Transmembrane serine protease 2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 anti-inflammatory receptors for COVID-19/inflammatory bowel diseases treatment

long-term,and relapsing inflammatory disorders.IBD may spontaneously grow in the colon,and in severe cases may result in tumor lesions such as invasive carcinoma in inflamed regions of the intestine.Recent epidemiological reports indicate that old age and underlying diseases such as IBD contribute to severity and mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Currently,the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused serious morbidity and mortality worldwide.It has also been shown that the transmembrane serine protease 2 is an essential factor for viral activation and viral engulfment.Generally,viral entry causes a'cytokine storm'that induces excessive generation of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines including interleukin(IL)-6,IL-2,IL-7,tumor necrosis factor-α,and interferon-γ.Future research could concentrate on developing inflammatory immunological responses that are efficient to encounter COVID-19.Current analysis elucidates the role of inflammation and immune responses during IBD infection with COVID-19 and provides a list of possible targets for IBD-regulated therapies in particular.Data from clinical,in vitro,and in vivo studies were collected in English from PubMed,Google Scholar,Scopus,and the Cochrane library until May 2021.

Expressions and clinical significances of mannose-binding lectin(MBL) and MBL-associated serine protease 2(MASP-2) in patients with thyroid neoplasm

Objective： The aim of the study was to detect the levels of mannose-binding lectin （MBL）, MBL-associated serine protease 2 （MASP-2） and explore the clinical significances of them in patients with primary thyroid neoplasms. Methods： By using ELISA method, we detected the serum levels of MBL and MASP-2 in 26 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma （PTC）, 30 patients with thyroid adenoma （TA） and 26 healthy people, respectively. Results： Serum MBL level was （565.23 ± 76.70） μg/L in PTCs higher than （324.267 ±24.74） μg/L in TAs, and （152.69± 16.95） IJg/L in healthy of controlling group. There was statistical significance between PTC and TA （P 〈 0.05）, however there was no difference between TA and healthy （P 〉 0.05）. Serum MASP-2 level was （726.153± 78.88） pg/L in PTCs higher than （379.266 ± 30.26） μg/L in TAs, and （203.846 ± 29.09） μg/L in healthy. Serum MASP-2 level was higher in PTCs than TAs, and the difference had statistical significance （P 〈 0.01）. But no difference was observed between in TAs and healthy. Conclusion： These findings might reflect inflammatory processes induced by defense mechanisms, in response to the development of the turnout. MBL may also be involved in the elimination of possible tumourigenic pathogens.

Baicalein suppresses Coxsackievirus B3 replication by inhibiting caspase-1 and viral protease 2A

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the cardiac muscle and one of the primary causes of dilated cardiomyopathy.Group B coxsackievirus(CVB)is one of the leading causative pathogens of viral myocarditis,which primarily affects children and young adults.Due to the lack of vaccines,the development of antiviral medicines is crucial to controlling CVB infection and the progression of myocarditis.In this study,we investigated the antiviral effect of baicalein,a flavonoid extracted from Scutellaria baicaleinsis.Our results demonstrated that baicalein treatment significantly reduced cytopathic effect and increased cell viability in CVB3-infected cells.In addition,significant reductions in viral protein 3D,viral RNA,and viral particles were observed in CVB3-infected cells treated with baicalein.We found that baicalein exerted its inhibitory effect in the early stages of CVB3 infection.Baicalein also suppressed viral replication in the myocardium and effectively alleviated myocarditis induced by CVB3 infection.Our study revealed that baicalein exerts its antiviral effect by inhibiting the activity of caspase-1 and viral protease 2A.Taken together,our findings demonstrate that baicalein has antiviral activity against CVB3 infection and may serve as a potential therapeutic option for the myocarditis caused by enterovirus infection.

