scholarly journals High-Throughput Assays Using a Luciferase-Expressing Replicon, Virus-Like Particles, and Full-Length Virus for West Nile Virus Drug Discovery

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 4980-4988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesc Puig-Basagoiti ◽  
Tia S. Deas ◽  
Ping Ren ◽  
Mark Tilgner ◽  
David M. Ferguson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Drug Discovery ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Full Length ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Subgenomic Replicon ◽  
Virion Assembly ◽  
Virus Like Particles

ABSTRACT Many flaviviruses cause significant human disease worldwide. The development of flavivirus chemotherapy requires reliable high-throughput screening (HTS) assays. Although genetic systems have been developed for many flaviviruses, their usage in antiviral HTS assays has not been well explored. Here we compare three cell-based HTS assays for West Nile virus (WNV) drug discovery: (i) an assay that uses a cell line harboring a persistently replicating subgenomic replicon (containing a deletion of viral structural genes), (ii) an assay that uses packaged virus-like particles containing replicon RNA, and (iii) an assay that uses a full-length reporting virus. A Renilla luciferase gene was engineered into the replicon or into the full-length viral genome to monitor viral replication. Potential inhibitors could be identified through suppression of luciferase signals upon compound incubation. The antiviral assays were optimized in a 96-well format, validated with known WNV inhibitors, and proved useful in identifying a new inhibitor(s) through HTS of a compound library. In addition, because each assay encompasses multiple but discrete steps of the viral life cycle, the three systems could potentially be used to discriminate the mode of action of any inhibitor among viral entry (detected by assays ii and iii but not by assay i), replication (including viral translation and RNA synthesis; detected by assays i to iii), and virion assembly (detected by assay iii but not by assays i and ii). The approaches described in this study should be applicable to the development of cell-based assays for other flaviviruses.

scholarly journals Potential High-Throughput Assay for Screening Inhibitors of West Nile Virus Replication

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (23) ◽  
pp. 12901-12906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Lo ◽  
Mark Tilgner ◽  
Pei-Yong Shi
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Stable Cell Line ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Subgenomic Replicon ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
High Throughput Assay

ABSTRACT Prevention and treatment of infection by West Nile virus (WNV) and other flaviviruses are public health priorities. We describe a reporting cell line that can be used for high-throughput screening of inhibitors against all targets involved in WNV replication. Dual reporter genes, encoding Renilla luciferase (Rluc) and neomycin phosphotransferase (Neo), were engineered into a WNV subgenomic replicon, resulting in Rluc/NeoRep. Geneticin selection of BHK-21 cells transfected with Rluc/NeoRep yielded a stable cell line that contains persistently replicating replicons. Incubation of the reporting cells with known WNV inhibitors decreased Rluc activity, as well as the replicon RNA level. The efficacies of the inhibitors, as measured by the depression of Rluc activity in the reporting cells, are comparable to those derived from authentic viral infection assays. Therefore, the WNV reporting cell line can be used as a high-throughput assay for anti-WNV drug discovery. A similar approach should be applicable to development of genetics-based antiviral assays for other flaviviruses.

scholarly journals trans-Packaged West Nile Virus-Like Particles: Infectious Properties In Vitro and in Infected Mosquito Vectors

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (21) ◽  
pp. 11605-11614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Scholle ◽  
Yvette A. Girard ◽  
Qizu Zhao ◽  
Stephen Higgs ◽  
Peter W. Mason
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Infected Mosquito ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Coding Region ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Subgenomic Replicon ◽  
Virus Like Particles

