Nitric oxide inhibits the adenovirus proteinase in vitro and viral infectivity in vivo

• Published in: The FASEB journal Vol. 17; no. 15; p. 2345
• Main Authors: Cao, Wangsen, Baniecki, Mary Lynn, McGrath, William J, Bao, Clare, Deming, Clayton B, Rade, Jeffrey J, Lowenstein, Charles J, Mangel, Walter F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.12.2003
• Subjects: Adenoviridae - drug effects; Adenoviridae - enzymology; Adenoviridae Infections - drug therapy; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Cysteine Endopeptidases - metabolism; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Dithiothreitol - pharmacology; HeLa Cells; Humans; Hydrazines - pharmacology; Models, Biological; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitric Oxide Donors - pharmacology; Nitric Oxide Donors - therapeutic use; Nitrogen Oxides; Peptide Fragments - metabolism; Viral Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 1530-6860
• DOI: 10.1096/fj.03-0396fje

Nitric oxide (NO) is an antiviral effector of the innate immune system, but few of the viral targets of NO have been identified. We now show that NO inhibits adenovirus replication by targeting the adenovirus proteinase (AVP). NO generated from diethylamine NONOate (DEA-NONOate) or spermine NONOate (Sp-NONOate) inhibited the AVP. Inhibition was reversible with dithiothreitol. The equilibrium dissociation constant for reversible binding to the AVP by Sp-NONOate, or Ki, was 0.47 mM, and the first-order rate constant for irreversible inhibition of the AVP by Sp-NONOate, or ki, was 0.0036 s(-1). Two hallmarks of a successful adenovirus infection were abolished by the NO donors: the appearance of E1A protein and the cleavage of cytokeratin 18 by AVP. Treatment of infectious virus by DEA-NONOate dramatically decreased viral infectivity. These data suggest that NO may be a useful antiviral agent against viruses encoding a cysteine proteinase and in particular may be an antiadenovirus agent.