Update on enteroviral protease 2A:Structure,function,and host factor interaction

Enteroviruses(EVs)are human pathogens commonly observed in children aged 0–5 years and adults.EV infections usually cause the common cold and hand-foot-and-mouth disease;however,more severe infections can result in multiorgan complications,such as polio,aseptic meningitis,and myocarditis.The molecular mechanisms by which enteroviruses cause these diseases are still poorly understood,but accumulating evidence points to two enterovirus proteases,2Apro and 3Cpro,as the key players in pathogenesis.The 2Apro performs post-translational proteolytic processing of viral polyproteins and cleaves several host factors to evade antiviral immune responses and promote viral replication.It was also discovered that coxsackievirus-induced cardiomyopathy was caused by 2Apro-mediated cleavage of dystrophin in cardiomyocytes,indicating that cellular protein proteolysis may play a key role in enterovirus-associated diseases.Therefore,studies of 2Apro could reveal additional substrates that may be associated with specific diseases.Here,we discuss the genetic and structural properties of 2Apro and review how the protease antagonizes innate immune responses to promote viral replication,as well as novel substrates and mechanisms for 2Apro.We also summarize the current approaches for identifying the substrates of 2Apro to discover novel mechanisms relating to certain diseases.

Exploring the potential mechanisms of impairment on genitourinary system associated with coronavirus disease 2019 infection:Bioinformatics and molecular simulation analyses

Objective:The novel coronavirus(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2)has been spreading worldwide since December 2019,posing a serious danger to human health and socioeconomic development.A large number of clinical trials have revealed that coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)results in multi-organ damage including the urogenital system.This study aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of genitourinary damage associated with COVID-19 infection through bioinformatics and molecular simulation analysis.Methods:We used multiple publicly available databases to explore the expression patterns of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2),transmembrane serine protease 2(TMPRSS2),and CD147 in major organs in the healthy and disease-specific populations,particularly the genitourinary organs.Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to analyze the cell-specific expression patterns of ACE2,TMPRSS2,CD147,cytokine receptors,and cytokine interacting proteins in genitourinary organs,such as the bladder,kidney,prostate,and testis.Additionally,gene set enrichmentanalysis was used to investigate the relationship between testosterone levels and COVID-19 vulnerability in patients with prostate cancer.Results:The results revealed that ACE2,TMPRSS2,and CD147 were highly expressed in normal urogenital organs.Then,they were also highly expressed in multiple tumors and chronic kidney diseases.Additionally,ACE2,TMPRSS2,and CD147 were significantly expressed in a range of cells in urogenital organs according to single-cell RNA sequencing.Cytokine receptors and cytokine interacting proteins,especially CCL2,JUN,and TIMP1,were commonly highly expressed in urogenital organs.Finally,gene set enrichment analysis results showed that high testosterone levels in prostate cancer patients were significantly related to the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway which were associated with COVID-19.Conclusion:Our study provides new insights into the potential mechanisms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 damage to urogenital organs from multiple perspectives,which may draw the attention of urologists to COVID-19 and contribute to the development of targeted drugs.

Role of Protease Activated Receptor-2 Expression in Renal Interstitial Fibrosis Model in Mice

Summary： The role of protease activated receptor-2 （PAR-2） in the renal tubulointerstitial lesion induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction （UUO） was explored. Mice were sacrificed on the day 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 after UUO. The expression of PAR-2 mRNA and protein and a-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） protein in tubuloin,terstitium was detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry at each time point, respedtively. The results showed that the PAR-2 expression in renal tubulointerstitium was increased progressively starting from 24 h to the day 14 post-ligation, and it was significantly associated with the relative volume of interstitium and the positive area of α-SMA. PAR-2 was mainly expressed in renal tubule epithelial cells, especially in proximal tubular cells. It also located in renal capillary ansa, interstitial infiltrate cells and fibroblasts. It was concluded that PAR-2 was active in interstitial and tubular cells in the early phase of fibrotic process and played an important role in mediating the tubulointerstitial lesion after UUO.

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Potential Inhibitory Activities of Some Natural Antiviral Compounds Via Molecular Docking and Dynamics Approaches

Coronaviruses caused an outbreak pandemic disease characterized by a severe acute respiratory distress syndrome leading to the infection of more than 200 million patients and the death of more than 4 million individuals.The primary treatment is either supportive or symptomatic.Natural products have an important role in the development of various drugs.Thus,screening of natural compounds with reported antiviral activities can lead to the discovery of potential inhibitory entities against coronaviruses.In the current study,an in-silico molecular docking experiment was conducted on the effects of some of these natural antiviral phytoconstituents,(e.g.,procyanidin B2,theaflavin,quercetin,ellagic acid,caffeoylquinic acid derivatives,berginin,eudesm-1β,6α,11-triol and arbutin),on the crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease(PDB ID:6w63)using AutoDock-Vina software.Many of the docked compounds revealed good binding affinity,with procyanidin B2(–8.6 Kcal/mol)and theaflavin(–8.5 Kcal/mol)showing a better or similar binding score as the ligand(–8.5 Kcal/mol).Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out at 100 ns and revealed that procyanidin B2 forms a more stable complex with SARS-CoV-2 main protease than theaflavin.Procyanidin B2,theaflavin,and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were evaluated for toxicity by ProTox-II webserver and were non-toxic according to the predicted LD50 values and safe on different organs and pathways.Additionally,these phytoconstituents showed good ADME properties and acceptable lipophilicity,as evaluated using WLOGP.Amongst the tested compounds,procyanidin B2 showed the highest lipophilic value.It is worth mentioning that these natural inhibitiors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease are components of green and black tea that can be used as a supporting supplement for COVID patients or as potential nuclei for further drug design and development campaigns.

A missense variant of MASP2 is associated with increased risk of radiation pneumonitis in lung cancer patients treated with radiation therapy

Objective In this study,mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease 2(MASP2)gene variant was evaluated to assess the risk of radiation pneumonitis(RP)in patients with pulmonary malignancies.Methods A total of 169 lung cancer patients with radiotherapy were included in our prospective study(NCT02490319)and genotyped using the Sanger sequencing method.Multivariate Cox hazards analysis and multiple testing were applied to estimate the hazard ratio(HR)and 95%confidence intervals(CIs)of all factors possibly associated with RP risk.Results Patients with mean lung disease≥15 Gy and V20≥24%had higher risk of RP≥grade 2 compared with their counterparts(HR=1.888,95%CI:1.186-3.004,P=0.007;HR=2.126,95%CI:1.338-3.378,P=0.001,respectively).Importantly,CC+CA genotype of MASP2:rs12711521 was strongly associated with an increased occurrence of RP≥grade 2(HR=1.949,95%CI:1.278-2.971,P=0.002).Conclusion MASP2:rs12711521 was found to be significantly associated with RP≥grade 2 in our cohort and may thus be one of the important predictors of severe RP before radiotherapy,if further validated in larger population.

新型冠状病毒相关TMPRSS2蛋白结构特征和抗原表位分析

采用生物信息学方法分析预测新型冠状病毒(Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,SARS-CoV-2)跨膜蛋白酶丝氨酸2(transmembrane protease serine 2,TMPRSS2)的理化特性、结构特征和抗原表位,为抗SARS-CoV-2药物研发提供参考。利用ProtParam、ProtScale分析预测TMPRSS2蛋白酶的理化特性;利用COILS Server、SignalP、TMPred、TargetP Server、NetPhos Server、NetNGlyc Server服务器对TMPRSS2蛋白酶结构进行功能结构的分析预测;利用SOPMA、Pfam、SWISS MODEL分析预测TMPRSS2蛋白酶高级结构;利用IEBD分析预测TMPRSS2蛋白酶B细胞、T细胞表位。TMPRSS2蛋白酶氨基酸组成数为492个,其中丝氨酸占比最高;亲水性较高,含10个跨膜螺旋区;具有4个磷酸化位点,3个糖基化修饰点;二级结构中无规则卷曲占据主导地位,三级结构能与已知的5ce.1.1.A(SMTL ID)模型同源建模;存在13个潜在的B细胞表位,12个得分较高的T细胞表位。

SARS-CoV-2 effects in the genitourinary system and prospects of sex hormone therapy

Object:Corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),which leads to acute respiratory infection symptoms.SARS-CoV-2 infection is not always limited to the respiratory tract,and renal infection and dysfunction have been shown to be specific risk factors for death.In addition,COVID-19 has a higher incidence,severity and mortality in men than women.This disparity is due to biological rather than comorbid or behavioral sex differences.Because the male reproductive system is unique,the function of sex hormones in COVID-19 infection may explain the differences between males and females.Understanding these factors will provide appropriate prevention measures and adequate triage strategies and guide the drug discovery process.Methods:An electronic search was completed in PubMed,ARXIV,MEDRXIV and BIORXIV.The most relevant articles were systematically reviewed.In addition,single cell RNA sequencing analysis of tissue samples from human cell landscape was conducted.Results:The influence of SARS-CoV-2 on the urogenital system,the possibility of urinary tract transmission and the functions of sex hormones were discussed in this review.Conclusion:Corona viruses can invade the genitourinary system,causing urological symptoms.Identifying the potential genitourinary organ impairments and protecting them from damage are necessary.Since sex hormones have potential as specific drugs,the gonadal hormones substitution therapy should be considered in both sexes in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rational drug design,synthesis,and biological evaluation of novel N-(2-arylaminophenyl)-2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-6-sulfonamides as potential antimalarial,antifungal,and antibacterial agents

Objective Sulfanilamide,sulfadiazine,and dapsone were the first sulfonamides to be used to treat malaria by disrupting the folate biosynthesis process,which is essential for parasite survival.Therefore,we aimed to synthesize novel N-(2-arylaminophenyl)-2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-6-sulfonamide derivatives through a rational drug design approach.Methods All compounds were synthesized by the conventional method,and the products were characterized by spectral analysis(1 H NMR and mass spectrometry).The progression of the reaction was monitored using thin-layer chromatography(TLC).All the derivatives were analyzed for their effective binding mode in the allosteric site of the plasmodium cysteine protease falcipain-2.Antibacterial and antifungal activities were determined using the broth dilution method.Results S6(N-(2-thiazol-4 yl)-acetyl-aminophenyl)-2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-6-sulfonamide and S9(N-(1 H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)aminophenyl)-2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-6-sulfonamide formed five hydrogen bonds;S8(N-(2-1 H-imidazol-2 yl)aminophenyl)-2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-6-sulfonamide and S10(N-(1 H-benzo[d]imidazol-5-yl)aminophenyl)-2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-6-sulfonamide formed four hydrogen bonds with the allosteric site of the enzyme.Considering the docking scores and formation of hydrogen bonds with the target enzyme,the novel derivatives were processed for wet lab synthesis.All the newly synthesized derivatives were subjected to in vitro antimalarial,antifungal,and antibacterial activities.All the derivatives exhibited sufficient sensitivity to the Plasmodium falciparum strain compared to the standards.Moreover,compounds S9 and S10 showed the most potent dual antimicrobial and antimalarial activities.They also exhibited powerful molecular interactions in molecular docking studies.Conclusion Based on the above results,it was concluded that N-(2-arylaminophenyl)-2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-6-sulfonamide derivatives have excellent biological potential to act as antimalarial,antifungal,and antibacterial agents.

Liver injury in COVID-19:A minireview

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2),has escalated into a global tragedy afflicting human health,life,and social governance.Through the increasing depth of research and a better understanding of this disease,it has been ascertained that,in addition to the lungs,SARS-CoV-2 can also induce injuries to other organs including the liver.Liver injury is a common clinical manifestation of COVID-19,particularly in severe cases,and is often associated with a poorer prognosis and higher severity of COVID-19.This review focuses on the general existing information on liver injury caused by COVID-19,including risk factors and subpopulations of liver injury in COVID-19,the association between preexisting liver diseases and the severity of COVID-19,and the potential mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 affects the liver.This review may provide some useful information for the development of therapeutic and preventive strategies for COVID-19-associated liver injury.

An open conformation determined by a structural switch for 2A protease from coxsackievirus A16

Coxsackievirus A16 belongs to the family Picornaviridae,and is a major agent of hand-foot-and-mouth disease that infects mostly children,and to date no vaccines or antivi-ral therapies are available.2A protease of enterovirus is a nonstructural protein and possesses both self-cleavage activity and the ability to cleave the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G.Here we present the crystal structure of coxsackievirus A162A protease,which interestingly forms hexamers in crystal as well as in solution.This structure shows an open conformation,with its active site accessible,ready for substrate binding and cleav-age activity.In conjunction with a previously reported“closed”state structure of human rhinovirus 2,we were able to develop a detailed hypothesis for the conforma-tional conversion triggered by two“switcher”residues Glu88 and Tyr89 located within the bll2-cII loop.Substrate recognition assays revealed that amino acid residues P1′,P2 and P4 are essential for substrate specificity,which was verifi ed by our substrate binding model.In addition,we compared the in vitro cleavage effi ciency of 2A pro-teases from coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus 71 upon the same substrates by fl uorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET),and observed higher protease activity of enterovirus 71 compared to that of coxsackievirus A16.In conclusion,our study shows an open conformation of coxsackievirus A162A protease and the underlying mechanisms for conformational conversion and substrate specifi city.These new insights should facilitate the future rational design of effi cient 2A protease inhibitors.

Up-regulation of interleukin-8 expressions induced by mast cell tryptase via protease activated receptor-2 in endothelial cell line

Background Protease activated receptor-2 is cleaved and activated by trypsin or mast cell tryptase and may play an important role in inflammation. However, it is unknown whetehr PAR-2 can mediate tryptase-induced inflammatory reaction. This study was conduct to investigate wheter PAR-2 could be the activated by mast cell tryptase and medicated the tryptase induced interleukin-8 expression in endothelial cells. Methods Protease activated receptor-2 expression was found in endothelial cell lines ECV304 cell by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and Western blotting. Interleukin-8 stimulated by purified human mast cell tryptase was determined by RT-PCR and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Data were analysed by the S-N-K one-way ANOVA test. Results The present study shows that mRNA and protein of protease activated receptor-2 could be expressed in ECV304 cells, and tryptase upregulated the expression levels of both interleukin-8 mRNA and protein. The increased expression of interleukin-8 was inhibited by an antiprotease activated receptor-2 monoclonal antibody, SAM11. An additional band was observed by Western blotting after the incubation of ECV304 cells with tryptase for 2 hours, which suggested that protease activated receptor-2 was activated. Conclusion Protease activated receptor-2 can mediate the mast cell tryptase stimulated expression of interleukin-8 in ECV304 cell.

Mechanism and potential treatments for gastrointestinal dysfunction in patients with COVID-19

The global coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has become one of the biggest threats to the world since 2019.The respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts are the main targets for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection for they highly express angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 and transmembrane protease serine 2.In patients suffering from COVID-19,gastrointestinal symptoms have ranged from 12%to 61%.Anorexia,nausea and/or vomiting,diarrhea,and abdominal pain are considered to be the main gastrointestinal symptoms of COVID-19.It has been reported that the direct damage of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells,malnutrition,and intestinal flora disorders are involved in COVID-19.However,the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Thus,in this study,we reviewed and discussed the correlated mechanisms that cause gastrointestinal symptoms in order to help to develop the treatment strategy and build an appropriate guideline for medical workers.

Structural Basis for Complementary and Alternative Medicine:Phytochemical Interaction with Non-Structural Protein 2 Protease-A Reverse Engineering Strategy

Objective： To understand the druggability of the bioactive compounds from traditional herbal formulations ＂Nilavembu Kudineer＂ and ＂Swasthya Raksha Amruta Peya＂ to heal chikungunya virus （CHIKV） infection. Methods： The efficiency of twenty novel chemical entities from ＂Nilavembu Kudineer＂ and ＂Swasthya Raksha Amruta Peya＂ to inhibit CHIKV infection in silico were evaluated. Ligands were prepared using Ligprep module of Schr0dinger. Active site was identified using SiteMap program. Grid box was generated using receptor grid generation wizard. Molecular docking was carried out using Grid Based Ligand Docking with Energetics （GLIDE） program. Results： Molecular docking studies showed that among twenty compounds, andrographoside, deoxyandrographoside, neoandrographolide, 14-deoxy-11-oxoandrographolide, butoxone and oleanolic acid showed GLIDE extra precision （XP） score of-9.10,-8.72, -8.25,-7.38,-7.28 and -7.01, respectively which were greater than or comparable with chloroquine （reference compound） XP score （-7.08） and were found to interact with the key residues GLLI 1043, LYS 1045, GLY 1176, LEU 1203, HIS 1222 and LYS 1239 which were characteristic functional unit crucial for replication of CHIKV. Conclusion： The binding affinity and the binding mode of chemical entities taken from herbal formulations with non-structural protein 2 protease were understood and our study provided a novel strategy in the development and design of drugs for CHIKV infection.

