Cyanovirin-N (CVN), a small lectin isolated from cyanobacteria, exemplifies a novel class of anti-HIV agents that act by binding to the highly glycosylated envelope protein gp120, resulting in inhibition of the crucial viral entry step. Here, we summarize recent work in our lab and others towards determining the crucial role of multivalency in the antiviral activity, and we discuss features that contribute to the high specificity and affinity for the glycan ligand observed in CVN. An integrated approach that encompasses structural determination, mutagenesis analysis, and computational work holds particular promise to clarify the aspects of the interactions between cyanovirin-N and glycans.

Antiviral lectin cyanovirin-N: Probing multivalency and glycan recognition through experimental and computational approaches

248th National Meeting (2014)

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