The antifungal isavuconazole inhibits the entry of lassa virus by targeting the stable signal peptide-GP2 subunit interface of lassa virus glycoprotein

Lassa virus (LASV) is the causative agent of Lassa hemorrhagic fever in humans, and the limited therapeutic treatment for Lassa fever poses significant threat to public health in West Africa. Using an HIV based pseudovirus platform, we identified isavuconazole, a triazole antifungal for systemic use, as a LASV entry inhibitor with an EC50 of 1.2 μM. Isavuconazole inhibits Lassa virus entry by blocking the pH dependent viral fusion mediated by the Lassa virus surface glycoprotein. Fragment replacement mutational study indicated that isavuconazole targets the stable signal peptide (SSP)-membrane fusion subunit (GP2) interface of Lassa glycoprotein. Further mutational study of the SSP-GP2 region of LASV glycoprotein revealed that S27 in the N-terminal transmembrane region of SSP and V431, F434 and V435 in the transmembrane domain of GP2 affect anti-LASV activity of isavuconazole. Isavuconazole also displays antiviral activity to five New World (NW) mammarenaviruses that cause hemorrhagic fever. This study facilitates the potential repurposing of isavuconazole for therapeutic intervention against human-pathogenic arenaviruses, and provides the basis for further structural optimization of arenavirus fusion inhibitors based on the predicted structural characteristics of the unique SSP-GP2 interface.