Aqueous extracts of the New Zealand sponge Adocia sp. (Haplosclerida) displayed potent anticytopathic activity in CEM-SS cells infected with HIV-1. Protein fractions of the extract bound both to the viral coat protein gp120 and to the cellular receptor CD4, but not to other tested proteins. The purified active protein, named adociavirin, was characterized by isoelectric focusing, amino acid analysis, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing. Adociavirin, a disulfide-linked homodimer with a native molecular weight of 37 kDa, was active against diverse strains and isolates of HIV-1, as well as HIV-2, with EC50 values ranging from 0.4 nM to > 400 nM. The anti-HIV potency of adociavirin appears dependent on host cell type, with macrophage cultures being the most sensitive and peripheral blood lymphocytes the most resistant.