Generalized occurrence of the broadly antiviral substance UTI beta in mammalian sera.

This study compares the characteristics of naturally occurring antiviral activities in nonhuman mammalian sera to UTI beta (University of Texas virus inhibitor beta), an innate, non-specific viral inhibitor found in human serum. The antiviral agent in sera from four different species appears to possess properties similar to those of UTI beta, e.g. molecular weight of 60 +/- 10 kDa, broad spectrum antiviral activity, glycoprotein structure with antiviral oligosaccharide moiety(s) attached to a carrier protein, and inhibition of most viruses by preventing their attachment to target cells. These findings suggest that UTI beta or UTI beta-like virus inhibitors are a normal component of the non-specific immune defenses of mammals.