Self-Organized Nanoparticles of Random and Block Copolymers of Sodium 2-(Acrylamido)-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate and Sodium 11-(Acrylamido)undecanoate as Safe and Effective Zika Virus Inhibitors
Pawel Botwina,
Magdalena Obłoza,
Maria Zatorska-Płachta,
Kamil Kamiński,
Masanobu Mizusaki,
Shin-Ichi Yusa,
Krzysztof Szczubiałka,
Krzysztof Pyrc,
Maria Nowakowska
Affiliations
Pawel Botwina
Microbiology Department, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Magdalena Obłoza
Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Maria Zatorska-Płachta
Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Kamil Kamiński
Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Masanobu Mizusaki
Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji 671-2280, Japan
Shin-Ichi Yusa
Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji 671-2280, Japan
Krzysztof Szczubiałka
Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Krzysztof Pyrc
Virogenetics Laboratory of Virology, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Maria Nowakowska
Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
A series of anionic homopolymers, poly(sodium 2-(acrylamido)-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate) (PAMPS) and amphiphilic copolymers of AMPS and sodium 11-(acrylamido)undecanoate (AaU), both block (PAMPS75-b-PAaUn), and random (P(AMPSm-co-AaUn)), were synthesized and their antiviral activity against Zika virus (ZIKV) was evaluated. Interestingly, while the homopolymers showed limited antiviral activity, the copolymers are very efficient antivirals. This observation was explained considering that under the conditions relevant to the biological experiments (pH 7.4 PBS buffer) the macromolecules of these copolymers exist as negatively charged (zeta potential about −25 mV) nanoparticles (4–12 nm) due to their self-organization. They inhibit the ZIKV replication cycle by binding to the cell surface and thereby blocking virus attachment to host cells. Considering good solubility in aqueous media, low toxicity, and high selectivity index (SI) of the PAMPS-b-PAaU copolymers, they can be considered promising agents against ZIKV infections.