scholarly journals Potent and Selective Inhibition of Human Cytomegalovirus Replication by 1263W94, a Benzimidazole l-Riboside with a Unique Mode of Action

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 2365-2372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen K. Biron ◽  
Robert J. Harvey ◽  
Stanley C. Chamberlain ◽  
Steven S. Good ◽  
Albert A. Smith ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Benzimidazole nucleosides have been shown to be potent inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication in vitro. As part of the exploration of structure-activity relationships within this series, we synthesized the 2-isopropylamino derivative (3322W93) of 1H-β-d-ribofuranoside-2-bromo-5,6-dichlorobenzimidazole (BDCRB) and the biologically unnatural l-sugars corresponding to both compounds. One of the l derivatives, 1H-β-l-ribofuranoside-2-isopropylamino-5,6-dichlorobenzimidazole (1263W94), showed significant antiviral potency in vitro against both laboratory HCMV strains and clinical HCMV isolates, including those resistant to ganciclovir (GCV), foscarnet, and BDCRB. 1263W94 inhibited viral replication in a dose-dependent manner, with a mean 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.12 ± 0.01 μM compared to a mean IC50 for GCV of 0.53 ± 0.04 μM, as measured by a multicycle DNA hybridization assay. In a single replication cycle, 1263W94 treatment reduced viral DNA synthesis, as well as overall virus yield. HCMV mutants resistant to 1263W94 were isolated, establishing that the target of 1263W94 was a viral gene product. The resistance mutation was mapped to the UL97 open reading frame. The pUL97 protein kinase was strongly inhibited by 1263W94, with 50% inhibition occurring at 3 nM. Although HCMV DNA synthesis was inhibited by 1263W94, the inhibition was not mediated by the inhibition of viral DNA polymerase. The parent benzimidazole d-riboside BDCRB inhibits viral DNA maturation and processing, whereas 1263W94 does not. The mechanism of the antiviral effect of l-riboside 1263W94 is thus distinct from those of GCV and of BDCRB. In summary, 1263W94 inhibits viral replication by a novel mechanism that is not yet completely understood.

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franck Le Guerhier ◽  
Christian Pichoud ◽  
Sylviane Guerret ◽  
Michèle Chevallier ◽  
Catherine Jamard ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT A novel l-nucleoside analog of deoxycytidine, 2′,3′-dideoxy-2′,3′-didehydro-β-l-5-fluorocytidine (β-l-Fd4C), was recently shown to strongly inhibit hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in the 2.2.15 cell line. Therefore, its antiviral activity was evaluated in the duck HBV (DHBV) infection model. Using a cell-free system for the expression of the DHBV polymerase, β-l-Fd4C-TP exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibition of dCTP incorporation into viral minus-strand DNA with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.2 μM which was lower than that of other tested deoxycytidine analogs, i.e., lamivudine-TP, ddC-TP, and β-l-FddC-TP. Further analysis showed that β-l-Fd4C-TP is likely to be a competitive inhibitor of dCTP incorporation and to cause premature DNA chain termination. In primary duck hepatocyte cultures infected in vitro, β-l-Fd4C administration exhibited a long-lasting inhibitory effect on viral DNA synthesis but could not clear viral covalently closed circular DNA (CCC DNA). Results of short-term antiviral treatment in experimentally infected ducklings showed that β-l-Fd4C exhibited the most potent antiviral effect, followed by β-l-FddC, lamivudine, and ddC. Longer administration of β-l-Fd4C induced a sustained suppression of viremia (>95% of controls) and of viral DNA synthesis within the liver. However, the persistence of trace amounts of viral CCC DNA detected only by PCR was associated with a recurrence of viral replication after drug withdrawal. In parallel, β-l-Fd4C treatment suppressed viral antigen expression within the liver and decreased intrahepatic inflammation and was not associated with any sign of toxicity. Our data, therefore, demonstrate that in the duck model of HBV infection, β-l-Fd4C is a potent inhibitor of DHBV reverse transcriptase activity in vitro and suppresses viral replication in the liver in vivo.


1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 2680-2685 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J Tenney ◽  
G Yamanaka ◽  
S M Voss ◽  
C W Cianci ◽  
A V Tuomari ◽  
...  

