The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects target cells by the capacity of its envelope glycoproteins gp120-gp41 to attach cells and induce the fusion of virus to cell membranes, a process which leads to virus entry. The receptor complex essential for HIV entry consists of the CD4 molecule and at least one of the members of the chemokine receptor family: CCR5 or CXCR4 [1,2]. Contrary to the virus entry process, the attachment of HIV particles to cells can occur even independently of CD4. We have previously demonstrated that HIV attachment is inhibited by the pseudopeptide HB-19 that binds specifically the C-terminal tail of nucleolin, a cell-surface-expressed protein identified to be implicated in HIV attachment [3][4][5]. Consequently, we have suggested that HIV attachment is achieved by the coordination of at least two events implicating on the one hand heparan sulfate proteoglycans [6,7] and on the other hand the cell surfaceexpressed nucleolin [4]. In the search for natural ligands of nucleolin that exhibit a potential inhibitory activity against HIV infection, other than midkine [8] and lactoferrin [9], here we show that pleiotrophin The growth factor pleiotrophin (PTN) has been reported to bind heparan sulfate and nucleolin, two components of the cell surface implicated in the attachment of HIV-1 particles to cells. Here we show that PTN inhibits HIV-1 infection by its capacity to inhibit HIV-1 particle attachment to the surface of permissive cells. The b-sheet domains of PTN appear to be implicated in this inhibitory effect on the HIV infection, in particular the domain containing amino acids 60-110. PTN binding to the cell surface is mediated by high and low affinity binding sites. Other inhibitors of HIV attachment known to bind specifically surface expressed nucleolin, such as the pseudopeptide HB-19 and the cytokine midkine prevent the binding of PTN to its low affinity-binding site. Confocal immunofluorescence laser microscopy revealed that the cross-linking of surface-bound PTN with a specific antibody results in the clustering of cell surface-expressed nucleolin and the colocalization of both PTN and nucleolin signals. Following its binding to surface-nucleolin, PTN is internalized by a temperature sensitive mechanism, a process which is inhibited by HB-19 and is independent of heparan and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. Nevertheless, proteoglycans might play a role in the concentration of PTN on the cell surface for a more efficient interaction with nucleolin. Our results demonstrate for the first time that PTN inhibits HIV infection and suggest that the cell surfaceexpressed nucleolin is a low affinity receptor for PTN binding to cells and it is also implicated in PTN entry into cells by an active process.Abbreviations ALK, anaplastic lymphoma kinase; AZT, azidothymidine; CHO, Chinese hamster ovary; HARP, heparin affin regulatory peptide; HB-GAM, heparin-binding growth-associated molecule; HBNF, heparin-binding neurite-promoting factor; MK, midkine; PTN, pleiotrophin; RPTP, receptor-type t...