| Title | Mode of action of 2-furylmercury chloride, an anti-rhinovirus compound. | ||
| Author | Verheyden, B; Andries, K; Rombaut, B | ||
| Journal | Antiviral Res | Publication Year/Month | 2004-Mar |
| PMID | 15168800 | PMCID | -N/A- |
| Affiliation | 1.Department of Microbiology and Hygiene, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels B-1090, Belgium. | ||
2-Furylmercury chloride (2-FMC), an organic mercury derivative, has been found to inhibit the replication of all tested human rhinovirus (HRV) serotypes belonging to the antiviral group B and a limited number of HRV serotypes belonging to the antiviral group A. The mechanism of action of 2-FMC was tested against HRV-2 (antiviral group B, minor receptor group), and compared with an antiviral compound for which the viral target was already determined (enviroxime). 2-FMC was found to bind reversibly to virus particles. However, time-dependent plaque reduction assays revealed that 2-FMC did not interfere with early events of HRV-2 replication. Using a quantitative RT-PCR ELISA assay, we were able to prove that 2-FMC inhibits the synthesis of viral RNA. However, the mode of action of 2-FMC is not identical to that of enviroxime, another inhibitor of viral RNA synthesis. Time-of-addition and time-of-withdrawal experiments demonstrated that 2-FMC acted during a broader time interval than enviroxime.