Identification of palmatine as an inhibitor of West Nile virus.
In this study, we investigated the specific inhibition of West Nile virus (WNV) NS2B-NS3 protease and viral propagation by palmatine, a chemical compound from Coptis chinensis Franch. It was demonstrated that palmatine could inhibit WNV NS2B-NS3 protease activity in an uncompetitive manner, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 96 microM. Palmatine suppressed WNV without detectable cytotoxicity (a 50% effective concentration [EC(50)] of 3.6 microM and a 50% cytotoxicity concentration [CC(50)] of 1,031 microM). Furthermore, palmatine could also suppress dengue virus and yellow fever virus in a dose-dependent manner. This compound could potentially be developed for the treatment of flavivirus infections.
Jia
Fan
F
State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
Zou
Gang
G
Fan
Jingjing
J
Yuan
Zhiming
Z
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001600:Berberine Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002681:China; D039323:Coptis / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D020365:RNA Helicases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001600:Berberine Alkaloids; D020365:RNA Helicases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C080102:NS2B protein, flavivirus; C060028:NS3 protein, flavivirus; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; C005413:palmatine