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Ajmal A, Shahab M, Waqas M, Zheng G, Zulfat M, Bin Jardan YA, Wondmie GF, Bourhia M, Ali I. In silico design of peptide inhibitors for Dengue virus to treat Dengue virus-associated infections. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13130. [PMID: 38849372 PMCID: PMC11161489 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63064-1] [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: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus is a single positive-strand RNA virus that is composed of three structural proteins including capsid, envelope, and precursor membrane while seven non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3A, NS3B, NS4, and NS5). Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV). DENV infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illness. However, DENV can occasionally cause more severe cases and even death. There is no specific treatment for dengue virus infections. Therapeutic peptides have several important advantages over proteins or antibodies: they are small in size, easy to synthesize, and have the ability to penetrate the cell membranes. They also have high activity, specificity, affinity, and less toxicity. Based on the known peptide inhibitor, the current study designs peptide inhibitors for dengue virus envelope protein using an alanine and residue scanning technique. By replacing I21 with Q21, L14 with H14, and V28 with K28, the binding affinity of the peptide inhibitors was increased. The newly designed peptide inhibitors with single residue mutation improved the binding affinity of the peptide inhibitors. The inhibitory capability of the new promising peptide inhibitors was further confirmed by the utilization of MD simulation and free binding energy calculations. The molecular dynamics simulation demonstrated that the newly engineered peptide inhibitors exhibited greater stability compared to the wild-type peptide inhibitors. According to the binding free energies MM(GB)SA of these developed peptides, the first peptide inhibitor was the most effective against the dengue virus envelope protein. All peptide derivatives had higher binding affinities for the envelope protein and have the potential to treat dengue virus-associated infections. In this study, new peptide inhibitors were developed for the dengue virus envelope protein based on the already reported peptide inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Ajmal
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shahab
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Waqas
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al-Mouz, 616, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Guojun Zheng
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
| | - Maryam Zulfat
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Yousef A Bin Jardan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mohammed Bourhia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, 70000, Laayoune, Morocco
| | - Ijaz Ali
- Centre for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait
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2
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Sinha S, Singh K, Ravi Kumar YS, Roy R, Phadnis S, Meena V, Bhattacharyya S, Verma B. Dengue virus pathogenesis and host molecular machineries. J Biomed Sci 2024; 31:43. [PMID: 38649998 PMCID: PMC11036733 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-024-01030-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Dengue viruses (DENV) are positive-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the Flaviviridae family. DENV is the causative agent of dengue, the most rapidly spreading viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Each year, millions of people contract the virus through bites from infected female mosquitoes of the Aedes species. In the majority of individuals, the infection is asymptomatic, and the immune system successfully manages to control virus replication within a few days. Symptomatic individuals may present with a mild fever (Dengue fever or DF) that may or may not progress to a more critical disease termed Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or the fatal Dengue shock syndrome (DSS). In the absence of a universally accepted prophylactic vaccine or therapeutic drug, treatment is mostly restricted to supportive measures. Similar to many other viruses that induce acute illness, DENV has developed several ways to modulate host metabolism to create an environment conducive to genome replication and the dissemination of viral progeny. To search for new therapeutic options, understanding the underlying host-virus regulatory system involved in various biological processes of the viral life cycle is essential. This review aims to summarize the complex interaction between DENV and the host cellular machinery, comprising regulatory mechanisms at various molecular levels such as epigenetic modulation of the host genome, transcription of host genes, translation of viral and host mRNAs, post-transcriptional regulation of the host transcriptome, post-translational regulation of viral proteins, and pathways involved in protein degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Sinha
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Kinjal Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Y S Ravi Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, MSR Nagar, Bengaluru, India
| | - Riya Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Sushant Phadnis
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Varsha Meena
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Sankar Bhattacharyya
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Bhupendra Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India.
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John P, Vasa NJ, Zam A. Optical Biosensors for the Diagnosis of COVID-19 and Other Viruses-A Review. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2418. [PMID: 37510162 PMCID: PMC10378272 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13142418] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a huge concern globally because of the astounding increase in mortality rates worldwide. The medical imaging computed tomography technique, whole-genome sequencing, and electron microscopy are the methods generally used for the screening and identification of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The main aim of this review is to emphasize the capabilities of various optical techniques to facilitate not only the timely and effective diagnosis of the virus but also to apply its potential toward therapy in the field of virology. This review paper categorizes the potential optical biosensors into the three main categories, spectroscopic-, nanomaterial-, and interferometry-based approaches, used for detecting various types of viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Various classifications of spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, near-infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy are discussed in the first part. The second aspect highlights advances related to nanomaterial-based optical biosensors, while the third part describes various optical interferometric biosensors used for the detection of viruses. The tremendous progress made by lab-on-a-chip technology in conjunction with smartphones for improving the point-of-care and portability features of the optical biosensors is also discussed. Finally, the review discusses the emergence of artificial intelligence and its applications in the field of bio-photonics and medical imaging for the diagnosis of COVID-19. The review concludes by providing insights into the future perspectives of optical techniques in the effective diagnosis of viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline John
- Division of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nilesh J Vasa
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Azhar Zam
- Division of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
- Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
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Delgado-Maldonado T, Moreno-Herrera A, Pujadas G, Vázquez-Jiménez LK, González-González A, Rivera G. Recent advances in the development of methyltransferase (MTase) inhibitors against (re)emerging arboviruses diseases dengue and Zika. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 252:115290. [PMID: 36958266 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023]
Abstract
Emerging and/or re-emerging viral diseases such as dengue and Zika are a worldwide concern. Therefore, new antiviral therapeutics are necessary. In this sense, a non-structural protein with methyltransferase (MTase) activity is an attractive drug target because it plays a crucial role in dengue and Zika virus replication. Different drug strategies such as virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics have identified new inhibitors that bind on the MTase active site. Therefore, in this review, we analyze MTase inhibitors, including S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (SAH) and guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) analogs, nitrogen-containing heterocycles (pyrimidine, adenosine, and pyridine), urea derivatives, and natural products. Advances in the design of MTase inhibitors could lead to the optimization of a possible single or broad-spectrum antiviral drug against dengue and Zika virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timoteo Delgado-Maldonado
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 88710, Reynosa, Mexico
| | - Antonio Moreno-Herrera
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 88710, Reynosa, Mexico
| | - Gerard Pujadas
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Research group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Campus de Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lenci K Vázquez-Jiménez
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 88710, Reynosa, Mexico
| | - Alonzo González-González
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 88710, Reynosa, Mexico
| | - Gildardo Rivera
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 88710, Reynosa, Mexico.
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Lee MF, Wu YS, Poh CL. Molecular Mechanisms of Antiviral Agents against Dengue Virus. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030705. [PMID: 36992414 PMCID: PMC10056858 DOI: 10.3390/v15030705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue is a major global health threat causing 390 million dengue infections and 25,000 deaths annually. The lack of efficacy of the licensed Dengvaxia vaccine and the absence of a clinically approved antiviral against dengue virus (DENV) drive the urgent demand for the development of novel anti-DENV therapeutics. Various antiviral agents have been developed and investigated for their anti-DENV activities. This review discusses the mechanisms of action employed by various antiviral agents against DENV. The development of host-directed antivirals targeting host receptors and direct-acting antivirals targeting DENV structural and non-structural proteins are reviewed. In addition, the development of antivirals that target different stages during post-infection such as viral replication, viral maturation, and viral assembly are reviewed. Antiviral agents designed based on these molecular mechanisms of action could lead to the discovery and development of novel anti-DENV therapeutics for the treatment of dengue infections. Evaluations of combinations of antiviral drugs with different mechanisms of action could also lead to the development of synergistic drug combinations for the treatment of dengue at any stage of the infection.
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Recalde-Reyes DP, Rodríguez-Salazar CA, Castaño-Osorio JC, Giraldo MI. PD1 CD44 antiviral peptide as an inhibitor of the protein-protein interaction in dengue virus invasion. Peptides 2022; 153:170797. [PMID: 35378215 PMCID: PMC10807690 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2022.170797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) infection is mediated by the interaction between the virus envelope protein and cellular receptors of the host cells. In this study, we designed peptides to inhibit protein-protein interaction between dengue virus and CD44 receptor, which is one of the receptors used by DENV for entry. In silico model complexes were designed between domain III of the viral envelope protein of dengue virus 2 and the domain of human CD44 receptor using ClusPro 2.0, (https://cluspro.bu.edu/login.php), and inhibition peptides were designed with Rosetta Online-Server(http://rosie.rosettacommons.org/peptiderive). We identified one linear antiviral peptide of 18 amino acids derived from the human CD44 receptor, PD1 CD44. It did not show hemolysis or toxicity in HepG2 or BHK cell lines, nor did it stimulate the release of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ, below 100 µM. It had an IC50 of 13.8 µM and maximum effective dose of 54.9 µM evaluated in BHK cells. The decrease in plaque-forming units/mL for DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, and DENV4 was 99.60%, 99.40%, 97.80%, and 70.50%, respectively, and similar results were obtained by RT-qPCR. Non-structural protein 1 release was decreased in pre- and co-treatment but not in post-treatment. Competition assays between the DN59 peptide, envelope protein, and the fragment of domain III "MDKLQLKGMSYSMCTGKF" of the viral envelope of DENV2 and PD1 CD44 showed that our peptide lost its antiviral activity. We demonstrated that our peptide decreased endosome formation, and we propose that it binds to the envelope protein of DENV, inhibiting viral invasion/fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Piedad Recalde-Reyes
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; Molecular Biology and Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Corporación Universitaria Empresarial Alexander Von Humboldt, Armenia 630003, Colombia.
| | - Carlos Andrés Rodríguez-Salazar
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; Molecular Biology and Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Corporación Universitaria Empresarial Alexander Von Humboldt, Armenia 630003, Colombia
| | - Jhon Carlos Castaño-Osorio
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia.
| | - María Isabel Giraldo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555,USA.
