The role of cell-surface proteoglycans in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of T-cell lines was investigated. HIV-1-susceptible lymphoblastic T-cell lines, MT-4 and H9, were analyzed for proteoglycan synthesis and found to make heparan sulfate (HS) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. Enzymatic treatment of these cells with heparitinase, but not chondroitinase, significantly prevented HIV-1(IIIB) infection as measured by inhibition of cytopathicity, reverse transcriptase production, and syncytia formation. Sulfation of glycosaminoglycans HS chains was critical to viral entry as shown by inhibition of viral infection with sodium chlorate and its specific reversal with exogenous sulfate addition. Quantitation of direct virus binding to cells showed that treatment of cells with heparitinase inhibited HIV-1 binding to the T-cell surface. Exogenous HS added to cultures inhibited virus infection in a manner analogous to dextran sulfate, further supporting a functional role for HS in HIV-1 binding. These results provide evidence for participation of cell-surface HS proteoglycans in HIV-cell attachment and virus entry.

The diphenyl derivative of 4H-1,2,4,5-thiatriazine (5) was prepared by oxidative cyclization of 9. The molecular structure of 5, obtained by X-ray diffraction [orthorhombic, Pna2(1), a = 9.7746(13) A, b = 21.692(2) A, c = 5.6580(8) A], compares favorably with that predicted with ab initio calculations. The thiatriazine 5 was used as a precursor to the 3,6-diphenyl-1,2,4,5-thiatriazinyl radical (4) through either oxidation with PbO(2), or conversion to and reduction of sulfiminyl chloride 6 with Ph(3)Sb. The weak ESR quintet (a(N) = 1.03 mT, g = 2.0103) observed in the latter case correlates well with the molecular structure of 4, but the results of DFT calculations are ambiguous. Ab initio calculations show that 4H-1,2, 4,5-thiatriazine (I-4H) is the most stable tautomer and is the second most stable isomer among the six possible thiatriazines. All isomeric thiatriazinyl radicals exhibit similar spin distribution patterns. 1,2,4,5-Thiatriazinyl radical (I-R) is calculated to be 23. 1 kcal/mol less stable than the most stable 1,2,4,6 isomer II-R.

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