1
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Zhao L, Wang WZ, Jiang TT, Sun TZ, Liu B, Zhu B. Drug delivery system based on metal-organic framework improved 5-Fluorouracil against spring viremia of carp virus. Antiviral Res 2024; 226:105881. [PMID: 38604448 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV), as a high pathogenicity pathogen, has seriously restricts the healthy and sustainable development of cyprinid farming industry. In this study, we selected 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) as the drug model based on zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) to construct a drug delivery system (5-Fu@ZIF-8), and the anti-SVCV activity was detected in vitro and in vivo. The results showed 5-Fu@ZIF-8 was uniform cubic particle with truncated angle and smooth surface, and the particle size was 90 nm. The anti-SVCV activity in vitro results showed that the highest inhibition rate of 5-Fu was 77.93% at 40 mg/L and the inhibitory concentration at half-maximal activity (IC50) was 20.86 mg/L. For 5-Fu@ZIF-8, the highest inhibition rate was 91.36% at 16 mg/L, and the IC50 value was 5.85 mg/L. In addition, the cell viability was increased by 18.1% after 5-Fu treatment. Similarly, after 5-Fu@ZIF-8 treatment, the cell viability increased by 27.3%. Correspondingly, in vivo experimental results showed the viral loads reduced by 18.1% on the days 7 and the survival rate increased to 19.4% at 80 mg/L after 5-Fu treatment. For 5-Fu@ZIF-8, the viral loads reduced by 41.2% and the survival rate increased to 54.8%. Mechanistically, 5-Fu inhibits viral replication by regulating p53 expression and promoting early apoptosis in infected cells. All results indicated that 5-Fu@ZIF-8 improved the anti-SVCV activity; it may be a potential strategy to construct a drug-loaded system with ZIF-8 as a carrier for the prevention and treatment of aquatic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Wei-Ze Wang
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Tian-Tian Jiang
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Tian-Zi Sun
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Bo Liu
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - Bin Zhu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
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2
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Atypical Mutational Spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 Replicating in the Presence of Ribavirin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0131522. [PMID: 36602354 PMCID: PMC9872624 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01315-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We report that ribavirin exerts an inhibitory and mutagenic activity on SARS-CoV-2-infecting Vero cells, with a therapeutic index higher than 10. Deep sequencing analysis of the mutant spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 replicating in the absence or presence of ribavirin indicated an increase in the number of mutations, but not in deletions, and modification of diversity indices, expected from a mutagenic activity. Notably, the major mutation types enhanced by replication in the presence of ribavirin were A→G and U→C transitions, a pattern which is opposite to the dominance of G→A and C→U transitions previously described for most RNA viruses. Implications of the inhibitory activity of ribavirin, and the atypical mutational bias produced on SARS-CoV-2, for the search for synergistic anti-COVID-19 lethal mutagen combinations are discussed.
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3
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Rodrigo I, Ballesta C, Nunes EB, Pérez P, García-Arriaza J, Arias A. Eeyarestatin I, an inhibitor of the valosin-containing protein, exhibits potent virucidal activity against the flaviviruses. Antiviral Res 2022; 207:105416. [PMID: 36113629 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cellular responses to stress generally lead to the activation of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway. Several lines of study support that ERAD may be playing a proviral role during flaviviral infection. A key host factor in ERAD is the valosin-containing protein (VCP), an ATPase which ushers ubiquitin-tagged proteins to degradation by the proteasome. VCP exhibits different proviral activities, such as engaging in the biogenesis of viral replication organelles and facilitating flavivirus genome uncoating after the viral particle entry. To investigate the possible antiviral value of drugs targeting VCP, we tested two inhibitors: eeyarestatin I (EEY) and xanthohumol (XAN). Both compounds were highly effective in suppressing Zika virus (ZIKV) and Usutu virus (USUV) replication during infection in cell culture. Further analysis revealed an unexpected virucidal activity for EEY, but not for XAN. Preincubation of ZIKV or USUV with EEY before inoculation to cells resulted in significant decreases in infectivity in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Viral genomes in samples previously treated with EEY were more sensitive to propidium monoazide, an intercalating agent, with 10- to 100-fold decreases observed in viral RNA levels, supporting that EEY affects viral particle integrity. Altogether, these results support that EEY is a strong virucide against two unrelated flaviviruses, encouraging further studies to investigate its potential use as a broad-acting drug or the development of improved derivatives in the treatment of flaviviral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imanol Rodrigo
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomedicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Albacete, Spain; Unidad de Biomedicina, UCLM-CSIC, Albacete, Spain
| | - Carlos Ballesta
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomedicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Albacete, Spain; Unidad de Biomedicina, UCLM-CSIC, Albacete, Spain
| | - Eliane Blanco Nunes
- Departamento de Vigilância em Zoonoses, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde Goiânia, Rodovia Go-020 km 08, Val Das Pombas, 75250-000, Goiânia, Goias State, Brazil
| | - Patricia Pérez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologla (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan García-Arriaza
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologla (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Armando Arias
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomedicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Albacete, Spain; Unidad de Biomedicina, UCLM-CSIC, Albacete, Spain; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, UCLM, Albacete, Spain.
