Cystatin C, a human proteinase inhibitor, blocks replication of herpes simplex virus.
Cystatin C is a human cysteine proteinase inhibitor present in extracellular fluids. Cystatin C and a tripeptide derivative (Z-LVG-CHN2) that mimics its proteinase-binding center, were tested for possible antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV) and poliovirus type 1. Both recombinant cystatin C and Z-LVG-CHN2 displayed strong inhibitory effects on HSV replication, whereas no significant effect on poliovirus replication was seen. The molar concentration of cystatin C that gave total inhibition of HSV replication was lower than that of either Z-LVG-CHN2 or of acyclovir, the drug currently most used against HSV infections. These results suggest that cysteine proteinase inhibitors might play a physiological role as inhibitors of viral replication and that such proteinase inhibitors, or peptide derivatives that mimic their proteinase-binding centers, might be used as antiviral agents.
Björck
L
L
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Lund, Sweden.
Grubb
A
A
Kjellén
L
L
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; C525030:CST3 protein, human; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D055316:Cystatin C; D015891:Cystatins; D009842:Oligopeptides; C062355:N-benzyloxycarbonyl-leucyl-valyl-glycine diazomethane