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7
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Xu MM, Wu B, Huang GG, Feng CL, Wang XH, Wang HY, Wu YW, Tang W. Hemin protects against Zika virus infection by disrupting virus-endosome fusion. Antiviral Res 2022; 203:105347. [DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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8
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In search of suitable protein targets for anti-malarial and anti-dengue drug discovery. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.132520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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9
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Development of antiviral carbon quantum dots that target the Japanese encephalitis virus envelope protein. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101957. [PMID: 35452675 PMCID: PMC9123278 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Japanese encephalitis is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) that is prevalent in Asia and the Western Pacific. Currently, there is no effective treatment for Japanese encephalitis. Curcumin (Cur) is a compound extracted from the roots of Curcuma longa, and many studies have reported its antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the high cytotoxicity and very low solubility of Cur limit its biomedical applications. In this study, Cur carbon quantum dots (Cur-CQDs) were synthesized by mild pyrolysis-induced polymerization and carbonization, leading to higher water solubility and lower cytotoxicity, as well as superior antiviral activity against JEV infection. We found that Cur-CQDs effectively bound to the E protein of JEV, preventing viral entry into the host cells. In addition, after continued treatment of JEV with Cur-CQDs, a mutant strain of JEV was evolved that did not support binding of Cur-CQDs to the JEV envelope. Using transmission electron microscopy, biolayer interferometry, and molecular docking analysis, we revealed that the S123R and K312R mutations in the E protein play a key role in binding Cur-CQDs. The S123 and K312 residues are located in structural domains II and III of the E protein, respectively, and are responsible for binding to receptors on and fusing with the cell membrane. Taken together, our results suggest that the E protein of flaviviruses represents a potential target for the development of CQD-based inhibitors to prevent or treat viral infections.
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Yu Y, Si L, Meng Y. Flavivirus Entry Inhibitors. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1366:171-197. [PMID: 35412141 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-8702-0_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Flaviviruses, including Dengue virus, Zika virus, Yellow fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, cause thousands of deaths and millions of illnesses each year. The large outbreak of ZIKV in 2016 reminds us that flaviviruses can pose a serious threat to human safety and public health as emerging and re-emerging viruses. However, there are no specific drugs approved for the treatment of flavivirus infections. Due to no need to enter the cells, viral entry inhibitors have the unique advantage in suppressing viral infections. Flaviviruses bind to receptors and attach to the cell surface, then enter the endosome in a clathrin-dependent manner and finalizes the viral entry process after fusion with the cell membrane in a low pH environment. Small molecules, antibodies or peptides can inhibit flavivirus entry by targeting the above processes. Here, we focus on flavivirus entry inhibitors with well-defined target and antiviral activity. We hope that our review will provide a theoretical basis for flavivirus treatment and drug research and help to accelerate the clinical application of flavivirus entry inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Yu
- Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Lulu Si
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yu Meng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
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Sundar S, Piramanayagam S, Natarajan J. A review on structural genomics approach applied for drug discovery against three vector-borne viral diseases: Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. Virus Genes 2022; 58:151-171. [PMID: 35394596 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-022-01898-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Structural genomics involves the advent of three-dimensional structures of the genome encoded proteins through various techniques available. Numerous structural genomics research groups have been developed across the globe and they contribute enormously to the identification of three-dimensional structures of various proteins. In this review, we have discussed the applications of the structural genomics approach towards the discovery of potential lead-like molecules against the genomic drug targets of three vector-borne diseases, namely, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. Currently, all these three diseases are associated with the most important global public health problems and significant economic burden in tropical countries. Structural genomics has accelerated the identification of novel drug targets and inhibitors for the treatment of these diseases. We start with the current development status of the drug targets and antiviral drugs against these three diseases and conclude by describing challenges that need to be addressed to overcome the shortcomings in the process of drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shobana Sundar
- Computational Biology Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | | | - Jeyakumar Natarajan
- Data Mining and Text Mining Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Rodriguez-Salazar CA, Recalde-Reyes DP, Bedoya JP, Padilla-Sanabria L, Castaño-Osorio JC, Giraldo MI. In Vitro Inhibition of Replication of Dengue Virus Serotypes 1-4 by siRNAs Bound to Non-Toxic Liposomes. Viruses 2022; 14:339. [PMID: 35215929 PMCID: PMC8875542 DOI: 10.3390/v14020339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus is a ssRNA+ flavivirus, which produces the dengue disease in humans. Currently, no specific treatment exists. siRNAs regulate gene expression and have been used systematically to silence viral genomes; however, they require controlled release. Liposomes show favorable results encapsulating siRNA for gene silencing. The objective herein was to design and evaluate in vitro siRNAs bound to liposomes that inhibit DENV replication. siRNAs were designed against DENV1-4 from conserved regions using siDirect2.0 and Web-BLOCK-iT™ RNAiDesigner; the initial in vitro evaluation was carried out through transfection into HepG2 cells. siRNA with silencing capacity was encapsulated in liposomes composed of D-Lin-MC3-DMA, DSPC, Chol. Cytotoxicity, hemolysis, pro-inflammatory cytokine release and antiviral activity were evaluated using plaque assay and RT-qPCR. A working concentration of siRNA was established at 40 nM. siRNA1, siRNA2, siRNA3.1, and siRNA4 were encapsulated in liposomes, and their siRNA delivery through liposomes led to a statistically significant decrease in viral titers, yielded no cytotoxicity or hemolysis and did not stimulate release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Finally, liposomes were designed with siRNA against DENV, which proved to be safe in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Andrés Rodriguez-Salazar
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; (D.P.R.-R.); (J.P.B.); (L.P.-S.); (J.C.C.-O.)
- Molecular Biology and Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Corporación Universitaria Empresarial Alexander Von Humboldt, Armenia 630003, Colombia
| | - Delia Piedad Recalde-Reyes
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; (D.P.R.-R.); (J.P.B.); (L.P.-S.); (J.C.C.-O.)
- Molecular Biology and Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Corporación Universitaria Empresarial Alexander Von Humboldt, Armenia 630003, Colombia
| | - Juan Pablo Bedoya
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; (D.P.R.-R.); (J.P.B.); (L.P.-S.); (J.C.C.-O.)
| | - Leonardo Padilla-Sanabria
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; (D.P.R.-R.); (J.P.B.); (L.P.-S.); (J.C.C.-O.)
| | - Jhon Carlos Castaño-Osorio
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; (D.P.R.-R.); (J.P.B.); (L.P.-S.); (J.C.C.-O.)
| | - Maria Isabel Giraldo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
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The Methanolic Extract of Perilla frutescens Robustly Restricts Ebola Virus Glycoprotein-Mediated Entry. Viruses 2021; 13:v13091793. [PMID: 34578374 PMCID: PMC8473196 DOI: 10.3390/v13091793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV), one of the most infectious human viruses and a leading cause of viral hemorrhagic fever, imposes a potential public health threat with several recent outbreaks. Despite the difficulties associated with working with this pathogen in biosafety level-4 containment, a protective vaccine and antiviral therapeutic were recently approved. However, the high mortality rate of EBOV infection underscores the necessity to continuously identify novel antiviral strategies to help expand the scope of prophylaxis/therapeutic management against future outbreaks. This includes identifying antiviral agents that target EBOV entry, which could improve the management of EBOV infection. Herein, using EBOV glycoprotein (GP)-pseudotyped particles, we screened a panel of natural medicinal extracts, and identified the methanolic extract of Perilla frutescens (PFME) as a robust inhibitor of EBOV entry. We show that PFME dose-dependently impeded EBOV GP-mediated infection at non-cytotoxic concentrations, and exerted the most significant antiviral activity when both the extract and the pseudoparticles are concurrently present on the host cells. Specifically, we demonstrate that PFME could block viral attachment and neutralize the cell-free viral particles. Our results, therefore, identified PFME as a potent inhibitor of EBOV entry, which merits further evaluation for development as a therapeutic strategy against EBOV infection.
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Gallo FN, Enderle AG, Pardo LA, Leal ES, Bollini M. Challenges and perspectives in the discovery of dengue virus entry inhibitors. Curr Med Chem 2021; 29:719-740. [PMID: 34036904 DOI: 10.2174/0929867328666210521213118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) disease has become one of the major challenges in public health. Currently, there is no antiviral treatment for this infection. Since human transmission occurs via mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, most efforts have been focused on controlling this vector. However, these control strategies have not been totally successful, as reflected in the increasing number of DENV infections per year, becoming an endemic disease in more than 100 countries worldwide. Consequently, the development of a safe antiviral agent is urgently needed. In this sense, rational design approaches have been applied in the development of antiviral compounds that inhibit one or more steps in the viral replication cycle. The entry of viruses into host cells is an early and specific stage of infection. Targeting either viral components or cellular protein targets is an affordable and effective strategy for therapeutic intervention of viral infections. This review provides an extensive overview of the small organic molecules, peptides, and inorganic moieties that have been tested so far as DENV entry direct-acting antiviral agents. The latest advances based on computer-aided drug design (CADD) strategies and traditional medicinal chemistry approaches in the design and evaluation of DENV virus entry inhibitors will be discussed. Furthermore, physicochemical drug properties such as solubility, lipophilicity, stability, and current results of pre-clinical and clinical studies will also be discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Facundo N Gallo
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana G Enderle
- Laboratorio de Desarrollo Analítico y Quimiometría (LADAQ), Cátedra de Química Analítica I, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, 3000, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Lucas A Pardo
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, 3480 University Street, Montreal, Canada
| | - Emilse S Leal
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Bollini
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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15
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S AH, Pujar GV, Sethu AK, Bhagyalalitha M, Singh M. Dengue structural proteins as antiviral drug targets: Current status in the drug discovery & development. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 221:113527. [PMID: 34020338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Dengue virus belongs to the class of RNA viruses and subclass of enveloped single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus. It causes dengue fever (DF), dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), or dengue shock syndrome (DSS), where DHF and DSS are life-threatening. Even though dengue is an age-old disease, it is still a mystery and continues to be a global threat. Numerous attempts have been carried out in the past few decades to eradicate the virus through vaccine and antiviral drugs, but still battle continues. In this review, the possible drug targets for discovery and development of potential antiviral drugs against structural proteins of dengue virus, the current development status of the antiviral drugs against dengue around the world, and challenges that need to be addressed to overcome the shortcomings in the process of drug discovery have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshatha H S
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Sri Shivarathreeshwara Nagara, Mysuru, 570015, India
| | - Gurubasavaraj V Pujar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Sri Shivarathreeshwara Nagara, Mysuru, 570015, India.
| | - Arun Kumar Sethu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Sri Shivarathreeshwara Nagara, Mysuru, 570015, India
| | - Meduri Bhagyalalitha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Sri Shivarathreeshwara Nagara, Mysuru, 570015, India
| | - Manisha Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Sri Shivarathreeshwara Nagara, Mysuru, 570015, India
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16
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Naresh P, Selvaraj A, Shyam Sundar P, Murugesan S, Sathianarayanan S, Namboori P K K, Jubie S. Targeting a conserved pocket (n-octyl-β-D-glucoside) on the dengue virus envelope protein by small bioactive molecule inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 40:4866-4878. [PMID: 33345726 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1862707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus enters the cell by receptor-mediated endocytosis followed by a viral envelope (DENVE) protein-mediated membrane fusion. A small detergent molecule n-octyl-β-D-glucoside (βOG) occupies the hydrophobic pocket which is located in the hinge region plays a major role in the rearrangement. It has been reported that mutations occurred in this binding pocket lead to the alterations of pH threshold for fusion. In addition to this event, the protonation of histidine residues present in the hydrophobic pocket would also impart the conformational change of the E protein evidence this pocket as a promising target. The present study identified novel cinnamic acid analogs as significant blockers of the hydrophobic pocket through molecular modeling studies against DENVE. A library of seventy-two analogs of cinnamic acid was undertaken for the discovery process of DENV inhibitors. A Molecular docking study was used to analyze the binding mechanism between these compounds and DENV followed by ADMET prediction. Binding energies were predicted by the MMGBSA study. The Molecular dynamic simulation was utilized to confirm the stability of potential compound binding. The compounds CA and SCA derivatives have been tested against HSV-1 & 2 viruses. From the computational results, the compounds CA1, CA2, SCA 60, SCA 57, SCA 37, SCA 58, and SCA 14 exhibited favorable interaction energy. The compounds have in-vitro antiviral activity; the results clearly indicate that the compounds showed the activity against both the viruses (HSV-1 & HSV-2). Our study provides valuable information on the discovery of small molecules DENVE inhibitors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Naresh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Tamilnadu, India
| | - A Selvaraj
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Tamilnadu, India
| | - P Shyam Sundar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Tamilnadu, India
| | - S Murugesan
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, Vidya Vihar, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - S Sathianarayanan
- Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Ponekkara, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Krishnan Namboori P K
- Amrita Molecular Modeling and Synthesis (AMMAS) Research Lab, Amrita Vishwavidyapeetham, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
| | - S Jubie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Tamilnadu, India
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17
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Synthesis of non-nucleoside anti-viral cyclopropylcarboxacyl hydrazones and initial anti-HSV-1 structure-activity relationship studies. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127559. [PMID: 32961320 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127559] [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: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The synthesis of a lead anti-viral cyclopropyl carboxy acyl hydrazone 4F17 (5) and three sequential arrays of structural analogues along with the initial assessment and optimization of the antiviral pharmacophore against the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) are reported.
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18
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Park A, Graceffa O, Rawle RJ. Kinetic Modeling of West Nile Virus Fusion Indicates an Off-Pathway State. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:3260-3268. [PMID: 33201665 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a prominent mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes febrile illness in humans. To infect host cells, WNV virions first bind to plasma membrane receptors, then initiate membrane fusion following endocytosis. The viral transmembrane E protein, triggered by endosomal pH, catalyzes fusion while undergoing a dimer-to-trimer transition. Previously, single-particle WNV fusion data was interrogated with a stochastic cellular automaton simulation, which modeled the E proteins during the fusion process. The results supported a linear fusion mechanism, with E protein trimerization being rate-limiting. Here, we present corrections to the previous simulation, and apply them to the WNV fusion data. We observe that a linear mechanism is no longer sufficient to fit the data. Instead, an off-pathway state is necessary; these results are corroborated by per virus chemical kinetics modeling. When compared with a similar Zika virus fusion model, this suggests that off-pathway fusion mechanisms may characterize flaviviruses more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Park
- Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts 01267, United States
| | - Olivia Graceffa
- Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts 01267, United States
| | - Robert J. Rawle
- Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts 01267, United States
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19
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Felicetti T, Manfroni G, Cecchetti V, Cannalire R. Broad-Spectrum Flavivirus Inhibitors: a Medicinal Chemistry Point of View. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:2391-2419. [PMID: 32961008 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Infections by flaviviruses, such as Dengue, West Nile, Yellow Fever and Zika viruses, represent a growing risk for global health. There are vaccines only for few flaviviruses while no effective treatments are available. Flaviviruses share epidemiological, structural, and ecologic features and often different viruses can co-infect the same host. Therefore, the identification of broad-spectrum inhibitors is highly desirable either for known flaviviruses or for viruses that likely will emerge in the future. Strategies targeting both virus and host factors have been pursued to identify broad-spectrum antiflaviviral agents. In this review, we describe the most promising and best characterized targets and their relative broad-spectrum inhibitors, identified by drug repurposing/libraries screenings and by focused medicinal chemistry campaigns. Finally, we discuss about future strategies to identify new broad-spectrum antiflavivirus agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Felicetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, via del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Manfroni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, via del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Violetta Cecchetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, via del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Rolando Cannalire
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli "Federico II", via D. Montesano 49, 80131, Napoli, Italy
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20
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Telehany SM, Humby MS, McGee TD, Riley SP, Jacobs A, Rizzo RC. Identification of Zika Virus Inhibitors Using Homology Modeling and Similarity-Based Screening to Target Glycoprotein E. Biochemistry 2020; 59:3709-3724. [PMID: 32876433 PMCID: PMC7598728 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The
World Health Organization has designated Zika virus (ZIKV)
as a dangerous, mosquito-borne pathogen that can cause severe developmental
defects. The primary goal of this work was identification of small
molecules as potential ZIKV inhibitors that target the viral envelope
glycoprotein (ZIKV E) involved in membrane fusion and viral entry.
A homology model of ZIKV E containing the small molecule β-octyl
glucoside (BOG) was constructed, on the basis of an analogous X-ray
structure from dengue virus, and >4 million commercially available
compounds were computationally screened using the program DOCK6. A
key feature of the screen involved the use of similarity-based scoring
to identify inhibitor candidates that make similar interaction energy
patterns (molecular footprints) as the BOG reference. Fifty-three
prioritized compounds underwent experimental testing using cytotoxicity,
cell viability, and tissue culture infectious dose 50% (TCID50) assays.
Encouragingly, relative to a known control (NITD008), six compounds
were active in both the cell viability assay and the TCID50 infectivity
assay, and they showed activity in a third caspase activity assay.
