title: Emodin inhibits current through SARS-associated coronavirus 3a protein.
abstract: The open-reading-frame 3a of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) had been demonstrated previously to form a cation-selective channel that may become expressed in the infected cell and is then involved in virus release. Drugs that inhibit the ion channel formed by the 3a protein can be expected to inhibit virus release, and would be a source for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Here we demonstrate that emodin can inhibit the 3a ion channel of coronavirus SARS-CoV and HCoV-OC43 as well as virus release from HCoV-OC43 with a K1/2 value of about 20 μM. We suggest that viral ion channels, in general, may be a good target for the development of antiviral agents.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Research Center for Acupuncture & Meridians, 199 Guoshoujing Rd., Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwarz
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins; D057074:Virus Release / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C487105:3a protein, SARS-CoV; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins; D004642:Emodin