ABSTRACT A trans-packaging system for West Nile virus (WNV) subgenomic replicon RNAs (repRNAs), deleted for the structural coding region, was developed. WNV repRNAs were efficiently encapsidated by the WNV C/prM/E structural proteins expressed in trans from replication-competent, noncytopathic Sindbis virus-derived RNAs. Infectious virus-like particles (VLPs) were produced in titers of up to 109 infectious units/ml. WNV VLPs established a single round of infection in a variety of different cell lines without production of progeny virions. The infectious properties of WNV and VLPs were indistinguishable when efficiencies of infection of a number of different cell lines and inhibition of infection by neutralizing antibodies were determined. To investigate the usefulness of VLPs to address biological questions in vivo, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were orally and parenterally infected with VLPs, and dissected tissues were analyzed for WNV antigen expression. Antigen-positive cells in midguts of orally infected mosquitoes were detected as early as 2 days postinfection and as late as 8 days. Intrathoracic inoculation of VLPs into mosquitoes demonstrated a dose-dependent pattern of infection of secondary tissues and identified fat body, salivary glands, tracheal cells, and midgut muscle as susceptible WNV VLP infection targets. These results demonstrate that VLPs can serve as a valuable tool for the investigation of tissue tropism during the early stages of infection, where virus spread and the need for biosafety level 3 containment complicate the use of wild-type virus.

scholarly journals Identification of Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitors of West Nile Virus Infection

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (21) ◽  
pp. 11992-12004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amine O. Noueiry ◽  
Paul D. Olivo ◽  
Urszula Slomczynska ◽  
Yi Zhou ◽  
Ben Buscher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Yellow Fever ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Yellow Fever Virus ◽  
The United States ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Chemical Library ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Subgenomic Replicon

ABSTRACT West Nile virus (WNV) has spread throughout the United States and Canada and now annually causes a clinical spectrum of human disease ranging from a self-limiting acute febrile illness to acute flaccid paralysis and lethal encephalitis. No therapy or vaccine is currently approved for use in humans. Using high-throughput screening assays that included a luciferase expressing WNV subgenomic replicon and an NS1 capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we evaluated a chemical library of over 80,000 compounds for their capacity to inhibit WNV replication. We identified 10 compounds with strong inhibitory activity against genetically diverse WNV and Kunjin virus isolates. Many of the inhibitory compounds belonged to a chemical family of secondary sulfonamides and have not been described previously to inhibit WNV or other related or unrelated viruses. Several of these compounds inhibited WNV infection in the submicromolar range, had selectivity indices of greater than 10, and inhibited replication of other flaviviruses, including dengue and yellow fever viruses. One of the most promising compounds, AP30451, specifically blocked translation of a yellow fever virus replicon but not a Sindbis virus replicon or an internal ribosome entry site containing mRNA. Overall, these compounds comprise a novel class of promising inhibitors for therapy against WNV and other flavivirus infections in humans.

scholarly journals Nasal Immunization With Small Molecule Mast Cell Activators Enhance Immunity to Co-Administered Subunit Immunogens

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandi T. Johnson-Weaver ◽  
Hae Woong Choi ◽  
Hang Yang ◽  
Josh A. Granek ◽  
Cliburn Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mast Cell ◽  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Mucosal Vaccine ◽  
Vaccine Adjuvants ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Adjuvant Activity ◽  
Nasal Vaccine

Mast cell activators are a novel class of mucosal vaccine adjuvants. The polymeric compound, Compound 48/80 (C48/80), and cationic peptide, Mastoparan 7 (M7) are mast cell activators that provide adjuvant activity when administered by the nasal route. However, small molecule mast cell activators may be a more cost-efficient adjuvant alternative that is easily synthesized with high purity compared to M7 or C48/80. To identify novel mast cell activating compounds that could be evaluated for mucosal vaccine adjuvant activity, we employed high-throughput screening to assess over 55,000 small molecules for mast cell degranulation activity. Fifteen mast cell activating compounds were down-selected to five compounds based on in vitro immune activation activities including cytokine production and cellular cytotoxicity, synthesis feasibility, and selection for functional diversity. These small molecule mast cell activators were evaluated for in vivo adjuvant activity and induction of protective immunity against West Nile Virus infection in BALB/c mice when combined with West Nile Virus envelope domain III (EDIII) protein in a nasal vaccine. We found that three of the five mast cell activators, ST101036, ST048871, and R529877, evoked high levels of EDIII-specific antibody and conferred comparable levels of protection against WNV challenge. The level of protection provided by these small molecule mast cell activators was comparable to the protection evoked by M7 (67%) but markedly higher than the levels seen with mice immunized with EDIII alone (no adjuvant 33%). Thus, novel small molecule mast cell activators identified by high throughput screening are as efficacious as previously described mast cell activators when used as nasal vaccine adjuvants and represent next-generation mast cell activators for evaluation in mucosal vaccine studies.

