2. Academic Validation
  3. A Quinolinone Compound Inhibiting the Oligomerization of Nucleoprotein of Influenza A Virus Prevents the Selection of Escape Mutants

A Quinolinone Compound Inhibiting the Oligomerization of Nucleoprotein of Influenza A Virus Prevents the Selection of Escape Mutants

  • Viruses. 2020 Mar 19;12(3):337. doi: 10.3390/v12030337.
Juliann Nzembi Makau 1,  Ken Watanabe 1 2,  Hiroki Otaki 3,  Satoshi Mizuta 3,  Takeshi Ishikawa 4,  Yuji O Kamatari 5,  Noriyuki Nishida 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
  • 2 Department of Lifestyle Design, Faculty of Human Ecology, Yasuda Women's University, 6-13-1 Yasuhigashi, Asaminami ward, Hiroshima 731-0153, Japan.
  • 3 Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
  • 4 Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
  • 5 Life Science Research Center, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
PMID: 32204549 DOI: 10.3390/v12030337
Abstract

The emergence of resistance to currently available anti-influenza drugs has heightened the need for antivirals with novel mechanisms of action. The influenza A virus (IAV) nucleoprotein (NP) is highly conserved and essential for the formation of viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP), which serves as the template for replication and transcription. Recently, using in silico screening, we identified an Antiviral compound designated NUD-1 (a 4-hydroxyquinolinone derivative) as a potential inhibitor of NP. In this study, we further analyzed the interaction between NUD-1 and NP and found that the compound interferes with the oligomerization of NP, which is required for vRNP formation, leading to the suppression of viral transcription, protein synthesis, and nuclear export of NP. We further assessed the selection of resistant variants by serially passaging a clinical isolate of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic Influenza Virus in the presence of NUD-1 or oseltamivir. NUD-1 did not select for resistant variants after nine passages, whereas oseltamivir selected for resistant variants after five passages. Our data demonstrate that NUD-1 interferes with the oligomerization of NP and less likely induces drug-resistant variants than oseltamivir; hence, it is a potential lead compound for the development of novel anti-influenza drugs.

Keywords

4-hydroxyquinolinone; antiviral; nucleoprotein; oligomerization; resistance.

Figures
Products