NP-06 - A NOVEL ANTI-HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS POLYPEPTIDE PRODUCED BY A STREPTOMYCES SPECIES

From an extract of a Streptomyces culture, we identified and purified a novel compound, NP-06, which is active against human immunodeficienc y virus (HIV) in vitro. Analyses indicate that NP-06 is a hydrophobic 21-mer oligopeptide, N terminally cyclized through the side chain of A sp-9, containing two intramolecular cystine linkages with a molecular weight of 2,163.4. The 50% inhibitory concentrations were 2.8 and 1.3 mu M when NP-06 was tested for in vitro anti-HIV-1 activity in ATH8 ce lls and phytohemagglutinin activated peripheral blood mononuclear cell s, respectively. NP-06 appears to block the early stage of HIV-1 infec tion, most likely at the stage of virus-cell fusion.