Article,
Inactivation of a non-enveloped RNA virus by artificial ribonucleases: Honey bees and Acute bee paralysis virus as a new experimental model for <i>in vivo</i> antiviral activity assessment
Antiviral Research, 91 (3): 267 - 277 (2011)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2011.06.011
Abstract
RNA-containing viruses represent a global threat to the health and wellbeing of humans and animals. Hence, the discovery of new approaches for the design of novel vaccines and antiviral compounds attains high attention. Here we describe the potential of artificial ribonucleases (aRNases), low molecular weight compounds capable to cleave phosphodiester bonds in \RNA\ under mild conditions, to act as antiviral compounds via destroying the genome of non-enveloped \RNA\ viruses, and the potential of utilizing honey bee larvae and adult bees (Apis mellifera) as a novel experimental system for the screening of new antiviral compounds. Pre-incubation of an Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) suspension with aRNases D3–12, K-D-1 or Dp12F6 in a concentration-dependent manner increased the survival rate of bee larvae and adult bees subsequently infected with these preparations, whereas incubation of the virus with aRNases \ABL3C3\ or L2–3 had no effect at all. The results of RT-PCR analysis of viral \RNA\ isolated from aRNase-treated virus particles confirmed that virus inactivation occurs via degradation of viral genomic RNA: dose-dependent inactivation of \ABPV\ correlates well with the cleavage of viral RNA. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that the morphology of \ABPV\ particles inactivated by aRNases remains unaffected as compared to control virus preparations. Altogether the obtained results clearly demonstrate the potential of aRNases as a new virus inactivation agents and bee larvae/ABPV as a new in vivo system for the screening of antiviral compounds.
