Molecular structure analysis of proteins related to human immunodeficiency virus/human T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus (HIV/HTLV) pathogenesis related growth and regulatory factors and prevention of disease: Aspects of cell-receptor binding and signaling responses to viral proteins, inflammatory growth factors, e.g., basic fibroblast growth factor and extracellular matrix proteins, humoral and cellular immune response to HIV and HTLV proteins, and vaccine design are being studied by combined approaches of peptide synthesis, physiological function, and molecular modeling. Viral pathogenesis: Recent work on the structure and function of viral proteins and peptides has led to the findings that sequences of HIV structural and regulatory proteins can alter the regulation, both positively and negatively, of T-cell activation as monitored by intracellular Ca++ flux. Detailed characterization of the mechanism of these reactivities is in progress. The HIV/simian immunodeficiency virus/HTLV envelope binding sites of neutralizing, non-neutralizing, and cross-reactive antibodies have been identified and their structural and functional properties are being determined. Applications to vaccine design are being studied. Methodology and instrumentation have been designed and installed to provide powerful, new analytical capabilities for measurement of cellular adhesion, intracellular signaling processes related to virus infection and alteration of normal growth processes.