In particular, compounds 8 and 15 (tested
at 25 μM) and compound 43 (tested at 10 μM)
appeared to provide significant protection to infected cells, indicative
of anti-ZIKV activity. Overall, the study highlights how similarity-based
scoring can be leveraged to computationally identify potential ZIKV
E inhibitors that mimic a known reference (in this case BOG), and
the experimentally verified hits provide a strong starting point for
further refinement and optimization efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Telehany
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
| | - Monica S Humby
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14214, United States
| | - T Dwight McGee
- Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
| | - Sean P Riley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14214, United States
| | - Amy Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14214, United States
| | - Robert C Rizzo
- Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States.,Institute of Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States.,Laufer Center for Physical & Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
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21
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Pattnaik GP, Chakraborty H. Entry Inhibitors: Efficient Means to Block Viral Infection. J Membr Biol 2020; 253:425-444. [PMID: 32862236 PMCID: PMC7456447 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-020-00136-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The emerging and re-emerging viral infections are constant threats to human health and wellbeing. Several strategies have been explored to develop vaccines against these viral diseases. The main effort in the journey of development of vaccines is to neutralize the fusion protein using antibodies. However, significant efforts have been made in discovering peptides and small molecules that inhibit the fusion between virus and host cell, thereby inhibiting the entry of viruses. This class of inhibitors is called entry inhibitors, and they are extremely efficient in reducing viral infection as the entry of the virus is considered as the first step of infection. Nevertheless, these inhibitors are highly selective for a particular virus as antibody-based vaccines. The recent COVID-19 pandemic lets us ponder to shift our attention towards broad-spectrum antiviral agents from the so-called ‘one bug-one drug’ approach. This review discusses peptide and small molecule-based entry inhibitors against class I, II, and III viruses and sheds light on broad-spectrum antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hirak Chakraborty
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha, 768 019, India. .,Centre of Excellence in Natural Products and Therapeutics, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha, 768 019, India.
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22
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Troost B, Smit JM. Recent advances in antiviral drug development towards dengue virus. Curr Opin Virol 2020; 43:9-21. [PMID: 32795907 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high disease burden of dengue virus, there is no approved antiviral treatment or broadly applicable vaccine to treat or prevent dengue virus infection. In the last decade, many antiviral compounds have been identified but only few have been further evaluated in pre-clinical or clinical trials. This review will give an overview of the direct-acting and host-directed antivirals identified to date. Furthermore, important parameters for further development that is, drug properties including efficacy, specificity and stability, pre-clinical animal testing, and combinational drug therapy will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berit Troost
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jolanda M Smit
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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23
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Shanmugam A, Ramakrishnan C, Velmurugan D, Gromiha MM. Identification of Potential Inhibitors for Targets Involved in Dengue Fever. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:1742-1760. [PMID: 32552652 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200618123026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Lethality due to dengue infection is a global threat. Nearly 400 million people are affected every year, which approximately costs 500 million dollars for surveillance and vector control itself. Many investigations on the structure-function relationship of proteins expressed by the dengue virus are being made for more than a decade and had come up with many reports on small molecule drug discovery. In this review, we present a detailed note on viral proteins and their functions as well as the inhibitors discovered/designed so far using experimental and computational methods. Further, the phytoconstituents from medicinal plants, specifically the extract of the papaya leaves, neem and bael, which combat dengue infection via dengue protease, helicase, methyl transferase and polymerase are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anusuya Shanmugam
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Vinayaka Mission's Kirupananda Variyar Engineering College, Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem - 636308, India
| | - Chandrasekaran Ramakrishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Chennai - 600036, India
| | - Devadasan Velmurugan
- Centre of Advanced Study in Crystallography and Biophysics, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai - 600025, India
| | - M Michael Gromiha
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Chennai - 600036, India
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24
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Lin HH, Huang LM, Wu SC. A quantitative luciferase-based cell-cell fusion assay to measure four-serotype dengue virus E protein-triggered membrane fusion. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 16:2176-2182. [PMID: 32530355 PMCID: PMC7553686 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1748989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The class II membrane fusion induced by flavivirus E proteins is a unique pH-dependent membrane fusion process differently from the class I or III membrane fusion by other enveloped virus proteins. The fusion peptide on the DII of the flavivirus E proteins can insert into the cell membrane as a cell entry process besides the receptor bindings. A traditional assay using C6/36 mosquito cells infected by dengue viruses has been previously reported but did not provide efficient quantitation to measure the virus-triggered membrane fusion. Here we reported the development of a quantitative cell fusion assay for four serotypes of dengue viruses and the recently emerged Zika viruses. We used a pCI-neo vector encoding the prME genes of dengue and Zika viruses and investigated the cell fusion in transfected 293, Vero and CHO cells. Donor cells were co-transfection of the prME genes of dengue and Zika prME gene and T7 RNA polymerase to react with the indicator cells transfected with the luciferase gene under the control of the T7 promoter. Quantification of the virus-induced cell fusion was determined by the luciferase expression levels under a switch of pH from 7.4 to 5.4 in the co-cultured donor and indicator cells. The quantitative luciferase-based assay was applied to measure the anti-fusion activity by two monoclonal antibodies mAb 4G2 and mAb DB42 against dengue virus infections. This assay could quality as a quantitative bioassay for testing the potency of anti-fusion monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Han Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Li-Min Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Children's Hospital , Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Suh-Chin Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu, Taiwan
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25
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Molecular Basis of Differential Stability and Temperature Sensitivity of ZIKA versus Dengue Virus Protein Shells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8411. [PMID: 32439929 PMCID: PMC7242387 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65288-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid spread of ZIKA virus (ZIKV) and its association with severe birth defects have raised worldwide concern. Recent studies have shown that ZIKV retains its infectivity and remains structurally stable at temperatures up to 40 °C, unlike dengue and other flaviviruses. In spite of recent cryo-EM structures that showed similar architecture of ZIKA and dengue virus (DENV) E protein shells, little is known that makes ZIKV so temperature insensitive. Here, we attempt to unravel the molecular basis of greater thermal stability of ZIKV over DENV2 by executing atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the viral E protein shells at 37 °C. Our results suggest that ZIKA E protein shell retains its structural integrity through stronger inter-raft communications facilitated by a series of electrostatic and H-bonding interactions among multiple inter-raft residues. In comparison, the DENV2 E protein shell surface was loosly packed that exhibited holes at all 3-fold vertices, in close agreement with another EM structure solved at 37 °C. The residue-level information obtained from our study could pave way for designing small molecule inhibitors and specific antibodies to inhibit ZIKV E protein assembly and membrane fusion.
