title: Melittin-loaded immunoliposomes against viral surface proteins, a new approach to antiviral therapy.
abstract: In this study, melittin, a well-characterized pore-forming lytic amphiphilic peptide susceptible to be vehiculized in lipid membranes, has been utilized to study their antiviral properties. For this purpose, an assay based on melittin loaded-immunoliposomes previously described by our group was adapted to antiviral purposes by means of monoclonal antibodies targeting the surface G glycoprotein of the fish viral haemorrhagic septicemia rhabdovirus (VHSV). We also studied the antiviral action of these immunoliposomes in vitro and the results showed that they are capable of inhibiting the VHSV infectivity by 95.2% via direct inactivation of the virus. Furthermore, the inhibition of the infectivity when treatments were added at different times post-infection and the analysis of the infection foci sizes suggested altogether that they also act by reducing the VHSV spread in cell culture and by killing the infected cells which express the G glycoprotein in their plasmatic membranes.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cell Biology Institute, Miguel Hernández University, Alicante, Spain. alberto.falcogracia@wur.nl
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falco
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrajón-Catalán
authors.forename: María P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Menéndez-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coll
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Micol
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estepa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D005399:Fishes; D008081:Liposomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008555:Melitten / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D029141:Novirhabdovirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D038301:Virus Inactivation
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D008081:Liposomes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D008555:Melitten