Cell fusion induced by herpes simplex is inhibited by hen egg-white lysozyme.
The formation of syncytia in cell monolayers infected with a macroplaque strain (MP) of herpes simplex virus was found to be inhibited by hen egg-white lysozyme. Inhibition was roughly proportional to the enzyme concentration. The virus titres in supernatant fluids of lysozyme-treated cultures were also reduced compared with untreated cultures. Control experiments excluded the possibility that lysozyme altered the virus viability and infectivity or impaired cell growth. Since lysozyme is a cationic protein, further experiments were performed in order to discover whether its antisyncytiogenic effect depended on its enzymatic activity or on its positive charge. Inhibition of the MP-induced polycaryocytosis was found to be caused by heat-inactivated lysozyme and three chemically-modified lysozymes with a higher positive charge (one retaining and two lacking enzymatic activity).
Cisani
G
G
Istituto di Microbiologia, Università di Genova, Italy.
Varaldo
P E
PE
Pompei
R
R
Valisena
S
S
Satta
G
G
D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; D002459:Cell Fusion / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006596:Hexosaminidases / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008248:Lysostaphin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009113:Muramidase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011107:Polylysine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000494:pharmacology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D011107:Polylysine; D012260:Ribonucleases; D006596:Hexosaminidases; D009113:Muramidase; D008248:Lysostaphin