Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41157661›Full record

ArticleViruses2025

A Highly Sensitive BRET-Based Reporter for Live-Cell Detection of HIV-1 Protease Activity and Inhibitor Screening.

Matteo Centazzo, Atalie Verra-Victoria Djossou, Silvia Pavan, Gualtiero Alvisi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Viruses, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Matteo CentazzoDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padova, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5464-3728
Atalie Verra-Victoria DjossouDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padova, Italy.
Silvia PavanDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padova, Italy.
Gualtiero AlvisiDepartment of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121 Padova, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8177-3616

Funding

Ministero dell'università e della ricerca C53D23003110006
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Given their role in viral polyprotein processing, viral proteases (PRs) are excellent targets for antiviral therapy. Most assays developed for screening PR inhibitors are in vitro assays, and therefore have several limitations, including the inability to account for cell permeability, toxicity and the need for compounds activation within cells. The development of cellular reporters overcoming these limitations is therefore highly desirable. In this study, we developed two different Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET)-based reporters for Human Immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) PR, allowing the simultaneous monitoring of cell viability and HIV-1 PR activity. The reporters employ two different BRET pairs as donor and acceptor moieties: Renilla luciferase (RLuc) with Yellow Fluorescent Protein (YFP), and Nano luciferase (NLuc) with mNeonGreen (mNG), both linked by the HIV-1 p2/p7 cleavage site. While both reporters specifically detected HIV-1 protease activity, mNG-p2/p7-NLuc exhibited higher sensitivity, increased energy transfer and better spectral separation between donor and acceptor emissions, resulting in a significantly higher BRET ratio. mNG-p2/p7-NLuc was used to quantify the effect of a panel of protease inhibitors in living cells, assessing simultaneously cell viability and HIV-1 PR activity. Additionally, it was employed to measure the potency of well-known HIV-1 PR inhibitors. Together, these findings demonstrate the utility of the mNG-p2/p7-NLuc reporter as a cell-based tool for the evaluation of HIV-1 PR activity and inhibitor efficacy. Its dual-readout capability provides a valuable platform for antiviral drug screening in physiologically relevant conditions.

Indexed as

Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer TechniquesGenes, ReporterHIV-1HIV ProteaseHIV Protease InhibitorsCell SurvivalDrug Evaluation, PreclinicalHEK293 CellsHumansLuciferases, RenillaLuminescent ProteinsHIV ProteaseHIV Protease InhibitorsLuciferases, RenillaLuminescent Proteinsp16 protease, Human immunodeficiency virus 1antiviral drug discoveryBRETdrug screeninghigh-throughput screeningHIV-1live-cell assaymNeonGreenNanoLucprotease inhibitorsreporter

Identifiers

PMID41157661
PMCPMC12567724

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.