Background: The purpose of this study was to develop a new class of influenza A virus haemagglutinin (HA) blockers by tethering thiosialoside molecules to metal nanoparticles and producing glycoclusters that enhance the affinity of HA binding by N-acetylneuraminic acid.
Methods: Oxygen of the glycoside bond of sialoside was replaced with sulfur to prevent hydrolytic digestion of the N-acetylneuraminic acid residue by viral neuraminidase. Two novel thiosialosides, α-2-S-[p-(N-levulinyl)aminophenyl]-5-N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac-S-Lev) and α-2-S-[m-(N-levulinyl)aminobenzyl]-5-N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac-S-CH2-Lev), were tethered onto the surface of metal nanoparticles via an aminooxy functionalized thiol linker in a glycoblotting reaction. Gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles were coated simultaneously with 11-mercaptoundecyl phosphorylcholine to reduce non-specific adsorption of proteins. Phosphorylcholine self-assembled monolayer-coated metals displaying clustered Neu5Ac (Neu5Ac-PCSAM-Au and Neu5Ac-PCSAM-Ag) were subjected to haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays using the influenza A virus strain A/PR/8/1934 (H1N1).
Results: Glyconanoparticles with thiosialosides had potent HI activities. In particular, Neu5Ac-PCSAM-Au with a diameter of 20 nm corresponding to 9.8 μM monosaccharide Neu5Ac was the most potent HA inhibitor. The versatility of this strategy was demonstrated by similar submicromolar HI activities of Neu5Ac-PCSAM-Ag with diameters of 50 nm and 150 nm.
Conclusions: Glycosylated metal nanoparticles were designed and synthesized as potent influenza A virus HA blockers. This study may contribute to the acceleration of the discovery of a new class of nanoparticle anti-influenza drugs.