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Li P, Ju H, Zhang Y, Achi JG, Kang D, Zou J, Du R, Cui Q, Liu X, Rong L, Zhan P. Discovery of ligustrazine and chalcone derivatives as novel viral nucleoprotein nuclear export inhibitors against influenza viruses. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28968. [PMID: 37489704 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Influenza viruses pose a significant threat to human health worldwide due to seasonal epidemics and occasional global pandemics. These viruses can cause severe upper respiratory tract infections that contribute to high morbidity and mortality rates. The emergence of drug-resistant influenza viruses has created the need for the development of novel broad-spectrum antivirals. Here, we present a novel anti-influenza agent with new targets and mechanisms of action to address this problem. Our findings led to the discovery of a novel influenza virus inhibitor, a ligustrazine derivative known as A9. We have found that it exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral properties against influenza A and B viruses (IAV and IBV, respectively), including oseltamivir-resistant strain. Through multiple bioassays such as time-of-addition assay, indirect immunofluorescence assay, and nuclear-cytoplasmic fractionation assay, we demonstrated that A9 inhibits the nuclear export of the viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP). Furthermore, escape mutant analyses and affinity studies determined by surface plasmon resonance indicated that A9 specifically targets the nucleoprotein. In addition, four chalcone derivatives developed from A9 (B14, B29, B31, and B32), were found to effectively inhibit the replication of influenza virus through the same mechanism of action. In this manuscript we highlight A9 and its four derivatives as potential leads for the treatment of IAV and IBV infections, and their unique and novel mechanism of action probable benefit the field of anti-influenza drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Li
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Han Ju
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jazmin Galvan Achi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dongwei Kang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jinmi Zou
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ruikun Du
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Qinghua Cui
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lijun Rong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Peng Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Hassan AEA, Hegazy HA, Zaki I, Hassan MH, Ramadan M, Haikal AZ, Sheng J, Abou-Elkhair RAI. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of 4'-phosphonomethoxy pyrimidine ribonucleosides as potential anti-influenza agents. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023:e2200382. [PMID: 36792964 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202200382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Influenza viruses belong to the Orthomyxoviridae family and cause acute respiratory distress in humans. The developed drug resistance toward existing drugs and the emergence of viral mutants that can escape vaccines mandate the search for novel antiviral drugs. Herein, the synthesis of epimeric 4'-methyl-4'-phosphonomethoxy [4'-C-Me-4'-C-(O-CH2 P═O)] pyrimidine ribonucleosides, their phosphonothioate [4'-C-Me-4'-C-(O-CH2 P═S)] derivatives, and their evaluation against an RNA viral panel are described. Selective formation of the α- l-lyxo epimer, [4'-C-(α)-Me-4'-C-(β)-(O-CH2 -P(═O)(OEt)2 )] over the β- d-ribo epimer [4'-C-(β)-Me-4'-C-(α)-(O-CH2 -P(═O)(OEt)2 )] was explained by DFT equilibrium geometry optimizations studies. Pyrimidine nucleosides having the [4'-C-(α)-Me-4'-C-(β)-(O-CH2 -P(═O)(OEt)2 )] framework showed specific activity against influenza A virus. Significant anti-influenza virus A (H1N1 California/07/2009 isolate) was observed with the 4'-C-(α)-Me-4'-C-(β)-O-CH2 -P(═O)(OEt)2 -uridine derivative 1 (EC50 = 4.56 mM, SI50 > 56), 4-ethoxy-2-oxo-1(2H)-pyrimidin-1-yl derivative 3 (EC50 = 5.44 mM, SI50 > 43) and the cytidine derivative 2 (EC50 = 0.81 mM, SI50 > 13), respectively. The corresponding thiophosphonates 4'-C-(α)-Me-4'-C-(β)-(O-CH2 -P( S)(OEt)2 ) and thionopyrimidine nucleosides were devoid of any antiviral activity. This study shows that the 4'-C-(α)-Me-4'-(β)-O-CH2 -P(═O)(OEt)2 ribonucleoside can be further optimized to provide potent antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdalla E A Hassan
- Applied Nucleic Acids Research Center & Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Hend A Hegazy
- Applied Nucleic Acids Research Center & Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Islam Zaki
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt
| | - Marwa H Hassan
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt
| | - Medhat Ramadan
- Applied Nucleic Acids Research Center & Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Abdelfattah Z Haikal
- Applied Nucleic Acids Research Center & Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Jia Sheng
- Department of Chemistry and The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Reham A I Abou-Elkhair
- Applied Nucleic Acids Research Center & Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
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