Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains a threat to human health, particularly among immunocompromised and elderly individuals, given their heightened vulnerability to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated morbidity and mortality. Recently, omicron subvariants such as KP.3.1.1 and XEC have emerged with an enhanced ability to evade humoral immunity. The development of new strategies against these variants of concern remains an intense area of research. The small molecule VE607 is an entry inhibitor that targets the Spike glycoprotein and delays virus spread in vivo. To improve the potency of this new class of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors, we generated and characterized VE607 analogs and identified candidates with enhanced activity against variants, including KP.3.1.1 and XEC. Promising analogs exhibited higher inhibitory potency than the original compound and stabilized the receptor-binding domain in its "up" conformation. Among these, DY-III-281 also reduced viral burden and delayed death in SARS-CoV-2-challenged K18-hACE2 transgenic mice. Furthermore, combining DY-III-281 with a non-neutralizing antibody engineered for Fc-enhanced functions exhibited an additive effect in reducing SARS-CoV-2-induced disease burden in mice. Our findings support the continued development of small-molecule entry inhibitors, alone or in combination with antibody-based therapies, as a promising strategy to counteract emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. IMPORTANCE:Mutations in the Spike glycoprotein drive viral evolution and confer resistance to current vaccines and some therapeutic interventions against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we report new analogs of the SARS-CoV-2 small-molecule entry inhibitor VE607. These analogs exhibited improved potency against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, including KP.3.1.1 and XEC. One analog, DY-III-281, delayed viral replication in SARS-CoV-2WA1-challenged K18-hACE2 transgenic mice, suggesting that small-molecule compounds targeting viral entry might be useful in fighting evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The continued evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) requires persistent monitoring of its subvariants. Omicron subvariants are responsible for the vast majority of SARS-CoV-2 infections worldwide, with XBB and BA.2.86 sublineages representing more than 90% of circulating strains as of January 2024. To better understand parameters involved in viral transmission, we characterized the functional properties of Spike glycoproteins from BA.2.75, CH.1.1, DV.7.1, BA.4/5, BQ.1.1, XBB, XBB.1, XBB.1.16, XBB.1.5, FD.1.1, EG.5.1, HK.3, BA.2.86 and JN.1. We tested their capacity to evade plasma-mediated recognition and neutralization, binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), their susceptibility to cold inactivation, Spike processing, as well as the impact of temperature on Spike-ACE2 interaction. We found that compared to the early wild-type (D614G) strain, most Omicron subvariants' Spike glycoproteins evolved to escape recognition and neutralization by plasma from individuals who received a fifth dose of bivalent (BA.1 or BA.4/5) mRNA vaccine and improve ACE2 binding, particularly at low temperatures. Moreover, BA.2.86 had the best affinity for ACE2 at all temperatures tested. We found that Omicron subvariants’ Spike processing is associated with their susceptibility to cold inactivation. Intriguingly, we found that Spike-ACE2 binding at low temperature was significantly associated with growth rates of Omicron subvariants in humans. Overall, we report that Spikes from newly emerged Omicron subvariants are relatively more stable and resistant to plasma-mediated neutralization, present improved affinity for ACE2 which is associated, particularly at low temperatures, with their growth rates.IMPORTANCEThe persistent evolution of SARS-CoV-2 gave rise to a wide range of variants harboring new mutations in their Spike glycoproteins. Several factors have been associated with viral transmission and fitness such as plasma-neutralization escape and ACE2 interaction. To better understand whether additional factors could be of importance in SARS-CoV-2 variants’ transmission, we characterize the functional properties of Spike glycoproteins from several Omicron subvariants. We found that the Spike glycoprotein of Omicron subvariants presents an improved escape from plasma-mediated recognition and neutralization, Spike processing, and ACE2 binding which was further improved at low temperature. Intriguingly, Spike-ACE2 interaction at low temperature is strongly associated with viral growth rate, as such, low temperatures could represent another parameter affecting viral transmission.

