Binding of Multivalent Anionic Porphyrins to V3 Loop Fragments of an HIV-1 Envelope and Their Antiviral Activity

Interactions of multivalent anionic porphyrins and their iron(III) complexes with cationic peptides. V3(Ba)-L and V3(IIIB), which correspond to those of the V3 loop regions of the gp120 envelope proteins of the HIV-1(Ba-L) and HIV-1(IIIB) strains, respectively, are studied by UV/Vis, circular dichroism. H-1 NMR, and EPR spectroscopy, a microcalorimetric titration method, and anti-HIV assays. Tetrakis(3,5-dicarboxylatophenyl)porphyrin (P1), tetrakis[4(3,5-dicarboxylatophenylmethoxy)phenyl]porphyrin (P2), and their ferric complexes (Fe (III)P1 and Fe(III)P2) were used as the multivalent anionic porphyrins. PI and Fe(III)P1 formed stable complexes with both V3 peptides (binding constant K > 10(6) M-1) through combined electrostatic and van der Waals interactions. Coordination of the His residues in V3(Ba-L) to the iron center of Fe(III)P1 also played an important role in the complex stabilization. As P2 and Fe(III)P2 form self-aggregates in aqueous solution even at low concentrations, detailed analysis of their interactions with the V3 peptides could not be performed. To ascertain whether the results obtained in the model system are applicable to a real biological system, anti-HIV-1(BA-L) and HIV-1(IIIB) activity of the porphyrins is exam ined by multiple nuclear activation of a galactosidase indicator (MAGI) and 3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl- tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. There is little correlation between chemical analysis and actual anti-HIV activity, and the size rather than the number of the anionic groups of the porphyrin is important for anti-HIV activity. All the porphyrins show high selectivity, low cytotoxicity. and high viral activity. Fe(III)P1 and Fe(III)P2 are used for the pharmacokinetic study. Half-lives of these iron porphyrins in serum of male Wistar rats are around 4 to 6 h owing to strong interaction of these porphyrins with serum albumin.