Journal
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 6, Issue 10, Pages 995-1001Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/ni1248
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Intramural NIH HHS Funding Source: Medline
- NCRR NIH HHS [RR 20004] Funding Source: Medline
- NIAID NIH HHS [AI056921] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Defensins are peptides that protect the host against microorganisms. Here we show that the theta-defensin retrocyclin 2 (RC2) inhibited influenza virus infection by blocking membrane fusion mediated by the viral hemagglutinin. RC2 was effective even after hemagglutinin attained a fusogenic conformation or had induced membrane hemifusion. RC2, a multivalent lectin, prevented hemagglutinin-mediated fusion by erecting a network of crosslinked and immobilized surface glycoproteins. RC2 also inhibited fusion mediated by Sindbis virus and baculovirus. Human beta-defensin 3 and mannan-binding lectin also blocked viral fusion by creating a protective barricade of immobilized surface proteins. This general mechanism might explain the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of many multivalent lectins of the innate immune system.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available