The ability of the HIV-1 accessory proteins Nef and Vpu to decrease CD4 protects infected cells from antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by limiting the exposure of vulnerable epitopes to envelope glycoprotein (Env). Small-molecule CD4 mimetics (CD4mcs) based on piperidine scaffolds represent a new family of agents capable of sensitizing HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC by exposing CD4-induced (CD4i) epitopes on Env that are recognized by non-neutralizing antibodies which are abundant in plasma of people living with HIV. Here, we employed the combined methods of parallel synthesis, structure-based design, and optimization to generate a new line of piperidine-based CD4mcs, which sensitize HIV-1 infected cells to ADCC activity. The X-ray crystallographic study of the CD4mcs within the gp120 residues suggests that the positioning of the CD4mc inside the Phe43 cavity and synergistic contact of the CD4mc with the β20-21 loop and the α1-helix lead to improved antiviral activity.

The continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 requires persistent monitoring of its subvariants. Omicron subvariants are responsible for the vast majority of SARS-CoV-2 infections worldwide, with XBB and BA.2.86 sublineages representing more than 90% of circulating strains as of January 2024. In this study, we characterized the functional properties of Spike glycoproteins from BA.2.75, CH.1.1, DV.7.1, BA.4/5, BQ.1.1, XBB, XBB.1, XBB.1.16, XBB.1.5, FD.1.1, EG.5.1, HK.3 BA.2.86 and JN.1. We tested their capacity to evade plasma-mediated recognition and neutralization, ACE2 binding, their susceptibility to cold inactivation, Spike processing, as well as the impact of temperature on Spike-ACE2 interaction. We found that compared to the early wild-type (D614G) strain, most Omicron subvariants Spike glycoproteins evolved to escape recognition and neutralization by plasma from individuals who received a fifth dose of bivalent (BA.1 or BA.4/5) mRNA vaccine and improve ACE2 binding, particularly at low temperatures. Moreover, BA.2.86 had the best affinity for ACE2 at all temperatures tested. We found that Omicron subvariants Spike processing is associated with their susceptibility to cold inactivation. Intriguingly, we found that Spike-ACE2 binding at low temperature was significantly associated with growth rates of Omicron subvariants in humans. Overall, we report that Spikes from newly emerged Omicron subvariants are relatively more stable and resistant to plasma-mediated neutralization, present improved affinity for ACE2 which is associated, particularly at low temperatures, with their growth rates.

The ability of the HIV-1 accessory proteins Nef and Vpu to decrease CD4 levels contributes to the protection of infected cells from antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by preventing the exposure of Env vulnerable epitopes. Small-molecule CD4 mimetics (CD4mc) based on the indane and piperidine scaffolds such as (+)-BNM-III-170 and (S)-MCG-IV-210 sensitize HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC by exposing CD4-induced (CD4i) epitopes recognized by non-neutralizing antibodies that are abundantly present in plasma from people living with HIV. Here, we characterize a new family of CD4mc, (S)-MCG-IV-210 derivatives, based on the piperidine scaffold which engages the gp120 within the Phe43 cavity by targeting the highly conserved Asp368 Env residue. We utilized structure-based approaches and developed a series of piperidine analogs with improved activity to inhibit the infection of difficult-to-neutralize tier-2 viruses and sensitize infected cells to ADCC mediated by HIV+ plasma. Moreover, the new analogs formed an H-bond with the α-carboxylic acid group of Asp368, opening a new avenue to enlarge the breadth of this family of anti-Env small molecules. Overall, the new structural and biological attributes of these molecules make them good candidates for strategies aimed at the elimination of HIV-1-infected cells.

