Protease inhibitors as potential antiviral agents for the treatment of picornaviral infections

Structures and Corresponding Functions of Five Types of Picornaviral 2A Proteins

Among the few non-structural proteins encoded by the picornaviral genome, the 2A protein is particularly special, irrespective of structure or function. During the evolution of the Picornaviridae family, the 2A protein has been highly non-conserved. We believe that the 2A protein in this family can be classified into at least five distinct types according to previous studies. These five types are (A) chymotrypsin-like 2A, (B) Parechovirus-like 2A, (C) hepatitis-A-virus-like 2A, (D) Aphthovirus-like 2A, and (E) 2A sequence of the genus Cardiovirus. We carried out a phylogenetic analysis and found that there was almost no homology between each type. Subsequently, we aligned the sequences within each type and found that the functional motifs in each type are highly conserved. These different motifs perform different functions. Therefore, in this review, we introduce the structures and functions of these five types of 2As separately. Based on the structures and functions, we provide suggestions to combat picornaviruses. The complexity and diversity of the 2A protein has caused great difficulties in functional and antiviral research. In this review, researchers can find useful information on the 2A protein and thus conduct improved antiviral research.

A simple solid phase, peptide-based fluorescent assay for the efficient and universal screening of HRV 3C protease inhibitors

With over a 100 different serotypes, the human rhinovirus (HRV) is the major aetiological agent for the common cold, for which only symptomatic treatment is available. HRV maturation and replication is entirely dependent on the activity of a virally encoded 3C protease that represents an attractive target for the development of therapeutics to treat the common cold. Although a variety of small molecules and peptidomimetics have been found to inhibit HRV 3C protease, no universally compatible assay exists to reliably quantify the activity of the enzyme in vitro. Herein we report the development of a universal and robust solid phase peptide assay that utilizes the full HRV-14 3C protease recognition sequence and the release of 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein to sensitively quantify protease activity. This novel assay overcomes several limitations of existing assays allowing for the simple and efficient analysis of HRV-14 3C protease activity facilitating both high-throughput screening and the accurate kinetic study of HRV-14 3C protease inhibitors.

Structure-activity relationships of heteroaromatic esters as human rhinovirus 3C protease inhibitors

Human rhinovirus 3C protease (HRV 3C(pro)) is known to be a promising target for development of therapeutic agents against the common cold because of the importance of the protease in viral replication as well as its expression in a large number of serotypes. To explore non-peptidic inhibitors of HRV 3C(pro), a series of novel heteroaromatic esters was synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory activity against HRV 3C(pro), to determine the structure-activity relationships. The most potent inhibitor, 7, with a 5-bromopyridinyl group, had an IC(50) value of 80nM. In addition, the binding mode of a novel analog, 19, with the 4-hydroxyquinolinone moiety, was explored by molecular docking, suggesting a new interaction in the S1 pocket.

An optical thin film assay incorporating rhinovirus protease inhibitors as detector reagents

Human rhinoviruses (HRV) are the main cause of the common cold. Viral replication utilizes the activity of the HRV3C protease (3CP) enzyme [Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 43 (1999) 2444; Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44 (2000) 1236]. Therefore, 3CP is an attractive target for antiviral drug development, and a new class of orally bioavailable irreversible 3CP inhibitors has been designed [J. Med. Chem. 45 (2002) 1607]. We have used related inhibitors to develop a rapid test for rhinovirus. The optical immuno assay (OIA) thin film detection technology utilizes an optically coated silicon surface to convert specific molecular binding events into visual color changes by altering the reflective properties of light through molecular thin films. The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid assay for the determination of 3CP combining the Thermo Electron Bio Star OIA technology and the newly designed inhibitor compounds. The advantage of this assay was in its approach, in which therapeutic and diagnostic targets are the same thus allowing patients with detected rhinoviruses to receive optimal treatment. Three different biotinylated inhibitor compounds were synthesized. The length of the spacer between the inhibitor and biotin core was 5, 10, and 15 atoms. These compounds were incorporated into the OIA format for the HRV assay development. A rapid (20 min) OIA test was developed using a 15 atom spacer biotinylated inhibitor (4). Forty different HRV serotypes were studied and thirty three serotypes of these 40 were detected (80%).

