on the surface of viruses and surface sugar chains on host cells, which plays an
important role as one of the entry methods for virus infection. Compounds that can
bind to the glycoprotein gp120 from HIV are attracting attention recently. In the
specific case of the HIV, there are two kinds of glycoproteins in its envelope,
gp120 and gp40, which bind to the receptors on the surface of host cell and lead to
the infection of virus to the host. Then bioactive compounds that can specifically
bind to these glycans might hinder the interactions between the proteins of
the viral envelope and the cells of the host and prevent further interactions with the
co-receptors (Botos and Wlodawer 2005; Balzarini 2006). The edible EEM
H. russula from which this HRL lectin has been isolated is therefore a candidate
for a functional food that can prevent HIV infection in future. Another protein,
belonging to another novel family of lectins, collectively designated as cyanovirin
homologous CVNHs proteins, a specifically cyanovirin named TbCVNH has been
isolated from the whitish truffle (T. borchii) and specifically designated TbCVNH
(Koharudin and Gronenbom 2013; Koharudin et al. 2008). Due to the fact that this
family of lectins also interact with the glycoprotein gp120 and other mannosylated
viral surface proteins, cyanovirins have the potential to inactivate a wide range of
enveloped viruses in addition to HIV, including those of Ebola (Barrientos et al.
2003), H1N1 from influenza A (Smee et al. 2008), hepatitis C (Takebe et al. 2013),
and HSV1 the Herpes simple virus (Yu et al. 2010). Currently due to its potent
inhibitory action, cyanovirins are being evaluated as topical virucidal agents
(Keeffe et al. 2011). Lactarius hatsudake, is an edible EEM, largely consumed in
eastern Asia, which has long been used as an antitumor and antiviral agent in
Chinese traditional medicine (Dai et al. 2009). Zhang et al. (2007a, b) isolated two
novel ergosterol-type sterols which had a significant anti-HIV activity by inhibiting HIV replication in C8166 cells in vitro. Wang et al. (2007) isolated a peptide,
from the edible mushroom Russula paludosa, with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase
inhibitory activity. Zhao et al. (2010) isolated and characterized, from the edible
mushroom R. delica, a novel lectin composed of two identical subunits, each with
a molecular weight of 30 kDa, which potently inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity with an IC50 of 0.26 lM. Meanwhile, Xu et al. (2010) isolated
and characterized, from sporomes of this edible mushroom, two novel guaiane
sesquiterpenes called lactariolines A and B, with modulatory effects on interferongamma production. The interferon-gamma is a dimerized soluble cytokine (Boehm
et al. 1997), which is an important activator of macrophages and critical for innate
and adaptive immunity against tumor control and intracellular bacterial and viral
infections. Antiviral activities also have been recorded from other edible EEMs.
For example, two novel proteins named RC183 and RC28 with anti-herpes, varicella zoster, influenza A, and respiratory syncytial viruses has been isolated,
characterized, and molecularly cloned from Cortinarius caperatus (=Rozites
caperatus) (Piraino 2006; Gong et al. 2009; Piraino and Brandt 1999). Wu et al.
(2011) isolated from dried sporomes of the edible ‘‘kihatsudake mushroom’’
(L. flavidulus) a 14.6-kDa RNase which inhibited the activity of HIV-1 reverse
transcriptase.
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J. Pérez-Moreno and M. Martínez-Reyes
important role as one of the entry methods for virus infection. Compounds that can
bind to the glycoprotein gp120 from HIV are attracting attention recently. In the
specific case of the HIV, there are two kinds of glycoproteins in its envelope,
gp120 and gp40, which bind to the receptors on the surface of host cell and lead to
the infection of virus to the host. Then bioactive compounds that can specifically
bind to these glycans might hinder the interactions between the proteins of
the viral envelope and the cells of the host and prevent further interactions with the
co-receptors (Botos and Wlodawer 2005; Balzarini 2006). The edible EEM
H. russula from which this HRL lectin has been isolated is therefore a candidate
for a functional food that can prevent HIV infection in future. Another protein,
belonging to another novel family of lectins, collectively designated as cyanovirin
homologous CVNHs proteins, a specifically cyanovirin named TbCVNH has been
isolated from the whitish truffle (T. borchii) and specifically designated TbCVNH
(Koharudin and Gronenbom 2013; Koharudin et al. 2008). Due to the fact that this
family of lectins also interact with the glycoprotein gp120 and other mannosylated
viral surface proteins, cyanovirins have the potential to inactivate a wide range of
enveloped viruses in addition to HIV, including those of Ebola (Barrientos et al.
2003), H1N1 from influenza A (Smee et al. 2008), hepatitis C (Takebe et al. 2013),
and HSV1 the Herpes simple virus (Yu et al. 2010). Currently due to its potent
inhibitory action, cyanovirins are being evaluated as topical virucidal agents
(Keeffe et al. 2011). Lactarius hatsudake, is an edible EEM, largely consumed in
eastern Asia, which has long been used as an antitumor and antiviral agent in
Chinese traditional medicine (Dai et al. 2009). Zhang et al. (2007a, b) isolated two
novel ergosterol-type sterols which had a significant anti-HIV activity by inhibiting HIV replication in C8166 cells in vitro. Wang et al. (2007) isolated a peptide,
from the edible mushroom Russula paludosa, with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase
inhibitory activity. Zhao et al. (2010) isolated and characterized, from the edible
mushroom R. delica, a novel lectin composed of two identical subunits, each with
a molecular weight of 30 kDa, which potently inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity with an IC50 of 0.26 lM. Meanwhile, Xu et al. (2010) isolated
and characterized, from sporomes of this edible mushroom, two novel guaiane
sesquiterpenes called lactariolines A and B, with modulatory effects on interferongamma production. The interferon-gamma is a dimerized soluble cytokine (Boehm
et al. 1997), which is an important activator of macrophages and critical for innate
and adaptive immunity against tumor control and intracellular bacterial and viral
infections. Antiviral activities also have been recorded from other edible EEMs.
For example, two novel proteins named RC183 and RC28 with anti-herpes, varicella zoster, influenza A, and respiratory syncytial viruses has been isolated,
characterized, and molecularly cloned from Cortinarius caperatus (=Rozites
caperatus) (Piraino 2006; Gong et al. 2009; Piraino and Brandt 1999). Wu et al.
(2011) isolated from dried sporomes of the edible ‘‘kihatsudake mushroom’’
(L. flavidulus) a 14.6-kDa RNase which inhibited the activity of HIV-1 reverse
transcriptase.
182
J. Pérez-Moreno and M. Martínez-Reyes