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26
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Pierson TC, Diamond MS. The continued threat of emerging flaviviruses. Nat Microbiol 2020; 5:796-812. [PMID: 32367055 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 454] [Impact Index Per Article: 113.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Flaviviruses are vector-borne RNA viruses that can emerge unexpectedly in human populations and cause a spectrum of potentially severe diseases including hepatitis, vascular shock syndrome, encephalitis, acute flaccid paralysis, congenital abnormalities and fetal death. This epidemiological pattern has occurred numerous times during the last 70 years, including epidemics of dengue virus and West Nile virus, and the most recent explosive epidemic of Zika virus in the Americas. Flaviviruses are now globally distributed and infect up to 400 million people annually. Of significant concern, outbreaks of other less well-characterized flaviviruses have been reported in humans and animals in different regions of the world. The potential for these viruses to sustain epidemic transmission among humans is poorly understood. In this Review, we discuss the basic biology of flaviviruses, their infectious cycles, the diseases they cause and underlying host immune responses to infection. We describe flaviviruses that represent an established ongoing threat to global health and those that have recently emerged in new populations to cause significant disease. We also provide examples of lesser-known flaviviruses that circulate in restricted areas of the world but have the potential to emerge more broadly in human populations. Finally, we discuss how an understanding of the epidemiology, biology, structure and immunity of flaviviruses can inform the rapid development of countermeasures to treat or prevent human infections as they emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore C Pierson
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Michael S Diamond
- Departments of Medicine, Molecular Microbiology, Pathology & Immunology, Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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27
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Hapugaswatta H, Amarasena P, Premaratna R, Seneviratne KN, Jayathilaka N. Differential expression of microRNA, miR-150 and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in peripheral blood cells as early prognostic markers of severe forms of dengue. J Biomed Sci 2020; 27:25. [PMID: 31954402 PMCID: PMC6969970 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-020-0620-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dengue presents a wide clinical spectrum. Most patients recover following a self-limiting non-severe clinical course. A small proportion of patients progress to severe disease, mostly characterized by plasma leakage with or without hemorrhage. Early symptoms of severe dengue (SD) are similar to those of non-severe dengue fever (DF). Severe symptoms manifest after 3–5 days of fever, which can be life threatening due to lack of proper medications and inability to distinguish severe cases during the early stages. Early prediction of SD in patients with no warning signs who may later develop severe infection is very important for proper disease management to alleviate related complications and mortality. microRNA are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate post-transcriptional gene expression. Due to the remarkable stability and the role of microRNA in gene expression, altered expression of microRNA was evaluated to explore clinically relevant prognostic markers of severe dengue. Methods The relative expression of microRNA hsa-let-7e (let-7e), hsa-miR-30b-5p (miR-30b), hsa-miR-30e-3p (miR-30e), hsa-miR-33a (miR-33a), and hsa-miR-150-5p (miR-150) and several putative target genes in peripheral blood cells (PBC) collected from 20 DF and 20 SD positive patients within 4 days from fever onset was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Results miR-150 showed significant (P < 0.01) up regulation in PBC of SD patients compared to DF patients during the acute phase of infection. Expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) was significantly (P < 0.01) down regulated indicating that genes involved in epigenetic regulation are also differentially expressed in SD patients during the early stage of infection. Conclusions Differential expression of microRNA miR-150 and the putative target gene EZH2 may serve as reliable biomarkers of disease severity during early stages of dengue infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Hapugaswatta
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Ranjan Premaratna
- North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka.,Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Kapila N Seneviratne
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Nimanthi Jayathilaka
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
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28
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Abdullah AA, Lee YK, Chin SP, Lim SK, Lee VS, Othman R, Othman S, Rahman NA, Yusof R, Heh CH. Discovery of Dengue Virus Inhibitors. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:4945-5036. [PMID: 30514185 DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666181204155336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
To date, there is still no approved anti-dengue agent to treat dengue infection in the market. Although the only licensed dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia is available, its protective efficacy against serotypes 1 and 2 of dengue virus was reported to be lower than serotypes 3 and 4. Moreover, according to WHO, the risk of being hospitalized and having severe dengue increased in seronegative individuals after they received Dengvaxia vaccination. Nevertheless, various studies had been carried out in search of dengue virus inhibitors. These studies focused on the structural (C, prM, E) and non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B and NS5) of dengue virus as well as host factors as drug targets. Hence, this article provides an overall up-to-date review of the discovery of dengue virus inhibitors that are only targeting the structural and non-structural viral proteins as drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adib Afandi Abdullah
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yean Kee Lee
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sek Peng Chin
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - See Khai Lim
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Vannajan Sanghiran Lee
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rozana Othman
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Shatrah Othman
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Noorsaadah Abdul Rahman
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rohana Yusof
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Choon Han Heh
- Drug Design and Development Research Group (DDDRG), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) belongs to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. It is a single-stranded positive-sense ribonucleic acid virus with 10,700 bases. The genus Flavivirus includes other arthropod borne viruses such as yellow fever virus, West Nile virus, Zika virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus. It infects ~50–200 million people annually, putting over 3.6 billion people living in tropical regions at risk and causing ~20,000 deaths annually. The expansion of dengue is attributed to factors such as the modern dynamics of climate change, globalization, travel, trade, socioeconomics, settlement, and also viral evolution. There are four antigenically different serotypes of DENV based on the differences in their viral structural and nonstructural proteins. DENV infection causes a spectrum of illness ranging from asymptomatic to dengue fever to severe dengue shock syndrome. Infection with one serotype confers lifelong immunity against that serotype, but heterologus infection leads to severe dengue hemorrhagic fever due to antibody-dependent enhancement. Diagnosis of dengue infections is based mainly on serological detection of either antigen in acute cases or antibodies in both acute and chronic infection. Viral detection and real-time PCR detection though helpful is not feasible in resource poor setup. Treatment of dengue depends on symptomatic management along with fluid resuscitation and may require platelet transfusion. Although vaccine development is in late stages of development, developing a single vaccine against four serotypes often causes serious challenges to researchers; hence, the main stay of prevention is vector control and management.
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Yang CC, Hu HS, Lin HM, Wu PS, Wu RH, Tian JN, Wu SH, Tsou LK, Song JS, Chen HW, Chern JH, Chen CT, Yueh A. A novel flavivirus entry inhibitor, BP34610, discovered through high-throughput screening with dengue reporter viruses. Antiviral Res 2019; 172:104636. [PMID: 31654671 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) is a global health problem that affects approximately 3.9 billion people worldwide. Since safety concerns were raised for the only licensed vaccine, Dengvaxia, and since the present treatment is only supportive care, the development of more effective therapeutic anti-DENV agents is urgently needed. In this report, we identified a potential small-molecule inhibitor, BP34610, via cell-based high-throughput screening (HTS) of 12,000 compounds using DENV-2 reporter viruses. BP34610 reduced the virus yields of type 2 DENV-infected cells with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) and selectivity index value of 0.48 ± 0.06 μM and 197, respectively. Without detectable cytotoxicity, the compound inhibited not only all four serotypes of DENV but also Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Time-of-addition experiments suggested that BP34610 may act at an early stage of DENV virus infection. Sequencing analyses of several individual clones derived from BP34610-resistant viruses revealed a consensus amino acid substitution (S397P) in the N-terminal stem region of the E protein. Introduction of S397P into the DENV reporter viruses conferred an over 14.8-fold EC90 shift for BP34610. Importantly, the combination of BP34610 with a viral replication inhibitor, ribavirin, displayed synergistic enhancement of anti-DENV-2 activity. Our results identify an effective small-molecule inhibitor, BP34610, which likely targets the DENV E protein. BP34610 could be developed as an anti-flavivirus agent in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chen Yang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Han-Shu Hu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hui-Mei Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Shan Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ren-Huang Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jia-Ni Tian
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Szu-Huei Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Lun Kelvin Tsou
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jen-Shin Song
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsin-Wei Chen
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jyh-Haur Chern
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chiung-Tong Chen
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Andrew Yueh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35, Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli, 35053, Taiwan, ROC.
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31
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Faheem M, Barbosa Lima JC, Jamal SB, Silva PA, Barbosa JARG. An insight into dengue virus proteins as potential drug/vaccine targets. Future Virol 2019. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2019-0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) is an arbovirus that belongs to family flaviviridae. Its genome is composed of a single stranded RNA molecule that encodes a single polyprotein. The polyprotein is processed by viral and cellular proteases to generate ten viral proteins. There are four antigenically distinct serotypes of DENV (DENV1, DENV2, DENV3 and DENV4), which are genetically related. Although protein variability is a major problem in dengue treatment, the functional and structural studies of individual proteins are equally important in treatment development. The data accumulated on dengue proteins are significant to provide detailed understanding of viral infection, replication, host-immune evasion and pathogenesis. In this review, we summarized the detailed current knowledge about DENV proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Faheem
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Department of Cellular Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil
- Post-graduate program of Genomics Sciences & Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasília-DF 70790-160, Brazil
| | - Jônatas Cunha Barbosa Lima
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Department of Cellular Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Syed Babar Jamal
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, The Mall road, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46000, Pakistan
| | - Paula Andreia Silva
- Post-graduate program of Genomics Sciences & Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasília-DF 70790-160, Brazil
| | - João Alexandre Ribeiro Gonçalves Barbosa
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Department of Cellular Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil
- Post-graduate program of Genomics Sciences & Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasília-DF 70790-160, Brazil