Upscaling and Automation of Electrophysiology: Toward High Throughput Screening in Ion Channel Drug Discovery

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-58
Author(s):  
Margit Asmild ◽  
Nicholas Oswald ◽  
Karen M. Krzywkowski ◽  
Søren Friis ◽  
Rasmus B. Jacobsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Ion Channel ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening

High-Throughput Affinity Selection Mass Spectrometry Using SAMDI-MS to Identify Small-Molecule Binders of the Human Rhinovirus 3C Protease

2021 ◽  
pp. 247255522110232
Author(s):  
Michael D. Scholle ◽  
Doug McLaughlin ◽  
Zachary A. Gurard-Levin
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Drug Discovery ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Human Rhinovirus ◽  
Binding Potential ◽  
Affinity Selection ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Desorption Ionization ◽  
Self Assembled

Affinity selection mass spectrometry (ASMS) has emerged as a powerful high-throughput screening tool used in drug discovery to identify novel ligands against therapeutic targets. This report describes the first high-throughput screen using a novel self-assembled monolayer desorption ionization (SAMDI)–ASMS methodology to reveal ligands for the human rhinovirus 3C (HRV3C) protease. The approach combines self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiolates on gold with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometry (MS), a technique termed SAMDI-ASMS. The primary screen of more than 100,000 compounds in pools of 8 compounds per well was completed in less than 8 h, and informs on the binding potential and selectivity of each compound. Initial hits were confirmed in follow-up SAMDI-ASMS experiments in single-concentration and dose–response curves. The ligands identified by SAMDI-ASMS were further validated using differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) and in functional protease assays against HRV3C and the related SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro enzyme. SAMDI-ASMS offers key benefits for drug discovery over traditional ASMS approaches, including the high-throughput workflow and readout, minimizing compound misbehavior by using smaller compound pools, and up to a 50-fold reduction in reagent consumption. The flexibility of this novel technology opens avenues for high-throughput ASMS assays of any target, thereby accelerating drug discovery for diverse diseases.

scholarly journals Development of a Robust High-Throughput Screening Platform for Inhibitors of the Striatal-Enriched Tyrosine Phosphatase (STEP)

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4417
Author(s):  
Lester J Lambert ◽  
Stefan Grotegut ◽  
Maria Celeridad ◽  
Palak Gosalia ◽  
Laurent JS De Backer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Tyrosine Phosphatase ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases ◽  
Synaptic Function ◽  
Label Free ◽  
Protein Tyrosine

Many human diseases are the result of abnormal expression or activation of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Not surprisingly, more than 30 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are currently in clinical use and provide unique treatment options for many patients. PTPs on the other hand have long been regarded as “undruggable” and only recently have gained increased attention in drug discovery. Striatal-enriched tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) is a neuron-specific PTP that is overactive in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and fragile X syndrome. An emergent model suggests that the increase in STEP activity interferes with synaptic function and contributes to the characteristic cognitive and behavioral deficits present in these diseases. Prior efforts to generate STEP inhibitors with properties that warrant clinical development have largely failed. To identify novel STEP inhibitor scaffolds, we developed a biophysical, label-free high-throughput screening (HTS) platform based on the protein thermal shift (PTS) technology. In contrast to conventional HTS using STEP enzymatic assays, we found the PTS platform highly robust and capable of identifying true hits with confirmed STEP inhibitory activity and selectivity. This new platform promises to greatly advance STEP drug discovery and should be applicable to other PTP targets.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document