Molecular mapping of epitopes for interaction of HIV-1 as well as natural ligands with the chemokine receptors, CCR5 and CXCR4.
OBJECTIVE: Mapping coreceptor epitopes used by the prototypic R5 and X4 strains, HIV-1BaL and HIV-1IIIB, in comparison with epitopes involved in the activation and signaling induced by the natural ligands, RANTES and SDF-1beta. DESIGN: Receptor hybrids between CCR5 and CXCR4 were constructed. METHODS: Using single-overlap and extension PCR, increasing portions of CCR5 were replaced with correspond
