Enhancement of antiviral activity of human alpha-defensin 5 against herpes simplex virus 2 by arginine mutagenesis at adaptive evolution sites.

ABSTRACT: Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infection is still one of the common causes of sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. The prevalence of HSV strains resistant to traditional nucleoside antiviral agents has led to the development of novel antiviral drugs. Human alpha-defensin 5 (HD5), a kind of endogenous antimicrobial peptide expressed in the epithelia of the small intestine and urogenital tract, displays natural antiviral activity. Based on arginine-rich features and adaptive evolution characteristics of vertebrate defensins, we conducted a screen for HD5 derivatives with enhanced anti-HSV-2 activity by a single arginine substitution at the adaptive evolution sites. Cell protection assay and temporal antiviral studies showed that HD5 and its mutants displayed affirmatory but differential

SUBMITTER: Wang A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3571410 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature