A novel membrane-bound serine esterase in human T4(+)-lymphocytes is a binding protein of envelope glycoprotein gp120 of HIV-1.

A novel membrane-bound serine esterase, named tryptase TL2, which is immunologically reactive with the antibody inhibiting induction of syncytia by human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) (HATTORI, T., KOITO, A., TAKATSUKI, K., KIDO, H., and KATUNUMA, N., 1989, FEBS Lett., 248, 48-52), has been purified from a human T4+ lymphocyte clone. The enzyme has a molecular mass of 198 +/- 15 kDa, and is composed of two subunits of 32 kDa and four subunits of 28 kDa. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by the envelope glycoprotein gp120 of HIV-1, by synthetic peptides of V3 domains of gp120 s with the sequence GPGR in their center, which correspond to the principal neutralizing epitopes of the gp120s of various HIV-1 strains, by Kunitz-type inhibitors with the sequence GPCR in their active site, such as trypstatin, H130, and [Arg15, Glu52] aprotinin and by the microbial inhibitors leupeptin and antipain. This enzyme was specifically bound to the inhibitor V3 domain of gp120 of HIV-1, and this binding was blocked by the inhibitors of tryptase TL2, with a central motif GPCR or GPGR sequence in their center, but not by leupeptin and antipain without the motif. These findings suggest that tryptase TL2 is important in target site recognition and binding of HIV-1 in co-operation with CD4 receptor in the initial process of HIV-1 infection.