title: In vitro inhibition of feline leukaemia virus infection by synthetic peptides derived from the transmembrane domain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is a gammaretrovirus commonly affecting cats. Infection with this virus often leads to fatal outcomes and, so far, no cure is available for this disease. Synthetic peptides with structures mimicking the transmembrane protein of the viral surface proteins hold the potential to effectively interfere with viral entry by hampering the fusion of viral and host cell membranes and constitute a novel approach for the treatment of infections with retroviruses. We identified and synthetically produced 11 FeLV peptides and evaluated their potential to block FeLV infection in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell cultures were exposed to FeLV subgroup A prior to the addition of the peptides. The inhibitory effect of the peptides was assessed by measuring FeLV gag protein in the supernatant of peptide versus mock-treated cell cultures using an ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A peptide (EPK364) of 37 amino acids in length, with sequence homology to the HIV fusion inhibitor T-20, significantly suppressed viral replication by 88%, whereas no effects were found for shorter peptides. Two structurally modified variants of EPK364 also inhibited viral replication by up to 58% (EPK397) and 27% (EPK398).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support the identification of synthetic FeLV peptides that have the potential for a curative short-term therapy of viraemic cats. In addition, these peptides might become an important tool in xenotransplantation, where endogenous gammaretroviruses of the donor species might be able to infect the host.
authors: Clinical Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. eboenzli@vetclinics.uzh.ch
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Boenzli
authors: Céline
authors: C
authors: Robert-Tissot
authors: Giuseppina
authors: G
authors: Sabatino
authors: Valentino
authors: V
authors: Cattori
authors: Marina Luisa
authors: ML
authors: Meli
authors: Bernd
authors: B
authors: Gutte
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Rovero
authors: Norman
authors: N
authors: Flynn
authors: Regina
authors: R
authors: Hofmann-Lehmann
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Lutz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D002415:Cats; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000187:drug effects*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012995:Solubility; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D010455:Peptides; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins