Inhibitory effects of antifungal proteins on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase, protease and integrase

A variety of antifungal proteins were isolated from seeds of leguminous plants including French bean, cowpea, field bean, mung bean, peanut and red kidney bean. They were assayed for ability to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase, protease and integrase, enzymes essential to the life cycle of HIV-1. It was found that the cowpea β-antifungal protein had a high potency in inhibiting HIV-1 protease and HIV-1 integrase. Cowpea α-antifungal protein was potent in inhibiting HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and HIV-1 integrase. Peanut antifungal protein was characterized by a high inhibitory activity against HIV-1 integrase and an intermediate potency in inhibiting HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and HIV-1 protease. French bean thaumatin-like protein expressed low HIV-1 protease inhibitory activity and red kidney bean lectin inhibited HIV-1 integrase by only a very small extent. Antifungal proteins from the field bean and mung bean had an intermediate potency in inhibitory HIV-1 protease and integrase. However, mung bean antifungal protein was not capable of inhibiting HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The results indicate that nearly all leguminous antifungal proteins examined were able to inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, protease and integrase to some extent.