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4
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López-Martín R, Rodrigo I, Ballesta C, Arias A, Mas A, Santos Burgos B, Normile PS, De Toro JA, Binns C. Effectiveness of Silver Nanoparticles Deposited in Facemask Material for Neutralising Viruses. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12152662. [PMID: 35957092 PMCID: PMC9370635 DOI: 10.3390/nano12152662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Cloth used for facemask material has been coated with silver nanoparticles using an aerosol method that passes pure uncoated nanoparticles through the cloth and deposits them throughout the volume. The particles have been characterized by electron microscopy and have a typical diameter of 4 nm with the atomic structure of pure metallic silver presented as an assortment of single crystals and polycrystals. The particles adhere well to the cloth fibers, and the coating consists of individual nanoparticles at low deposition times, evolving to fully agglomerated assemblies in heavy coatings. The cloth was exposed to Usutu virus and murine norovirus particles in suspension and allowed to dry, following which, the infectious virus particles were rescued by soaking the cloth in culture media. It was found that up to 98% of the virus particles were neutralized by this contact with the silver nanoparticles for optimum deposition conditions. The best performance was obtained with agglomerated films and with polycrystalline nanoparticles. The work indicates that silver nanoparticles embedded in masks can neutralize the majority of virus particles that enter the mask and thus increase the opacity of masks to infectious viruses by up to a factor of 50. In addition, the majority of the virus particles released from the mask after use are non-infectious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl López-Martín
- Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada (IRICA), 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (R.L.-M.); (B.S.B.); (P.S.N.); (J.A.D.T.)
- Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Imanol Rodrigo
- Unidad de Biomedicina, CSIC, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (I.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (A.M.)
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
| | - Carlos Ballesta
- Unidad de Biomedicina, CSIC, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (I.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (A.M.)
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
| | - Armando Arias
- Unidad de Biomedicina, CSIC, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (I.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (A.M.)
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02006 Albacete, Spain
| | - Antonio Mas
- Unidad de Biomedicina, CSIC, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (I.R.); (C.B.); (A.A.); (A.M.)
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Benito Santos Burgos
- Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada (IRICA), 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (R.L.-M.); (B.S.B.); (P.S.N.); (J.A.D.T.)
- Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Peter S. Normile
- Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada (IRICA), 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (R.L.-M.); (B.S.B.); (P.S.N.); (J.A.D.T.)
- Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Jose A. De Toro
- Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada (IRICA), 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (R.L.-M.); (B.S.B.); (P.S.N.); (J.A.D.T.)
- Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Chris Binns
- Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada (IRICA), 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (R.L.-M.); (B.S.B.); (P.S.N.); (J.A.D.T.)
- Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
- Correspondence:
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5
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Caldwell HS, Pata JD, Ciota AT. The Role of the Flavivirus Replicase in Viral Diversity and Adaptation. Viruses 2022; 14:1076. [PMID: 35632818 PMCID: PMC9143365 DOI: 10.3390/v14051076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses include several emerging and re-emerging arboviruses which cause millions of infections each year. Although relatively well-studied, much remains unknown regarding the mechanisms and means by which these viruses readily alternate and adapt to different hosts and environments. Here, we review a subset of the different aspects of flaviviral biology which impact host switching and viral fitness. These include the mechanism of replication and structural biology of the NS3 and NS5 proteins, which reproduce the viral genome; rates of mutation resulting from this replication and the role of mutational frequency in viral fitness; and the theory of quasispecies evolution and how it contributes to our understanding of genetic and phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley S. Caldwell
- The Arbovirus Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
| | - Janice D. Pata
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Alexander T. Ciota
- The Arbovirus Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
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6
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Lethal Mutagenesis of RNA Viruses and Approved Drugs with Antiviral Mutagenic Activity. Viruses 2022; 14:v14040841. [PMID: 35458571 PMCID: PMC9024455 DOI: 10.3390/v14040841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In RNA viruses, a small increase in their mutation rates can be sufficient to exceed their threshold of viability. Lethal mutagenesis is a therapeutic strategy based on the use of mutagens, driving viral populations to extinction. Extinction catastrophe can be experimentally induced by promutagenic nucleosides in cell culture models. The loss of HIV infectivity has been observed after passage in 5-hydroxydeoxycytidine or 5,6-dihydro-5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine while producing a two-fold increase in the viral mutation frequency. Among approved nucleoside analogs, experiments with polioviruses and other RNA viruses suggested that ribavirin can be mutagenic, although its mechanism of action is not clear. Favipiravir and molnupiravir exert an antiviral effect through lethal mutagenesis. Both drugs are broad-spectrum antiviral agents active against RNA viruses. Favipiravir incorporates into viral RNA, affecting the G→A and C→U transition rates. Molnupiravir (a prodrug of β-d-N4-hydroxycytidine) has been recently approved for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Its triphosphate derivative can be incorporated into viral RNA and extended by the coronavirus RNA polymerase. Incorrect base pairing and inefficient extension by the polymerase promote mutagenesis by increasing the G→A and C→U transition frequencies. Despite having remarkable antiviral action and resilience to drug resistance, carcinogenic risks and genotoxicity are important concerns limiting their extended use in antiviral therapy.
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7
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Matz K, Emanuel J, Callison J, Gardner D, Rosenke R, Mercado-Hernandez R, Williamson BN, Feldmann H, Marzi A. Favipiravir (T-705) Protects IFNAR -/- Mice against Lethal Zika Virus Infection in a Sex-Dependent Manner. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061178. [PMID: 34072604 PMCID: PMC8227069 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is an important human pathogen that has caused epidemics in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. No licensed treatments for ZIKV disease are currently available. Favipiravir (T-705; 6-fluoro-3-hydroxy-2-pyrazinecarboxamide) and ribavirin (1-(β-D-Ribofuranosyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) are nucleoside analogs that have exhibited antiviral activity against a broad spectrum of RNA viruses, including some flaviviruses. In this study, we strengthened evidence for favipiravir and ribavirin inhibition of ZIKV replication in vitro. Testing in IFNAR−/− mice revealed that daily treatments of favipiravir were sufficient to provide protection against lethal ZIKV challenge in a dose-dependent manner but did not completely abrogate disease. Ribavirin, on the other hand, had no beneficial effect against ZIKV infection in this model and under the conditions examined. Combined treatment of ribavirin and favipiravir did not show improved outcomes over ribavirin alone. Surprisingly, outcome of favipiravir treatment was sex-dependent, with 87% of female but only 25% of male mice surviving lethal ZIKV infection. Since virus mutations were not associated with outcome, a sex-specific host response likely explains the observed sex difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keesha Matz
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Jackson Emanuel
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Julie Callison
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Don Gardner
- Rocky Mountain Veterinary Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (D.G.); (R.R.)
| | - Rebecca Rosenke
- Rocky Mountain Veterinary Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (D.G.); (R.R.)
| | - Reinaldo Mercado-Hernandez
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Brandi N. Williamson
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Heinz Feldmann
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Andrea Marzi
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
- Correspondence:
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8
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Albentosa-González L, Jimenez de Oya N, Arias A, Clemente-Casares P, Martin-Acebes MÁ, Saiz JC, Sabariegos R, Mas A. Akt Kinase Intervenes in Flavivirus Replication by Interacting with Viral Protein NS5. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050896. [PMID: 34066055 PMCID: PMC8151281 DOI: 10.3390/v13050896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod-borne flaviviruses, such as Zika virus (ZIKV), Usutu virus (USUV), and West Nile virus (WNV), are a growing cause of human illness and death around the world. Presently, no licensed antivirals to control them are available and, therefore, search for broad-spectrum antivirals, including host-directed compounds, is essential. The PI3K/Akt pathway controls essential cellular functions involved in cell metabolism and proliferation. Moreover, Akt has been found to participate in modulating replication in different viruses including the flaviviruses. In this work we studied the interaction of flavivirus NS5 polymerases with the cellular kinase Akt. In vitro NS5 phosphorylation experiments with Akt showed that flavivirus NS5 polymerases are phosphorylated and co-immunoprecipitate by Akt. Polymerase activity assays of Ala- and Glu-generated mutants for the Akt-phosphorylated residues also indicate that Glu mutants of ZIKV and USUV NS5s present a reduced primer-extension activity that was not observed in WNV mutants. Furthermore, treatment with Akt inhibitors (MK-2206, honokiol and ipatasertib) reduced USUV and ZIKV titers in cell culture but, except for honokiol, not WNV. All these findings suggest an important role for Akt in flavivirus replication although with specific differences among viruses and encourage further investigations to examine the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway as an antiviral potential target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Albentosa-González
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (L.A.-G.); (A.A.); (P.C.-C.)
