据英国广播公司（BBC）3月15日报道，科学家说香蕉中的一种化学物质可能成为抗艾滋病毒的有利武器。
美国密歇根大学的一个研究小组说，他们在实验室进行的试验显示，香蕉中自然生成的一种植物蛋白抗艾滋病毒的作用等同于目前使用的两种抗艾滋病药 物。
利用这一发现将来有可能制出更便宜的阴道用杀微生物药剂，防止艾滋病毒的感染。
BBC科学事物记者说，虽说这一试验成果变为临床使用可能还要好几年之后，但科学家们相信，即使制出的杀微生物药剂只是部分的成功也将能拯救许多人的生命。
原文出处：
JBC doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.034926
A Lectin Isolated from Bananas Is a Potent Inhibitor of HIV Replication*
Michael D. Swanson?, Harry C. Winter§, Irwin J. Goldstein§ and David M. Markovitz‖,1
BanLec is a jacalin-related lectin isolated from the fruit of bananas, Musa acuminata. This lectin binds to high mannose carbohydrate structures, including those found on viruses containing glycosylated envelope proteins such as human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). Therefore, we hypothesized that BanLec might inhibit HIV-1 through binding of the glycosylated HIV-1 envelope protein, gp120. We determined that BanLec inhibits primary and laboratory-adapted HIV-1 isolates of different tropisms and subtypes. BanLec possesses potent anti-HIV activity, with IC50 values in the low nanomolar to picomolar range. The mechanism for BanLec-mediated antiviral activity was investigated by determining if this lectin can directly bind the HIV-1 envelope protein and block entry of the virus into the cell. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay confirmed direct binding of BanLec to gp120 and indicated that BanLec can recognize the high mannose structures that are recognized by the monoclonal antibody 2G12. Furthermore, BanLec is able to block HIV-1 cellular entry as indicated by temperature-sensitive viral entry studies and by the decreased levels of the strong-stop product of early reverse transcription seen in the presence of BanLec. Thus, our data indicate that BanLec inhibits HIV-1 infection by binding to the glycosylated viral envelope and blocking cellular entry. The relative anti-HIV activity of BanLec compared favorably to other anti-HIV lectins, such as snowdrop lectin and Griffithsin, and to T-20 and maraviroc, two anti-HIV drugs currently in clinical use. Based on these results, BanLec is a potential component for an anti-viral microbicide that could be used to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV-1.
