Cell fusion induced by herpes simplex is inhibited by hen egg-white lysozyme

The formation of syncytia in cell monolayers infected with a macroplaque strain (MP) of herpes simplex virus was found to be inhibited by hen egg-white lysozyme. Inhibition was roughly proportional to the enzyme concentration. The virus titres in supernatant fluids of lysozyme-treated cultures were also reduced compared with untreated cultures. Control experiments excluded the possibility that lysozyme altered the virus viability and infectivity or impaired cell growth. Since lysozyme is a cationic protein, further experiments were performed in order to discover whether its antisyncytiogenic effect depended on its enzymatic activity or on its positive charge. Inhibition of the MP-induced polycaryocytosis was found to be caused by heat-inactivated lysozyme and three chemically-modified lysozymes with a higher positive charge (one retaining and two lacking enzymatic activity).