1. Introduction
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019/2020 focused the world’s attention on viral infections and the ease with which they can rapidly spread around the world. According to World Health Organization data, there have been at least 769,774,646 cumulative cases and 6,955,141 cumulative deaths from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is the cause of COVID-19 (
https://covid19.who.int) as of 16
th August 2023. The COVID-19 remains endemic in many countries in the world. The coronaviruses are not the only cause of viral pandemics; influenza virus also found to causes pandemics which have been as large and severe as COVID-19 [
1]. Other viruses like Herpesviridae can cause a variety of diseases including cold sores, genital herpes, and varicella-zoster (also known as chicken pox). Noroviruses are leading causes of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness. However, there is a paucity of antiviral drugs that can protect or treat many of these diseases. Hence, there is a need to develop new antiviral drugs.
The beta coronaviruses [
2], other than SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV have been linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome in humans. A mouse beta coronavirus called Murine Hepatitis virus (MHV) is often used as a surrogate for the human coronaviruses, being recommended as a surrogate by Therapeutic Goods Australia (TGA) (
https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/resource/guidance/surrogate-viruses-use-disinfectant-efficacy-tests-justify-claims-against-covid-19). As with all beta coronaviruses, MHV is an enveloped virus with a genome consisting of a single-stranded RNA molecule of positive polarity [
3]. Depending on the specific strain, MHV can infect the liver, brain or respiratory of mice [4-6]. Phylogenetic analysis has revealed that SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are part of the betacoronavirus lineage b, MERS-CoV belongs to lineage c, and MHV falls under lineage a [
2]. This places MHV as a virus more closely related to the SARS-associated coronaviruses than other potential surrogates such as human coronavirus 229E, feline coronavirus or transmissible gastroenteritis virus, which are alphacoronaviruses belonging to different lineages [
2]. Unlike human SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV which require biosafety level 3 containment, MHV requires a biosafety level 2 laboratory for propagation and safe handling [
7]. MHV has been used as a model to investigate the effects of temperature and humidity on virus survival [
8] and the efficacy of common disinfectants [
9,
10]. MHV has also been employed in evaluating the effectiveness of certain antiviral candidates [11-18]. Currently, treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infection include molnupiravir, nirmatrelvir, ritonavir and remdesivir, but these are only recommended for people at high risk of severe infection.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is an enveloped virus containing a double-stranded DNA. This genetic material is enclosed in a capsid, which is then enclosed by layers referred to as the cortex and capsule [
19]. HSV-1 infection remains endemic in more than half of the global population, reactivates periodically giving rise to a worldwide health issue [
20]. In developed nations, Herpes simplex infection leads to recurring oral sores, and serves as the primary reason behind cases of infectious blindness and genital infections [
21]. Acyclovir and its derivates can be used to treat HSV-1 infections [
22]. However, the emergence of drug-resistant strains within the HSV-1 population, particularly those exhibiting resistance to acyclovir [
23,
24], has introduced substantial impediments to successful therapeutic interventions. This scenario highlights the urgent and essential necessity to identify and develop new, biologically benign, and effective agents against HSV-1.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted much attention due to their antiviral properties along with their antibacterial activity [
25]. Many AMPs have inhibitory activities against coronaviruses, HSV, influenza, dengue, zika, hepatitis virus C etc. [
25]. The antiviral activities of AMPs and their mechanism of action vary depending on their structural characteristics such as α-helix, β-sheet, cyclic β-sheet, β-turn and extended peptide [
25,
26]. A recent comprehensive review delved into the progress made in creating antiviral drugs using peptides and related compounds [
27]. Despite the substantial promise of the antimicrobial peptides, they come with constraints, such as inadequate availability within the body, potential to trigger an immune response, toxicity, stability concerns, and high cost of production [
28].
