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- Title
A broad-spectrum virus- and host-targeting peptide against respiratory viruses including influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2.
- Authors
Zhao, Hanjun; To, Kelvin K. W.; Sze, Kong-Hung; Yung, Timothy Tin-Mong; Bian, Mingjie; Lam, Hoiyan; Yeung, Man Lung; Li, Cun; Chu, Hin; Yuen, Kwok-Yung
- Abstract
The 2019 novel respiratory virus (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19 with rapid global socioeconomic disruptions and disease burden to healthcare. The COVID-19 and previous emerging virus outbreaks highlight the urgent need for broad-spectrum antivirals. Here, we show that a defensin-like peptide P9R exhibited potent antiviral activity against pH-dependent viruses that require endosomal acidification for virus infection, including the enveloped pandemic A(H1N1)pdm09 virus, avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV), and the non-enveloped rhinovirus. P9R can significantly protect mice from lethal challenge by A(H1N1)pdm09 virus and shows low possibility to cause drug-resistant virus. Mechanistic studies indicate that the antiviral activity of P9R depends on the direct binding to viruses and the inhibition of virus-host endosomal acidification, which provides a proof of concept that virus-binding alkaline peptides can broadly inhibit pH-dependent viruses. These results suggest that the dual-functional virus- and host-targeting P9R can be a promising candidate for combating pH-dependent respiratory viruses. Here Zhao et al. report a promising broad-spectrum antiviral alkaline peptide—P9R—that is active against several respiratory, pH-dependent viruses, including Influenza and SARS-CoV-2. P9R interferes with virus internalization by binding to the virus and subsequent inhibition of endosomal acidification.
- Subjects
SARS-CoV-2; INFLUENZA A virus, H1N1 subtype; PANDEMICS; INFLUENZA viruses; VIRUS diseases; AVIAN influenza; COVID-19; SARS virus
- Publication
Nature Communications, 2020, Vol 11, Issue 1, pN.PAG
- ISSN
2041-1723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41467-020-17986-9