The Impact of the S−Adenosylmethionine Analogue Sinefungin on Viral Life Cycles

Dell’Annunziata, Federica; Capuano, Nicoletta; De Prisco, Mariagrazia; Rufolo, Sandra; Folliero, Veronica; Franci, Gianluigi

doi:10.3390/app15094942

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The Impact of the S−Adenosylmethionine Analogue Sinefungin on Viral Life Cycles

by

Federica Dell’Annunziata

,

Nicoletta Capuano

,

Mariagrazia De Prisco

,

Sandra Rufolo

,

Veronica Folliero

^*

and

Gianluigi Franci

^*

Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 4942; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094942

Submission received: 8 April 2025 / Revised: 26 April 2025 / Accepted: 29 April 2025 / Published: 29 April 2025

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Abstract

DNA and RNA methylation are essential epigenetic modifications that play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and cellular processes. Methylation is also significant in viral infections, influencing various stages of the viral life cycle and immune evasion. In this study, we investigated the antiviral potential of sinefungin, a potent methyltransferase inhibitor, against Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV−1) and SARS−CoV−2. The cytotoxic effect of sinefungin was evaluated on VERO−76 cells by exposing them to concentrations ranging from 12.5 to 200 μg/mL for 24 h. The MTT assay results indicated that sinefungin reduced cell viability by approximately 21.7% at the highest concentration tested, with a CC₅₀ above 200 μg/mL. Our results demonstrated that sinefungin exhibited significant antiviral activity against both HSV−1 and SARS−CoV−2, with IC₅₀ values of 49.5 ± 0.31 μg/mL for HSV−1 and 100.1 ± 2.61 μg/mL for SARS−CoV−2. These results suggest that sinefungin may be a promising therapeutic candidate for treating viral infections, particularly those involving methylation−dependent processes.

Keywords: epigenetics; virus; viral infections; therapy; methylation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Dell’Annunziata, F.; Capuano, N.; De Prisco, M.; Rufolo, S.; Folliero, V.; Franci, G. The Impact of the S−Adenosylmethionine Analogue Sinefungin on Viral Life Cycles. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 4942. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094942

AMA Style

Dell’Annunziata F, Capuano N, De Prisco M, Rufolo S, Folliero V, Franci G. The Impact of the S−Adenosylmethionine Analogue Sinefungin on Viral Life Cycles. Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(9):4942. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094942

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dell’Annunziata, Federica, Nicoletta Capuano, Mariagrazia De Prisco, Sandra Rufolo, Veronica Folliero, and Gianluigi Franci. 2025. "The Impact of the S−Adenosylmethionine Analogue Sinefungin on Viral Life Cycles" Applied Sciences 15, no. 9: 4942. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094942

APA Style

Dell’Annunziata, F., Capuano, N., De Prisco, M., Rufolo, S., Folliero, V., & Franci, G. (2025). The Impact of the S−Adenosylmethionine Analogue Sinefungin on Viral Life Cycles. Applied Sciences, 15(9), 4942. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094942

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The Impact of the S−Adenosylmethionine Analogue Sinefungin on Viral Life Cycles

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