Biochemical characterization of rhinovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Human rhinoviruses (HRV) represent the single most important causative agent of the common cold. The HRV genome encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) designated 3D polymerase that is required for replication of the HRV RNA genome. We have expressed and purified recombinant HRV-16 3D polymerase to near homogeneity from Escherichia coli transformed with an expression plasmid containing the full-length 460 amino acid HRV-16 3D sequence with a methionine at the N-terminus and a glycine-serine linker followed by a 6-histidine affinity tag at the C-terminus. The purified recombinant protein has rifampicin-resistant activity in a poly(A)-dependent poly(U) polymerase assay while corresponding fractions similarly purified from E. coli transformed with an expression plasmid without the HRV-16 3D sequence showed no activity. The optimal conditions for temperature, pH, divalent cations Mg(2+) and Mn(2+), and KCl were determined. The recombinant protein has RNA polymerase activity on homopolymeric templates poly(A) and poly(C) and heteropolymeric RNA templates primed with either RNA or DNA oligonucleotide primers or self-primed by a copy-back mechanism. A unique, secondary structureless heteropolymeric RNA template that is an efficient substrate was developed to facilitate kinetic characterizations of the enzyme. In the presence of Mg(2+), the enzyme displayed strong base and sugar specificity. However, when Mg(2+) was replaced by Mn(2+) specificity for ribonucleotides was lost, utilization of deoxynucleotides became possible and primer-independent activity was observed on the poly(C) template. Zn(2+) was found to inhibit HRV-16 3D polymerase with an IC(50) as low as 0.6 microM by a mechanism distinct from the magnesium ion stimulation. The activity of this 6His-tagged HRV-16 3D polymerase was compared with that of a recombinant HRV-16 3D polymerase expressed without the 6His-tag and was found to be identical. The availability of recombinant rhinovirus RdRp in a purified form will facilitate the structure-function analysis of this enzyme as well as the identification of specific inhibitors to the rhinovirus 3D polymerase that have therapeutic value in the treatment of the common cold.

Early detection of acute rhinovirus infections by a rapid reverse transcription-PCR assay

The development of a rhinovirus (RV)-RNA-specific reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay is complicated by the close homology between the RV and enterovirus (EV) genomes in the highly conserved 5'-noncoding region, which is chosen for primer design in most RT-PCR assays. We have developed a sensitive, rapid, and RV-specific nested RT-PCR assay and have used it to test nasopharyngeal aspirates from 556 patients presenting with acute respiratory tract infections. RV RNA was detected by nested RT-PCR not only in all of 52 samples that were RV positive by virus isolation methods but also in 124 of 367 samples that were negative by virus isolation methods and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, in 23 of 137 samples that were positive for a different respiratory virus by virus isolation and/or ELISA, RV RNA was detected by RT-PCR. EVs, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, coronaviruses, and influenza and parainfluenza viruses, including clinical isolates as well as stock viruses, were not amplified in our RV-specific RT-PCR assay, indicating that this assay was highly specific. The processing time was less than 2 days for the RT-PCR, as opposed to up to 2 weeks for virus isolation. These results indicate that nested RT-PCR is more sensitive than conventional methods for the detection of RV in patients experiencing acute respiratory tract infections and represents the only reliable tool for the early laboratory diagnosis of RV infections. This is especially important in light of new opportunities for therapy currently being developed.

Chemotherapy of respiratory viruses: prospects and challenges

Billions of people are infected with respiratory viruses annually. Infants and young children, the elderly, immunocompromised individuals and those debilitated by other diseases or nutritional deficiencies are most at risk for serious disease. There are few vaccines available for use against these viruses, and even where there are (influenza, measles and adenovirus), infections remain common. The continued prevalence of respiratory virus infections has lead to renewed efforts to find safe agents effective against the most medically important respiratory viruses: influenza, respiratory syncytial, parainfluenza, measles, rhino- and adenovirus. Copyright 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.