title: Synthetic hexapeptides derived from the transmembrane envelope proteins of retroviruses suppress N-formylpeptide-induced monocyte polarization.
abstract: Retroviral infections are frequently associated with immunosuppression. Retroviral transmembrane envelope proteins (TM proteins) play an important role in this phenomenon. CKS-17, a synthetic heptadecapeptide, represents the immunosuppressive site of these retroviral TM proteins. Here we support on the further delineation of this immunosuppressive site using CKS-17-derived hexapeptides. The N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced monocyte polarization assay was used throughout this study because this monocyte function has been shown to be highly sensitive to TM protein p15E-related immunosuppression. We found that in addition to CKS-17 one CKS-17-derived hexapeptide, LDLLFL, reversibly inhibited monocyte polarization, with 50% inhibitory concentrations of 20 and 2 microM respectively. LDLLFL-mediated inhibition was sequence specific because the reverse peptide LFLLDL and scrambled peptides were not inhibitory. Hexapeptides corresponding to LDLLFL, but derived from various retroviruses other than murine leukemia virus, also inhibited monocyte polarization. Peptides most homologous to LDLLFL-LDILFL (feline leukemia virus) and LDLLFW (human T lymphotropic virus types I and II)--were the most potent inhibitors. Peptides homologous to primate and human endogenous proviruses were not suppressive. LDLLFL and some of its homologous also inhibited polarization of neutrophilic granulocytes. These findings lend further support to the view that conserved retroviral TM protein-related peptides can play an important role in suppression of inflammatory cell function as encountered in retrovirus-associated immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Free University Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Oostendorp
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Schaaper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Meloen
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Scheper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000737:chemistry*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine