Since effective chemotherapeutics or preventive measures are still unavailable, finding feasible approaches against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) has always been the vital subject in shrimp farming field. Envelope proteins are the ideal targets for antiviral strategies development due to their indispensable roles in virus entry, and inhibitory peptides targeting them have been proved to be promising in blocking virus infection. In this study, the Wimley-White interfacial hydrophobicity scale (WWIHS) in combination with known structural data was applied to identify potential inhibitory peptides that targeted the envelope protein VP28 of WSSV. Results showed that two potential inhibitory peptides were identified, one of which exhibited not only obvious antiviral activity, but also broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The inhibitory peptide identified here can serve as a lead compound for anti-WSSV strategies development.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Rabies is a serious zoonosis caused by rabies virus (RABV) of the genus Lyssavirus, and immunotherapy is now the only approved, effective method for post-exposure prophylaxis against rabies in humans, whereas an effective antiviral therapy is still unavailable if the central nervous system is invaded. Phosphoprotein (P) is known to play pivotal roles in the life cycle of RABV, and has been regarded as a prime target for inhibitors of viral replication. This study aimed to carry out intracellular administration of a kind of P-binding peptide for RABV inhibition. A group of reported P-binding peptides were focused on for activity improvement by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) method, and then were mediated by cell penetrating peptide (CPP) for intracellular activity evaluation. The QSAR models had good performance in reliability and predictability (R 2 ≥ 0.852, Q 2 ≥ 0.601, Q 2 ext ≥ 0.595), and the peptide screened by partial least squares (PLS) QSAR model (R 2 = 0.994, Q 2 = 0.937, Q 2 ext = 0.981) exhibited even higher antiviral activity when it was delivered into the cells by CPP. Above all, this study provided an effective way for development of peptide drug against RABV.