| | - Nereida Jimenez de Oya
- ZOOVIR, Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (N.J.d.O.); (M.Á.M.-A.); (J.C.S.)
| | - Armando Arias
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (L.A.-G.); (A.A.); (P.C.-C.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina UCLM-CSIC, 02008 Albacete, Spain
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Pilar Clemente-Casares
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (L.A.-G.); (A.A.); (P.C.-C.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina UCLM-CSIC, 02008 Albacete, Spain
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Martin-Acebes
- ZOOVIR, Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (N.J.d.O.); (M.Á.M.-A.); (J.C.S.)
| | - Juan Carlos Saiz
- ZOOVIR, Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (N.J.d.O.); (M.Á.M.-A.); (J.C.S.)
| | - Rosario Sabariegos
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (L.A.-G.); (A.A.); (P.C.-C.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina UCLM-CSIC, 02008 Albacete, Spain
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
- Correspondence: (R.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Antonio Mas
- Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain; (L.A.-G.); (A.A.); (P.C.-C.)
- Unidad de Biomedicina UCLM-CSIC, 02008 Albacete, Spain
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
- Correspondence: (R.S.); (A.M.)
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9
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Akt Interacts with Usutu Virus Polymerase, and Its Activity Modulates Viral Replication. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10020244. [PMID: 33672588 PMCID: PMC7924047 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) is a flavivirus that mainly infects wild birds through the bite of Culex mosquitoes. Recent outbreaks have been associated with an increased number of cases in humans. Despite being a growing source of public health concerns, there is yet insufficient data on the virus or host cell targets for infection control. In this work we have investigated whether the cellular kinase Akt and USUV polymerase NS5 interact and co-localize in a cell. To this aim, we performed co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays, followed by confocal microscopy analyses. We further tested whether NS5 is a phosphorylation substrate of Akt in vitro. Finally, to examine its role in viral replication, we chemically silenced Akt with three inhibitors (MK-2206, honokiol and ipatasertib). We found that both proteins are localized (confocal) and pulled down (Co-IP) together when expressed in different cell lines, supporting the fact that they are interacting partners. This possibility was further sustained by data showing that NS5 is phosphorylated by Akt. Treatment of USUV-infected cells with Akt-specific inhibitors led to decreases in virus titers (>10-fold). Our results suggest an important role for Akt in virus replication and stimulate further investigations to examine the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway as an antiviral target.
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Ma Y, Frutos-Beltrán E, Kang D, Pannecouque C, De Clercq E, Menéndez-Arias L, Liu X, Zhan P. Medicinal chemistry strategies for discovering antivirals effective against drug-resistant viruses. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:4514-4540. [PMID: 33595031 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01084g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
During the last forty years we have witnessed impressive advances in the field of antiviral drug discovery culminating with the introduction of therapies able to stop human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication, or cure hepatitis C virus infections in people suffering from liver disease. However, there are important viral diseases without effective treatments, and the emergence of drug resistance threatens the efficacy of successful therapies used today. In this review, we discuss strategies to discover antiviral compounds specifically designed to combat drug resistance. Currently, efforts in this field are focused on targeted proteins (e.g. multi-target drug design strategies), but also on drug conformation (either improving drug positioning in the binding pocket or introducing conformational constraints), in the introduction or exploitation of new binding sites, or in strengthening interaction forces through the introduction of multiple hydrogen bonds, covalent binding, halogen bonds, additional van der Waals forces or multivalent binding. Among the new developments, proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have emerged as a valid approach taking advantage of intracellular mechanisms involving protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Finally, several molecules targeting host factors (e.g. human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and DEAD-box polypeptide 3) have been identified as broad-spectrum antiviral compounds. Implementation of herein described medicinal chemistry strategies are expected to contribute to the discovery of new drugs effective against current and future threats due to emerging and re-emerging viral pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan, 250012, Shandong Province, P. R. China.
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11
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Hashemian SM, Farhadi T, Velayati AA. A review on favipiravir: the properties, function, and usefulness to treat COVID-19. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2020; 19:1029-1037. [PMID: 33372567 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2021.1866545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION At this time, there is no specific therapeutic or vaccine for treatment of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Hence, available drugs for treatment of other viral infections may be useful to treat COVID-19. AREAS COVERED The focus of the current review was studying the main characteristics of favipiravir and its usefulness to treat COVID-19. An electronic search was done by using Pubmed and Google scholar. EXPERT OPINION Based on the mechanism of action and safety of favipiravir, the drug may be a promising candidate for compassionate use against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Favipiravir has a wide range of activity against many single-stranded RNA viruses, is well tolerated in humans and has a high barrier to resistance. However, high doses of the agent are necessary to obtain an efficient antiviral activity. Favipiravir is teratogen in pregnant women and associated with the hyperuricemia. Therefore, the administration of the drug should be well controlled. Investigating the antiviral prophylactic potency of favipiravir and search for its pro-drugs and/or analogs showing improved activity and/or safety are critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed MohammadReza Hashemian
- Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tayebeh Farhadi
- Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Velayati
- Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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12
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Benzarti E, Garigliany M. In Vitro and In Vivo Models to Study the Zoonotic Mosquito-Borne Usutu Virus. Viruses 2020; 12:E1116. [PMID: 33008141 PMCID: PMC7599730 DOI: 10.3390/v12101116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic flavivirus discovered in South Africa in 1959, has spread to many European countries over the last 20 years. The virus is currently a major concern for animal health due to its expanding host range and the growing number of avian mass mortality events. Although human infections with USUV are often asymptomatic, they are occasionally accompanied by neurological complications reminiscent of those due to West Nile virus (another flavivirus closely related to USUV). Whilst USUV actually appears less threatening than some other emergent arboviruses, the lessons learned from Chikungunya, Dengue, and Zika viruses during the past few years should not be ignored. Further, it would not be surprising if, with time, USUV disperses further eastwards towards Asia and possibly westwards to the Americas, which may result in more pathogenic USUV strains to humans and/or animals. These observations, inviting the scientific community to be more vigilant about the spread and genetic evolution of USUV, have prompted the use of experimental systems to understand USUV pathogenesis and to boost the development of vaccines and antivirals. This review is the first to provide comprehensive coverage of existing in vitro and in vivo models for USUV infection and to discuss their contribution in advancing data concerning this neurotropic virus. We believe that this paper is a helpful tool for scientists to identify gaps in the knowledge about USUV and to design their future experiments to study the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mutien Garigliany
- Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B43, B-4000 Liège, Belgium;
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5-Fluorouracil in combination with deoxyribonucleosides and deoxyribose as possible therapeutic options for the Coronavirus, COVID-19 infection. Med Hypotheses 2020; 142:109754. [PMID: 32438240 PMCID: PMC7194918 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The recent global pandemic created by the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, started in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has generated panic, both in term of human death (4–5% of infected patients identified through testing) and the global economy. Human sufferings seem to be continuing, and it is not clear how long this will continue and how much more destruction it is going to cause until complete control is achieved. One of the most disturbing issues is Covid-19 treatment; although a large number of medications, previously used successfully with other viruses (including Chinese herbal medicines and anti-malaria drugs), are under consideration, there remain questions as to whether they can play a satisfactory role for this disease. Global attempts are ongoing to find the drugs for the treatment of this virus but none of the antiviral drugs used for treatment of other human viral infection is working and hence attempts to find new drugs are continuing. Here the author is proposing that 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) which when used on its own is failing as an antiviral agent due to the removal of this compound by proof reading ability exceptionally found in Coronaviruses. The author here is proposing to test 5-FU in combination with a number of deoxynucleosides on animal models infected with this Covid-19. Should encouraging results ensue, therapies could then be tried on patients.
