1. Academic Validation
  2. The natural compound silvestrol is a potent inhibitor of Ebola virus replication

The natural compound silvestrol is a potent inhibitor of Ebola virus replication

  • Antiviral Res. 2017 Jan;137:76-81. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.11.011.
Nadine Biedenkopf 1 Kerstin Lange-Grünweller 2 Falk W Schulte 2 Aileen Weißer 2 Christin Müller 3 Dirk Becker 1 Stephan Becker 1 Roland K Hartmann 2 Arnold Grünweller 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Institut für Virologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 2, 35043, Marburg, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF) at the Partner Site Gießen-Marburg-Langen, Germany.
  • 2 Institut für Pharmazeutische Chemie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6, 35037, Marburg, Germany.
  • 3 Institut für Medizinische Virologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Schubertstraße 81, 35392, Gießen, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF) at the Partner Site Gießen-Marburg-Langen, Germany.
  • 4 Institut für Pharmazeutische Chemie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6, 35037, Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: gruenwel@staff.uni-marburg.de.
Abstract

The DEAD-box RNA helicase eIF4A, which is part of the heterotrimeric translation initiation complex in eukaryotes, is an important novel drug target in Cancer research because its helicase activity is required to unwind extended and highly structured 5'-UTRs of several proto-oncogenes. Silvestrol, a natural compound isolated from the plant Aglaia foveolata, is a highly efficient, non-toxic and specific inhibitor of eIF4A. Importantly, 5'-capped viral mRNAs often contain structured 5'-UTRs as well, which may suggest a dependence on eIF4A for their translation by the host protein synthesis machinery. In view of the recent Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in West Africa, the identification of potent Antiviral compounds is urgently required. Since Ebola mRNAs are 5'-capped and harbor RNA secondary structures in their extended 5'-UTRs, we initiated a BSL4 study to analyze silvestrol in EBOV-infected Huh-7 cells and in primary human macrophages for its Antiviral activity. We observed that silvestrol inhibits EBOV Infection at low nanomolar concentrations, as inferred from large reductions of viral titers. This correlated with an almost complete disappearance of EBOV proteins, comparable in effect to the translational shutdown of expression of the proto-oncoprotein PIM1, a cellular kinase known to be affected by silvestrol. Effective silvestrol concentrations were non-toxic in the tested cell systems. Thus, silvestrol appears to be a promising first-line drug for the treatment of acute EBOV and possibly other viral infections.

Keywords

Ebola; PIM1; Primary macrophages; Silvestrol; Translation inhibition; eIF4A helicase.

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