Binding to the host cell receptors, CD4 and CCR5/CXCR4, triggers large-scale conformational changes in the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer [(gp120/gp41) 3 ] that promote virus entry into the cell. CD4-mimetic compounds (CD4mcs) comprise small organic molecules that bind in the highly conserved CD4-binding site of gp120 and prematurely induce inactivating Env conformational changes, including shedding of gp120 from the Env trimer. By inducing more “open,” antibody-susceptible Env conformations, CD4mcs also sensitize HIV-1 virions to neutralization by antibodies and infected cells to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Here, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel CD4mcs based on an indoline scaffold. Compared with our current lead indane scaffold CD4mc, BNM-III-170, several indoline CD4mcs exhibit increased potency and breadth against HIV-1 variants from different geographic clades. Viruses that were selected for resistance to the lead indane CD4mc, BNM-III-170, are susceptible to inhibition by the indoline CD4mcs. The indoline CD4mcs also potently sensitize HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC mediated by plasma from HIV-1-infected individuals. Crystal structures indicate that the indoline CD4mcs gain potency compared to the indane CD4mcs through more favorable π–π overlap from the indoline pose and by making favorable contacts with the vestibule of the CD4-binding pocket on gp120. The rational design of indoline CD4mcs thus holds promise for further improvements in antiviral activity, potentially contributing to efforts to treat and prevent HIV-1 infection.

The time–temperature superposition principle (TTSP) is a promising tool for filling the time-scale gap between molecular dynamics simulation and experiments in polymer systems. Here we propose a molecular dynamics approach to generate vinyl-ester (VE)/styrene (ST) thermoset modulus master curves that are comparable to experiments. Using this approach we generate modulus master curves for VE/ST systems which were generated with various relative reactivity ratios and therefore with vastly different network architectures. The master curves show that, while network architecture is irrelevant for glassy-state moduli measured either at low temperature or high frequencies, it can strongly determine rubbery-state behavior measured at high temperatures or low frequencies. The most important aspects of network architecture are the length of dangling chains and the molecular weight between crosslinks Mc, both of which depend on the relative reactivity of vinyl ester to styrene. We show that the modulus in the transition region between the glassy and rubbery states decreases with increasing Mc at constant monomer composition. Our results provide an explanation for the observation that processing conditions that can affect relative reactivity, such as the processing temperature, can influence Mc and dictate material properties through specific topological features of the cured networks.

SARS-CoV-2 infection of host cells starts by binding of the Spike glycoprotein (S) to the ACE2 receptor. The S-ACE2 interaction is a potential target for therapies against COVID-19 as demonstrated by the development of immunotherapies blocking this interaction. Here, we present the commercially available VE607, comprised of three stereoisomers, that was originally described as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-1. We show that VE607 specifically inhibits infection of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 S-expressing pseudoviral particles as well as authentic SARS-CoV-2. VE607 stabilizes the receptor binding domain (RBD) in its "up" conformation. In silico docking and mutational analysis map the VE607 binding site at the RBD-ACE2 interface. The IC 50 values are in the low micromolar range for pseudoparticles derived from SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan/D614G as well as from variants of concern (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron), suggesting that VE607 has potential for the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2 infections.

The envelope glycoprotein (Env) spike on the surface of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mediates the entry of the virus into host cells and is also the target for antibodies. During virus entry, Env needs to change shape. Env flexibility also contributes to the ability of HIV-1 to evade the host immune response; many shapes of Env raise antibodies that cannot recognize the functional Env and therefore do not block virus infection. We found that an HIV-1 entry inhibitor, BMS-806, stabilizes the functional shape of Env. We developed new variants of BMS-806 that stabilize Env in its natural state for long periods of time. The availability of such long-acting stabilizers of Env shape will allow the natural Env conformation to be characterized and tested for efficacy as a vaccine.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) entry into cells is mediated by the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer, which consists of three gp120 exterior glycoproteins and three gp41 transmembrane glycoproteins. When gp120 binds sequentially to the receptors CD4 and CCR5 on the target cell, the metastable Env trimer is triggered to undergo entry-related conformational changes. PF-68742 is a small molecule that inhibits the infection of a subset of HIV-1 strains by interfering with an Env function other than receptor binding. Determinants of HIV-1 resistance to PF-68742 map to the disulfide loop and fusion peptide of gp41. Of the four possible PF-68742 stereoisomers, only one, MF275, inhibited the infection of CD4-positive CCR5-positive cells by some HIV-1 strains. MF275 inhibition of these HIV-1 strains occurred after CD4 binding but before the formation of the gp41 six-helix bundle. Unexpectedly, MF275 activated the infection of CD4-negative CCR5-positive cells by several HIV-1 strains resistant to the inhibitory effects of the compound in CD4-positive target cells. In contrast to CD4 complementation by CD4-mimetic compounds, activation of CD4-independent infection by MF275 did not depend upon the availability of the gp120 Phe 43 cavity. Sensitivity to inhibitors indicates that MF275-activated virus entry requires formation/exposure of the gp41 heptad repeat (HR1) as well as CCR5 binding. MF275 apparently activates a virus entry pathway parallel to that triggered by CD4 and CD4-mimetic compounds. Strain-dependent divergence in Env conformational transitions allows different outcomes, inhibition or activation, in response to MF275. Understanding the mechanisms of MF275 activity should assist efforts to optimize its utility. IMPORTANCE Envelope glycoprotein (Env) spikes on the surface of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) bind target cell receptors, triggering changes in the shape of Env. We studied a small molecule, MF275, that also induced shape changes in Env. The consequences of MF275 interaction with Env depended on the HIV-1 strain, with infection by some viruses inhibited and infection by other viruses enhanced. These studies reveal the strain-dependent diversity of HIV-1 Envs as they undergo shape changes in proceeding down the entry pathway. Appreciation of this diversity will assist attempts to develop broadly active inhibitors of HIV-1 entry.

The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer mediates cell entry and is conformationally dynamic(1-8.) Imaging by single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) has revealed that, on the surface of intact virions, mature pre-fusion Env transitions from a pre-triggered conformation (state 1) through a default intermediate conformation (state 2) to a conformation in which it is bound to three CD4 receptor molecules (state 3)(8-10). It is currently unclear how these states relate to known structures. Breakthroughs in the structural characterization of the HIV-1 Env trimer have previously been achieved by generating soluble and proteolytically cleaved trimers of gp140 Env that are stabilized by a disulfide bond, an isoleucine-to-proline substitution at residue 559 and a truncation at residue 664 (SOSIP. 664 trimers)(5,11-18). Cryo-electron microscopy studies have been performed with C-terminally truncated Env of the HIV-1(JR-FL) strain in complex with the antibody PGT151(19). Both approaches have revealed similar structures for Env. Although these structures have been presumed to represent the pre-triggered state 1 of HIV-1 Env, this hypothesis has never directly been tested. Here we use smFRET to compare the conformational states of Env trimers used for structural studies with native Env on intact virus. We find that the constructs upon which extant high-resolution structures are based predominantly occupy downstream conformations that represent states 2 and 3. Therefore, the structure of the pretriggered state-1 conformation of viral Env that has been identified by smFRET and that is preferentially stabilized by many broadly neutralizing antibodies-and thus of interest for the design of immunogens-remains unknown.

The design, synthesis and validation of a family of small molecule “Dual-Action Virucidal EntryInhibitors” (DAVEIs) has been achieved that result in irreversible lytic inactivation of HIV-1 virions. These constructs contained two functional components that endow the capacity to bindsimultaneously to both the gp120 and gp41 subunits of the HIV-1 Envelope glycoprotein (Env). One component is derived from BNM-III-170, a small molecule CD4 mimic warhead that binds togp120. The second component, a Trp3 peptide, is a 9-amino acid segment based on the gp41 Membrane Proximal External Region (MPER) that has been proposed to bind to the gp41 MPERdomain of the Env. The resulting smDAVEIs both inhibit infection with low micromolar potency and induce lysis of the HIV-1 virion. The lytic activity was selective for functional HIV-1 virions. Crucially, virolysis was found to be dependent on covalent tethering of the BNM-III-170 and Trp3 domains with various spacers, as coadministration of the un-crosslinked components proved not to be lytic. Computational modeling supports a mechanism in which DAVEIs bind to open-state Env trimers and induce relative motion of gp120 subunits that further opens the trimers. Overall, this work represents a promising new step toward the use of small-molecule DAVEIs for eradication of HIV.

Styrene-based thermoset polymers using vinyl ester crosslinkers offer the potential ability to tune material properties via control of network topology, measured primarily by the distribution of poly(styrene) molecular weight between vinyl esters. Clearly, demonstrating a relationship between topology and properties in the glassy state has so far proven difficult using experimental approaches. Here, an approach to control network topology in molecular simulations of randomly crosslinking systems via relative reactivity is presented. Several models of nearly fully cured (vinyl ester)/styrene (VE/ST) thermosets at fixed monomer composition but with a large range of distributions of molecular weight between crosslinks, M c , are generated. It is found that fully cured VE/ST thermosets have glass transition temperatures and glassy Young's moduli that are insensitive to M c distributions at fixed monomer composition. Using extreme cases of relative reactivity, it is also established that glassy-state thermomechanical properties are sensitive to the overall density of crosslinks.

The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer mediates virus entry into cells. The "closed" conformation of Env is resistant to nonneutralizing antibodies (nnAbs). These antibodies mostly recognize occluded epitopes that can be exposed upon binding of CD4 or small-molecule CD4 mimetics (CD4mc). Here, we describe a new family of small molecules that expose Env to nnAbs and sensitize infected cells to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). These compounds have a limited capacity to inhibit virus infection directly but are able to sensitize viral particles to neutralization by otherwise nonneutralizing antibodies. Structural analysis shows that some analogs of this family of CD4mc engage the gp120 Phe43 cavity by contacting the highly conserved D368 residue, making them attractive scaffolds for drug development. IMPORTANCE HIV-1 has evolved multiple strategies to avoid humoral responses. One efficient mechanism is to keep its envelope glycoprotein (Env) in its "closed" conformation. Here, we report on a new family of small molecules that are able to "open up" Env, thus exposing vulnerable epitopes. This new family of molecules binds in the Phe43 cavity and contacts the highly conserved D368 residue. The structural and biological attributes of molecules of this family make them good candidates for drug development.

The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Amos B. Smith, III, which was incorrectly given as Amos B. SmithIII. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Polyamine crosslinkers functionalized with pendant fatty acids are commercially used in epoxy coatings in part to enhance water barrier properties for corrosion prevention. However, a systematic understanding of the links between monomer molecular structure and material properties of such systems remains elusive, which limits our ability to design newer and more environmentally friendly coating systems. In this dissertation, the effect of n-alkyl chain length in fatty-acid-functionalized polyamines on the properties of crosslinked epoxy-amidoamine systems is studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Simulations are compared with experiments whenever available. Both experiments and simulations show that density decreases and volume expansion coefficients increase with increasing pendant chain length. Furthermore, it is shown that the trends in density and coefficient of volume thermal expansion with chain length obtained from simulations are consistent with an ideal mixing approximation. Interestingly, however, the glass-transition temperature Tg is found to be insensitive to chain length. Molecular simulations reveal that increasing the alkyl chain length from four to ten carbons does not introduce new flexibility mechanisms to the dense thermosets which explains the Tg insensitivity. The mechanical properties of epoxy-amidoamine systems were also analyzed. The glassy-state Young's modulus was estimated using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and compared with experiments. Both simulations and experiments showed that Young's modulus decreases with increase in n. Stress partitioning based on molecular interaction types showed that both Lennard-Jones and covalent bond interactions were responsible for this sensitivity, with Coulombic interactions playing no significant role. The dependence of Young's modulus on n was strain-rate dependent in the simulations, with moderate to high strain rates showing no sensitivity. A strong correlation was observed between Young's modulus from non-equilibrium MD and volume fraction of methylenes estimated from equilibrium MD. Poissons ratios of all systems predicted from the simulations were insensitive to n, indicating a lack of anisotropy. The yield stress and strain hardening modulus were predicted for two systems with and without the alkyl chain (n=10). It was found that the thermoset with alkyl chain had lower yield stress and strain hardening modulus compared to the one without. Stress partitioning revealed that LJ (Lennard-Jones) and covalent interactions contribute significantly to the yield stress and the strain hardening modulus with electrostatic interactions having no significant effect. It was found that the lower yield stress is due to the dilution effect. The decrease in strain hardening modulus is due to both dilution effect and LJ (Lennard-Jones) interactions of methylenes in the network. This dissertation demonstrates some new and generic ways to assess the role of inter and intra-molecular interactions of molecular constituents on the properties of the crosslinked networks using molecular dynamics which are otherwise difficult or impossible to obtain from experiments and therefore may provide sounder rationale for molecular-based design of epoxy-based coatings.

We study the thermodynamic stability of the native state of the human prion protein using a new free-energy method, replica-exchange on-the-fly paramaterization. This method is designed to overcome hidden-variable sampling limitations to yield nearly error-free free-energy profiles along a conformational coordinate. We confirm that all four (M129V,D178N) polymorphs have a ground-state conformation with three intact beta-sheet hydrogen bonds. Additionally, they are observed to have distinct metastabilities determined by the side-chain at position 129. We rationalize these findings with reference to the prion "strain" hypothesis, which links the variety of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy phenotypes to conformationally distinct infectious prion forms and classifies distinct phenotypes of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease based solely on the 129 polymorphism. Because such metastable structures are not easily observed in structural experiments, our approach could potentially provide new insights into the conformational origins of prion diseases and other pathologies arising from protein misfolding and aggregation.

Peptide triazole (PT) antagonists interact with gp120 subunits of HIV-1 Env trimers to block host cell receptor interactions, trigger gp120 shedding, irreversibly inactivate virus and inhibit infection. Despite these enticing functions, understanding the structural mechanism of PT-Env trimer encounter has been limited. In this work, we combined competition interaction analysis and computational simulation to demonstrate PT binding to the recombinant soluble trimer, BG505 SOSIP.664, a stable variant that resembles native virus spikes in binding to CD4 receptor as well as known conformationally-dependent Env antibodies. Binding specificity and computational modeling fit with encounter through complementary PT pharmacophore Ile-triazolePro-Trp interaction with a 2-subsite cavity in the Env gp120 subunit of SOSIP trimer similar to that in monomeric gp120. These findings argue that PTs are able to recognize and bind a closed prefusion state of Env trimer upon HIV-1 encounter. The results provide a structural model of how PTs exert their function on virion trimeric spike protein and a platform to inform future antagonist design. Proteins 2017; 85:843–851. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

We previously reported a first-generation recombinant DAVEI construct, a dual action virus entry inhibitor composed of cyanovirin-N (CVN) fused to a membrane proximal external region or its derivative peptide Trp3. DAVEI exhibits potent and irreversible inactivation of HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) viruses by dual engagement of gp120 and gp41. However, the promiscuity of CVN to associate with multiple glycosylation sites in gp120 and its multivalency limit current understanding of the molecular arrangement of the DAVEI molecules on trimeric spike. Here, we constructed and investigated the virolytic function of second-generation DAVEI molecules using a simpler lectin, microvirin (MVN). MVN is a monovalent lectin with a single glycan-binding site in gp120, is structurally similar to CVN and exhibits no toxicity or mitogenicity, both of which are liabilities with CVN. We found that, like CVN-DAVEI-L2-3Trp (peptide sequence DKWASLWNW), MVN-DAVEI2-3Trp exploits a similar mechanism of action for inducing HIV-1 lytic inactivation, but by more selective gp120 glycan engagement. By sequence redesign, we significantly increased the potency of MVN-DAVEI2-3Trp protein. Unlike CVN-DAVEI2-3Trp, re-engineered MVN-DAVEI2-3Trp(Q81K/M83R) virolytic activity and its interaction with gp120 were both competed by 2G12 antibody. That the lectin domain in DAVEIs can utilize MVN without loss of virolytic function argues that restricted HIV-1 Env (envelope glycoprotein) glycan engagement is sufficient for virolysis. It also shows that DAVEI lectin multivalent binding with gp120 is not required for virolysis. MVN-DAVEI2-3Trp(Q81K/M83R) provides an improved tool to elucidate productive molecular arrangements of Env-DAVEI enabling virolysis and also opens the way to form DAVEI fusions made up of gp120-binding small molecules linked to Trp3 peptide.