title: Peptides corresponding to the predicted heptad repeat 2 domain of the feline coronavirus spike protein are potent inhibitors of viral infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a lethal immune-mediated disease caused by feline coronavirus (FCoV). Currently, no therapy with proven efficacy is available. In searching for agents that may prove clinically effective against FCoV infection, five analogous overlapping peptides were designed and synthesized based on the putative heptad repeat 2 (HR2) sequence of the spike protein of FCoV, and the antiviral efficacy was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plaque reduction assay and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cytotoxicity assay were performed in this study. Peptides were selected using a plaque reduction assay to inhibit Feline coronavirus infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results demonstrated that peptide (FP5) at concentrations below 20 μM inhibited viral replication by up to 97%. The peptide (FP5) exhibiting the most effective antiviral effect was further combined with a known anti-viral agent, human interferon-α (IFN-α), and a significant synergistic antiviral effect was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that the synthetic peptide FP5 could serve as a valuable addition to the current FIP prevention methods.
authors: Department of Nursing, Cardinal Tien Junior College of Healthcare and Management, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors: I-Jung
authors: IJ
authors: Liu
authors: Wan-Ting
authors: WT
authors: Tsai
authors: Li-En
authors: LE
authors: Hsieh
authors: Ling-Ling
authors: LL
authors: Chueh
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002415:Cats; D002460:Cell Line; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016765:Coronavirus, Feline / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / Q000737:chemistry*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus