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Chen Y, Guo Y, Chang H, Song Z, Wei Z, Huang Z, Zheng Z, Zhang G, Sun Y. Brequinar inhibits African swine fever virus replication in vitro by activating ferroptosis. Virol J 2023; 20:242. [PMID: 37875895 PMCID: PMC10599058 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02204-x] [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: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND African swine fever virus (ASFV) is one of the most fatal swine etiological agents and has a huge economic impact on the global pork industry. Given that no effective vaccines or anti-ASFV drugs are available, there remains a pressing need for novel anti-ASFV drugs. This study aimed to investigate the anti-African swine fever virus (ASFV) activity of brequinar, a DHODH inhibitor. METHODS The anti-ASFV activity of brequinar was investigated using IFA, HAD, HAD50, qRT-PCR, and western blotting assays. The western blotting assay was used to investigate whether brequinar inhibits ASFV replication by killing ASFV particles directly or by acting on cell factors. The confocal microscopy and western blotting assays were used to investigate whether brequinar inhibits ASFV replication by activating ferroptosis. RESULTS In this study, brequinar was found to effectively inhibit ASFV replication ex vivo in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) in a dose-dependent manner. In kinetic studies, brequinar was found to maintain ASFV inhibition from 24 to 72 hpi. Mechanistically, the time-of-addition assay showed that brequinar exerted anti-ASFV activity in all treatment modes, including pre-, co-, and post-treatment rather than directly killing ASFV particles. Notably, FerroOrange, Mito-FerroGreen, and Liperfluo staining experiments showed that brequinar increased the accumulation of intracellular iron, mitochondrial iron, and lipid peroxides, respectively. Furthermore, we also found that ferroptosis agonist cisplatin treatment inhibited ASFV replication in a dose-dependent manner and the inhibitory effect of brequinar on ASFV was partially reversed by the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1, suggesting that brequinar activates ferroptosis to inhibit ASFV replication. Interestingly, exogenous uridine supplementation attenuated the anti-ASFV activity of brequinar, indicating that brequinar inhibits ASFV replication by inhibiting DHODH activity and the depletion of intracellular pyrimidine pools; however, the induction of ferroptosis by brequinar treatment was not reversed by exogenous uridine supplementation, suggesting that brequinar activation of ferroptosis is not related to the metabolic function of pyrimidines. CONCLUSIONS Our data confirm that brequinar displays potent antiviral activity against ASFV in vitro and reveal the mechanism by which brequinar inhibits ASFV replication by activating ferroptosis, independent of inhibiting pyrimidine synthesis, providing novel targets for the development of anti-ASFV drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- African Swine Fever Regional Laboratory of China (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanchen Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- African Swine Fever Regional Laboratory of China (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Maoming, Guangdong, China
| | - Hao Chang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- African Swine Fever Regional Laboratory of China (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Zebu Song
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Maoming, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhi Wei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- African Swine Fever Regional Laboratory of China (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhao Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- African Swine Fever Regional Laboratory of China (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Zezhong Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Maoming, Guangdong, China
| | - Guihong Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- African Swine Fever Regional Laboratory of China (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Maoming, Guangdong, China.
- Key Laboratory of Animal Vaccine Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yankuo Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- African Swine Fever Regional Laboratory of China (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Maoming, Guangdong, China.
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The Structural Basis of African Swine Fever Virus pS273R Protease Binding to E64 through Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031435. [PMID: 36771101 PMCID: PMC9920524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of novel drugs for anti-African swine fever (ASF) applications is of utmost urgency, as it negatively affects pig farming and no effective vaccine or treatment is currently available. African swine fever virus (ASFV) encoded pS273R is a cysteine protease that plays an important role in virus replication. E64, acting as an inhibitor of cysteine protease, has been established as exerting an inhibitory effect on pS273R. In order to obtain a better understanding of the interaction between E64 and pS273R, common docking, restriction docking, and covalent docking were employed to analyze the optimal bonding position between pS273R-E64 and its bonding strength. Additionally, three sets of 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to examine the conformational dynamics of pS273R and the dynamic interaction of pS273R-E64, based on a variety of analytical methods including root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), free energy of ligand (FEL), principal component analysis (PCA), and molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) analysis. The results show that E64 and pS273R exhibited close binding degrees at the activity center of ASFV pS273R protease. The data of these simulations indicate that binding of E64 to pS273R results in a reduction in flexibility, particularly in the ARM region, and a change in the conformational space of pS273R. Additionally, the ability of E64 to interact with polar amino acids such as ASN158, SER192, and GLN229, as well as charged amino acids such as LYS167 and HIS168, seems to be an important factor in its inhibitory effect. Finally, Octet biostratigraphy confirmed the binding of E64 and pS273R with a KD value of 903 uM. Overall, these findings could potentially be utilized in the development of novel inhibitors of pS273R to address the challenges posed by ASFV.
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Lu G, Ou K, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Feng S, Yang Z, Sun G, Liu J, Wei S, Pan S, Chen Z. Structural Analysis, Multi-Conformation Virtual Screening and Molecular Simulation to Identify Potential Inhibitors Targeting pS273R Proteases of African Swine Fever Virus. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 28:molecules28020570. [PMID: 36677630 PMCID: PMC9866604 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The African Swine Fever virus (ASFV) causes an infectious viral disease in pigs of all ages. The development of antiviral drugs primarily aimed at inhibition of proteases required for the proteolysis of viral polyproteins. In this study, the conformation of the pS273R protease in physiological states were investigated, virtually screened the multi-protein conformation of pS273R target proteins, combined various molecular docking scoring functions, and identified five potential drugs from the Food and Drug Administration drug library that may inhibit pS273R. Subsequent validation of the dynamic interactions of pS273R with the five putative inhibitors was achieved using molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations using the molecular mechanics/Poison-Boltzmann (Generalized Born) (MM/PB(GB)SA) surface area. These findings demonstrate that the arm domain and Thr159-Lys167 loop region of pS273R are significantly more flexible compared to the core structural domain, and the Thr159-Lys167 loop region can serve as a "gatekeeper" in the substrate channel. Leucovorin, Carboprost, Protirelin, Flavin Mononucleotide, and Lovastatin Acid all have Gibbs binding free energies with pS273R that were less than -20 Kcal/mol according to the MM/PBSA analyses. In contrast to pS273R in the free energy landscape, the inhibitor and drug complexes of pS273R showed distinct structural group distributions. These five drugs may be used as potential inhibitors of pS273R and may serve as future drug candidates for treating ASFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Lu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120, Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Kang Ou
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120, Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Yihan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120, Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120, Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Shouhua Feng
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120, Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Zuofeng Yang
- The Preventive and Control Center of Animal Disease of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Agricultural Development Service Center, No. 95, Renhe Road, Shenbei District, Shenyang 110164, China
| | - Guo Sun
- Qianyuanhao Biological Co., Ltd., Building 20, District 11, No. 188 South Fourth Ring West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Jinling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120, Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (S.W.); (S.P.); (Z.C.); Tel.: +86-13022453165 (J.L.); Fax: +86-24-88487156 (J.L.)
| | - Shu Wei
- The Preventive and Control Center of Animal Disease of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Agricultural Development Service Center, No. 95, Renhe Road, Shenbei District, Shenyang 110164, China
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (S.W.); (S.P.); (Z.C.); Tel.: +86-13022453165 (J.L.); Fax: +86-24-88487156 (J.L.)
| | - Shude Pan
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120, Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (S.W.); (S.P.); (Z.C.); Tel.: +86-13022453165 (J.L.); Fax: +86-24-88487156 (J.L.)
| | - Zeliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120, Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (S.W.); (S.P.); (Z.C.); Tel.: +86-13022453165 (J.L.); Fax: +86-24-88487156 (J.L.)
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O-2-Alkylated Cytosine Acyclic Nucleoside Phosphonamidate Prodrugs Display Pan-Genotype Antiviral Activity against African Swine Fever Virus. mSphere 2022; 7:e0037822. [PMID: 36317894 PMCID: PMC9769911 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00378-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease with case fatality rates approaching 100% in domestic pigs. ASFV is responsible for substantial economic losses, but despite ongoing efforts, no vaccine or antiviral agent is currently available. Attempts to control the spread of ASFV are dependent on early detection, adherence to biosecurity measures, and culling of infected herds. However, an effective antiviral agent may be used in lieu of or in conjunction with a vaccine to effectively curb ASFV outbreaks. The dose-dependent antiviral activities of two amidate prodrugs (compounds 1a and 1b) of O-2-alkylated 3-fluoro-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl cytosine [(R)-O-2-alkylated FPMPC] against ASFV isolates of four different genotypes were determined. Both compounds were found to inhibit ASFV progeny virus output by >90% at noncytotoxic concentrations (<25 μM) in primary porcine macrophages. Analysis of viral transcription and viral protein synthesis indicated that these acyclic nucleotide analogues inhibited late gene expression. Interestingly, time-of-addition studies suggest different viral targets of the compounds, which may be attributed to their differing amino acid prodrug moieties. In view of their promising antiviral activity, these nucleotide analogues merit further evaluation as potential prophylactic and/or therapeutic agents against ASFV infection and their antiviral efficacy in vivo should be considered. IMPORTANCE African swine fever virus is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease. Since its transcontinental spread to Georgia in 2007, ASFV has continued to spread across the globe into countries previously without infection. It is responsible for substantial losses in the domestic pig population and presents a significant threat to the global swine industry. Despite ongoing efforts, there are no vaccines currently available; in their absence, antiviral agents may be a viable alternative. The significance of our research is in identifying the pan-genotype antiviral activity of prodrugs of O-2-alkylated 3-fluoro-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl cytosine, which will drive further research on the development of these compounds as antivirals against ASFV.
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Goulding LV, Kiss E, Goatley L, Vrancken R, Goris NEJ, Dixon L. In vitro and in vivo antiviral activity of nucleoside analogue cHPMPC against African swine fever virus replication. Antiviral Res 2022; 208:105433. [PMID: 36252822 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105433] [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: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a haemorrhagic disease affecting wild boar and domestic pigs which can result in morbidity and fatality rates of up to 100%. ASFV is a large double-stranded DNA virus which replicates predominantly in the cell cytoplasm and codes for its replication and transcription machinery. No vaccine is widely available and control depends on early detection, culling of infected herds and adherence to biosecurity measures. In this study the small molecule nucleoside analogue, cyclic cidofovir (cHPMPC), was evaluated for its ability to inhibit replication of four different ASFV genotypes in primary porcine macrophages. Time of addition studies demonstrated that cHPMPC effectively inhibits ASFV replication and late gene expression when added pre-infection or early post-infection but not when added at late times, suggesting the drug target may be the virus DNA polymerase, or the RNA polymerase involved in late transcription. Oral administration of cHPMPC delayed onset of clinical signs and significantly reduced viral titres in blood and tissues of treated pigs. These results indicate that cHPMPC is a promising compound for further development to control ASFV outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Linda Dixon
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, UK.
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Wu J, Zhou X, Chen Q, Chen Z, Zhang J, Yang L, Sun Y, Wang G, Dai J, Feng T. Defensins as a promising class of tick antimicrobial peptides: a scoping review. Infect Dis Poverty 2022; 11:71. [PMID: 35725522 PMCID: PMC9208123 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-00996-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are hematophagous parasites that transmit an extensive range of pathogens to their vertebrate hosts. Ticks can destroy invading microorganisms or alleviate infection via their rudimentary but orchestrated innate immune system. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important components of tick innate immunity. Among these humoral effector molecules, defensins are well-studied and widely identified in various species of Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks). This review was aimed at presenting the characterization of tick defensins from structure-based taxonomic status to antimicrobial function. Main text All published papers written in English from 2001 to May 2022 were searched through PubMed and Web of Science databases with the combination of relevant terms on tick defensins. Reports on identification and characterization of tick defensins were included. Of the 329 entries retrieved, 57 articles were finally eligible for our scoping review. Tick defensins mainly belong to the antibacterial ancient invertebrate-type defensins of the cis-defensins superfamily. They are generally small, cationic, and amphipathic, with six cysteine residues forming three intra-molecular disulfide bonds. Tick defensins primarily target membranes of a variety of pathogens, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. Since tick defensins have a high degree of variability, we summarize their common biological properties and enumerate representative peptides. Along with the various and potent antimicrobial activities, the role of tick defensins in determining vector competence is discussed. Conclusions Due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities, tick defensins are considered novel candidates or targets for controlling infectious diseases. Graphical Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Wu
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xia Zhou
- School of Biology and Basic Medical Science, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Chen
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jinyu Zhang
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lele Yang
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yuxuan Sun
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Guohui Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.
| | - Jianfeng Dai
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Tingting Feng
- Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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