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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 2008, p. 2120-2129, Vol. 52, No. 6
0066-4804/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.01424-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Inhibition of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection by Cationic β-Peptides{triangledown}

Radeekorn Akkarawongsa,1 Terra B. Potocky,2,{dagger} Emily P. English,2 Samuel H. Gellman,2 and Curtis R. Brandt1,3,4*

Program in Cell and Molecular Biology,1 Department of Chemistry,2 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology,3 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 537064

Received 2 November 2007/ Returned for modification 17 December 2007/ Accepted 28 March 2008

Previously, it was shown that cationic {alpha}-peptides derived from the human immunodeficiency virus TAT protein transduction domain blocked herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) entry. We now show that cationic oligomers of β-amino acids ("β-peptides") inhibit HSV-1 infection. Among three cationic β-peptides tested, the most effective inhibition was observed for the one with a strong propensity to adopt a helical conformation in which cationic and hydrophobic residues are segregated from one another ("globally amphiphilic helix"). The antiviral effect was not cell type specific. Inhibition of virus infection by the β-peptides occurred at the postattachment penetration step, with a 50% effective concentration of 3 µM for the most-effective β-peptide. The β-peptides did not inactivate virions in solution, nor did they induce resistance to infection when cells were pretreated with the β-peptides. The β-peptides showed little if any toxicity toward Vero cells. These results raise the possibility that cationic β-peptides may be useful antiviral agents for HSV-1 and demonstrate the potential of β-peptides as novel antiviral drugs.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 6630 Medical Sciences Center, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706. Phone: (608) 262-8054. Fax: (608) 262-0479. E-mail: crbrandt{at}wisc.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 7 April 2008.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Biology, Higgins Hall, Room 410, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 2008, p. 2120-2129, Vol. 52, No. 6
0066-4804/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.01424-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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