Piperazine Derivatives Containing the ?-Ketoamide Moiety Discovered as Potential Anti-Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Agents

A total of 35 piperazine derivatives were designed and synthesized, and their activities against tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) were evaluated systematically. Compounds 34 and 35 with significant anti-TSWV activity were obtained. Their EC50 values were 62.4 and 59.9 mu g/mL, prominently better than the control agents ningnanmycin (113.7 mu g/mL) and ribavirin (591.1 mu g/mL). To explore the mechanism of the interaction between these compounds and the virus, we demonstrated by agrobacterium-mediated, molecular docking, and microscale thermophoresis (MST) experimental methods that compounds 34 and 35 could inhibit the infection of TSWV by binding with the N protein to prevent the assembly of the virus core structure ribonucleoprotein (RNP), and it also meant that the arginine at 94 of the N protein was the key site of interaction between the compounds and the TSWV N target. Therefore, this study demonstrated the potential for forming antiviral agents from piperazine derivatives containing alpha-ketoamide moieties.

Automated summary

A total of 35 piperazine derivatives were synthesized and assessed for their anti-tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) activity. Compounds 34 and 35 displayed significant potency against TSWV with EC50 values of 62.4 and 59.9 μg/mL, respectively, superior to the control agents ningnanmycin and ribavirin. Mechanistic studies revealed that compounds 34 and 35 inhibited TSWV infection by binding to the N protein, preventing assembly of the viral core structure ribonucleoprotein (RNP). Amino acid residue 94 on the N protein was identified as the key site for interaction between the compounds and the TSWV N target. This study highlights the potential of piperazine derivatives containing alpha-ketoamide moieties as antiviral agents.