Debora Obergfäll, Markus Wild, Mona Sommerer, Malena Barillas Dahm, Jintawee Kicuntod, Julia Tillmanns, Melanie Kögler, Josephine Lösing, Kishore Dhotre, Regina Müller, Christina Wangen, Sabrina Wagner, Quang V Phan, Lüder Wiebusch, Katarína Briestenská, Jela Mistríková, Lauren Kerr-Jones, Richard J Stanton, Sebastian Voigt, Friedrich Hahn, Manfred Marschall
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background. Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) is a multifaceted regulator and represents a catalytic component of the transcriptional Mediator complex. CDK8 activity, on the one hand, increases transcriptional elongation by the recruitment of Mediator/super elongation complexes, but, on the other hand, negatively regulates CDK7-controlled transcriptional initiation through inactivating cyclin H phosphorylation. Recently, these combined properties of CDK8 have also suggested its rate-limiting importance for herpesviral replication. Objectives. In this paper, we focused on human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and addressed the question of whether the pharmacological inhibition or knock-down of CDK8 may affect viral replication efficiency in cell culture models. Methods. A number of human and animal herpesviruses, as well as non-herpesviruses, were used to analyze the importance of CDK8 for viral replication in cell culture models, and to assess the antiviral efficacy of CDK8 inhibitors. Results. Using clinically relevant CDK8 inhibitors (CCT-251921, MSC-2530818, and BI-1347), HCMV replication was found strongly reduced even at nanomolar drug concentrations. The EC50 values were consistent for three different HCMV strains (i.e., AD169, TB40, and Merlin) analyzed in two human cell types (i.e., primary fibroblasts and astrocytoma cells), and the drugs comprised a low level of cytotoxicity. The findings highlighted the following: (i) the pronounced in vitro SI values of anti-HCMV activity obtained with CDK8 inhibitors; (ii) a confirmation of the anti-HCMV efficacy by CDK8-siRNA knock-down; (iii) a CDK8-dependent reduction in viral immediate early, early, and late protein levels; (iv) a main importance of CDK8 for viral late-stage replication; (v) several mechanistic aspects, which point to a strong impact on viral progeny production and release, but a lack of CDK8 relevance for viral entry or nuclear egress; (vi) a significant anti-HCMV drug synergy for combinations of inhibitors against host CDK8 and the viral kinase vCDK/pUL97 (maribavir); (vii) finally, a broad-spectrum antiviral activity, as seen for the comparison of selected α-, β-, γ-, and non-herpesviruses. Conclusions. In summary, these novel data provide evidence for the importance of CDK8 as a positive regulator of herpesviral replication efficiency, and moreover, suggest its exploitability as an antiviral target for novel strategies of host-directed drug development.
PharmaceuticsPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics-Pharmaceutical Science
CiteScore
7.90
自引率
11.10%
发文量
2379
审稿时长
16.41 days
期刊介绍:
Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923) is an open access journal which provides an advanced forum for the science and technology of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics. It publishes reviews, regular research papers, communications, and short notes. Covered topics include pharmacokinetics, toxicokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics, and pharmaceutical formulation. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical details in as much detail as possible. There is no restriction on the length of the papers. The full experimental details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced.