Bovine lactoferrin-derived peptides as novel broad-spectrum inhibitors of influenza virus

Pathog Glob Health. 2012 Mar;106(1):12-9. doi: 10.1179/2047773212Y.0000000004.

Abstract

Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is a multifunctional glycoprotein that plays an important role in innate immunity against infections, including influenza. Here we have dissected bLf into its C- and N-lobes and show that inhibition of influenza virus hemagglutination and cell infection is entirely attributable to the C-lobe and that all major virus subtypes, including H1N1 and H3N2, are inhibited. By far-western blotting and sequencing studies, we demonstrate that bLf C-lobe strongly binds to the HA(2) region of viral hemagglutinin, precisely the highly conserved region containing the fusion peptide. By molecular docking studies, three C-lobe fragments were identified which inhibited virus hemagglutination and infection at fentomolar concentration range. Besides contributing to explain the broad anti-influenza activity of bLf, our findings lay the foundations for exploiting bLf fragments as source of potential anti-influenza therapeutics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / metabolism
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dogs
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods
  • Hemagglutinins / metabolism
  • Lactoferrin / genetics
  • Lactoferrin / metabolism
  • Lactoferrin / pharmacology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Orthomyxoviridae / drug effects*
  • Orthomyxoviridae / metabolism
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics
  • Peptide Fragments / metabolism
  • Peptide Fragments / pharmacology
  • Protein Binding
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Hemagglutinins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Lactoferrin