The justification for developing peptidomimetics, which are mimics of antiviral peptides, stems from the drawbacks associated with AMPs. Peptide mimetics are synthetically generated compounds designed to replicate both the structural and functional characteristics of naturally occurring peptides [
29]. These fabricated molecules are engineered to mirror fundamental aspects of peptides. They can be formulated to achieve optimal bioavailability, ensuring that they have effective concentration at specific sites within the body [
30]. Customizing peptide mimetics can give them heightened selectivity for viral targets, thereby minimizing any potential impact on healthy host cells [
31]. This specificity enhances therapeutic efficacy while reducing the likelihood of adverse effects. Additionally, mimetics can be tailored to interact with various types of viruses, offering a broader range of antiviral activity [
31]. In comparison to the potential difficulties and costs linked to the large-scale production of natural peptides, the synthesis of peptide mimetics can often be achieved using more efficient and cost-effective techniques. This streamlined production process contributes to their viability for mass production [
32]. The approaches for transforming peptides into peptidomimetics within the realm of antiviral applications involve tactics such as altering terminal structures [
33], substituting amide bonds with isosteric counterparts at particular locations [
34], modifying amino acids [
35], implementing the inverse-peptide strategy [
36], and employing the cyclization strategy [
37].
A variety of synthetic compounds containing cationic and hydrophobic side groups have structural and functional similarities to AMPs. Recent preliminary investigations have indicated that peptoids MXB004, MXB005, and MXB009, sequence-specific
N-substituted glycine oligomers, exhibit potent
in vitro antiviral activity against HSV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 [
38]. Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) images have revealed substantial disruption of viral envelopes. However, further research is necessary to understand the interactions between these mimetics and the components of the viral envelope [
38]. Also, the previous study only examined whether the peptoids interacted directly with the viral particles, whereas it is known that AMPs can act not only on viral particles but also by preventing viral attachment to host cells or disrupting viral replication within host cells [
25].
The objective of this study was to investigate the antiviral effectiveness of antimicrobial peptide mimetics against two distinct viral pathogens, MHV-1, and HSV-1. These viruses have distinct genomes, diverse viral entry pathways, and varied pathologies within a host. The antiviral activity of seventeen mimetics against enveloped viruses was investigated. Additionally, the envelope-mediated antiviral activity of these mimetics was explored using transmission electron microscopy.
3. Materials and Methods
3.1. Chemistry
All chemical reagents were purchased from commercial sources (Combi-Blocks (San Diego, CA, USA), Chem-Impex (Wood Dale, IL, USA), Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, Massachusetts, USA), and Sigma Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA)) and used without further purification. The solvents were commercial and used as obtained. The reactions were performed using oven-dried glassware under an atmosphere of nitrogen and in anhydrous conditions (as required). Room temperature refers to the ambient temperature. Flash chromatography and silica pipette plugs were performed under positive air pressure using Silica Gel 60 of 230–400 mesh (40–63μm) and using Grace Davison LC60A 6-μm for chromatography. Proton and Carbon NMR spectra were recorded in the solvents that were specified using a Bruker DPX 300 or a Bruker Avance 400 or 600 MHz spectrometer as designated. 1H NMR spectroscopic data are reported as follows (chemical shift in ppm; multiplicity in br, broad; s, singlet; d, doublet; t, triplet; q, quartet; quint, quintet; sext, sextet; sept, septet; m, multiplet; or as a combination of these (e.g., dd, dt, etc.)); coupling constant (J) in hertz, integration, proton count, and assignment.
3.2. Analytical data
All the final compounds 1H and 13C NMR data are presented in the supplementary information.
3.3. Virus and Cell culture
American type culture collection (ATCC) strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) ATCC/VR261 and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was grown in A9 ATCC/CCL 1.4 [
10] and Vero cells [
52] respectively in Dulbecco’s minimum essential medium (DMEM) (Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, Massachusetts, USA) containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% antibiotics (streptomycin sulphate and penicillin G). Virus stock was prepared and stored at −80 °C.
