Involvement of tryptase-related cellular protease(s) in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection |
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| Authors: | T Hattori A Koito K Takatsuki H Kido N Katunuma |
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| Affiliation: | Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kumamoto University Medical School, Japan. |
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| Abstract: | Trypstatin, a new cellular Kunitz-type protease inhibitor purified from rat mast cells, inhibited syncytium formation in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected CCRF-CEM and uninfected Molt-4 clone 8 at a concentration of 1 microM. Anti-rat tongue mast cell tryptase antibodies reacted with Molt-4 clone 8 cells, as determined by Western blot and by immunofluorescence. In addition, the antibody inhibited syncytium formation. These findings along with homologous sequences with trypstatin and a neutralizing epitope of gp120 of HIV-1 suggest that a tryptase-like cellular enzyme(s) is involved in HIV-1 infection. |
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