title: Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus infection by the lectin jacalin and by a derived peptide showing a sequence similarity with gp120.
abstract: Jacalin is a plant lectin known to specifically induce the proliferation of CD4+ T lymphocytes in human. We demonstrate here that jacalin completely blocks human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in vitro infection of lymphoid cells. Jacalin does not bind the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120. Besides other T cell surface molecules, it interacts with CD4, the high-affinity receptor to HIV. Binding of jacalin to CD4 does not prevent gp120-CD4 interaction and does not inhibit virus binding and syncytia formation. The anti-HIV effect of the native lectin can be reproduced by its separated alpha-subunits. More importantly, we have defined in the alpha-chain of jacalin a 14-amino acid sequence which shows high similarities with a peptide of the second conserved domain of gp120. A synthetic peptide corresponding to this similar stretch also exerts a potent anti-HIV effect. This peptide is not mitogenic for peripheral blood mononuclear cells and does not inhibit anti-CD3-induced lymphocyte proliferation. These results make jacalin alpha chain-derived peptide a potentially valuable therapeutic agent for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U65, Université Montpellier II, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Favero
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corbeau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicolas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benkirane
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Travé
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aucouturier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rasheed
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Liautard
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037121:Plant Lectins
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D037102:Lectins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D037121:Plant Lectins; C043696:jacalin