title: Ribavirin is not a functional mimic of the 7-methyl guanosine mRNA cap.
abstract: Ribavirin is a guanosine ribonucleoside analog that displays broad-spectrum anti-viral activity and is currently used for the treatment of some viral infections. Ribavirin has recently been proposed to also be a mimic of the 7-methyl guanosine cap found at the 5' end of mRNAs. To obtain supporting functional data for this hypothesis, we assessed the ability of ribavirin triphosphate to interfere with the interaction between eIF4E and 7-methyl guanosine capped mRNA. In chemical cross-linking assays, cap-affinity chromatography, and cap-dependent translation assays, ribavirin was unable to function as a cap analog.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, McIntyre Medical Sciences Building, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1Y6, Canada.
authors.forename: Yifei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Svitkin
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bisaillon
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pelletier
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D039561:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E / Q000378:metabolism; D006151:Guanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012315:RNA Caps / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D039561:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E; D012315:RNA Caps; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006151:Guanosine; C016578:7-methylguanosine; D012254:Ribavirin