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Caracciolo I, Mora-Cardenas E, Aloise C, Carletti T, Segat L, Burali MS, Chiarvesio A, Totis V, Avšič–Županc T, Mastrangelo E, Manfroni G, D’Agaro P, Marcello A. Comprehensive response to Usutu virus following first isolation in blood donors in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy: Development of recombinant NS1-based serology and sensitivity to antiviral drugs. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008156. [PMID: 32226028 PMCID: PMC7145266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Surveillance of Usutu virus is crucial to prevent future outbreaks both in Europe and in other countries currently naïve to the infection, such as the Americas. This goal remains difficult to achieve, notably because of the lack of large-scale cohort studies and the absence of commercially available diagnostic reagents for USUV. This work started with the first identification of USUV in a blood donor in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region in Northern-Eastern Italy, which is endemic for West Nile virus. Considering that only one IgG ELISA is commercially available, but none for IgM, a novel NS1 antigen based IgG/M ELISA has been developed. This assay tested successfully for the detection of Usutu virus in blood donors with the identification of a second case of transmission and high levels of exposure. Furthermore, two pan-flavivirus antiviral drugs, that we previously characterized to be inhibitors of other flavivirus infectivity, were successfully tested for inhibition of Usutu virus with inhibitory concentrations in the low micromolar range. To conclude, this work identifies North-Eastern Italy as endemic for Usutu virus with implications for the screening of transfusion blood. A novel NS1-based ELISA test has been implemented for the detection of IgM/G that will be of importance as a tool for the diagnosis and surveillance of Usutu virus infection. Finally, Usutu virus is shown to be sensitive to a class of promising pan-flavivirus drugs. Tropical viruses transmitted by ticks or mosquitoes are becoming a health threat in areas of the world that were previously naïve to these infections. Usutu virus is a mosquito-borne virus that is circulating in Europe causing massive outbreaks in birds. Transmission to humans is documented, with some reports of severe neurological disease. However, the real size of transmission to humans suffers from lack of data due to insufficient surveillance. The first confirmed case of human USUV infection in an asymptomatic blood donor from North-Eastern Italy is hereby demonstrated by molecular assays and virus isolation. Specific Usutu virus serology has also been developed taking advantage of the NS1 viral antigen, which is tested on a number of blood donors demonstrating a high level of Usutu positivity. These findings confirm the human transmission in the region and offer a novel tool for specific Usutu virus surveillance. Finally, two drugs that were previously shown to have a wide spectrum of activity towards members of this family of viruses are shown to inhibit also Usutu virus, opening the way to a novel class antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Caracciolo
- Regional Reference Centre for Arbovirus Infections, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Erick Mora-Cardenas
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Aloise
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
| | - Tea Carletti
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ludovica Segat
- Regional Reference Centre for Arbovirus Infections, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Trieste, UCO Igiene e Sanità Pubblica, Trieste, Italy
| | - Maria Sole Burali
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Alexsia Chiarvesio
- Centro Unico Regionale Produzione Emocomponenti C.U.R.P.E. P.O. Palmanova A.A.S.2 Bassa Friulana Isontina, Palmanova, Italy
| | - Vivianna Totis
- Centro Unico Regionale Produzione Emocomponenti C.U.R.P.E. P.O. Palmanova A.A.S.2 Bassa Friulana Isontina, Palmanova, Italy
| | - Tatjana Avšič–Županc
- Laboratory of Diagnostics of Zoonoses and WHO Centre, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Giuseppe Manfroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Pierlanfranco D’Agaro
- Regional Reference Centre for Arbovirus Infections, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Trieste, UCO Igiene e Sanità Pubblica, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail: (PD); (AM)
| | - Alessandro Marcello
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail: (PD); (AM)
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16
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Synergistic lethal mutagenesis of hepatitis C virus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019:AAC.01653-19. [PMID: 31570400 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01653-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lethal mutagenesis is an antiviral approach that consists in extinguishing a virus by an excess of mutations acquired during replication in the presence of a mutagenic agent, often a nucleotide analogue. One of its advantages is its broad spectrum nature that renders the strategy potentially effective against emergent RNA viral infections. Here we describe synergistic lethal mutagenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by a combination of favipiravir (T-705) and ribavirin. Synergy has been documented over a broad range of analogue concentrations using the Chou-Talalay method as implemented in the CompuSyn graphics, with average dose reduction index (DRI) above 1 (68.02±101.6 for favipiravir, and 5.83±6.07 for ribavirin), and average combination indices (CI) below 1 (0.52±0.28). Furthermore, analogue concentrations that individually did not extinguish high fitness HCV in ten serial infections, when used in combination they extinguished high fitness HCV in one to two passages. Although both analogues display a preference for G→A and C→U transitions, deep sequencing analysis of mutant spectra indicated a different preference of the two analogues for the mutation sites, thus unveiling a new possible synergy mechanism in lethal mutagenesis. Prospects of synergy among mutagenic nucleotides as a strategy to confront emerging viral infections are discussed.
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Therapeutic Advances Against ZIKV: A Quick Response, a Long Way to Go. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2019; 12:ph12030127. [PMID: 31480297 PMCID: PMC6789873 DOI: 10.3390/ph12030127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that spread throughout the American continent in 2015 causing considerable worldwide social and health alarm due to its association with ocular lesions and microcephaly in newborns, and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) cases in adults. Nowadays, no licensed vaccines or antivirals are available against ZIKV, and thus, in this very short time, the scientific community has conducted enormous efforts to develop vaccines and antivirals. So that, different platforms (purified inactivated and live attenuated viruses, DNA and RNA nucleic acid based candidates, virus-like particles, subunit elements, and recombinant viruses) have been evaluated as vaccine candidates. Overall, these vaccines have shown the induction of vigorous humoral and cellular responses, the decrease of viremia and viral RNA levels in natural target organs, the prevention of vertical and sexual transmission, as well as that of ZIKV-associated malformations, and the protection of experimental animal models. Some of these vaccine candidates have already been assayed in clinical trials. Likewise, the search for antivirals have also been the focus of recent investigations, with dozens of compounds tested in cell culture and a few in animal models. Both direct acting antivirals (DAAs), directed to viral structural proteins and enzymes, and host acting antivirals (HAAs), directed to cellular factors affecting all steps of the viral life cycle (binding, entry, fusion, transcription, translation, replication, maturation, and egress), have been evaluated. It is expected that this huge collaborative effort will produce affordable and effective therapeutic and prophylactic tools to combat ZIKV and other related still unknown or nowadays neglected flaviviruses. Here, a comprehensive overview of the advances made in the development of therapeutic measures against ZIKV and the questions that still have to be faced are summarized.