3.4. Antiviral testing
The peptidomimetics were evaluated for their antiviral activity using three different assays: virus pre-treatment [
41], cell pre-treatment [
41], and post-treatment assays [
41], with the main distinction being the timing of compound addition [
42]. Cells were seeded in 24-well plates at a density of 2.5 × 10
5 cells/well and incubated for 48 hours at 37 °C. In all assays, the compounds were added to DMEM medium in the absence of fetal bovine serum (FBS). All experiments were performed in duplicate with two independent replicates. The inhibitory effect on viral infectivity was determined by comparing the number of plaques in wells treated with the test compounds (peptidomimetics) to the plaques observed in the control wells (cells infected with the virus without test compounds).
Virus pre-treatment assay: In this assay, the test compounds were added to the virus (1 × 10
3 pfu/mL) and incubated for 3 hours at 37 °C. After incubation, each mixture (virus/peptide) was diluted in DMEM medium containing 10% FBS to neutralize the peptides or mimics [
53]. The dilutions were then added to the cell monolayers for 1 hour, followed by the addition of an agar overlay containing 1% agar. The cells were further incubated for 72 hours, after which they were fixed, stained, and the number of plaques was counted.
Cell pre-treatment assay: The cells were treated with the test compounds and incubated for 24 hours at 37 °C. Subsequently, the virus was added and allowed to infect the cells for 1 hour at 37 °C. After that excess virus was discarded and an agar overlay was added, and the cells were incubated for another 72 hours at 37 °C. The cells were then fixed, stained, and the number of plaques was determined.
Post-viral infection assay: The cells were first incubated with viruses (1 × 103 pfu/mL) for 3 hours at 37 °C to ensure complete cellular entry. Following that, the test compounds were added and incubated for 24 hours at 37 °C. Finally, compound solutions were discarded from wells and an agar overlay was added, and the cells were incubated for another 72 hours at 37 °C. The cells were then fixed, stained, and the number of plaques was determined.
The assay that exhibited the highest antiviral activity for most of the viral models tested was selected, and a non-linear regression analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism software to determine the IC50 (concentration required for 50% inhibition of a specific target).
3.5. Cytotoxicity assay
The MTT assay [
42,
51,
54] was used to assess the cytotoxicity of compounds against the viral host (A9 and Vero) cells. This assay relies on the reduction of the yellow MTT compound to a dark blue formazan product by viable and metabolically active cells. Viral host cells were cultured in 96-well plates and incubated at 37°C in a 5% CO
2 atmosphere, treated with various concentrations of the test compounds along with further incubation for 24h. After incubation, 100μL of a 5mg/mL MTT solution was added to each well and incubated for 2-4 hours at 37 °C. The supernatant was then discarded, and 100μL of 100% DMSO was added to dissolve the formazan salts with vigorous agitation for 10 minutes at room temperature. The absorbance at 540 nm was measured using a spectrophotometer. Cytotoxicity was determined by comparing the absorbance values in the test and control wells expressed as a percentage. A total of 100μL DMSO was used for negative control (ctr-), while 100μL of culture medium represented the positive control (ctr+). All experiments were repeated three times, and the mean values with standard deviations are reported. Nonlinear regression analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism software to determine the CC
50 (concentration at which 50% of cells are killed).
3.6. Transmission electron microscopy
The viruses were treated with compound 11 for MHV-1 and 14 for HSV-1, both at 37°C for 2 hours. Subsequently, 10µL of the treated mixture was placed on a glow-discharged carbon-coated 200 mesh copper grid and allowed to evaporate for 5 minutes. The sample was then stained with 1% phosphotungstic acid (pH 6.5) for 30 seconds to improve contrast. After air-drying, the grids were examined using FEI Tecnai G2 20 TEM machine [55-57].
3.7. Statistical analysis
The data is presented as the mean ± standard deviation (SD). Data analysis was performed using a non-parametric test Kruskal-Walli’s test with Dunn’s multiple comparisons. A significance level of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Author Contributions
U.L.U.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, and writing; S.A.: Synthesis of peptidomimetic compounds A.K.V.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Resources, Writing-Reviewing, and Editing, M.D.P.W.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Resources, Writing-Reviewing, and Editing. N.K.: Writing, Reviewing and Editing, S.I.: Writing, Reviewing and Editing, R.K.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Resources, Writing—Reviewing and Editing. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Scheme 1.
(a) tert-butyl (S)-(2-(2-amino-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanamido)ethyl)carbamate, Isatoic anhydride (X=H, Br, F, Cl, OMe), CH3CN, reflux, 12 h; (b) 2-Napthoyl chloride, THF, Et3N, RT (room temperature), 8 h; (c) TFA, CH2Cl2, RT, 3 h; (d) N,N′-Bis-Boc-1-guanylpyrazole, Et3N, CH3CN, RT, 8 h; (e) TFA, CH2Cl2, RT, 5 h.
Scheme 1.
(a) tert-butyl (S)-(2-(2-amino-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanamido)ethyl)carbamate, Isatoic anhydride (X=H, Br, F, Cl, OMe), CH3CN, reflux, 12 h; (b) 2-Napthoyl chloride, THF, Et3N, RT (room temperature), 8 h; (c) TFA, CH2Cl2, RT, 3 h; (d) N,N′-Bis-Boc-1-guanylpyrazole, Et3N, CH3CN, RT, 8 h; (e) TFA, CH2Cl2, RT, 5 h.
Scheme 2.
(f) Boronic acid, Pd (PPh3)4, 2N Na2CO3, EtOH, Toluene, 80° C, 8 h; (e) TFA, CH2Cl2, RT, 5 h, (g) Nα,Nε-Di-Boc-L-lysine hydroxysuccinimide ester, Et3N, DMF, RT, 12 h; (e) TFA, CH2Cl2, RT, 5 h.
Scheme 2.
(f) Boronic acid, Pd (PPh3)4, 2N Na2CO3, EtOH, Toluene, 80° C, 8 h; (e) TFA, CH2Cl2, RT, 5 h, (g) Nα,Nε-Di-Boc-L-lysine hydroxysuccinimide ester, Et3N, DMF, RT, 12 h; (e) TFA, CH2Cl2, RT, 5 h.
Figure 1.
The impact of compounds 11 and 14 on MHV-1. Approximately 1000 PFU/mL of MHV-1 virus was incubated with varying concentrations of each compound. Subsequently, the number of plaques formed was counted, and the inhibitory impacts were assessed by comparing these results with an untreated virus control. To determine the IC50 value, GraphPad Prism software was employed with non-linear regression. (Statistical analysis: ** p = 0.0014 and 0.0032).
Figure 1.
The impact of compounds 11 and 14 on MHV-1. Approximately 1000 PFU/mL of MHV-1 virus was incubated with varying concentrations of each compound. Subsequently, the number of plaques formed was counted, and the inhibitory impacts were assessed by comparing these results with an untreated virus control. To determine the IC50 value, GraphPad Prism software was employed with non-linear regression. (Statistical analysis: ** p = 0.0014 and 0.0032).
Figure 2.
The impact of compounds 11 and 14 on HSV-1. Approximately 1000 PFU/mL of HSV-1 virus was subjected to incubation with varying concentrations of each compound. Subsequently, the number of plaques formed was counted, and the inhibitory impacts were assessed by comparing these results with an untreated virus control. To determine the IC50 value, GraphPad Prism software was employed through non-linear regression. (Statistical analysis: ns p = 0.3333, ** p = 0.0032).
Figure 2.