Lobucavir (LBV) is a deoxyguanine nucleoside analog with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. LBV was previously shown to inhibit herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA polymerase after phosphorylation by the HSV thymidine kinase. Here we determined the mechanism of action of LBV against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). LBV inhibited HCMV DNA synthesis to a degree comparable to that of ganciclovir (GCV), a drug known to target the viral DNA polymerase. The expression of late proteins and RNA, dependent on viral DNA synthesis, was also inhibited by LBV. Immediate-early and early HCMV gene expression was unaffected, suggesting that LBV acts temporally coincident with HCMV DNA synthesis and not through cytotoxicity. In vitro, the triphosphate of LBV was a potent inhibitor of HCMV DNA polymerase with a Ki of 5 nM. LBV was phosphorylated to its triphosphate form intracellularly in both infected and uninfected cells, with phosphorylated metabolite levels two- to threefold higher in infected cells. GCV-resistant HCMV isolates, with deficient GCV phosphorylation due to mutations in the UL97 protein kinase, remained sensitive to LBV. Overall, these results suggest that LBV-triphosphate halts HCMV DNA replication by inhibiting the viral DNA polymerase and that LBV phosphorylation can occur in the absence of viral factors including the UL97 protein kinase. Furthermore, LBV may be effective in the treatment of GCV-resistant HCMV.


2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongzhong Tu ◽  
Mengxian Xu ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Ye Feng ◽  
Zhuo Hao ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Our previous study showed that pentagalloylglucose (PGG), a naturally occurring hydrolyzable phenolic tannin, possesses significant anti-rabies virus (RABV) activity. In BHK-21 cells, RABV induced the overactivation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) by suppressing the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3). Inhibition of STAT3 by niclosamide, small interfering RNA, or exogenous expression of SOCS3 all significantly suppressed the replication of RABV. Additionally, RABV-induced upregulation of microRNA 455-5p (miR-455-5p) downregulated SOCS3 by directly binding to the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of SOCS3. Importantly, PGG effectively reversed the expression of miR-455-5p and its following SOCS3/STAT3 signaling pathway. Finally, activated STAT3 elicited the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), thereby contributing to RABV-associated encephalomyelitis; however, PGG restored the level of IL-6 in vitro and in vivo in a SOCS3/STAT3-dependent manner. Altogether, these data identify a new miR-455-5p/SOCS3/STAT3 signaling pathway that contributes to viral replication and IL-6 production in RABV-infected cells, with PGG exerting its antiviral effect by inhibiting the production of miR-455-5p and the activation of STAT3. IMPORTANCE Rabies virus causes lethal encephalitis in mammals and poses a serious public health threat in many parts of the world. Numerous strategies have been explored to combat rabies; however, their efficacy has always been unsatisfactory. We previously reported a new drug, PGG, which possesses a potent inhibitory activity on RABV replication. Herein, we describe the underlying mechanisms by which PGG exerts its anti-RABV activity. Our results show that RABV induces overactivation of STAT3 in BHK-21 cells, which facilitates viral replication. Importantly, PGG effectively inhibits the activity of STAT3 by disrupting the expression of miR-455-5p and increases the level of SOCS3 by directly targeting the 3′ UTR of SOCS3. Furthermore, the downregulated STAT3 inhibits the production of IL-6, thereby contributing to a reduction in the inflammatory response in vivo. Our study indicates that PGG effectively inhibits the replication of RABV by the miR-455-5p/SOCS3/STAT3/IL-6-dependent pathway.


2007 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 1638-1646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroki Isomura ◽  
Mark F. Stinski ◽  
Ayumi Kudoh ◽  
Takayuki Murata ◽  
Sanae Nakayama ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT During productive infection, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL44 transcription initiates at three distinct start sites that are differentially regulated. Two of the start sites, the distal and the proximal, are active at early times, whereas the middle start site is active only at late times after infection. The UL44 early viral gene product is essential for viral DNA synthesis. The UL44 gene product from the late viral promoter affects primarily viral gene expression at late times after infection rather than viral DNA synthesis (H. Isomura, M. F. Stinski, A. Kudoh, S. Nakayama, S. Iwahori, Y. Sato, and T. Tsurumi, J. Virol. 81:6197, 2007). The UL44 early viral promoters have a canonical TATA sequence, “TATAA.” In contrast, the UL44 late viral promoter has a noncanonical TATA sequence. Using recombinant viruses, we found that the noncanonical TATA sequence is required for the accumulation of late viral transcripts. The GC boxes that surround the middle TATA element did not affect the kinetics or the start site of UL44 late transcription. Replacement of the distal TATA element with a noncanonical TATA sequence did not affect the kinetics of transcription or the transcription start site, but it did induce an alternative transcript at late times after infection. The data indicate that a noncanonical TATA box is used at late times after HCMV infection.


mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blair L. Strang ◽  
Steeve Boulant ◽  
Tomas Kirchhausen ◽  
Donald M. Coen

ABSTRACTDrastic reorganization of the nucleus is a hallmark of herpesvirus replication. This reorganization includes the formation of viral replication compartments, the subnuclear structures in which the viral DNA genome is replicated. The architecture of replication compartments is poorly understood. However, recent work with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) showed that the viral DNA polymerase subunit UL44 concentrates and viral DNA synthesis occurs at the periphery of these compartments. Any cellular factors involved in replication compartment architecture are largely unknown. Previously, we found that nucleolin, a major protein component of nucleoli, associates with HCMV UL44 in infected cells and is required for efficient viral DNA synthesis. Here, we show that nucleolin binds to purified UL44. Confocal immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated colocalization of nucleolin with UL44 at the periphery of replication compartments. Pharmacological inhibition of viral DNA synthesis prevented the formation of replication compartments but did not abrogate association of UL44 and nucleolin. Thus, association of UL44 and nucleolin is unlikely to be a nonspecific effect related to development of replication compartments. No detectable colocalization of 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU)-labeled viral DNA with nucleolin was observed, suggesting that nucleolin is not directly involved in viral DNA synthesis. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of nucleolin caused improper localization of UL44 and a defect in EdU incorporation into viral DNA. We propose a model in which nucleolin anchors UL44 at the periphery of replication compartments to maintain their architecture and promote viral DNA synthesis.IMPORTANCEHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important human pathogen. HCMV infection causes considerable rearrangement of the structure of the nucleus, largely due to the formation of viral replication compartments within the nucleus. Within these compartments, the virus replicates its DNA genome. We previously demonstrated that nucleolin is required for efficient viral DNA synthesis and now find that the nucleolar protein nucleolin interacts with a subunit of the viral DNA polymerase, UL44, specifically at the periphery of replication compartments. Moreover, we find that nucleolin is required to properly localize UL44 at this region. Nucleolin is, therefore, involved in the organization of proteins within replication compartments. This, to our knowledge, is the first report identifying a cellular protein required for maintaining replication compartment architecture.


FEBS Letters ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 589 (4) ◽  
pp. 440-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Guo ◽  
Ying Qi ◽  
Yujing Huang ◽  
Zhongyang Liu ◽  
Yanping Ma ◽  
...  

1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 197-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Stoyloff ◽  
L. Bode ◽  
H. Wendt ◽  
J. Mulzer ◽  
H. Ludwig

α-D-Mannnose occupies the terminal position on the N-linked carbohydrate side chain of BDV-specific gp17 (Stoyloff et al., 1994). A hydrophobic derivative of this sugar residue, the 1-0-benzyl-6-0-trityl-α-D-mannnopyranoside (1B6TM), showed a potent and selective inhibition of BDV-replication in vitro, using a range of host-cell/virus systems. When tested in comparison with the unmodified sugar, 1B6TM inhibited the infection in a dose-dependent manner up to 100% without effecting cell viability. After removal of the compound, the antiviral effect remained for several hours. These results suggest that simple modified carbohydrate molecules of BDV-specific sugar residues are able to interfere with virus replication.


