Bergamottin Inhibits PRRSV Replication by Blocking Viral Non-Structural Proteins Expression and Viral RNA Synthesis

Zhenbang Zhu; Yuqian Xu; Lulu Chen; Meng Zhang; Xiangdong Li

doi:10.3390/v15061367

Bergamottin Inhibits PRRSV Replication by Blocking Viral Non-Structural Proteins Expression and Viral RNA Synthesis

Viruses. 2023 Jun 13;15(6):1367. doi: 10.3390/v15061367.

Authors

Zhenbang Zhu¹, Yuqian Xu¹, Lulu Chen¹, Meng Zhang¹, Xiangdong Li^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
² Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.

Abstract

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. However, current vaccines cannot provide effective protection against PRRSV, and PRRSV-specific treatments for infected herds are still unavailable. In this study, we found that bergamottin showed strong inhibitory effects against PRRSV replication. Bergamottin inhibited PRRSV at the stage of the replication cycle. Mechanically, bergamottin promoted the activation of IRF3 and NF-κB signaling, leading to the increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and interferon, which inhibited viral replication to some extent. In addition, bergamottion could reduce the expression of the non-structural proteins (Nsps), leading to the interruption of replication and transcription complex (RTC) formation and viral dsRNA synthesis, ultimately restraining PRRSV replication. Our study identified that bergamottin possesses potential value as an antiviral agent against PRRSV in vitro.

Keywords: PRRSV; antiviral activity; begamottin; cytokines; non-structural protein.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cell Line
Furocoumarins* / pharmacology
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome*
Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus* / metabolism
Swine
Viral Nonstructural Proteins / metabolism
Virus Replication

Substances

bergamottin
Furocoumarins
Viral Nonstructural Proteins

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD1800301), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20210804), the 111 Project D18007, and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD). Z.Z. is supported by the LvYangJinfeng Program of Yangzhou City.