Cellular Caspase-3 Contributes to EV-A71 2Apro-Mediated Down-Regulation of IFNAR1 at the Translation Level

Enterovirus A71(EV-A71) is the major pathogen responsible for the severe hand, foot and mouth disease worldwide, for which few effective antiviral drugs are presently available. Interferon-a(IFN-a) has been used in antiviral therapy for decades;it has been reported that EV-A71 antagonizes the antiviral activity of IFN-a based on viral 2 Apro-mediated reduction of the interferon-alpha receptor 1(IFNAR1);however, the mechanism remains unknown. Here, we showed a significant increase in IFNAR1 protein induced by IFN-a in RD cells, whereas EV-A71 infection caused obvious downregulation of the IFNAR1 protein and blockage of IFN-a signaling. Subsequently, we observed that EV-A71 2 Apro inhibited IFNAR1 translation by cleavage of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4 GI(eIF4GI), without affecting IFNAR1 m RNA levels induced by IFN-a. The inhibition of IFNAR1 translation also occurred in puromycin-induced apoptotic cells when caspase-3 cleaved e IF4 GI. Importantly, we verified that 2 Aprocould activate cellular caspase-3, which was subsequently involved in e IF4 GI cleavage mediated by 2 Apro. Furthermore, inhibition of caspase-3 activation resulted in the partial restoration of IFNAR1 in cells transfected with 2 A or infected with EV-A71, suggesting the pivotal role of both viral 2 Aproand caspase-3 activation in the disturbance of IFN-a signaling. Collectively, we elucidate a novel mechanism by which cellular caspase-3 contributes to viral 2 Apro-mediated down-regulation of IFNAR1 at the translation level during EV-A71 infection, indicating that caspase-3 inhibition could be a potential complementary strategy to improve clinical anti-EV-A71 therapy with IFN-a.

TAR DNA-Binding Protein 43 is Cleaved by the Protease 3C of Enterovirus A71

Enterovirus A71(EV-A71)is one of the etiological pathogens leading to hand,foot,and mouth disease(HFMD),which can cause severe neurological complications.The neuropathogenesis of EV-A71 infection is not well understood.The mislocalization and aggregation of TAR DNA-binding protein 43(TDP-43)is the pathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS).However,whether TDP-43 was impacted by EV-A71 infection is unknown.This study demonstrated that TDP-43 was cleaved during EV-A71 infection.The cleavage of TDP-43 requires EV-A71 replication rather than the activated caspases due to viral infection.TDP-43 is cleaved by viral protease 3 C between the residues 331 Q and332 S,while mutated TDP-43(Q331 A)was not cleaved.In addition,mutated 3 C which lacks the protease activity failed to induce TDP-43 cleavage.We also found that TDP-43 was translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm,and the mislocalization of TDP-43 was induced by viral protease 2 A rather than 3 C.Taken together,we demonstrated that TDP-43 was cleaved by viral protease and translocated to the cytoplasm during EV-A71 infection,implicating the possible involvement of TDP-43 in the pathogenesis of EV-A71 infection.

3,5-Bis(arylidene)-4-piperidones as potential dengue protease inhibitors

Dengue is a severe mosquito-borne viral infection causing half a million deaths annually. Dengue virus NS2B/NS3 protease is a validated target for anti-dengue drug design. A series of hitherto unreported 3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidones analogues 4a4j were synthesized and screened in silico against DENV2 NS2B/NS3 protease to elucidate their binding mechanism and orientation around the active sites. Results were validated through an in vitro DENV2 NS2B/NS3 protease assay using a fluorogenic Boc-Gly-Arg-Arg-AMC substrate. Nitro derivatives of 3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidones (4e and 4j) emerged as promising lead molecules for novel protease inhibitors with an IC50 of 15.22 and 16.23 µmol/L, respectively, compared to the standard, panduratin A, having IC50 of 57.28 µmol/L.