Removal of a single N-linked glycan in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp120 results in an enhanced ability to induce neutralizing antibody responses.

Glycans on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope protein play an important role in infection and evasion from host immune responses. To examine the role of specific glycans, we introduced single or multiple mutations into potential N-linked glycosylation sites in hypervariable regions (V1 to V3) of the env gene of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) 89.6.