Fluorosugars inhibit biological properties of different enveloped viruses

Abstract

2-Deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose[G] and 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-mannose [M] were potent inhibitors of the synthesis of infectious Semliki forest and fowl plague virus in chicken embryo cells and also of pseudorabies virus grown in rabbit kidney cells. The peudorabies virus-mediated cell fusion and the synthesis of functional hemaglutinin of fowl plague virus were blocked. In all cases the M-caused inhibition was stronger than the G- or 2-deoxy-D-glucose-mediated blocks. Studies on the virus-specified proteins from Semliki forest virus-infected cells grown in the presence of the inhibitors show that the target of the fluorosugar action, parallel to the well-studied effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, is the glycoprotein biosynthesis.