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Leal ES, Adler NS, Fernández GA, Gebhard LG, Battini L, Aucar MG, Videla M, Monge ME, Hernández de Los Ríos A, Acosta Dávila JA, Morell ML, Cordo SM, García CC, Gamarnik AV, Cavasotto CN, Bollini M. De novo design approaches targeting an envelope protein pocket to identify small molecules against dengue virus. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 182:111628. [PMID: 31472473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has become a major public health concern worldwide. This disease presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations, from a mild cold-like illness to the more serious hemorrhagic dengue fever and dengue shock syndrome. Currently, neither an approved drug nor an effective vaccine for the treatment are available to fight the disease. The envelope protein (E) is a major component of the virion surface. This protein plays a key role during the viral entry process, constituting an attractive target for the development of antiviral drugs. The crystal structure of the E protein reveals the existence of a hydrophobic pocket occupied by the detergent n-octyl-β-d-glucoside (β-OG). This pocket lies at the hinge region between domains I and II and is important for the low pH-triggered conformational rearrangement required for the fusion of the virion with the host's cell. Aiming at the design of novel molecules which bind to E and act as virus entry inhibitors, we undertook a de novo design approach by "growing" molecules inside the hydrophobic site (β-OG). From more than 240000 small-molecules generated, the 2,4 pyrimidine scaffold was selected as the best candidate, from which one synthesized compound displayed micromolar activity. Molecular dynamics-based optimization was performed on this hit, and thirty derivatives were designed in silico, synthesized and evaluated on their capacity to inhibit dengue virus entry into the host cell. Four compounds were found to be potent antiviral compounds in the low-micromolar range. The assessment of drug-like physicochemical and in vitro pharmacokinetic properties revealed that compounds 3e and 3h presented acceptable solubility values and were stable in mouse plasma, simulated gastric fluid, simulated intestinal fluid, and phosphate buffered saline solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilse S Leal
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia S Adler
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Computational Drug Design and Molecular Informatics Laboratory, Translational Medicine Research Institute (IIMT), CONICET-Universidad Austral, Pilar-Derqui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela A Fernández
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leopoldo G Gebhard
- CONICET-Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, B1876, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leandro Battini
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria G Aucar
- Computational Drug Design and Molecular Informatics Laboratory, Translational Medicine Research Institute (IIMT), CONICET-Universidad Austral, Pilar-Derqui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Videla
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Monge
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Hernández de Los Ríos
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, CONICET, Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - John Alejandro Acosta Dávila
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, CONICET, Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María L Morell
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, CONICET, Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sandra M Cordo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, CONICET, Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cybele C García
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Estrategias Antivirales, CONICET, Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea V Gamarnik
- Fundación Instituto Leloir-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio N Cavasotto
- Computational Drug Design and Molecular Informatics Laboratory, Translational Medicine Research Institute (IIMT), CONICET-Universidad Austral, Pilar-Derqui, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, y Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Austral, Pilar-Derqui, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Austral Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Universidad Austral, Pilar-Derqui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Bollini
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (CIBION), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz, 2390, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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33
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de Wispelaere M, Du G, Donovan KA, Zhang T, Eleuteri NA, Yuan JC, Kalabathula J, Nowak RP, Fischer ES, Gray NS, Yang PL. Small molecule degraders of the hepatitis C virus protease reduce susceptibility to resistance mutations. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3468. [PMID: 31371704 PMCID: PMC6672008 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11429-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation is a promising drug development paradigm. Here we leverage this strategy to develop a new class of small molecule antivirals that induce proteasomal degradation of viral proteins. Telaprevir, a reversible-covalent inhibitor that binds to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease active site is conjugated to ligands that recruit the CRL4CRBN ligase complex, yielding compounds that can both inhibit and induce the degradation of the HCV NS3/4A protease. An optimized degrader, DGY-08-097, potently inhibits HCV in a cellular infection model, and we demonstrate that protein degradation contributes to its antiviral activity. Finally, we show that this new class of antiviral agents can overcome viral variants that confer resistance to traditional enzymatic inhibitors such as telaprevir. Overall, our work provides proof-of-concept that targeted protein degradation may provide a new paradigm for the development of antivirals with superior resistance profiles. Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is a promising strategy for drug development. In this proof-of-concept study, the authors use telaprevir, which binds hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A protease, to target the protease for protein degradation, and show inhibition of wildtype as well as drug resistant HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissanne de Wispelaere
- Department of Microbiology and Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Guangyan Du
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Katherine A Donovan
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Tinghu Zhang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nicholas A Eleuteri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jingting C Yuan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Joann Kalabathula
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Radosław P Nowak
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Eric S Fischer
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Priscilla L Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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34
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Structure-based screening and validation of potential dengue virus inhibitors through classical and QM/MM affinity estimation. J Mol Graph Model 2019; 90:128-143. [PMID: 31082639 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The recurrent outbreaks of dengue virus around the globe represent a huge challenge for governments and public health organizations. With the rapid growth and ease of transportation, dengue disease continues to spread, placing more of the world population under constant threat. Despite decades of research efforts, no effective small molecule antivirals are available against dengue virus. With the efficacy of the recently developed vaccine to be determined, there is an urgent unmet need for small molecule dengue virus treatments. In the current study, we employed state-of-the-art molecular modelling simulations to identify novel inhibitors of the dengue virus envelope protein. The binding modes of all compounds within the conserved β-OctylGlucoside (β-OG) pocket were studied using a combination of docking, molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations. Here, we describe ten new compounds that significantly reduce production of dengue virus as determined using standard cell-based virological assays. Moreover, we present a comprehensive structural analysis of the identified hits, focusing on their electrostatic and lipophilic binding energy contributions. Finally, we highlight the effect of the desolvation penalty in limiting the activity of some of these compounds. The data presented here paves the way toward rationally designing selective and potent novel inhibitors against dengue virus.
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35
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Li PC, Jang J, Hsia CY, Groomes PV, Lian W, de Wispelaere M, Pitts JD, Wang J, Kwiatkowski N, Gray NS, Yang PL. Small Molecules Targeting the Flavivirus E Protein with Broad-Spectrum Activity and Antiviral Efficacy in Vivo. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:460-472. [PMID: 30608640 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Vaccines and antivirals to combat dengue, Zika, and other flavivirus pathogens present a major, unmet medical need. Vaccine development has been severely challenged by the antigenic diversity of these viruses and the propensity of non-neutralizing, cross-reactive antibodies to facilitate cellular infection and increase disease severity. As an alternative, direct-acting antivirals targeting the flavivirus envelope protein, E, have the potential to act via an analogous mode of action without the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement of infection and disease. We previously discovered that structurally diverse small molecule inhibitors of the dengue virus E protein exhibit varying levels of antiviral activity against other flaviviruses in cell culture. Here, we demonstrate that the broad-spectrum activity of several cyanohydrazones against dengue, Zika, and Japanese encephalitis viruses is due to specific inhibition of E-mediated membrane fusion during viral entry and provide proof of concept for pharmacological inhibition of E as an antiviral strategy in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pi-Chun Li
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Jaebong Jang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Chih-Yun Hsia
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Patrice V. Groomes
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Wenlong Lian
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Melissanne de Wispelaere
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jared D. Pitts
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Nicholas Kwiatkowski
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Nathanael S. Gray
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Priscilla L. Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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36
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Identification of small molecule inhibitors targeting the Zika virus envelope protein. Antiviral Res 2019; 164:147-153. [PMID: 30771406 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The recent emergence of Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, in the Americas has shed light on the severe neurological diseases associated with infection, notably congenital microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. Despite the recent focus on Zika virus, there are currently no approved vaccines or antiviral therapies available to treat or prevent infection. In this study we established a competitive amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay (ALPHAscreen) to identify small molecule inhibitors targeting the envelope protein of Zika virus (Zika E). We utilized this assay to screen two libraries of nearly 27,000 compounds and identified seven novel inhibitors of Zika E. Characterization of these primary screening leads demonstrated that inhibition of Zika virus occurs at non-cytotoxic concentrations for all seven lead compounds. In addition, we found that all seven lead compounds have potent activity against the closely related dengue virus 2 but not vesicular stomatitis virus, an unrelated enveloped virus. Biochemical experiments indicate that these compounds act by preventing E-mediated membrane fusion. This work highlights a new method for the discovery and optimization of direct-acting antivirals targeting the E protein of Zika and other flaviviruses.
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37
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Schmidt AG, Lee K, Yang PL, Harrison SC. Correction: Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Dengue-Virus Entry. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007553. [PMID: 30703168 PMCID: PMC6355023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002627.].
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38
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In vitro analysis of synthetic peptides in blocking the entry of dengue virus. Virus Res 2019; 260:142-150. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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39
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Dengue drug discovery: Progress, challenges and outlook. Antiviral Res 2018; 163:156-178. [PMID: 30597183 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In the context of the only available vaccine (DENGVAXIA) that was marketed in several countries, but poses higher risks to unexposed individuals, the development of antivirals for dengue virus (DENV), whilst challenging, would bring significant benefits to public health. Here recent progress in the field of DENV drug discovery made in academic laboratories and industry is reviewed. Characteristics of an ideal DENV antiviral molecule, given the specific immunopathology provoked by this acute viral infection, are described. New chemical classes identified from biochemical, biophysical and phenotypic screens that target viral (especially NS4B) and host proteins, offer promising opportunities for further development. In particular, new methodologies ("omics") can accelerate the discovery of much awaited flavivirus specific inhibitors. Challenges and opportunities in lead identification activities as well as the path to clinical development of dengue drugs are discussed. To galvanize DENV drug discovery, collaborative public-public partnerships and open-access resources will greatly benefit both the DENV research community and DENV patients.
