Inhibition of Mayaro virus replication by prostaglandin A(1) in Aedes albopictus cells

Prostaglandin A(1) (PGA(1)) inhibits Mayaro virus replication in Aedes albo pictus cells at nontoxic doses to uninfected cells. At 10 mu g/ml, PGA(1) d ecreases virus production by 90%. The presence of PGA(1) during virus adsor ption, with no treatment after infection, reduces virus yield by 41%. Antiv iral activity is observed even when treatment starts at one or two hours po st-infection. However, in cells pre-treated with PGA(1) during 24 hours, vi rus replication is not impaired. Thus, events occurring during initial stag es of infection and after virus adsorption and penetration must be the targ et of PGA(1) action. SDS-PAGE analysis of S-35-methionine labelled proteins shows that PGA(1) inhibits the synthesis of viral proteins and induces the synthesis of polypeptides with molecular weight of 70 kDa, 57 kDa and 23 k Da, In cells pre-treated with actinomycin D the induction of those proteins is suppressed. In addition, actinomycin D treatment prevents PGA(1) antivi ral activity, indicating that PGA(1)-induced stress proteins are probably i nvolved in this mechanism.