title: Concanavalin A-immobilized polystyrene nanospheres capture HIV-1 virions and gp120: potential approach towards prevention of viral transmission.
abstract: To establish an effective tool for the prevention of HIV-1 transmission, lectin-immobilized polystyrene nanospheres were synthesized and examined for their HIV-1 capture activity. When concanavalin A (Con A) was immobilized on the surface of polystyrene nanospheres (400 nm in diameter) with poly(methacrylic acid) branches and incubated with HIV-1 suspension at room temperature for 60 min, the nanospheres (Con A-NSs) achieved a >3.3 log and a 2.2 log reduction of viral infectivity in HIV-1 (IIIB strain) suspension at a concentration of 2 and 0.5 mg/ml, respectively. Meanwhile, Con A-free nanospheres, which were not immobilized with Con A, achieved only a 0.29 log reduction at 0.5 mg/ ml. Con A-NSs (2 mg/ml) could also reduce the gp120 level of III(B) and HE strains to <7.1% and 5.5% of each control, respectively. The combination of Con A-NS treatment followed by filtration with a microporous membrane efficiently removed virion-free gp120 as well as infectious viral particles from HIV-1 suspension. Electron microscopic examination demonstrated that HIV-1 virions were trapped on the surface of Con A-NSs. Thus, Con A-NSs can capture HIV-1 virions and gp120 with high affinity, and may have potential as an effective tool for the prevention of HIV-1 transmission.
authors.affiliation: Division of Human Retroviruses, Center for Chronic Viral Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niikawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takehara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serizawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akashi
mesh_terms: D003208:Concanavalin A; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008863:Microspheres; D011137:Polystyrenes; D014771:Virion / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D011137:Polystyrenes; D003208:Concanavalin A