Integrated phenotypic screening and chemical proteomics identifies ETF1 ligands that modulate viral translation and replication

Abstract

Emerging and re-emerging viruses pose a significant threat to global health. Although direct-acting antivirals have shown success, their efficacy is limited by the rapid emergence of drug-resistant viral variants. Hence, there is an urgent need for additional broad spectrum antiviral therapeutic strategies. Here, we identify by phenotypic screening a set of stereochemically defined photoreactive small molecules (photo-stereoprobes) that stereoselectively suppress SARS-CoV-2 replication in human lung epithelial cells. Structure-activity relationship-guided chemical proteomics identified the eukaryotic translation termination factor 1 (ETF1) as a target of the photo-stereoprobes, and this interaction was recapitulated with recombinant purified ETF1. We found that the photo-stereoprobes modulate programmed ribosomal frameshifting mechanisms essential for SARS-CoV-2 infection without causing ETF1 degradation, thus distinguishing the photo-stereoprobes from other known ETF1-directed small molecules. We finally show that the photo-stereoprobes also inhibit the replication of additional viruses with non-canonical ribosomal frameshifting mechanisms. Our findings thus identify a mechanistically distinct class of ETF1 ligands that implicate host translation termination processes as a potential target for antiviral development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe identification of broad-spectrum antivirals that target host proteins is a desirable strategy to combat emerging viral infections given the rapid escape potential of viruses and the need to develop new countermeasures for clinically significant pathogens. Here, we integrate phenotypic screening and chemical proteomics to identify photo-stereoprobe small molecules that inhibit the replication of multiple viruses. We show that these compounds bind the protein eukaryotic peptide chain release factor subunit 1 (ETF1) and modulate programmed ribosomal frameshifting. Unlike previously described ligands for ETF1, which lead to proteasomal destruction of the protein, we did not find that the photo-stereoprobes altered ETF1 content in cells. Our findings thus point to an opportunity to pharmacologically modulate a host protein implicated in programmed ribosomal frameshifting as a strategy to combat infection of viruses from different families.