Receptor Binding Domain Based HIV Vaccines

Figure 2

The envelope of HIV-1 carries spikes. (a) Each spike is made of three molecules of the surface glycoprotein gp120 and three molecules of the transmembrane glycoprotein gp41. Glycoprotein gp120 contains variable V1/V2 and V3 loops, as well as the binding site for CD4. (b) The binding sites of broadly acting and potent HIV-1-specific neutralizing antibodies are shown as coloured circles. The target sites investigated by the new studies (a site at the base of the V3 loop [64] and the CD4 binding site) are marked by green circles.