Barry R. O’Keefe

Cyanovirin-N binds to the viral surface glycoprotein, GP1,2 and inhibits infectivity of Ebola virus.

Ebola virus (Ebo) causes severe hemorrhagic fever and high mortality in humans. There are currently no effective therapies. Here, we have explored potential anti-Ebo activity of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-inactivating protein cyanovirin-N (CV-N). CV-N is known to potently inhibit the infectivity of a broad spectrum of HIV strains at the level of viral entry. This involves CV-N binding to N-linked high-mannose oligossacharides on the viral glycoprotein gp120. The Ebola envelope contains somewhat similar oligosaccharide constituents, suggesting possible susceptibility to inhibition by CV-N. Our initial results revealed that CV-N had both in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity against the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus (Ebo-Z). Addition of CV-N to the cell culture medium at the time of Ebo-Z infection inhibited the development of viral cytopathic effects (CPEs). CV-N also delayed the death of Ebo-Z-infected mice, both when given as a series of daily subcutaneous injections and when the virus was incubated ex vivo together with CV-N before inoculation into the mice. Furthermore, similar to earlier results with HIV gp120, CV-N bound with considerable affinity to the Ebola surface envelope glycoprotein, GP(1,2). Competition experiments with free oligosaccharides were consistent with the view that carbohydrate-mediated CV-N/GP(1,2) interactions involve oligosaccharides residing on the Ebola viral envelope. Overall, these studies broaden the range of viruses known to be inhibited by CV-N, and further implicate carbohydrate moieties on viral surface proteins as common viral molecular targets for this novel protein.

Vinylogous ureas as a novel class of inhibitors of reverse transcriptase-associated ribonuclease H activity.

High-throughput screening of National Cancer Institute libraries of synthetic and natural compounds identified the vinylogous ureas 2-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4 H-cyclohepta[ b]thiophene-3-carboxamide (NSC727447) and N-[3-(aminocarbonyl)-4,5-dimethyl-2-thienyl]-2-furancarboxamide (NSC727448) as inhibitors of the ribonuclease H (RNase H) activity of HIV-1 and HIV-2 reverse transcriptase (RT). A Yonetani-Theorell analysis demonstrated that NSC727447, and the active-site hydroxytropolone RNase H inhibitor beta-thujaplicinol were mutually exclusive in their interaction with the RNase H domain. Mass spectrometric protein footprinting of the NSC727447 binding site indicated that residues Cys280 and Lys281 in helix I of the thumb subdomain of p51 were affected by ligand binding. Although DNA polymerase and pyrophosphorolysis activities of HIV-1 RT were less sensitive to inhibition by NSC727447, protein footprinting indicated that NSC727447 occupied the equivalent region of the p66 thumb. Site-directed mutagenesis using reconstituted p66/p51 heterodimers substituted with natural or non-natural amino acids indicates that altering the p66 RNase H primer grip significantly affects inhibitor sensitivity. NSC727447 thus represents a novel class of RNase H antagonists with a mechanism of action differing from active site, divalent metal-chelating inhibitors that have been reported.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of the First Dual Tyrosyl- DNA Phosphodiesterase I (Tdp1) - Topoisomerase I (Top1) Inhibitors

Substances with dual tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase I-topoisomerase I inhibitory activity in one low molecular weight compound would constitute a unique class of anticancer agents that could potentially have significant advantages over drugs that work against the individual enzymes. The present study demonstrates the successful synthesis and evaluation of the first dual Top1-Tdp1 inhibitors, which are based on the indenoisoquinoline chemotype. One bis(indenoisoquinoline) had significant activity against human Tdp1 (IC(50) = 1.52 ± 0.05 μM), and it was also equipotent to camptothecin as a Top1 inhibitor. Significant insights into enzyme-drug interactions were gained via structure-activity relationship studies of the series. The present results also document the failure of the previously reported sulfonyl ester pharmacophore to confer Tdp1 inhibition in this indenoisoquinoline class of inhibitors even though it was demonstrated to work well for the steroid NSC 88915 (7). The current study will facilitate future efforts to optimize dual Top1-Tdp1 inhibitors.

Identification of Biologically Active, HIV TAR RNA-Binding Small Molecules Using Small Molecule Microarrays

Identifying small molecules that selectively bind to structured RNA motifs remains an important challenge in developing potent and specific therapeutics. Most strategies to find RNA-binding molecules have identified highly charged compounds or aminoglycosides that commonly have modest selectivity. Here we demonstrate a strategy to screen a large unbiased library of druglike small molecules in a microarray format against an RNA target. This approach has enabled the identification of a novel chemotype that selectively targets the HIV transactivation response (TAR) RNA hairpin in a manner not dependent on cationic charge. Thienopyridine 4 binds to and stabilizes the TAR hairpin with a Kd of 2.4 μM. Structure–activity relationships demonstrate that this compound achieves activity through hydrophobic and aromatic substituents on a heterocyclic core, rather than cationic groups typically required. Selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) analysis was performed on a 365-nucleotide sequence derived from the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of the HIV-1 genome to determine global structural changes in the presence of the molecule. Importantly, the interaction of compound 4 can be mapped to the TAR hairpin without broadly disrupting any other structured elements of the 5′ UTR. Cell-based anti-HIV assays indicated that 4 inhibits HIV-induced cytopathicity in T lymphocytes with an EC50 of 28 μM, while cytotoxicity was not observed at concentrations approaching 1 mM.

Discovery of new pyridoacridine alkaloids from Lissoclinum cf. badium that inhibit the ubiquitin ligase activity of Hdm2 and stabilize p53

Compounds that stabilize p53 could suppress tumors providing a additional tool to fight cancer. Mdm2, and the human ortholog, Hdm2 serve as ubiquitin E3 ligases and target p53 for ubiquitylation and degradation. Inhibition of Hdm2 stabilizes p53, inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis. Using HTS to discover inhibitors, we identified three new alkaloids, isolissoclinotoxin B, diplamine B, and lissoclinidine B from Lissoclinum cf. badium. Lissoclinidine B inhibited ubiquitylation and degradation of p53, and selectively killed transformed cells harboring wild-type p53, suggesting this compound could be used to develop new treatments.

Potent anti-HIV activity of scytovirin domain 1 peptide

Scytovirin (SVN) is a novel anti-HIV protein isolated from aqueous extracts of the cultured cyanobacterium Scytonema varium. SVN contains two apparent domains, one comprising amino acids 1-48 and the second stretching from amino acids 49 to 95. These two domains display significant homology to each other and a similar pattern of disulfide bonds. Two DNA constructs encoding scytovirin 1-48 (Cys7Ser) (SD1) and 49-95 (Cys55Ser) (SD2) were constructed, and expressed in E. coli, with thioredoxin fused to their N-terminus. Purified recombinant products were tested for binding activities with the HIV surface envelope glycoproteins gp120 and gp41. Whole cell anti-HIV data showed that SD1 had similar anti-HIV activity to the full-length SVN, whereas SD2 had significantly less anti-HIV activity. Further deletion mutants of the SD1 domain (SVN(3-45)Cys7Ser, SVN(6-45)Cys7Ser, SVN(11-45)Cys7Ser) showed that the N-terminal residues are necessary for full anti-HIV activity of SD1 and that an eight amino acid deletion from the C-terminus (SVN(1-40)Cys7Ser) had a significant effect, decreasing the anti-HIV activity of SD1 by approximately five-fold.