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40
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Lian W, Jang J, Potisopon S, Li PC, Rahmeh A, Wang J, Kwiatkowski NP, Gray NS, Yang PL. Discovery of Immunologically Inspired Small Molecules That Target the Viral Envelope Protein. ACS Infect Dis 2018; 4:1395-1406. [PMID: 30027735 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Dengue virus is a major human pathogen that infects over 390 million people annually leading to approximately 500 000 hospitalizations due to severe dengue. Since the only marketed vaccine, Dengvaxia, has recently been shown to increase disease severity in those lacking natural immunity, antivirals to prevent or treat dengue infection represent a large, unmet medical need. Small molecules that target the dengue virus envelope protein, E, on the surface of the virion could act analogously to antibodies by engaging E extracellularly to block infection; however, a shortage of target-based assays suitable for screening and medicinal chemistry studies has limited efforts in this area. Here we demonstrate that the dengue E protein offers a tractable drug target for preventing dengue infection by developing a target-based assay using a recombinantly expressed dengue serotype 2 E protein. We performed a high-throughput screen of ∼20 000 compounds followed by secondary assays to confirm target-binding and antiviral activity and counter-screens to exclude compounds with nonspecific activities. These efforts yielded eight distinct chemical leads that inhibit dengue infection by binding to E and preventing E-mediated membrane fusion with potencies equal to or greater than previously described small molecule inhibitors of E. We show that a subset of these compounds inhibit viruses representative of the other three dengue serotypes and Zika virus. This work provides tools for discovery and optimization of direct-acting antivirals against dengue E and shows that this approach may be useful in developing antivirals with broad-spectrum activity against other flavivirus pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Lian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jaebong Jang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Supanee Potisopon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Pi-Chun Li
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Amal Rahmeh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Nicholas P. Kwiatkowski
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Nathanael S. Gray
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Priscilla L. Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Chao LH, Jang J, Johnson A, Nguyen A, Gray NS, Yang PL, Harrison SC. How small-molecule inhibitors of dengue-virus infection interfere with viral membrane fusion. eLife 2018; 7:36461. [PMID: 29999491 PMCID: PMC6056230 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus (DV) is a compact, icosahedrally symmetric, enveloped particle, covered by 90 dimers of envelope protein (E), which mediates viral attachment and membrane fusion. Fusion requires a dimer-to-trimer transition and membrane engagement of hydrophobic ‘fusion loops’. We previously characterized the steps in membrane fusion for the related West Nile virus (WNV), using recombinant, WNV virus-like particles (VLPs) for single-particle experiments (Chao et al., 2014). Trimerization and membrane engagement are rate-limiting; fusion requires at least two adjacent trimers; availability of competent monomers within the contact zone between virus and target membrane creates a trimerization bottleneck. We now report an extension of that work to dengue VLPs, from all four serotypes, finding an essentially similar mechanism. Small-molecule inhibitors of dengue virus infection that target E block its fusion-inducing conformational change. We show that ~12–14 bound molecules per particle (~20–25% occupancy) completely prevent fusion, consistent with the proposed mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke H Chao
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Jaebong Jang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Adam Johnson
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Anthony Nguyen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States
| | - Priscilla L Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Stephen C Harrison
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
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de Wispelaere M, Lian W, Potisopon S, Li PC, Jang J, Ficarro SB, Clark MJ, Zhu X, Kaplan JB, Pitts JD, Wales TE, Wang J, Engen JR, Marto JA, Gray NS, Yang PL. Inhibition of Flaviviruses by Targeting a Conserved Pocket on the Viral Envelope Protein. Cell Chem Biol 2018; 25:1006-1016.e8. [PMID: 29937406 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Viral envelope proteins are required for productive viral entry and initiation of infection. Although the humoral immune system provides ample evidence for targeting envelope proteins as an antiviral strategy, there are few pharmacological interventions that have this mode of action. In contrast to classical antiviral targets such as viral proteases and polymerases, viral envelope proteins as a class do not have a well-conserved active site that can be rationally targeted with small molecules. We previously identified compounds that inhibit dengue virus by binding to its envelope protein, E. Here, we show that these small molecules inhibit dengue virus fusion and map the binding site of these compounds to a specific pocket on E. We further demonstrate inhibition of Zika, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis viruses by these compounds, providing pharmacological evidence for the pocket as a target for developing broad-spectrum antivirals against multiple, mosquito-borne flavivirus pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenlong Lian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Supanee Potisopon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Pi-Chun Li
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jaebong Jang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Scott B Ficarro
- Department of Cancer Biology, Department of Oncologic Pathology, Blais Proteomics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 45 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Margaret J Clark
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xuling Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jenifer B Kaplan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jared D Pitts
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Thomas E Wales
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - John R Engen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jarrod A Marto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Department of Oncologic Pathology, Blais Proteomics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 45 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Priscilla L Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Peptides P4 and P7 derived from E protein inhibit entry of dengue virus serotype 2 via interacting with β3 integrin. Antiviral Res 2018; 155:20-27. [PMID: 29709564 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) infection has become a severe public health problem worldwide. However, there is no specific antiviral drug available yet. In this study, we found that DENV serotype 2 (DENV2) infection enhanced the expression of β3 integrin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and that DENV2 antigens co-localized with β3 integrin. DENV2 envelope protein (E) directly interacted with β3 integrin, and their interacting sites were located at domain III of E protein (EDIII). Several synthetic peptides were designed based on the amino acid sequence of EDIII, and peptides P4 and P7 could inhibit DENV2 entry into HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the two peptides was 19.08 ± 2.52 μM for P4 and 12.86 ± 5.96 μM for P7. Moreover, P7 containing an FG-loop, but not P4, could also inhibit DENV1 entry into HUVECs. Our results suggest a novel mechanism in which interaction between β3 integrin and EDIII is involved in DENV entry. The findings on the inhibitory effect of the peptides on viral entry have significance for anti-DENV drug design.
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Clark MJ, Miduturu C, Schmidt AG, Zhu X, Pitts JD, Wang J, Potisopon S, Zhang J, Wojciechowski A, Hann Chu JJ, Gray NS, Yang PL. GNF-2 Inhibits Dengue Virus by Targeting Abl Kinases and the Viral E Protein. Cell Chem Biol 2017; 23:443-52. [PMID: 27105280 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus infects more than 300 million people annually, yet there is no widely protective vaccine or drugs against the virus. Efforts to develop antivirals against classical targets such as the viral protease and polymerase have not yielded drugs that have advanced to the clinic. Here, we show that the allosteric Abl kinase inhibitor GNF-2 interferes with dengue virus replication via activity mediated by cellular Abl kinases but additionally blocks viral entry via an Abl-independent mechanism. To characterize this newly discovered antiviral activity, we developed disubstituted pyrimidines that block dengue virus entry with structure-activity relationships distinct from those driving kinase inhibition. We demonstrate that biotin- and fluorophore-conjugated derivatives of GNF-2 interact with the dengue glycoprotein, E, in the pre-fusion conformation that exists on the virion surface, and that this interaction inhibits viral entry. This study establishes GNF-2 as an antiviral compound with polypharmacological activity and provides "lead" compounds for further optimization efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret J Clark
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chandra Miduturu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Longwood Center LC-2209, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aaron G Schmidt
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xuling Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jared D Pitts
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Longwood Center LC-2209, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Supanee Potisopon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jianming Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Longwood Center LC-2209, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Amy Wojciechowski
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Longwood Center LC-2209, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Justin Jang Hann Chu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Longwood Center LC-2209, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Priscilla L Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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45
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Andrei G, Carter K, Janeba Z, Sampath A, Schang LM, Tarbet EB, Vere Hodge RA, Bray M, Esté JA. Highlights of the 30th International Conference on Antiviral Research. Antiviral Res 2017; 145:184-196. [PMID: 28774800 PMCID: PMC7127040 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The 30th International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR) was held in Atlanta, GA, USA from May 18 to 21, 2017. This report provides an account of award lectures, invited keynote addresses and oral presentations during the meeting. The 2017 Gertrude Elion Memorial Lecture Award by Michael Sofia highlighted one of the most important accomplishments in recent drug discovery in antiviral research, the identification of the hepatitis C virus direct-acting antiviral sofosbuvir and new alternatives to combat hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The Antonín Holý Lecture Award by David Chu on medicinal chemistry provided an overview of early developments of nucleoside analogs for the treatment of HIV and varicella zoster virus infection and how this knowledge serves to develop new drugs targeting HBV. Priscilla Yang gave the first ISAR Women in Science lecture. She reported on pharmacological validation of new antiviral targets for dengue, Zika and other flaviviruses. The William Prusoff Young Investigator Lecture Award by Maaike Everts described the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance and the Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development Consortium, and how they are helping to accelerate the development of new antivirals. The 30th ICAR was a success in promoting new discoveries in antiviral drug development and research. The 31st ICAR will be held in Porto, Portugal, June 11–15, 2018. The 30th ICAR was held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from May 18–21, 2017. This article summarizes presentations by ISAR award recipients, principal invited lectures and keynote addresses. Mini-symposium topics included antiviral immunity and emerging viral infections. Other sessions and topics included hepatitis and retroviruses, respiratory viruses, DNA viruses and medicinal chemistry. The 31st ICAR will be held in Porto, Portugal, June 11–15, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graciela Andrei
- KU Leuven, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kara Carter
- Sanofi, 270 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Zlatko Janeba
- The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 2, CZ-16610 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Aruna Sampath
- Emergent BioSolutions, 400 Professional Drive, Ste 400, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Luis M Schang
- Baker Institute, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 235 Hungerford Hill Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - E Bart Tarbet
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | | | | | - José A Esté
- AIDS Research Institute - Irsicaixa, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Canyet s/n, Badalona, Spain; International Society for Antiviral Research, Spain.
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46
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Baez CF, Barel VA, de Souza AMT, Rodrigues CR, Varella RB, Cirauqui N. Analysis of worldwide sequence mutations in Zika virus proteins E, NS1, NS3 and NS5 from a structural point of view. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2017; 13:122-131. [PMID: 27805221 DOI: 10.1039/c6mb00645k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emergent arbovirus that has attracted attention in the last year as a possible causative agent of congenital malformation; it shows a remarkably increased microcephaly risk during otherwise healthy pregnancies. We present here an analysis of all ZIKV sequences available in Genbank up to April 2016, studying the mutations in the whole polyprotein and their possible structural implications for the proteins E, NS1, NS3 and NS5. This study suggests that microcephaly is not a consequence of any particular amino acid substitution but, conceivably, is a feature of ZIKV itself. Moreover, the structural analysis of ZIKV proteins, together with the mutational landscape of ZIKV and a structure-sequence comparison with other flaviviruses, allows the suggestion of regions that could be exploited as anti-ZIKV targets, including some allosteric sites found in the NS3 and NS5 proteins of DENV.