The impact of compounds 11 and 14 on HSV-1. Approximately 1000 PFU/mL of HSV-1 virus was subjected to incubation with varying concentrations of each compound. Subsequently, the number of plaques formed was counted, and the inhibitory impacts were assessed by comparing these results with an untreated virus control. To determine the IC50 value, GraphPad Prism software was employed through non-linear regression. (Statistical analysis: ns p = 0.3333, ** p = 0.0032).
Figure 3.
Assessment of the ability of compounds 11 and 14 to inhibit viral attachment to cells (pre-treatment) or viral replication (post-entry): The ability of compounds 11 and 14 to inhibit MHV-1 and HSV-1 infection was evaluated by pre-treating cell lines with the compounds and by testing their effects after virus entry into the cells. The data reflects the total number of PFU/mL counted from both the treated and untreated samples. Neither of the compounds were able to affect viral replication in these assays. .
Figure 3.
Assessment of the ability of compounds 11 and 14 to inhibit viral attachment to cells (pre-treatment) or viral replication (post-entry): The ability of compounds 11 and 14 to inhibit MHV-1 and HSV-1 infection was evaluated by pre-treating cell lines with the compounds and by testing their effects after virus entry into the cells. The data reflects the total number of PFU/mL counted from both the treated and untreated samples. Neither of the compounds were able to affect viral replication in these assays. .
Figure 4.
The action of compound 11 on MHV-1. The left image shows intact spherical MHV-1 viral particles with spikes and envelope (red arrows), while the right image shows the complete disruption of the viral envelope by compound 11, exposing the naked capsid.
Figure 4.
The action of compound 11 on MHV-1. The left image shows intact spherical MHV-1 viral particles with spikes and envelope (red arrows), while the right image shows the complete disruption of the viral envelope by compound 11, exposing the naked capsid.
Figure 5.
The action of compound 14 on HSV-1. The left image displays intact spherical HSV-1 viral particles with the envelope (red arrow), while the right image shows the partial destruction of the HSV-1 envelope by compound 14. .
Figure 5.
The action of compound 14 on HSV-1. The left image displays intact spherical HSV-1 viral particles with the envelope (red arrow), while the right image shows the partial destruction of the HSV-1 envelope by compound 14. .
Table 1.
Inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) of tested compounds against MHV-1 and HSV-1.
Table 1.
Inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) of tested compounds against MHV-1 and HSV-1.
Compound Number |
MHV-1 IC50 (µM) |
HSV-1 IC50 (µM) |
1 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
2 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
3 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
4 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
5 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
6 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
7 |
>62.5 |
32.7 |
8 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
9 |
>62.5 |
14.8 |
10 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
11 |
2.38 |
34.9 |
12 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
13 |
>62.5 |
>62.5 |
14 |
6.3 |
13 |
15 |
11.09 |
>62.5 |
16 |
22.5 |
>62.5 |
17 |
11.8 |
>62.5 |
Table 2.
Activity, cytotoxicity, and therapeutic index of the active peptidomimetics against MHV-1 and HSV-1.
Table 2.
Activity, cytotoxicity, and therapeutic index of the active peptidomimetics against MHV-1 and HSV-1.
CompoundNumber |
MHV-1 (A9 cells) |
HSV-1 (Vero cells) |
IC50 (µM) |
CC50 (µM) |
Therapeutic index |
IC50 (µM) |
CC50 (µM) |
Therapeutic index |
7 |
>62.5 |
- |
- |
32.76 |
127 |
3.87 |
9 |
>62.5 |
- |
- |
14.88 |
45.02 |
3.03 |
11 |
2.18 |
20.52 |
9.41 |
34.9 |
16.69 |
0.48 |
14 |
6.3 |
10.20 |
1.6 |
13 |
15.18 |
1.16 |
15 |
11.09 |
62.68 |
5.65 |
>62.5 |
- |
- |
16 |
22.56 |
81.64 |
3.62 |
>62.5 |
- |
- |
17 |
11.79 |
114.5 |
9.71 |
>62.5 |
- |
- |