Inhibition of Human Cytomegalovirus pUL89 Terminase Subunit Blocks Virus Replication and Genome Cleavage.

Human cytomegalovirus infection in individuals lacking a fully functioning immune system, such as newborns and transplant patients, can have severe and debilitating consequences. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved anti-human cytomegalovirus drugs mainly target the viral polymerase, and resistance to these drugs has appeared. Therefore, anti-human cytomegalovirus drugs from novel targets are needed for use instead of, or in combination with, current polymerase inhibitors. pUL89 is a viral ATPase and endonuclease and is an attractive target for anti-human cytomegalovirus drug development. We identified and characterized an inhibitor of pUL89 endonuclease activity that also inhibits human cytomegalovirus replication in cell culture. pUL89 endonuclease, therefore, should be explored as a potential target for antiviral development against human cytomegalovirus.