Effects of succinylated concanavalin A on infectivity and syncytial formation of human immunodeficiency virus

• Published in: Medical microbiology and immunology Vol. 179; no. 5; p. 225
• Main Authors: Matsui, T, Kobayashi, S, Yoshida, O, Ishii, S, Abe, Y, Yamamoto, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.01.1990
• Subjects: Cell Fusion - drug effects; Cell Line; Concanavalin A - analogs & derivatives; Concanavalin A - pharmacology; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral - drug effects; HIV - drug effects; HIV - pathogenicity; HIV - physiology; Humans; Lectins - pharmacology; Receptors, Virus - drug effects
• ISSN: 0300-8584
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00192460

The effects of various lectins on the infectivity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 was investigated. Among the 25 lectins investigated, 2 types of concanavalin A (Con A) and 3 types of phytohemagglutinin were found to inhibit HIV infection. Succinylated Con A (S-Con A) efficiently blocked HIV-induced formation of syncytia in a coculture of MOLT-4 cells and blocked cell-free infection by HIV of MT-4 cells. The HIV-binding study revealed that S-Con A only partially inhibited viral binding to cells, although the control Leu-3a monoclonal antibody strongly inhibited it. When S-Con A was added to cultures after the initiation of viral adsorption, the number of HIV antigen-positive cells that developed depended on the time interval before addition of the compound. S-Con A inhibited HIV infection even after viral binding to cells at 0 degrees C and further incubation at 37 degrees C for 1 day. These data suggest that S-Con A inhibited mainly the fusion process rather than viral binding to cells in exerting its anti-HIV activity.