title: Antiviral activity of virocidal peptide derived from NS5A against two different HCV genotypes: an in vitro study.
abstract: This study aimed at assessment of the antiviral activity of an amphipathic α-helical peptide derived from the hepatitis C virus NS5A known as C5A virocidal peptide against different HCV genotypes. Two sources of HCV virus for in vitro study: HCV genotype 4 sera samples and JFH-1 infectious culture system genotype 2a were used. Several virocidal peptide concentrations were tested to determine the concentration that inhibits HCV propagation in Huh 7.5 cells according to three different prortocols (pre-infection, coinfection, and post infection). The capacity of the virocidal peptide to block HCV in Huh7.5 cells infected with different 10 individual serum samples was evaluated. In the pre-infection protocol, virocidal concentration (20, 50, and 75 μM) showed no viral RNA. In the co-infection protocol, virocidal concentrations (10, 20, 50, 75 μM) showed no viral RNA while in post-infection protocol, 75 μM was the only concentration that blocked the HCV activity. Results of Huh7.5 cell line transfected with HCV cc J6/JFH and treated with virocidal peptide revealed that only the higher virocidal concentration (75 μM) showed no amplification. The percentage of virocidal blocking in the 10 HCV individual serum samples was 60%. In conclusion, the C5A virocidal peptide has potent antiviral activity against HCV.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Microbial Biotechnology , National Research Center , Giza , Egypt.
authors.forename: Reem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: El-Shenawy
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabll
authors.forename: Noha G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Bader El Din
authors.forename: Yasmine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: El Abd
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mashaly
authors.forename: Camelia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Abdel Malak
authors.forename: Reham
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dawood
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Awady
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010455:Peptides; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
keywords: HCV; HCV synthetic peptides; in vitro culture model for HCV