Title | Itraconazole inhibits enterovirus replication by targeting the oxysterol-binding protein. | ||
Author | Strating, Jeroen R P M; van der Linden, Lonneke; Albulescu, Lucian; Bigay, Joelle; Arita, Minetaro; Delang, Leen; Leyssen, Pieter; van der Schaar, Hilde M; Lanke, Kjerstin H W; Thibaut, Hendrik Jan; Ulferts, Rachel; Drin, Guillaume; Schlinck, Nina; Wubbolts, Richard W; Sever, Navdar; Head, Sarah A; Liu, Jun O; Beachy, Philip A; De Matteis, Maria A; Shair, Matthew D; Olkkonen, Vesa M; Neyts, Johan; van Kuppeveld, Frank J M | ||
Journal | Cell Rep | Publication Year/Month | 2015-Feb |
PMID | 25640182 | PMCID | PMC4383725 |
Affiliation + expend | 1.Virology Division, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584CL Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6525GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands. |
Itraconazole (ITZ) is a well-known antifungal agent that also has anticancer activity. In this study, we identify ITZ as a broad-spectrum inhibitor of enteroviruses (e.g., poliovirus, coxsackievirus, enterovirus-71, rhinovirus). We demonstrate that ITZ inhibits viral RNA replication by targeting oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) and OSBP-related protein 4 (ORP4). Consistently, OSW-1, a specific OSBP/ORP4 antagonist, also inhibits enterovirus replication. Knockdown of OSBP inhibits virus replication, whereas overexpression of OSBP or ORP4 counteracts the antiviral effects of ITZ and OSW-1. ITZ binds OSBP and inhibits its function, i.e., shuttling of cholesterol and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate between membranes, thereby likely perturbing the virus-induced membrane alterations essential for viral replication organelle formation. ITZ also inhibits hepatitis C virus replication, which also relies on OSBP. Together, these data implicate OSBP/ORP4 as molecular targets of ITZ and point to an essential role of OSBP/ORP4-mediated lipid exchange in virus replication that can be targeted by antiviral drugs.