title: Antiviral and immunoregulatory effect of a novel exopolysaccharide from a marine thermotolerant Bacillus licheniformis.
abstract: EPS-1 is a novel extracellular polysaccharide produced by a strain of thermotolerant Bacillus licheniformis, isolated from a shallow marine hot spring of Vulcano Island (Italy). In this paper, antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of EPS-1 were evaluated. It was found that EPS-1 treatment impaired HSV-2 replication in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) but not in WISH cells. Since several cytokines modulate the immune response to viruses, Th1- and Th2-type cytokines were assayed in supernatants of PBMC in different experimental conditions. EPS-1 induced IL-12, IFN-gamma, IFN-alpha, TNF-alpha and IL-18, but not IL-4. Thus, the antiviral effect of EPS-1 on PBMC seems to be related to the pattern of cytokines induced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Science, Unit of Microbiology, Medicine Faculty, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy. aarena@unime.it
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: Teresa L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Maugeri
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pavone
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iannello
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gugliandolo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bisignano
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001407:Bacillus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013696:Temperature; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial