scholarly journals Mechanistic insights into Zika virus NS3 helicase inhibition by Epigallocatechin-3-gallate

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepak Kumar ◽  
Nitin Sharma ◽  
Murali Aarthy ◽  
Sanjeev Kumar Singh ◽  
Rajanish Giri

ABSTRACTSince 2007, repeated outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) has affected millions of people worldwide and created global health concern with major complications like microcephaly and Guillain Barre’s syndrome. Generally, ZIKV transmits through mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) like other flaviviruses, but reports show blood transfusion and sexual mode of ZIKV transmission which further makes the situation alarming. Till date, there is not a single Zika specific licensed drug or vaccine present in the market. However, in recent months, several antiviral molecules have been screened against viral and host proteins. Among those, (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea polyphenol has shown great virucidal potential against flaviviruses including ZIKV. However, the mechanistic understanding of EGCG targeting viral proteins is not yet entirely deciphered except little is known about its interaction with viral envelope protein and viral protease. Since literature has shown significant inhibitory interactions of EGCG against various kinases and bacterial DNA gyrases; we designed our study to find inhibitory actions of EGCG against ZIKV NS3 helicase. NS3 helicase is playing a significant role in viral replication by unwinding RNA after hydrolyzing NTP. We employed molecular docking and simulation approach and found significant interactions at ATPase site and also at RNA binding site. Further, the enzymatic assay has shown significant inhibition of NTPase activity with an IC50 value of 295.7 nM and Ki of 0.387 ± 0.034 µM. Our study suggests the possibility that EGCG could be considered as prime backbone molecule for further broad-spectrum and multitargeted inhibitor development against ZIKV and other flaviviruses.

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3085
Author(s):  
Biswas Neupane ◽  
Mona Fendereski ◽  
Farzana Nazneen ◽  
Yan-Lin Guo ◽  
Fengwei Bai

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy can cause devastating fetal neuropathological abnormalities, including microcephaly. Most studies of ZIKV infection in pregnancy have focused on post-implantation stage embryos. Currently, we have limited knowledge about how a pre-implantation stage embryo deals with a viral infection. This study investigates ZIKV infection on mouse trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) and their in vitro differentiated TSCs (DTSCs), which resemble the cellular components of the trophectoderm layer of the blastocyst that later develops into the placenta. We demonstrate that TSCs and DTSCs are permissive to ZIKV infection; however, ZIKV propagated in TSCs and DTSCs exhibit substantially lower infectivity, as shown in vitro and in a mouse model compared to ZIKV that was generated in Vero cells or mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). We further show that the low infectivity of ZIKV propagated in TSCs and DTSCs is associated with a reduced level of glycosylation on the viral envelope (E) proteins, which are essential for ZIKV to establish initial attachment by binding to cell surface glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). The decreased level of glycosylation on ZIKV E is, at least, partially due to the low-level expression of a glycosylation-related gene, Hexa, in TSCs and DTSCs. Furthermore, this finding is not limited to ZIKV since similar observations have been made as to the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and West Nile virus (WNV) propagated in TSCs and DTSCs. In conclusion, our results reveal a novel phenomenon suggesting that murine TSCs and their differentiated cells may have adapted a cellular glycosylation system that can limit viral infectivity by altering the glycosylation of viral envelope proteins, therefore serving as a unique, innate anti-viral mechanism in the pre-implantation stage embryo.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuewei Liu ◽  
Xing Liu ◽  
Juan Bai ◽  
Yanni Gao ◽  
Zhongbao Song ◽  
...  

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most important endemic swine pathogens, causing enormous losses in the global swine industry. Commercially available vaccines only partially prevent or counteract the virus infection and correlated losses. PRRSV replication mechanism has not been well understood. In this study, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was screened to bind with the viral major envelope glycoprotein 5 (GP5) after PRRSV infection. The interacting sites are located within a 13 amino acid region (93 105 aa) of GP5 and at Lys227 of GAPDH. Interestingly, viral GP5 restricts the translocation of GAPDH from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Moreover, cytoplasmic GAPDH facilitates PRRSV replication by virtue of its glycolytic activity. The results suggest that PRRSV GP5 restricts GAPDH into the nucleus and exploits its glycolytic activity to stimulate virus replication. The data provide insight into the role of GAPDH in PRRSV replication and reveal a potential target for controlling viral infection. Importance PRRSV poses a severe economic threat to the pig industry. PRRSV GP5, the major viral envelope protein, plays an important role in viral infection, pathogenicity, and immunity. However, interactions between GP5 and host proteins have not yet been well studied. Here, we show that GAPDH interacts with GP5 through binding a 13-amino-acid sequence (93–105 aa) in GP5, while GP5 interacts with GAPDH at the K277 amino acid residue of GAPDH. We demonstrate that GP5 interacts with GAPDH in the cytoplasm during PPRSV infection, inhibiting GAPDH entry into the nucleus. PRRSV exploits the glycolytic activity of GAPDH to promote viral replication. These results enrich our understanding of PRRSV infection and pathogenesis, and open a new avenue for antiviral prevention and PRRSV treatment strategies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihua Liu ◽  
Yawei Zhang ◽  
Mengli Cheng ◽  
Ningning Ge ◽  
Jiayi Shu ◽  
...  

AbstractZika virus can infect a wide range of tissues including the developmental brain of human fetuses, causing from mild to severe clinical diseases. Whether its genetic characteristics impacts on viral pathogenesis is incompletely understood. We have obtained viral variants through serially passage of a clinical Zika virus isolate (SW01) in neonatal mice in vivo and found some of which exhibited markedly increased virulence and neurotropism. By deep sequencing analysis, the more pathogenic viral variants were found to contain four dominant nonsynonymous nucleotide mutations on genes encoding E and NS2A proteins. Further investigation using molecularly cloned viruses revealed that a single 67D (Aspatic acid) to N (Asparagine) substitution on E protein is sufficient to confer the increased virulence and neurotropism. These findings provide new insight into Zika virus pathogenesis and suggest novel targets for the development of therapeutics.Author SummaryRecent large outbreaks of Zika virus infection worldwide have revealed an association between the viral infection and increased cases of specific neurological problems including Congenital Zika Syndrome (including microcephaly) and adult Guillain–Barré Syndrome. However, the determinants of the increased neurovirulence of Zika virus remain uncertain. One hypothesis is that some unique changes across the Zika viral genome have led to the occurrence of these neurological diseases. To test this hypothesis, we continuously propagated a clinical isolate of contemporary Zika virus (SW01) in neonatal mice brain for 11 times to obtain an mouse central nervous system (CNS) adapted Zika virus (MA-SW01) that showed significantly increased neurovirulence in vivo. We then discovered that a single G to A nucleotide substitution at the 1069 site of Zika virus open reading frame leading to a D (aspartic acid) to N (asparagine) in viral Envelope protein is responsible for the increased neurovirulence. These findings improve our understanding of the neurological pathogenesis of Zika virus and provide clues for the development of antiviral strategy.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1503
Author(s):  
Carla Guijarro-Real ◽  
Mariola Plazas ◽  
Adrián Rodríguez-Burruezo ◽  
Jaime Prohens ◽  
Ana Fita

Antiviral treatments inhibiting Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication may represent a strategy complementary to vaccination to fight the ongoing Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Molecules or extracts inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 chymotripsin-like protease (3CLPro) could contribute to reducing or suppressing SARS-CoV-2 replication. Using a targeted approach, we identified 17 plant products that are included in current and traditional cuisines as promising inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro activity. Methanolic extracts were evaluated in vitro for inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro activity using a quenched fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay. Extracts from turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes, mustard (Brassica nigra) seeds, and wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides subsp. erucoides) at 500 µg mL−1 displayed significant inhibition of the 3CLPro activity, resulting in residual protease activities of 0.0%, 9.4%, and 14.9%, respectively. Using different extract concentrations, an IC50 value of 15.74 µg mL−1 was calculated for turmeric extract. Commercial curcumin inhibited the 3CLPro activity, but did not fully account for the inhibitory effect of turmeric rhizomes extracts, suggesting that other components of the turmeric extract must also play a main role in inhibiting the 3CLPro activity. Sinigrin, a major glucosinolate present in mustard seeds and wall rocket, did not have relevant 3CLPro inhibitory activity; however, its hydrolysis product allyl isothiocyanate had an IC50 value of 41.43 µg mL−1. The current study identifies plant extracts and molecules that can be of interest in the search for treatments against COVID-19, acting as a basis for future chemical, in vivo, and clinical trials.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Pralow ◽  
Alexander Nikolay ◽  
Arnaud Leon ◽  
Yvonne Genzel ◽  
Erdmann Rapp ◽  
...  

AbstractHere, we present for the first time, a site-specific N-glycosylation analysis of proteins from a Brazilian Zika virus (ZIKV) strain. The virus was propagated with high yield in an embryo-derived stem cell line (EB66, Valneva SE), and concentrated by g-force step-gradient centrifugation. Subsequently, the sample was proteolytically digested with different enzymes, measured via a LC–MS/MS-based workflow, and analyzed in a semi-automated way using the in-house developed glyXtoolMS software. The viral non-structural protein 1 (NS1) was glycosylated exclusively with high-mannose structures on both potential N-glycosylation sites. In case of the viral envelope (E) protein, no specific N-glycans could be identified with this method. Nevertheless, N-glycosylation could be proved by enzymatic de-N-glycosylation with PNGase F, resulting in a strong MS-signal of the former glycopeptide with deamidated asparagine at the potential N-glycosylation site N444. This confirmed that this site of the ZIKV E protein is highly N-glycosylated but with very high micro-heterogeneity. Our study clearly demonstrates the progress made towards site-specific N-glycosylation analysis of viral proteins, i.e. for Brazilian ZIKV. It allows to better characterize viral isolates, and to monitor glycosylation of major antigens. The method established can be applied for detailed studies regarding the impact of protein glycosylation on antigenicity and human pathogenicity of many viruses including influenza virus, HIV and corona virus.


Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Vanessa Loaiza-Cano ◽  
Laura Milena Monsalve-Escudero ◽  
Carlos da Silva Maia Bezerra Filho ◽  
Marlen Martinez-Gutierrez ◽  
Damião Pergentino de Sousa

Phenolic compounds have been related to multiple biological activities, and the antiviral effect of these compounds has been demonstrated in several viral models of public health concern. In this review, we show the antiviral role of phenolic compounds against dengue virus (DENV), the most widespread arbovirus globally that, after its re-emergence, has caused multiple epidemic outbreaks, especially in the last two years. Twenty phenolic compounds with anti-DENV activity are discussed, including the multiple mechanisms of action, such as those directed against viral particles or viral proteins, host proteins or pathways related to the productive replication viral cycle and the spread of the infection.


Vaccines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frumence ◽  
Viranaicken ◽  
Gadea ◽  
Desprès

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging arthropod-borne virus of major public health concern. ZIKV infection is responsible for congenital Zika disease and other neurological defects. Antibody-mediated virus neutralization is an essential component of protective antiviral immunity against ZIKV. In the present study, we assessed whether our GFP reporter ZIKV derived from African viral strain MR766 could be useful for the development of a flow cytometry neutralization test (FNT), as an alternative to the conventional plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT). To improve the efficacy of GFP-expressing MR766, we selected virus variant MR766GFP showing a high level of GFP signal in infected cells. A MR766GFP-based FNT was assayed with immune sera from adult mice that received ZIKBeHMR-2. The chimeric ZIKV clone ZIKBeHMR-2 comprises the structural protein region of epidemic strain BeH819015 into MR766 backbone. We reported that adult mice inoculated with ZIKBeHMR-2 developed high levels of neutralizing anti-ZIKV antibodies. Comparative analysis between MR766GFP-based FNT and conventional PRNT was performed using mouse anti-ZIKBeHMR-2 immune sera. Indistinguishable neutralization patterns were observed when compared with PRNT50 and FNT50. We consider that the newly developed MR766GFP-based FNT is a valid format for measuring ZIKV-neutralizing antibodies in serum specimens.


1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 1293-1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazunori Inabe ◽  
Masako Nishizawa ◽  
Shigeru Tajima ◽  
Kazuyoshi Ikuta ◽  
Yoko Aida

ABSTRACT The cytoplasmic domain of an envelope transmembrane glycoprotein (gp30) of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) has two overlapping copies of the (YXXL)2 motif. The N-terminal motif has been implicated in in vitro signal transduction pathways from the external to the intracellular compartment and is also involved in infection and maintenance of high viral loads in sheep that have been experimentally infected with BLV. To determine the role of YXXL sequences in the replication of BLV in vitro, we changed the tyrosine or leucine residues of the N-terminal motif in an infectious molecular clone of BLV, pBLV-IF, to alanine to produce mutated proviruses designated Y487A, L490A, Y498A, L501A, and Y487/498A. Transient transfection of African green monkey kidney COS-1 cells with proviral DNAs that encoded wild-type and mutant sequences revealed that all of the mutated proviral DNAs synthesized mature envelope proteins and released virus particles into the growth medium. However, serial passages of fetal lamb kidney (FLK) cells, which are sensitive to infection with BLV, after transient transfection revealed that mutation of a second tyrosine residue in the N-terminal motif completely prevented the propagation of the virus. Similarly, Y498A and Y487/498A mutant BLV that was produced by the stably transfected COS-1 cells exhibited significantly reduced levels of cell-free virion-mediated transmission. Analysis of the protein compositions of mutant viruses demonstrated that lower levels of envelope protein were incorporated by two of the mutant virions than by wild-type and other mutant virions. Furthermore, a mutation of a second tyrosine residue decreased the specific binding of BLV particles to FLK cells and the capacity for viral penetration. Our data indicate that the YXXL sequences play critical roles in both viral entry and the incorporation of viral envelope protein into the virion during the life cycle of BLV.


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