Pharmacological Modulation of Flavivirus Methyltransferase Activity of Dengue Virus (DEV)

Background: The occurrence of dengue fever plagues has expanded significantly in the course of the most recent couple of decades. Be that as it may, no immunization or antiviral treatments are accessible. In this manner, the requirement for protected and successful antiviral medications have turned out to be essential. Aim: Methyltransferases, with their altered enzymatic action, have been found associated with several diseases or infections. It has been observed that the dengue virus infection is correlated with the hyperactivity of methyltransferase. In the current study, we proposed to investigate the inhibitory effects of commercially available compounds on the methyltransferase activity. Materials and Methods: Evaluation of methyltransferase activity of the purified enzyme and their inhibitors was carried out using Methyltransferase Activity Assay Kit (Colorimetric). Results: Among the screened components, we identify two effective compounds that revealed significant effect against flavivirus methyltransferase activity. Further, time-dependent inhibition profiles for both compounds revealed that preincubation of fractions of Azacitidine and Zebularine for different time windows showed time-dependent inactivation of methyltransferase as the degree of inhibition increased with time. Conclusion: We conclude that both Azacitidine and Zebularine may be emerging as possible suitable drugs for the treatment of dengue virus infection.