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Merck
CN

The PI3K/Akt pathway contributes to arenavirus budding.

Journal of virology (2012-02-22)
Shuzo Urata, Nhi Ngo, Juan Carlos de la Torre
ABSTRACT

Several arenaviruses, chiefly Lassa virus (LASV), cause hemorrhagic fever (HF) disease in humans and pose a significant public health concern in regions where they are endemic. On the other hand, evidence indicates that the globally distributed prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a neglected human pathogen. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway participates in many cellular processes, including cell survival and differentiation, and also has been shown to play important roles in different steps of the life cycles of a variety of viruses. Here we report that the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway inhibited budding and to a lesser extent RNA synthesis, but not cell entry, of LCMV. Accordingly, BEZ-235, a PI3K inhibitor currently in cancer clinical trials, inhibited LCMV multiplication in cultured cells. These findings, together with those previously reported for Junin virus (JUNV), indicate that targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway could represent a novel antiviral strategy to combat human-pathogenic arenaviruses.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Phosphatase Inhibitor Cocktail 1, DMSO solution
Sigma-Aldrich
Phosphatase Inhibitor Cocktail 2, aqueous solution (dark coloration may develop upon storage, which does not affect the activity)
Sigma-Aldrich
Akt Inhibitor IV, InSolution, ≥98%
Sigma-Aldrich
Akt Inhibitor VIII, Isozyme-Selective, Akti-1/2, Akt Inhibitor VIII, Isozyme-Selective, Akti-1/2, CAS 612847-09-3, is a cell-permeable, reversible inhibitor of Akt1/Akt2 (IC₅₀ = 58 nM, 210 nM, & 2.12 µM for Akt1, Akt2, and Akt3, respectively).