Ozone May Inactivate HIV by Reducing gp120-CD4 Binding Affinity, Lysing the HIV Lipid Envelope, and Oxidizing the HIV Core
DT: Late 1993
AU: Oscar K.H. Hsu
SO: Department of Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and
Developmental Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
AB: In vitro studies have demonstrated that the ozonation of
human blood inactivates HIV. This paper describes a
biochemical framework whereby ozone may inactivate HIV by
attacking solvent accessible amino acids in the gp120 and
ply-unsaturated fatty acids in the virus' lipid envelope.
Ozone may reduce gp120-CD4 binding affinity by converting
gp120's Trp-427 into kynurenine and dehydroxylating Tyr-435.
These two amino acids form gp120's hydrophobic receptor for
the CD4 Phe-43 ligand; oxidation of these two solvent-
accessible amino acids probably alters the conformation of
gp120's hydrophobic receptor substantially. Additionally,
disruption of HIV membrane integrity by the ozone-lipid
reaction products, hydrogen peroxide and lipid-derived
aldehydes, could result in the oxidation of the HIV core by
a host of pathways. This cascade of events, initiated by
ozone, provides a plausible biochemical framework for the
inactivation of HIV in human blood.