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Affiliation(s)
- C F Baez
- Preventive Medicine Department, Rio de Janeiro Federal University Hospital, Brazil
| | - V A Barel
- ModMolQSAR Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brazil.
| | - A M T de Souza
- ModMolQSAR Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brazil.
| | - C R Rodrigues
- ModMolQSAR Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brazil.
| | - R B Varella
- Microbiology and Parasitology Department, Biomedical Institute, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil
| | - N Cirauqui
- ModMolQSAR Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brazil.
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47
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Min S, Lim YS, Shin D, Park C, Park JB, Kim S, Windisch MP, Hwang SB. Abl Tyrosine Kinase Regulates Hepatitis C Virus Entry. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1129. [PMID: 28674529 PMCID: PMC5474468 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abl is a central regulator of multiple cellular processes controlling actin dynamics, proliferation, and differentiation. Here, we showed that knockdown of Abl impaired hepatitis C virus (HCV) propagation. Treatment of Abl tyrosine kinase-specific inhibitor, imatinib and dasatinib, also significantly decreased HCV RNA and protein levels in HCV-infected cells. We showed that both imatinib and dasatinib selectively inhibited HCV infection at the entry step of HCV life cycle, suggesting that Abl kinase activity may be necessary for HCV entry. Using HCV pseudoparticle infection assays, we verified that Abl is required for viral entry. By employing transferrin uptake and immunofluorescence assays, we further demonstrated that Abl was involved in HCV entry at a clathrin-mediated endocytosis step. These data suggest that Abl may represent a novel host factor for HCV entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saehong Min
- Department of Biomedical Gerontology, Graduate School of Hallym UniversityChuncheon, South Korea.,National Research Laboratory of Hepatitis C Virus and Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym UniversityAnyang, South Korea
| | - Yun-Sook Lim
- National Research Laboratory of Hepatitis C Virus and Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym UniversityAnyang, South Korea
| | - Dongjo Shin
- Department of Biomedical Gerontology, Graduate School of Hallym UniversityChuncheon, South Korea.,Hepatitis Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur KoreaSeongnam, South Korea
| | - Chorong Park
- Department of Biomedical Gerontology, Graduate School of Hallym UniversityChuncheon, South Korea.,National Research Laboratory of Hepatitis C Virus and Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym UniversityAnyang, South Korea
| | - Jae-Bong Park
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Hallym UniversityChuncheon, South Korea
| | - Seungtaek Kim
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of MedicineSeoul, South Korea
| | - Marc P Windisch
- Hepatitis Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur KoreaSeongnam, South Korea
| | - Soon B Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Gerontology, Graduate School of Hallym UniversityChuncheon, South Korea.,National Research Laboratory of Hepatitis C Virus and Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym UniversityAnyang, South Korea
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48
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Gangopadhyay A, Chakraborty HJ, Datta A. Targeting the dengue β-OG with serotype-specific alkaloid virtual leads. J Mol Graph Model 2017; 73:129-142. [PMID: 28279821 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2017.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The dengue envelope β-OG pocket is a crucial hinge for mediating virus-host fusion via conformational changes in the envelope to the fusion-competent form. The β-OG pocket is a small molecule target site for inhibition of virus-host fusion. As of date, the only structure of the β-OG pocket known is of serotype 2. Studies of β-OG inhibition by small molecules primarily target viral serotype 2. Envelope and β-OG sequence alignments, reveal dissimilarities across serotypes. In light of protein sequence-structure-function correlation, sequence variations suggest serotypic variations in β-OG druggability. This, together with the fact that dengue viral proteins do have serotype-specific variations of structure and function, lead to the study of the serotype-specificity of the dengue β-OG ligand binding behaviour. β-OG druggability was compared using comparative models of envelope proteins containing the β-OG pocket in four serotypes of the dengue virus. β-OG ligand binding was found to vary with respect to hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interactions with ligands and tightness of the binding site. The study also reports serotype-specific virtual leads identified from a library of 9175 alkaloids, using a consensus docking and scoring approach. The docking algorithms of Glide SP and XP, together with the Lamarckian genetic algorithm were employed for consensus docking. For consensus scoring, the Glide empirical score was employed along with the scoring function of AutoDock. A multi-dimensional lead optimisation approach was performed for optimising affinity, ligand efficiency, lipophilic ligand efficiency, ADMET and molecular torsional strains. The study proposes the serotype-specific inhibition of the β-OG for an effective inhibition of virus-host fusion, in contrast to a pan inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hirak Jyoti Chakraborty
- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata 700120, West Bengal, India.
| | - Abhijit Datta
- Jhargram Raj College, Jhargram 721507, West Bengal, India.
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49
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Crystal Structure of Glycoprotein C from a Hantavirus in the Post-fusion Conformation. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005948. [PMID: 27783673 PMCID: PMC5081248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hantaviruses are important emerging human pathogens and are the causative agents of serious diseases in humans with high mortality rates. Like other members in the Bunyaviridae family their M segment encodes two glycoproteins, GN and GC, which are responsible for the early events of infection. Hantaviruses deliver their tripartite genome into the cytoplasm by fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes in response to the reduced pH of the endosome. Unlike phleboviruses (e.g. Rift valley fever virus), that have an icosahedral glycoprotein envelope, hantaviruses display a pleomorphic virion morphology as GN and GC assemble into spikes with apparent four-fold symmetry organized in a grid-like pattern on the viral membrane. Here we present the crystal structure of glycoprotein C (GC) from Puumala virus (PUUV), a representative member of the Hantavirus genus. The crystal structure shows GC as the membrane fusion effector of PUUV and it presents a class II membrane fusion protein fold. Furthermore, GC was crystallized in its post-fusion trimeric conformation that until now had been observed only in Flavi- and Togaviridae family members. The PUUV GC structure together with our functional data provides intriguing evolutionary and mechanistic insights into class II membrane fusion proteins and reveals new targets for membrane fusion inhibitors against these important pathogens. Hantaviruses (family: Bunyaviridae) encompass pathogens responsible to serious human diseases and economic burden worldwide. Following endocytosis, these enveloped RNA viruses are directed to an endosomal compartment where a sequence of pH-dependent conformational changes of the viral envelope glycoproteins mediates the fusion between the viral and endosomal membranes. The lack of high-resolution structural information for the entry of hantaviruses impair our ability to rationalize new treatments and prevention strategies. We determined the three-dimensional structure of a glycoprotein C from Puumala virus (PUUV) using X-ray crystallography. The two structures (at pH 6.0 and 8.0) were determined to 1.8 Å and 2.3 Å resolutions, respectively. Both structures reveal a class II membrane fusion protein in its post-fusion trimeric conformation with novel structural features in the trimer assembly and stabilization. Our structures suggest that neutralizing antibodies against GC target its conformational changes as inhibition mechanism and highlight new molecular targets for hantavirus-specific membrane fusion inhibitors. Furthermore, combined with the available structures of other class II proteins, we remodeled the evolutionary relationships between virus families encompassing these proteins.
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50
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Ekins S, Liebler J, Neves BJ, Lewis WG, Coffee M, Bienstock R, Southan C, Andrade CH. Illustrating and homology modeling the proteins of the Zika virus. F1000Res 2016; 5:275. [PMID: 27746901 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.8213.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae, which is similar to dengue virus, yellow fever and West Nile virus. Recent outbreaks in South America, Latin America, the Caribbean and in particular Brazil have led to concern for the spread of the disease and potential to cause Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly. Although ZIKV has been known of for over 60 years there is very little in the way of knowledge of the virus with few publications and no crystal structures. No antivirals have been tested against it either in vitro or in vivo. ZIKV therefore epitomizes a neglected disease. Several suggested steps have been proposed which could be taken to initiate ZIKV antiviral drug discovery using both high throughput screens as well as structure-based design based on homology models for the key proteins. We now describe preliminary homology models created for NS5, FtsJ, NS4B, NS4A, HELICc, DEXDc, peptidase S7, NS2B, NS2A, NS1, E stem, glycoprotein M, propeptide, capsid and glycoprotein E using SWISS-MODEL. Eleven out of 15 models pass our model quality criteria for their further use. While a ZIKV glycoprotein E homology model was initially described in the immature conformation as a trimer, we now describe the mature dimer conformer which allowed the construction of an illustration of the complete virion. By comparing illustrations of ZIKV based on this new homology model and the dengue virus crystal structure we propose potential differences that could be exploited for antiviral and vaccine design. The prediction of sites for glycosylation on this protein may also be useful in this regard. While we await a cryo-EM structure of ZIKV and eventual crystal structures of the individual proteins, these homology models provide the community with a starting point for structure-based design of drugs and vaccines as well as a for computational virtual screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Ekins
- Collaborations in Chemistry, Fuquay-Varina, NC, USA; Collaborations Pharmaceuticals Inc., Fuquay-Varina, NC, USA; Collaborative Drug Discovery Inc, Burlingame, CA, USA
| | | | - Bruno J Neves
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goias, GO, Brazil
| | - Warren G Lewis
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Megan Coffee
- The International Rescue Committee, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Carolina H Andrade
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goias, GO, Brazil
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