Salvianolic acid A from Salvia miltiorrhiza identified as a cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor for pathogenic arenaviruses.

ABSTRACT: Negative-stranded segmented RNA viruses (NSVs) employ a cap-snatching mechanism for transcription, which makes cap-dependent endonuclease (CEN) an attractive target for drug development. Pathogenic arenaviruses pose a serious threat to humans, yet no approved treatments exist, underscoring the importance of discovering novel compounds targeting arenaviral CENs. Therefore, this study aimed to identify novel CEN inhibitors for arenaviruses and investigate their antiviral mechanisms. A high-throughput screening system based on enzymatic activity of CEN was established for discovering inhibitors of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Several hit compounds were screened from a vast natural product library, and then evaluated for both toxicity and inhibition through cellular and animal ex

SUBMITTER: Gao X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12764842 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature