Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Activity of Lectins from Narcissus Species

Abstract

Mannose-specific lectins (MSLs) were isolated from bulbs of fifteen wild Narcissus species growing in Spain and assayed for their HIV-1 infection inhibitory activity in MT-4 cells and compared to the Narcissus pseudonarcissus agglutinin (NPA), the commercially available MSL obtained from daffodils. Almost all the tested MSLs were found to be active, showing EC₅₀ values (μg/mL) similar to that of NPA, with some being comparable to those obtained with dextran sulfate without significant cytotoxicity. However, on a molar basis almost all of the MSLs tested exhibited lower EC₅₀ values than dextran sulfate whilst six MSLs had values lower than AZT. The most efficacious anti-HIV-1 activity was exhibited by the Narcissus tortifolious MSL, which was 10- (μg/mL) and 100- (molarity) fold more potent than dextran sulfate. Significantly, although this MSL was 15-fold less potent than AZT in terms of quantity (μg/mL), it was 68-fold more potent on a molar basis. The antiviral indices, a ratio of the concentrations that produce cytotoxicity and HIV-1 replication, were calculated and three of the MSLs, N. confusus, N. leonensis and N. tortifolius reported 1.5-, 2- and 8.5-fold greater AI values than dextran sulfate or AZT. Comparison of MSL haemagglutination activities (HAA) to their anti-HIV-1 activities showed that there was no significant correlation. It was suggested that this may be due to a dissociation between both activities as a consequence of multiple isolectin composition.

Abbreviations

MSLs:mannose-specific lectins

NPA:Narcissus pseudonarcissus agglutinin

AZT:azidotimidine

GNA:Galanthus nivalis agglutinin

MTT:3-[4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

HAA:haemoagglutination activity

Key words

Anti-HIV-1 activity - mannose-specific lectins - Narcissus - Amaryllidaceae - cytotoxicity

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