Peptides Corresponding to the Predicted Heptad Repeat 2 Domain of the Feline Coronavirus Spike Protein Are Potent Inhibitors of Viral Infection |
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| Authors: | I-Jung Liu Wan-Ting Tsai Li-En Hsieh Ling-Ling Chueh |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Nursing, Cardinal Tien Junior College of Healthcare and Management, New Taipei City, Taiwan.; 2. Graduate Institute of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.; The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, |
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| Abstract: | BackgroundFeline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a lethal immune-mediated disease caused by feline coronavirus (FCoV). Currently, no therapy with proven efficacy is available. In searching for agents that may prove clinically effective against FCoV infection, five analogous overlapping peptides were designed and synthesized based on the putative heptad repeat 2 (HR2) sequence of the spike protein of FCoV, and the antiviral efficacy was evaluated. MethodsPlaque reduction assay and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cytotoxicity assay were performed in this study. Peptides were selected using a plaque reduction assay to inhibit Feline coronavirus infection. ResultsThe results demonstrated that peptide (FP5) at concentrations below 20 μM inhibited viral replication by up to 97%. The peptide (FP5) exhibiting the most effective antiviral effect was further combined with a known anti-viral agent, human interferon-α (IFN-α), and a significant synergistic antiviral effect was observed. ConclusionOur data suggest that the synthetic peptide FP5 could serve as a valuable addition to the current FIP prevention methods. |
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