CD4 protein

Patent Pending HIV-1 uses CD4 to gain entry into host T-cells and achieves this through its viral envelope protein known as gp120.[13] The binding to CD4 creates a shift in the conformation of gp120 allowing HIV-1 to bind to a co-receptor expressed on the host cell. These co-receptors are chemokine receptors CCR5 or CXCR4. Following a structural change in another viral protein (gp41), HIV inserts a fusion peptide into the host cell that allows the outer membrane of the virus to fuse with the cell membrane.