Christopher Gu

TL;DR: An ~11-Å cryo-EM structure of the trimeric HIV-1 Env precursor in its unliganded state is described, which consists of a cage-like structure with an interior void surrounding the trimer axis and restricts antibody access.

TL;DR: Increased sampling of state 2 is an Env conformation on the virus entry pathway enhances the ability of HIV-1 to infect cells that express low levels of the CD4 receptor and allows the virus to evade neutralizing antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors.

TL;DR: Exogenous membrane-anchored Envs, which can be produced in large quantities in mammalian cells, also display a virion-like glycan profile, where the glycoprotein is extensively decorated with high-mannose glycans, a carbohydrate profile that would be desirable to mimic with a vaccine.

TL;DR: The Env trimer architecture provides mechanistic insights into the metastability of the unliganded state, receptor-induced conformational changes, and quaternary structure-based strategies for immune evasion.

TL;DR: Develop compounds that inhibit the CD4-induced conformational changes in Env and show that the gp120 β20-β21 element is a key regulator for Env transitions, providing insights into the molecular mechanism and vulnerability of HIV-1 entry.