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Lethal Mutagenesis of Rift Valley Fever Virus Induced by Favipiravir. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019; 63:AAC.00669-19. [PMID: 31085519 PMCID: PMC6658772 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00669-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging, mosquito-borne, zoonotic pathogen with recurrent outbreaks taking a considerable toll in human deaths in many African countries, for which no effective treatment is available. In cell culture studies and with laboratory animal models, the nucleoside analogue favipiravir (T-705) has demonstrated great potential for the treatment of several seasonal, chronic, and emerging RNA virus infections in humans, suggesting applicability to control some viral outbreaks. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging, mosquito-borne, zoonotic pathogen with recurrent outbreaks taking a considerable toll in human deaths in many African countries, for which no effective treatment is available. In cell culture studies and with laboratory animal models, the nucleoside analogue favipiravir (T-705) has demonstrated great potential for the treatment of several seasonal, chronic, and emerging RNA virus infections in humans, suggesting applicability to control some viral outbreaks. Treatment with favipiravir was shown to reduce the infectivity of Rift Valley fever virus both in cell cultures and in experimental animal models, but the mechanism of this protective effect is not understood. In this work, we show that favipiravir at concentrations well below the toxicity threshold estimated for cells is able to extinguish RVFV from infected cell cultures. Nucleotide sequence analysis has documented RVFV mutagenesis associated with virus extinction, with a significant increase in G to A and C to U transition frequencies and a decrease of specific infectivity, hallmarks of lethal mutagenesis.
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Abstract
Selection of viral mutants resistant to compounds used in therapy is a major determinant of treatment failure, a problem akin to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. In this scenario, mutagenic base and nucleoside analogs have entered the picture because they increase the mutation rate of viral populations to levels incompatible with their survival. This antiviral strategy is termed lethal mutagenesis. It has found a major impulse with the observation that some antiviral agents, which initially were considered only inhibitors of virus multiplication, may in effect exert part of their antiviral activity through mutagenesis. Here, we review the conceptual basis of lethal mutagenesis, the evidence of virus extinction through mutagenic nucleotide analogs and prospects for application in antiviral designs.
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Sempere RN, Arias A. Establishment of a Cell Culture Model of Persistent Flaviviral Infection: Usutu Virus Shows Sustained Replication during Passages and Resistance to Extinction by Antiviral Nucleosides. Viruses 2019; 11:E560. [PMID: 31212939 PMCID: PMC6630443 DOI: 10.3390/v11060560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic viral disease constitutes a major global health problem, with several hundred million people affected and an associated elevated number of deaths. An increasing number of disorders caused by human flaviviruses are related to their capacity to establish a persistent infection. Here we show that Usutu virus (USUV), an emerging zoonotic flavivirus linked to sporadic neurologic disease in humans, can establish a persistent infection in cell culture. Two independent lineages of Vero cells surviving USUV lytic infection were cultured over 82 days (41 cell transfers) without any apparent cytopathology crisis associated. We found elevated titers in the supernatant of these cells, with modest fluctuations during passages but no overall tendency towards increased or decreased infectivity. In addition to full-length genomes, viral RNA isolated from these cells at passage 40 revealed the presence of defective genomes, containing different deletions at the 5' end. These truncated transcripts were all predicted to encode shorter polyprotein products lacking membrane and envelope structural proteins, and most of non-structural protein 1. Treatment with different broad-range antiviral nucleosides revealed that USUV is sensitive to these compounds in the context of a persistent infection, in agreement with previous observations during lytic infections. The exposure of infected cells to prolonged treatment (10 days) with favipiravir and/or ribavirin resulted in the complete clearance of infectivity in the cellular supernatants (decrease of ~5 log10 in virus titers and RNA levels), although modest changes in intracellular viral RNA levels were recorded (<2 log10 decrease). Drug withdrawal after treatment day 10 resulted in a relapse in virus titers. These results encourage the use of persistently-infected cultures as a surrogate system in the identification of improved antivirals against flaviviral chronic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Navarro Sempere
- Life Science & Bioengineering Building, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
- Abiopep Sociedad Limitada, Parque Científico de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Armando Arias
- Life Science & Bioengineering Building, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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21