2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 478-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula M. Krosky ◽  
Katherine Z. Borysko ◽  
M. Reza Nassiri ◽  
Rodrigo V. Devivar ◽  
Roger G. Ptak ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We have previously reported that 2,5,6-trichloro-1-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)benzimidazole (TCRB) and its 2-bromo analog (2-bromo-5,6-dichloro-1-(β-d-ribofuranosy)benzimidazole [BDCRB]) are potent and selective inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication that block viral DNA maturation via HCMV gene products UL89 and UL56. To determine if phosphorylation is required for antiviral activity, the in vitro metabolism of BDCRB was examined and the antiviral activities of nonphosphorylatable 5′-deoxy analogs were determined. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of extracts from uninfected and HCMV-infected cells incubated with [3H]BDCRB revealed two major metabolites. Both were less polar than naturally occurring nucleoside monophosphates, but one peak coeluted with a BDCRB-5′-monophosphate (BDCRB-5′-MP) standard. Further analysis revealed, however, that neither metabolite partitioned with BDCRB-5′-MP on anion-exchange HPLC. Their retention patterns were not affected by incubation with alkaline phosphatase, thereby establishing that the compounds were not nucleoside 5′-monophosphates. Both compounds were detected in uninfected and HCMV-infected cells and in mouse live extracts, but neither has been identified. Like TCRB and BDCRB, the nonphosphorylatable 5′-deoxy analogs were potent and selective inhibitors of HCMV replication. The 5′-deoxy analogs maintained inhibition of HCMV replication upon removal of BDCRB, whereas an inhibitor of DNA synthesis did not. Similar to TCRB, its 5′-deoxy analog (5′-dTCRB) did not affect viral DNA synthesis, but 5′-dTCRB did inhibit viral DNA maturation to genome-length units. Additionally, virus isolates resistant to TCRB were also resistant to 5′-dTCRB and the 5′-deoxy analog of BDCRB. Taken together, these results confirm that TCRB, BDCRB, and their 5′-deoxy analogs have common mechanisms of action and establish that these benzimidazole ribonucleosides, unlike other antiviral nucleosides, do not require phosphorylation at the 5′ position for antiviral activity.


2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 3918-3927 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Evers ◽  
Gloria Komazin ◽  
Roger G. Ptak ◽  
Dongjin Shin ◽  
Brian T. Emmer ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The benzimidazole nucleosides 2-bromo-5,6-dichloro-1-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)benzimidazole (BDCRB) and 2-isopropylamino-5,6-dichloro-1-(β-l-ribofuranosyl)benzimidazole (1263W94, or maribavir) are potent and selective inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication. These inhibitors act by two different mechanisms: BDCRB blocks the processing and maturation of viral DNA, whereas maribavir prevents viral DNA synthesis and capsid nuclear egress. In order to determine by which of these two mechanisms other benzimidazole nucleosides acted, we performed time-of-addition studies and other experiments with selected new analogs. We found that the erythrofuranosyl analog and the α-lyxofuranosyl analog acted late in the viral replication cycle, similar to BDCRB. In marked contrast, the α-5′-deoxylyxofuranosyl analog of 2,5,6-trichloro-1-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)benzimidazole (compound UMJD1311) acted early in the replication cycle, too early to be consistent with either mechanism. Similar to other reports on early acting inhibitors of herpesviruses, compound 1311 was multiplicity of infection dependent, an observation that could not be reproduced with UV-inactivated virus. HCMV isolates resistant to BDCRB and maribavir were sensitive to compound 1311, as were viruses resistant to ganciclovir, cidofovir, and foscarnet. The preincubation of host cells with compound 1311 and removal prior to the addition of HCMV did not produce an antiviral cellular response. We conclude that this newly discovered early mode of action occurs at a stage of viral replication after entry to cells but prior to viral DNA synthesis, thereby strongly suggesting that the trisubstituted benzimidazole nucleoside series possesses three distinct biochemical modes of action for inhibition of HCMV replication.


2012 ◽  
Vol 86 (18) ◽  
pp. 9817-9827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Nitzsche ◽  
Charlotte Steinhäußer ◽  
Katrin Mücke ◽  
Christina Paulus ◽  
Michael Nevels

In the nuclei of permissive cells, human cytomegalovirus genomes form nucleosomal structures initially resembling heterochromatin but gradually switching to a euchromatin-like state. This switch is characterized by a decrease in histone H3 K9 methylation and a marked increase in H3 tail acetylation and H3 K4 methylation across the viral genome. We used ganciclovir and a mutant virus encoding a reversibly destabilized DNA polymerase to examine the impact of DNA replication on histone modification dynamics at the viral chromatin. The changes in H3 tail acetylation and H3 K9 methylation proceeded in a DNA replication-independent fashion. In contrast, the increase in H3 K4 methylation proved to depend widely on viral DNA synthesis. Consistently, labeling of nascent DNA using “click chemistry” revealed preferential incorporation of methylated H3 K4 into viral (but not cellular) chromatin during or following DNA replication. This study demonstrates largely selective epigenetic tagging of postreplicative human cytomegalovirus chromatin.


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