Optimization of furin inhibitors to protect against the activation of influenza hemagglutinin H5 and Shiga toxin.

Abstract

Proprotein convertases (PCs) are crucial in the processing and entry of viral or bacterial protein precursors and confer increased infectivity of pathogens bearing a PC activation site, which results in increased symptom severity and lethality. Previously, we developed a nanomolar peptide inhibitor of PCs to prevent PC activation of infectious agents. Herein, we describe a peptidomimetic approach that increases the stability of this inhibitor for use in vivo to prevent systemic infections and cellular damage, such as that caused by influenza H5N1 and Shiga toxin. The addition of azaβ(3)-amino acids to both termini of the peptide successfully prevented influenza hemagglutinin 5 fusogenicity and Shiga toxin Vero toxicity in cell-based assays. The results from a cell-based model using stable shRNA-induced proprotein convertase knockdown indicate that only furin is the major proprotein convertase required for HA5 cleavage.

• Authors: Hugo Gagnon, Sophie Beauchemin, Anna Kwiatkowska, Frédéric Couture, François D'Anjou, Christine Levesque, Frédérik Dufour, Adamy Roberge Desbiens, Rolland Vaillancourt, Sylvain Bernard, Roxane Desjardins, François Malouin, Yves L Dory, Robert Day
• Journal: Journal of medicinal chemistry (J Med Chem) Vol. 57 Issue 1 Pg. 29-41 (Jan 09 2014) ISSN: 1520-4804 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24359257 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus
• Peptidomimetics
• hemagglutinin, avian influenza A virus
• Shiga Toxin
• Furin

Topics

• Furin (antagonists & inhibitors, physiology)
• Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus (metabolism)
• Peptidomimetics
• Shiga Toxin (metabolism)
• Structure-Activity Relationship