An Antiviral Peptide from <i>Alopecosa nagpag</i> Spider Targets NS2B–NS3 Protease of Flaviviruses
Mengyao Ji,
Tengyu Zhu,
Meichen Xing,
Ning Luan,
James Mwangi,
Xiuwen Yan,
Guoxiang Mo,
Mingqiang Rong,
Bowen Li,
Ren Lai,
Lin Jin
Affiliations
Mengyao Ji
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Tengyu Zhu
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Meichen Xing
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Ning Luan
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
James Mwangi
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Xiuwen Yan
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Guoxiang Mo
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Mingqiang Rong
The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
Bowen Li
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Ren Lai
College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
Lin Jin
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Flaviviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses predominantly transmitted by the widely distributed Aedes mosquitoes in nature. As important human pathogens, the geographic reach of Flaviviruses and their threats to public health are increasing, but there is currently no approved specific drug for treatment. In recent years, the development of peptide antivirals has gained much attention. Natural host defense peptides which uniquely evolved to protect the hosts have been shown to have antiviral properties. In this study, we firstly collected the venom of the Alopecosa nagpag spider from Shangri-La County, Yunnan Province. A defense peptide named Av-LCTX-An1a (Antiviral-Lycotoxin-An1a) was identified from the spider venom, and its anti-dengue serotype-2 virus (DENV2) activity was verified in vitro. Moreover, a real-time fluorescence-based protease inhibition assay showed that An1a functions as a DENV2 NS2B−NS3 protease inhibitor. Furthermore, we also found that An1a restricts zika virus (ZIKV) infection by inhibiting the ZIKV NS2B−NS3 protease. Together, our findings not only demonstrate that An1a might be a candidate for anti-flavivirus drug but also indicate that spider venom is a potential resource library rich in antiviral precursor molecules.
