on the cell surface and capable of efficiently binding soluble CD4, exhibited decreased gp120 shedding. These mutants were still sensitive to neutralization by soluble CD4, indicating that, for envelope glycoproteins exhibiting high affinity for soluble CD4, competitive inhibition may be more important than gp120 shedding for the antiviral effect.