In vitro evaluation of cyanovirin-N antiviral activity, by use of lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with filovirus envelope glycoproteins.

Cyanovirin-N (CV-N) has been shown to inhibit Ebola Zaire virus (EboZV) infection, both in vitro and in vivo, through its ability to bind to oligomannoses-8/9 on the EboZV surface glycoprotein (GP). Here, we report the in vitro potency of CV-N to inhibit EboZV GP- and Marburg virus GP-pseudotyped viruses (EC50 approximately 40-60 nmol/L and approximately 6-25 nmol/L, respectively) from mediating gene transduction into HeLa cells. In addition, we provide evidence that CV-N can effectively inhibit DC-SIGN-mediated EboZV infection. Our data emphasize both the utility of GP-pseudotyped vectors in the assessment of compounds that affect cell entry by filovirus and the use of CV-N as a reagent for the probing of carbohydrate-dependent interactions at viral entry.