The alpha helix 1 from the first conserved region of HIV1 gp120 is reconstructed in the short NQ21 peptide

Investigations of short peptides that can be used in the next phase of synthetic HIV1 vaccine development are an urgent goal, as well as investigations of peptides that can be used in immunological tests with the aim to check the titer of antibodies against the alpha helix 1 from the first conserved region of HIV1 gp120 that are known to cause antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). The aim of this work was to study the structure of the NQ21 peptide corresponding to the less mutable part of the first conserved region of HIV1 gp120 (residues 94-114). The NQ21 peptide and its conjugate with biotin (biotin-NQ21) are absolutely alpha-helical in phosphate buffer solutions at pH = 6.8, 7.4 and 8.0, as well as in the dried form, according to the results of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Results of the native gel electrophoresis and thermal analysis under the control of spectrofluorometer and near UV circular dichroism (CD) showed that the peptide exists in form of octamers and tetramers at pH = 7.4, that is important information for further vaccine development. Strong signal of interacting Trp residues in oligomers in the far UV CD obscures the signal from secondary structure, but becomes less intensive during the heating.