Inhibition of N-myristoyltransferase1 affects dengue virus replication

Dengue virus (DENV) causes dengue fever, a self-limiting disease that could be fatal due to serious complications. No specific treatment is currently available and the preventative vaccine is only partially protective. To develop a potential drug target for dengue fever, we need to understand its biology and pathogenesis thoroughly. N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) is an N-terminal protein lipidation enzyme that catalyzes the covalent cotranslational attachment of fatty acids to the amino-terminal glycine residue of a number of proteins, leading to the modulation of various signaling molecules. In this study, we investigated the interaction of dengue viral proteins with host NMT and its subsequent effect on DENV. Our bioinformatics, molecular docking, and far-western blotting analyses demonstrated the interaction of viral envelope protein (E) with NMT. The gene expression of NMT was strongly elevated in a dependent manner during the viral replication phase in dendritic cells. Moreover, NMT gene silencing significantly inhibited DENV replication in dendritic cells. Further studies investigating the target cell types of other host factors are suggested.