Synthetic peptide analogs of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) inhibit HIV-1 replication in MT-2 cells.

On the basis of reports demonstrating possible roles for leukocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), the ligand for LFA-1, in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, we have explored the involvement of the ICAM-1 molecule by using selected synthetic peptides derived from the protein sequence. Replication was assessed in MT-2 cells, highly susceptible to HIV infection, in the presence of four synthetic peptides derived from the ICAM-1 amino acid sequence. This cell type was chosen for the ability to form marked syncytia on infection with cell-free virus. Under the conditions used, minimal or no cytotoxicity was observed with the peptides up to concentrations of 50 micrograms/ml. A peptide corresponding to a unique region of ICAM-1, JF9 [ICAM-1(367-394, A-378)], had little effect on virus replication despite its ability to inhibit cell-cell adhesion. In contrast, an N-terminal peptide, JF7B [ICAM-1(1-23)], consistently inhibited virus replication in MT-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, as measured by cell-free reverse transcriptase (RT) activity (up to 70% inhibition), soluble virus antigen production (up to 60% inhibition), and syncytium formation (virtually complete inhibition up to 6 days post infection). Testing of W-CAM-1 antibody, and anti-ICAM-1 antibody that inhibits cell-cell adhesion, revealed no significant inhibitory effects on RT activity, virus antigen production, and syncytium formation in HIV-1-infected MT-2 cells at a level that markedly inhibited cell-cell adhesion (10 micrograms/ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Efficacy of fusion peptide homologs in blocking cell lysis and HIV-induced fusion.

Contrary to earlier reports, we have found that tri- and hexapeptides analogous or homologous with segments of the 23-residue N-terminal fusion sequence (FS) of the viral transmembrane glycoprotein gp41 (residues 517-539) did not significantly inhibit HIV-1-induced syncytium formation, using an uninfected cell-infected cell fusion assay. In contrast, we found that the high molecular weight apolipoprotein A-1 and a 23-residue analog of the FS, with the phenylalanine residues at positions 524 and 527 replaced with alanine residues, were effective inhibitors. Although the tripeptides were ineffective as inhibitors of syncytium formation, we found a number of them inhibited red cell lysis induced by the synthetic peptide AVGIGALFLGFLGAAGSTMGARS (based on the HIV-1 gp41 FS). This effect was also seen with apolipoprotein A-1. The Ala524,527 analog of the fusion sequence could not be tested in this system because it was hemolytic. We concluded that the smaller peptides were effective inhibitors of hemolysis because they interfered with pore formation by the fusion sequence peptide, either by disrupting the pores or by preventing the peptide from adopting the alpha-helical conformation found in the pores. On the other hand, membrane fusion, which is a prelude to syncytium formation, has been shown to require the fusion sequence in the beta-strand conformation. We argue that small peptides would be unable to block interaction between such strands, although larger molecules, such as apolipoprotein A-1 and the Ala524,527 analog, would be able to do so and thus inhibit fusion. It seems, therefore, that a successful drug directed against the FS-cell membrane interaction stage of syncytium formation would need to be of relatively high molecular weight and complexity.

Adhesion of clinical and environmental Aeromonas isolates to HEp-2 cells.

A total of 63 Aeromonas strains isolated from diarrhoeal faeces or water samples were tested for adhesion to HEp-2 cells. An association between diarrhoea and high level adhesion was observed in that 12 of the 34 faecal isolates and none of the 29 environmental isolates yielded greater than 20 bacteria per HEp-2 cell in the adhesion assay. The proportion of high adherers was significantly greater for A. sobria (57%) than for A. hydrophila isolates (19%). Three of the eight faecal A. caviae isolates were also found to be high adherers. All of the environmental isolates were heavily pilated with pili having a mean diameter of 5 nm and a mean length of 420 nm; these were termed type-S pili. Of the 34 faecal isolates, 32% possessed S pili, and 68% were lightly pilated with up to 15 thin, flexible type-L pili, of mean diameter 2.5 nm and mean length 960 nm. Type-L pilation was associated with a high level of HEp-2 cell adhesion, and was more common in A. sobria and A. caviae than in A. hydrophila isolates. These results suggest that adherence to HEp-2 cells is a useful model for the investigation of Aeromonas enteropathogenicity, and that adhesion may be pilus-mediated in this organism.

Frameshift mutagenesis by chloroquine in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium.

Chloroquine can be detected as a direct-acting mutagen in plate-incorporation assays using the excision-deficient Salmonella typhimurium strain TA97, but very much more effectively using the repair-proficient Escherichia coli strain DG1669 which carries the lacZ19124 marker. When tested at concentrations of 200-1000 micrograms/plate with strain DG1669, the mutagenicity of chloroquine is enhanced by the addition of Aroclor-induced rat-liver S9. Further experiments indicated that chloroquine-induced reversion frequencies were essentially identical in wild-type, recA, umuC and uvrC derivatives of DG1669, as well as in strains carrying the mutation enhancing plasmid pKM101, over a wide range of doses (0-1200 micrograms/plate). These results suggest that neither excision repair nor SOS-type repair are important in chloroquine-induced frameshift mutagenesis.