The cyanobacterial lectin scytovirin displays potent in vitro and in vivo activity against Zaire Ebola virus

The cyanobacterial lectin scytovirin (SVN) binds with high affinity to mannose-rich oligosaccharides on the envelope glycoprotein (GP) of a number of viruses, blocking entry into target cells. In this study, we assessed the ability of SVN to bind to the envelope GP of Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV) and inhibit its replication. SVN interacted specifically with the proteins mucin-rich domain. In cell culture, it inhibited ZEBOV replication with a 50% virus-inhibitory concentration (EC50) of 50 nM, and was also active against the Angola strain of the related Marburg virus (MARV), with a similar EC50. Injected subcutaneously in mice, SVN reached a peak plasma level of 100 nm in 45 min, but was cleared within 4h. When ZEBOV-infected mice were given 30 mg/kg/day of SVN by subcutaneous injection every 6h, beginning the day before virus challenge, 9 of 10 animals survived the infection, while all infected, untreated mice died. When treatment was begun one hour or one day after challenge, 70-90% of mice survived. Quantitation of infectious virus and viral RNA in samples of serum, liver and spleen collected on days 2 and 5 postinfection showed a trend toward lower titers in treated than control mice, with a significant decrease in liver titers on day 2. Our findings provide further evidence of the potential of natural lectins as therapeutic agents for viral infections.

Griffithsin tandemers: flexible and potent lectin inhibitors of the human immunodeficiency virus

BackgroundThe lectin griffithsin (GRFT) is a potent antiviral agent capable of prevention and treatment of infections caused by a number of enveloped viruses and is currently under development as an anti-HIV microbicide. In addition to its broad antiviral activity, GRFT is stable at high temperature and at a broad pH range, displays little toxicity and immunogenicity, and is amenable to large-scale manufacturing. Native GRFT is a domain-swapped homodimer that binds to viral envelope glycoproteins and has displayed mid-picomolar activity in cell-based anti-HIV assays. Previously, we have engineered and analyzed several monomeric forms of this lectin (mGRFT) with anti-HIV EC50 values ranging up to 323 nM. Based on our previous analysis of mGRFT, we hypothesized that the orientation and spacing of the carbohydrate binding domains GRFT were key to its antiviral activity.ResultsHere we present data on engineered tandem repeats of mGRFT (mGRFT tandemers) with antiviral activity at concentrations as low as one picomolar in whole-cell anti-HIV assays. mGRFT tandemers were analyzed thermodynamically, both individually and in complex with HIV-1 gp120. We also demonstrate by dynamic light scattering and cryo-electron microscopy that mGRFT tandemers do not aggregate HIV virions. This establishes that, although the intra-virion crosslinking of HIV envelope glycoproteins is likely integral to their activity, the antiviral activity of these lectins is not due to virus aggregation caused by inter-virion crosslinking.ConclusionsThe engineered tandemer constructs of mGRFT may provide novel and powerful agents for prevention of infection by HIV and other enveloped viruses.

Mechanisms of HIV-1 subtype C resistance to GRFT, CV-N and SVN.

We examined the ability of HIV-1 subtype C to develop resistance to the inhibitory lectins, griffithsin (GRFT), cyanovirin-N (CV-N) and scytovirin (SVN), which bind multiple mannose-rich glycans on gp120. Four primary HIV-1 strains cultured under escalating concentrations of these lectins became increasingly resistant tolerating 2 to 12 times their 50% inhibitory concentrations. Sequence analysis of gp120 showed that most had deletions of 1 to 5 mannose-rich glycans. Glycosylation sites at positions 230, 234, 241, 289 located in the C2 region and 339, 392 and 448 in the C3-C4 region were affected. Furthermore, deletions and insertions of up to 5 amino acids in the V4 region were observed in 3 of the 4 isolates. These data suggest that loss of glycosylation sites on gp120 as well as rearrangement of glycans in V4 are mechanisms involved in HIV-1 subtype C escape from GRFT, CV-N and SVN.

Macrophilone A: Structure Elucidation, Total Synthesis, and Functional Evaluation of a Biologically Active Iminoquinone from the Marine Hydroid Macrorhynchia philippina

A previously uncharacterized pyrroloiminoquinone natural product, macrophilone A, was isolated from the stinging hydroid Macrorhynchia philippina. The structure was assigned utilizing long-range NMR couplings and DFT calculations and proved by a concise, five-step total synthesis. Macrophilone A and a synthetic analogue displayed potent biological activity, including increased intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and submicromolar cytotoxicity toward lung adenocarcinoma cells.