title: Inactivation of a non-enveloped RNA virus by artificial ribonucleases: honey bees and acute bee paralysis virus as a new experimental model for in vivo antiviral activity assessment.
abstract: RNA-containing viruses represent a global threat to the health and wellbeing of humans and animals. Hence, the discovery of new approaches for the design of novel vaccines and antiviral compounds attains high attention. Here we describe the potential of artificial ribonucleases (aRNases), low molecular weight compounds capable to cleave phosphodiester bonds in RNA under mild conditions, to act as antiviral compounds via destroying the genome of non-enveloped RNA viruses, and the potential of utilizing honey bee larvae and adult bees (Apis mellifera) as a novel experimental system for the screening of new antiviral compounds. Pre-incubation of an Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) suspension with aRNases D3-12, K-D-1 or Dp12F6 in a concentration-dependent manner increased the survival rate of bee larvae and adult bees subsequently infected with these preparations, whereas incubation of the virus with aRNases ABL3C3 or L2-3 had no effect at all. The results of RT-PCR analysis of viral RNA isolated from aRNase-treated virus particles confirmed that virus inactivation occurs via degradation of viral genomic RNA: dose-dependent inactivation of ABPV correlates well with the cleavage of viral RNA. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that the morphology of ABPV particles inactivated by aRNases remains unaffected as compared to control virus preparations. Altogether the obtained results clearly demonstrate the potential of aRNases as a new virus inactivation agents and bee larvae/ABPV as a new in vivo system for the screening of antiviral compounds.
authors: Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russian Federation. federova.antonia@gmail.com
authors: Antonina A
authors: AA
authors: Fedorova
authors: Klara
authors: K
authors: Azzami
authors: Elena I
authors: EI
authors: Ryabchikova
authors: Yulia E
authors: YE
authors: Spitsyna
authors: Vladimir N
authors: VN
authors: Silnikov
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Ritter
authors: Hans J
authors: HJ
authors: Gross
authors: Jürgen
authors: J
authors: Tautz
authors: Valentin V
authors: VV
authors: Vlassov
authors: Hildburg
authors: H
authors: Beier
authors: Marina A
authors: MA
authors: Zenkova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D001516:Bees / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000821:virology*; D001681:Biological Assay; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D056629:Dicistroviridae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000821:virology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D038301:Virus Inactivation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012260:Ribonucleases