Inhibitors of the histone methyltransferases EZH2/1 induce a potent antiviral state and suppress infection by diverse viral pathogens [array]

Epigenetic regulation is based upon a network of complexes that modulate the chromatin character and structure of the genome to impact gene expression, cell fate, and development. Thus, epigenetic modulators represent novel therapeutic targets to treat a range of diseases including malignancies. Infectious pathogens such as herpesviruses are also regulated by cellular epigenetic machinery, and epigenetic therapeutics represent a novel approach to control infection, persistence, and the resulting recurrent disease. The histone methyltransferases EZH2 and EZH1 (EZH2/1) are epigenetic repressors that suppress gene transcription via propagation of repressive H3K27me3 enriched chromatin domains. However, while EZH2/1 are implicated in repression of herpesviral gene expression, inhibitors of these enzymes suppressed HSV primary infection in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, these compounds blocked lytic viral replication following induction of HSV reactivation in latently infected sensory ganglia. Suppression correlated with the induction of multiple inflammatory, stress, and anti-pathogen pathways as well as enhanced recruitment of immune cells to in vivo infection sites. Importantly, EZH2/1 inhibitors induced a cellular antiviral state that also suppressed infection with DNA (hCMV, Adenovirus) and RNA (Zika virus) viruses. Thus, EZH2/1 inhibitors have considerable potential as general antivirals through activation of cellular antiviral and immune responses.

9

Arbuckle JH, Gardina PJ, Gordon DN, Hickman HD, Yewdell JW, Pierson TC, Myers TG, Kristie TM