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Schneider ADB, Wolfinger MT. Musashi binding elements in Zika and related Flavivirus 3'UTRs: A comparative study in silico. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6911. [PMID: 31061405 PMCID: PMC6502878 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43390-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) belongs to a class of neurotropic viruses that have the ability to cause congenital infection, which can result in microcephaly or fetal demise. Recently, the RNA-binding protein Musashi-1 (Msi1), which mediates the maintenance and self-renewal of stem cells and acts as a translational regulator, has been associated with promoting ZIKV replication, neurotropism, and pathology. Msi1 predominantly binds to single-stranded motifs in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of RNA that contain a UAG trinucleotide in their core. We systematically analyzed the properties of Musashi binding elements (MBEs) in the 3'UTR of flaviviruses with a thermodynamic model for RNA folding. Our results indicate that MBEs in ZIKV 3'UTRs occur predominantly in unpaired, single-stranded structural context, thus corroborating experimental observations by a biophysical model of RNA structure formation. Statistical analysis and comparison with related viruses show that ZIKV MBEs are maximally accessible among mosquito-borne flaviviruses. Our study addresses the broader question of whether other emerging arboviruses can cause similar neurotropic effects through the same mechanism in the developing fetus by establishing a link between the biophysical properties of viral RNA and teratogenicity. Moreover, our thermodynamic model can explain recent experimental findings and predict the Msi1-related neurotropic potential of other viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano de Bernardi Schneider
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 220 Dickinson St, Suite A, San Diego, CA, 92103, United States of America
| | - Michael T Wolfinger
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Souza INO, Barros-Aragão FGQ, Frost PS, Figueiredo CP, Clarke JR. Late Neurological Consequences of Zika Virus Infection: Risk Factors and Pharmaceutical Approaches. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2019; 12:E60. [PMID: 30999590 PMCID: PMC6631207 DOI: 10.3390/ph12020060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection was historically considered a disease with mild symptoms and no major consequences to human health. However, several long-term, late onset, and chronic neurological complications, both in congenitally-exposed babies and in adult patients, have been reported after ZIKV infection, especially after the 2015 epidemics in the American continent. The development or severity of these conditions cannot be fully predicted, but it is possible that genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors may contribute to determine ZIKV infection outcomes. This reinforces the importance that individuals exposed to ZIKV are submitted to long-term clinical surveillance and highlights the urgent need for the development of therapeutic approaches to reduce or eliminate the neurological burden of infection. Here, we review the epidemiology of ZIKV-associated neurological complications and the role of factors that may influence disease outcome. Moreover, we discuss experimental and clinical evidence of drugs that have shown promising results in vitro or in vitro against viral replication and and/or ZIKV-induced neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isis N O Souza
- School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
| | - Fernanda G Q Barros-Aragão
- School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
| | - Paula S Frost
- School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
| | - Claudia P Figueiredo
- School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
| | - Julia R Clarke
- School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21944-590, Brazil.
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Development of a fluorescence-based method for the rapid determination of Zika virus polymerase activity and the screening of antiviral drugs. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5397. [PMID: 30932009 PMCID: PMC6444013 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41998-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging pathogen that has been associated with large numbers of cases of severe neurologic disease, including Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly. Despite its recent establishment as a serious global public health concern there are no licensed therapeutics to control this virus. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop methods for the high-throughput screening of antiviral agents. We describe here a fluorescence-based method to monitor the real-time polymerization activity of Zika virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). By using homopolymeric RNA template molecules, de novo RNA synthesis can be detected with a fluorescent dye, which permits the specific quantification and kinetics of double-strand RNA formation. ZIKV RdRp activity detected using this fluorescence-based assay positively correlated with traditional assays measuring the incorporation of radiolabeled nucleotides. We also validated this method as a suitable assay for the identification of ZIKV inhibitors targeting the viral polymerase using known broad-spectrum inhibitors. The assay was also successfully adapted to detect RNA polymerization activity by different RdRps, illustrated here using purified RdRps from hepatitis C virus and foot-and-mouth disease virus. The potential of fluorescence-based approaches for the enzymatic characterization of viral polymerases, as well as for high-throughput screening of antiviral drugs, are discussed.
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