Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42515553›Full record

ArticleViruses2026

Non-Canonical Binding of Nelfinavir in HIV-1 Protease Variants Reveals Structural Mechanisms of Antiretroviral Resistance.

Christian Cadena-Cruz, Marcio De Avila-Arias, Fabio Guzmán, Mariana Pérez, María Angelica Zuluaga, Elkin Navarro Quiroz, Alejandro Angulo, Luz Elena Prieto Garcerant, Hector Rodríguez Rojas, Dinno Alberto Fernández Chica and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Viruses, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Christian Cadena-CruzPrograma de Bacteriología, Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia.ORCID 0000-0001-6282-6762
Marcio De Avila-AriasGrupo GIBAC (Grupo de Investigación Básicas y Clínicas), Fundación Universitaria San Martín (FUSM), Puerto Colombia 081007, Colombia.ORCID 0000-0001-7637-5106
Fabio GuzmánPrograma de Microbiología, Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia.ORCID 0000-0003-3746-5277
Mariana PérezIndependent Researcher, Barranquilla 080020, Colombia.
María Angelica ZuluagaIndependent Researcher, Barranquilla 080020, Colombia.ORCID 0009-0006-1126-1144
Elkin Navarro QuirozFacultad de Ciencias Básicas y Biomédicas, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia.ORCID 0000-0001-7567-6409
Alejandro AnguloIndependent Researcher, Barranquilla 080020, Colombia.ORCID 0000-0001-9642-3048
Luz Elena Prieto GarcerantEspecialización en Medicina Interna, Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia.ORCID 0009-0008-7966-2942
Hector Rodríguez RojasEspecialización en Medicina Interna, Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia.
Dinno Alberto Fernández ChicaEspecialización en Medicina Interna, Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia.
Guillermo CervantesIndependent Researcher, Barranquilla 080020, Colombia.
Jose Luis Villarreal-CamachoPrograma de Medicina, Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia.ORCID 0000-0002-7240-7462

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAntiretroviral resistance-associated mutations, within the broader context of HIV-1 genetic variability, represent a growing challenge for HIV-1 control, highlighting the need for continuous molecular surveillance and mechanistic understanding of drug resistance. This study aimed to characterize mutations in the pol gene associated with resistance to protease inhibitors and to explore their structural implications.

methodsViral RNA was extracted from plasma samples of HIV-positive patients, and a 266 bp fragment of the HIV-1 pol gene was amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced using the Sanger method. Sequences showing ≥98% homology were aligned and analyzed using MEGA v11 and the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database to identify resistance-associated mutations, while viral subtypes were determined using COMET, jpHMM-HIV, and STAR tools. Amino acid sequences were used for structural modeling with AlphaFold, followed by molecular docking with Nelfinavir using the CB-Dock2 server.

resultsFour samples exhibited resistance-associated profiles, including high-level, intermediate, and low-level resistance, with one isolate showing high-level resistance to multiple protease inhibitors. Structural analyses revealed that Nelfinavir preferentially binds to alternative hydrophobic cavities rather than the canonical catalytic site, lacking direct interactions with the Asp25/Asp25' dyad.

conclusionsThese findings suggest a structural mechanism of resistance based on non-canonical ligand binding that may impair effective protease inhibition.

Indexed as

Drug Resistance, ViralHIV-1HIV ProteaseHIV Protease InhibitorsNelfinavirHIV InfectionsHumansMolecular Docking SimulationMutationProtein BindingHIV ProteaseHIV Protease InhibitorsNelfinavirp16 protease, Human immunodeficiency virus 1antiretroviralinteractionsmutationsnon-canonical bindingresistance

Identifiers

PMID42515553
PMCPMC13431487

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.