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Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds
Published on: October 29, 2015
Antiviral effects of synthetic membrane-active peptides on herpes simplex virus, type 1
M Egal1, M Conrad, D L MacDonald
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, SW Atlanta, GA 30310, USA.
Abstract:
Magainins are cationic peptides with antimicrobial activity which were originally isolated from the skin of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). Several synthetic derivatives of this class of peptides were evaluated for antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus, type 1 (HSV). Some of the peptides (MSI-102, -248, -420, -499/500 combination, -591, -594, and -1251) showed significant reduction of HSV plaque-forming units. The antiviral effect was enhanced when HSV was pretreated with the peptides prior to inoculation onto Vero monolayers, suggesting a direct effect on the virion. Most of the peptides with anti-HSV activity were lysine-rich, and the addition of octanoyl groups to the peptides appeared to enhance the antiviral effect.
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