Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Sensitization of cells and retroviruses to human serum by (αl-3) galactosyltransferase

Nature volume 379, pages 85–88 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

MAMMALIAN C-type retroviruses are inactivated by human serum1,2, following triggering of the classical complement cascade3. This may have inhibited transmission to humans of C-type oncoviruses from other mammals1. Indeed, the retro-viruses human immunodeficiency virus and human T-cell leukaemia virus are resistant to human complement4,5. Antibody-independent activation of human Clq, the first component of the classical pathway, by retroviral envelope proteins has been described6. However, retroviruses produced from human cells are resistant to inactivation by human complement7,8 and human serum is known to contain antibodies directed against carbohydrates on retroviral envelopes9–11. Gal(αl–3)Gal terminal carbohydrates are expressed by most mammals but are absent in humans, which lack a functional (αl–3)galactosyltransferase gene12,13.Here, we demonstrate that anti-Gal(αl–3)Gal antibodies in human serum inactivate retroviruses produced from animal cells. Expression of porcine (αl–3)galactosyltransferase14–16in human cells renders the cells and the retroviruses they produce sensitive to human serum.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Welsh, R. M., Cooper, N. R., Jensen, F. C. & Oldstone, M. B. A. Nature 257, 612–614 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Welsh, R. M., Jensen, F. C., Cooper, N. R. & Oldstone, M. B. A. Virology 74, 432–440 (1976).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cooper, N. R., Jensen, F. C., Welsh, R. M. & Oldstone, M. B. A. J. exp. Med. 144, 970–984 (1976).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Banapour, B., Sernatinger, J. & Levy, J. A. Virology 152, 268–271 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Hoshino, H., Tanaka, H., Miwa, M. & Okada, H. Nature 310, 324–325 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bartholomew, R. M., Esser, A. F. & Muller-Eberhard, H. J. J. exp. Med. 147, 844–853 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Takeuchi, Y. et al. J. Virol. 68, 8001–8007 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Cosset, F. L., Takeuchi, Y., Battini, J. L., Weiss, R. A. & Collins, M. K. L. J. Virol. (in the press).

  9. Barbacid, M., Bolognesi, D. & Aaronson, S. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 1617–1621 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Snyder, H. W. Jr & Fleissner, E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 1622–1626 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Löwer, J., et al. Virology 109, 409–417 (1981).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Larsen, R. D. Rivera-Marrero, C. A., Ernst, L. K., Cummings, R. D. & Lowe, J. B. J. biol. Chem. 265, 7055–7061 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Galili, U. & Swanson, K. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 7401–7404 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Gustafsson, K., Strahan, K. & Preece, A. Immun. Rev. 141, 59–70 (1994).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Strahan, K. M. et al. Immunogenetics 41, 101–105 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Sandrin, M. S. & McKenzie, I. F. Immun. Rev. 141, 169–190 (1994).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hamadeh, R. M. et al. J. clin. Invest. 89, 1223–1235 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Galili, U., Mandrell, R. E., Hamadeh, R. M., Shohet, S. B. & Griffiss, J. M. Infect. Immun. 56, 1730–1737 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Galili, U., Anaraki, F., Thall, A., Hill-Black, C. & Radic, M. Blood 82, 2485–2493 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Almeida, I. C., Krautz, G. M., Krettli, A. U. & Travassos, L. R. J. clin. Lab. Anal. 7, 307–316 (1993).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Oriol, R., Ye, Y., Koren, E. & Cooper, D. K. Transplantation 56, 1433–1442 (1993).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sandrin, M. S., Vaughan, H. A., Dabkowski, P. L. & McKenzie, I. F. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 11391–11395 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Repik, P. M., Strizki, J. M. & Galili, U. J. gen. Virol. 75, 1177–1181 (1994).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Welsh, R. M. J. Immun. 118, 348–354 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Hirsch, R. L., Griffin, D. E. & Winkelstein, J. A. J. Immun. 127, 1740–1743 (1981).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Fabre, J. W. Nature Med. 1, 403–404 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. McCurry, K. R. et al. Nature Med. 1, 423–427 (1995).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Cosset, F. L. et al. J. Virol. 69, 6314–6322 (1995).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  29. McKenzie, I. F. C. et al. Lancet ii, 386–387 (1968).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Battini, J. L., Heard, J. M. & Danos, O. J. Virol. 66, 1468–1475 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chester Beatty Laboratories, Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK

    Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Colin D. Porter, Francois-Loic Cosset, Robin A. Weiss  & Mary K. L. Collins

  2. Institute of Child Health, University of London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK

    Karen M. Strahan, Andrew F. Preece & Kenth Gustafsson

Authors
  1. Yasuhiro Takeuchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Colin D. Porter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Karen M. Strahan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andrew F. Preece
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kenth Gustafsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Francois-Loic Cosset
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Robin A. Weiss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Mary K. L. Collins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Takeuchi, Y., Porter, C., Strahan, K. et al. Sensitization of cells and retroviruses to human serum by (αl-3) galactosyltransferase. Nature 379, 85–88 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/379085a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/379085a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing