Alphavirus nsP3 organizes into tubular scaffolds essential for infection and the cytoplasmic granule architecture.

Alphaviruses, such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV), are mosquito-borne viruses that represent a significant threat to human health due to the current context of global warming. Efficient alphavirus infection relies on the activity of the non-structural protein 3 (nsP3), a puzzling multifunctional molecule whose role in infection remains largely unknown. NsP3 is a component of the plasma membrane-bound viral RNA replication complex (vRC) essential for RNA amplification and is also found in large cytoplasmic aggregates of unknown function. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the CHIKV nsP3 at 2.35 Å resolution. We show that nsP3 assembles into tubular structures made by a helical arrangement of its alphavirus unique domain (AUD). The nsP3 helical scaffolds are consistent with crown structures found on tomographic reconstructions of the mature viral RCs. In addition, nsP3 helices assemble into cytoplasmic granules organized in a network of tubular structures that contain viral genomic RNA and capsid as well as host factors required for productive infection. Structure-guided mutagenesis identified residues that prevent or disturb nsP3 assemblies, resulting in impaired viral replication or transcription. Altogether, our results reveal an unexpected nsP3-dependent molecular organization essential for different phases of alphavirus infection.

Chikungunya virus release is reduced by TIM-1 receptors through binding of envelope phosphatidylserine.

T-cell immunoglobin and mucin domain protein-1 (TIM-1) mediates entry of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) into some mammalian cells through the interaction with envelope phospholipids. While this interaction enhances entry, TIM-1 has been shown to tether newly formed HIV and Ebola virus particles, limiting their efficient release. In this study, we investigate the ability of surface receptors such as TIM-1 to sequester newly budded virions on the surface of infected cells. We established a luminescence reporter system to produce chikungunya viral particles that integrate nano-luciferase and easily quantify viral particles. We found that TIM-1 on the surface of host cells significantly reduced CHIKV release efficiency in comparison to other entry factors. Removal of cell surface TIM-1 through direct cellular knock-out or altering the cellular lipid distribution enhanced CHIKV release. Over the course of infection, CHIKV was able to counteract the tethering effect by gradually decreasing the surface levels of TIM-1 in a process mediated by the nonstructural protein 2. This study highlights the importance of phosphatidylserine receptors in mediating not only the entry of CHIKV but also its release and could aid in developing cell lines capable of enhanced vaccine production. IMPORTANCE: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an enveloped alphavirus transmitted by the bites of infectious mosquitoes. Infection with CHIKV results in the development of fever, joint pain, and arthralgia that can become chronic and last for months after infection. Prevention of this disease is still highly focused on vector control strategies. In December 2023, a new live attenuated vaccine against CHIKV was approved by the FDA. We aimed to study the cellular factors involved in CHIKV release, to better understand CHIKV's ability to efficiently infect and spread among a wide variety of cell lines. We found that TIM-1 receptors can significantly abrogate CHIKV's ability to efficiently exit infected cells. This information can be beneficial for maximizing viral particle production in laboratory settings and during vaccine manufacturing.

Chikungunya virus nonstructural protein 1 is a versatile RNA capping and decapping enzyme.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) nonstructural protein 1 (nsP1) contains both the N7-guanine methyltransferase and guanylyltransferase activities and catalyzes the 5' end cap formation of viral RNAs. To further understand its catalytic activity and role in virus-host interaction, we demonstrate that purified recombinant CHIKV nsP1 can reverse the guanylyl transfer reaction and remove the m7GMP from a variety of capped RNA substrates including host mRNAs. We then provide the structural basis of this function with a high-resolution cryo-EM structure of nsP1 in complex with the unconventional cap-1 substrate RNA m7GpppAmU. We show that the 5'ppRNA species generated by decapping can trigger retinoic acid-inducible gene I-mediated interferon response. We further demonstrate that the decapping activity is conserved among the alphaviral nsP1s. To our knowledge, this is a new mechanism through which alphaviruses activate the antiviral immune response. This decapping activity could promote cellular mRNA degradation and facilitate viral gene expression, which is functionally analogous to the cap-snatching mechanism by influenza virus.

Monolithic affinity columns in 3D printed microfluidics for chikungunya RNA detection.

Mosquito-borne pathogens plague much of the world, yet rapid and simple diagnosis is not available for many affected patients. Using a custom stereolithography 3D printer, we created microfluidic devices with affinity monoliths that could retain, noncovalently attach a fluorescent tag, and detect oligonucleotide and viral RNA. We optimized the fluorescent binding and sample load times using an oligonucleotide sequence from chikungunya virus (CHIKV). We also tested the specificity of CHIKV capture relative to genetically similar Sindbis virus. Moreover, viral RNA from both viruses was flowed through capture columns to study the efficiency and specificity of the column for viral CHIKV. We detected ~107 loaded viral genome copies, which was similar to levels in clinical samples during acute infection. These results show considerable promise for development of this platform into a rapid mosquito-borne viral pathogen detection system.

The organization of double-stranded RNA in the chikungunya virus replication organelle.

Alphaviruses are mosquito-borne, positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. Amongst the alphaviruses, chikungunya virus is notable as a large source of human illness, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. When they invade a cell, alphaviruses generate dedicated organelles for viral genome replication, so-called spherules. Spherules form as outward-facing buds at the plasma membrane, and it has recently been shown that the thin membrane neck that connects this membrane bud with the cytoplasm is guarded by a two-megadalton protein complex that contains all the enzymatic functions necessary for RNA replication. The lumen of the spherules contains a single copy of the negative-strand template RNA, present in a duplex with newly synthesized positive-sense RNA. Less is known about the organization of this double-stranded RNA as compared to the protein components of the spherule. Here, we analyzed cryo-electron tomograms of chikungunya virus spherules in terms of the organization of the double-stranded RNA replication intermediate. We find that the double-stranded RNA has a shortened apparent persistence length as compared to unconstrained double-stranded RNA. Around half of the genome is present in either of five conformations identified by subtomogram classification, each representing a relatively straight segment of ~25-32 nm. Finally, the RNA occupies the spherule lumen at a homogeneous density, but has a preferred orientation to be perpendicular to a vector pointing from the membrane neck towards the spherule center. Taken together, this analysis lays another piece of the puzzle of the highly coordinated alphavirus genome replication.

Alphavirus Evasion of Zinc Finger Antiviral Protein (ZAP) Correlates with CpG Suppression in a Specific Viral nsP2 Gene Sequence.

Certain re-emerging alphaviruses, such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV), cause serious disease and widespread epidemics. To develop virus-specific therapies, it is critical to understand the determinants of alphavirus pathogenesis and virulence. One major determinant is viral evasion of the host interferon response, which upregulates antiviral effectors, including zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP). Here, we demonstrated that Old World alphaviruses show differential sensitivity to endogenous ZAP in 293T cells: Ross River virus (RRV) and Sindbis virus (SINV) are more sensitive to ZAP than o'nyong'nyong virus (ONNV) and CHIKV. We hypothesized that the more ZAP-resistant alphaviruses evade ZAP binding to their RNA. However, we did not find a correlation between ZAP sensitivity and binding to alphavirus genomic RNA. Using a chimeric virus, we found the ZAP sensitivity determinant lies mainly within the alphavirus non-structural protein (nsP) gene region. Surprisingly, we also did not find a correlation between alphavirus ZAP sensitivity and binding to nsP RNA, suggesting ZAP targeting of specific regions in the nsP RNA. Since ZAP can preferentially bind CpG dinucleotides in viral RNA, we identified three 500-bp sequences in the nsP region where CpG content correlates with ZAP sensitivity. Interestingly, ZAP binding to one of these sequences in the nsP2 gene correlated to sensitivity, and we confirmed that this binding is CpG-dependent. Our results demonstrate a potential strategy of alphavirus virulence by localized CpG suppression to evade ZAP recognition.

An in silico approach for prediction of B cell and T cell epitope candidates against Chikungunya virus.

Several outbreaks of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) had been reported since 1952 when mankind had his first encounter against the virus in Tanzania. Although these reports designate the CHIKV to be rarely fatal, cases of outbreaks in the last decade accompanied by severe complications and death poses a challenge to the development of effective treatment methods. Several attempts to vaccine development against CHIKV still remains unsuccessful. In this study, we aimed at the prediction of B-cell and T cell epitopes against CHIKV by using immunoinformatics. This, in turn, can contribute to development of an epitope based vaccine against CHIKV. Both linear and discontinuous B-cell epitopes, as well as Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes, were predicted for the CHIKV Envelope (E1 and E2) glycoproteins and (NS2). The antigenic CTL epitopes with highest binding affinities with type-1 MHC were selected and the peptides were docked to them. Docking followed by molecular dynamics simulations were performed to assess the stability of the docked complexes.

Mono-ADP-ribosylation by PARP10 inhibits Chikungunya virus nsP2 proteolytic activity and viral replication.

Replication of viruses requires interaction with host cell factors and repression of innate immunity. Recent findings suggest that a subset of intracellular mono-ADP-ribosylating PARPs, which are induced by type I interferons, possess antiviral activity. Moreover, certain RNA viruses, including Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), encode mono-ADP-ribosylhydrolases. Together, this suggests a role for mono-ADP-ribosylation (MARylation) in host-virus conflicts, but the relevant substrates have not been identified. We addressed which PARP restricts CHIKV replication and identified PARP10 and PARP12. For PARP10, this restriction was dependent on catalytic activity. Replication requires processing of the non-structural polyprotein nsP1-4 by the protease located in nsP2 and the assembly of the four individual nsP1-nsP4 into a functional replication complex. PARP10 and PARP12 inhibited the production of nsP3, indicating a defect in polyprotein processing. The nsP3 protein encodes a macrodomain with de-MARylation activity, which is essential for replication. In support for MARylation affecting polyprotein processing, de-MARylation defective CHIKV replicons revealed reduced production of nsP2 and nsP3. We hypothesized that MARylation regulates the proteolytic function of nsP2. Indeed, we found that nsP2 is MARylated by PARP10 and, as a consequence, its proteolytic activity was inhibited. NsP3-dependent de-MARylation reactivated the protease. Hence, we propose that PARP10-mediated MARylation prevents polyprotein processing and consequently virus replication. Together, our findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the role of the viral MAR hydrolase in CHIKV replication.

Identification of mosquito proteins that differentially interact with alphavirus nonstructural protein 3, a determinant of vector specificity.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and the closely related onyong-nyong virus (ONNV) are arthritogenic arboviruses that have caused significant, often debilitating, disease in millions of people. However, despite their kinship, they are vectored by different mosquito subfamilies that diverged 180 million years ago (anopheline versus culicine subfamilies). Previous work indicated that the nonstructural protein 3 (nsP3) of these alphaviruses was partially responsible for this vector specificity. To better understand the cellular components controlling alphavirus vector specificity, a cell culture model system of the anopheline restriction of CHIKV was developed along with a protein expression strategy. Mosquito proteins that differentially interacted with CHIKV nsP3 or ONNV nsP3 were identified. Six proteins were identified that specifically bound ONNV nsP3, ten that bound CHIKV nsP3 and eight that interacted with both. In addition to identifying novel factors that may play a role in virus/vector processing, these lists included host proteins that have been previously implicated as contributing to alphavirus replication.

Insights into the role of the cobalt(III)-thiosemicarbazone complex as a potential inhibitor of the Chikungunya virus nsP4.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is the causative agent of chikungunya fever, a disease that can result in disability. Until now, there is no antiviral treatment against CHIKV, demonstrating that there is a need for development of new drugs. Studies have shown that thiosemicarbazones and their metal complexes possess biological activities, and their synthesis is simple, clean, versatile, and results in high yields. Here, we evaluated the mechanism of action (MOA) of a cobalt(III) thiosemicarbazone complex named [CoIII(L1)2]Cl based on its in vitro potent antiviral activity against CHIKV previously evaluated (80% of inhibition on replication). Furthermore, the complex has no toxicity in healthy cells, as confirmed by infecting BHK-21 cells with CHIKV-nanoluciferase in the presence of the compound, showing that [CoIII(L1)2]Cl inhibited CHIKV infection with the selective index of 3.26. [CoIII(L1)2]Cl presented a post-entry effect on viral replication, emphasized by the strong interaction of [CoIII(L1)2]Cl with CHIKV non-structural protein 4 (nsP4) in the microscale thermophoresis assay, suggesting a potential mode of action of this compound against CHIKV. Moreover, in silico analyses by molecular docking demonstrated potential interaction of [CoIII(L1)2]Cl with nsP4 through hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. The evaluation of ADME-Tox properties showed that [CoIII(L1)2]Cl presents appropriate lipophilicity, good human intestinal absorption, and has no toxicological effect as irritant, mutagenic, reproductive, and tumorigenic side effects.

Alphavirus antivirals targeting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain of nsP4 divulged using surface plasmon resonance.

Alphaviruses are continuously re-emerging and pose a global threat to human health and currently no antiviral drug is commercially available for alphaviral infections. Alphavirus non-structural protein nsP4, which possesses RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity, is a potential antiviral target. To date, no antiviral drug is commercially available against alphaviruses. Since RdRp is the key virus-specific enzyme involved in viral genome replication, this study identifies and validates the antiviral efficacy of small molecules targeting alphavirus RdRp. Purified nsP4 was characterized using the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay, and the binding affinities of divalent metal ions, ribonucleotides, and in vitro transcribed viral RNA oligonucleotides were obtained in the micromolar (µm) range. Further, four potential inhibitors, piperine (PIP), 2-thiouridine (2TU), pyrazinamide (PZA), and chlorogenic acid (CGA), were identified against nsP4 RdRp using a molecular docking approach. The SPR assay validated the binding of PIP, 2TU, PZA, and CGA to purified nsP4 RdRp with KD of 0.08, 0.13, 0.66, and 9.87 µm, respectively. Initial testing of these molecules as alphavirus replication inhibitors was done using SINV-IRES-Luc virus. Detailed assessment of antiviral efficacy of molecules against CHIKV was performed by plaque reduction assay, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence assay. PIP, 2TU, PZA, and CGA showed antiviral potency against CHIKV with EC50 values of 6.68, 27.88, 36.26, and 53.62 µm, respectively. This study paves the way towards the development of novel broad-spectrum alphavirus antivirals targeting nsP4 RdRp.

Construction of a Chikungunya Virus, Replicon, and Helper Plasmids for Transfection of Mammalian Cells.

The genome of Alphaviruses can be modified to produce self-replicating RNAs and virus-like particles, which are useful virological tools. In this work, we generated three plasmids for the transfection of mammalian cells: an infectious clone of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), one that codes for the structural proteins (helper plasmid), and another one that codes nonstructural proteins (replicon plasmid). All of these plasmids contain a reporter gene (mKate2). The reporter gene in the replicon RNA and the infectious clone are synthesized from subgenomic RNA. Co-transfection with the helper and replicon plasmids has biotechnological/biomedical applications because they allow for the delivery of self-replicating RNA for the transient expression of one or more genes to the target cells.

Targeting Chikungunya Virus Entry: Alternatives for New Inhibitors in Drug Discovery.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an Alphavirus (Togaviridae) responsible for Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) that is mainly characterized by a severe polyarthralgia, in which it is transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. Nowadays, there are no licensed vaccines or approved drugs to specifically treat this viral disease. Structural viral proteins participate in key steps of its replication cycle, such as viral entry, membrane fusion, nucleocapsid assembly, and virus budding. In this context, envelope E3-E2-E1 glycoproteins complex could be targeted for designing new drug candidates. In this review, aspects of the CHIKV entry mechanism are discussed to provide insights into assisting the drug discovery process. Moreover, several naturals, naturebased and synthetic compounds, as well as repurposed drugs and virtual screening are also explored as alternatives for developing CHIKV entry inhibitors. Finally, we provided a complementary analysis of studies involving inhibitors that were not explored by in silico methods. Based on this, Phe118, Val179, and Lys181 were found to be the most frequent residues, being present in 89.6, 82.7, and 93.1% of complexes, respectively. Lastly, some chemical aspects associated with interactions of these inhibitors and mature envelope E3- E2-E1 glycoproteins' complex were discussed to provide data for scientists worldwide, supporting their search for new inhibitors against this emerging arbovirus.

Specific Recognition of a Stem-Loop RNA Structure by the Alphavirus Capsid Protein.

Alphaviruses are small enveloped viruses with positive-sense RNA genomes. During infection, the alphavirus capsid protein (Cp) selectively packages and assembles with the viral genomic RNA to form the nucleocapsid core, a process critical to the production of infectious virus. Prior studies of the alphavirus Semliki Forest virus (SFV) showed that packaging and assembly are promoted by Cp binding to multiple high affinity sites on the genomic RNA. Here, we developed an in vitro Cp binding assay based on fluorescently labeled RNA oligos. We used this assay to explore the RNA sequence and structure requirements for Cp binding to site #1, the top binding site identified on the genomic RNA during all stages of virus assembly. Our results identify a stem-loop structure that promotes specific binding of the SFV Cp to site #1 RNA. This structure is also recognized by the Cps of the related alphaviruses chikungunya virus and Ross River virus.

In Vitro and In Silico Anti-Arboviral Activities of Dihalogenated Phenolic Derivates of L-Tyrosine.

Despite the serious public health problem represented by the diseases caused by dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV) and chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses, there are still no specific licensed antivirals available for their treatment. Here, we examined the potential anti-arbovirus activity of ten di-halogenated compounds derived from L-tyrosine with modifications in amine and carboxyl groups. The activity of compounds on VERO cell line infection and the possible mechanism of action of the most promising compounds were evaluated. Finally, molecular docking between the compounds and viral and cellular proteins was evaluated in silico with Autodock Vina®, and the molecular dynamic with Gromacs®. Only two compounds (TDC-2M-ME and TDB-2M-ME) inhibited both ZIKV and CHIKV. Within the possible mechanism, in CHIKV, the two compounds decreased the number of genome copies and in the pre-treatment strategy the infectious viral particles. In the ZIKV model, only TDB-2M-ME inhibited the viral protein and demonstrate a virucidal effect. Moreover, in the U937 cell line infected with CHIKV, both compounds inhibited the viral protein and TDB-2M-ME inhibited the viral genome too. Finally, the in silico results showed a favorable binding energy between the compounds and the helicases of both viral models, the NSP3 of CHIKV and cellular proteins DDC and ß2 adrenoreceptor.

Structural insights into viral RNA capping and plasma membrane targeting by Chikungunya virus nonstructural protein 1.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes a debilitating arthralgic inflammatory disease in humans. The multifunctional CHIKV protein, nsP1, facilitates virus RNA replication and transcription by anchoring the viral replication complex (RC) to plasma membrane vesicles and synthesizing the viral RNA 5' cap-0. Here, we report a cryo-EM structure of CHIKV nsP1 at 2.38 Å resolution. Twelve copies of nsP1 form a crown-shaped ring structure with a 7.5-nm-wide channel for mediating communication and exchange between the viral RC and the host cell. The catalytic site for viral RNA capping is located in a tunnel that is shaped by neighboring nsP1 molecules. Two membrane-association loops target nsP1 to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane via palmitoylation and hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Our study provides the structural basis of viral RNA capping and RC assembly mediated by nsP1 and guides the development of antivirals targeting these essential steps of virus infection.

Role of nuclear localization signals in the DNA delivery function of Chikungunya virus capsid protein.

Capsids of several RNA viruses are reported to have unconventional roles attributed to their subcellular trafficking property. The capsid of CHIKV is also found to localize in the nucleus, but the rationale is not yet clear. To understand the role of the nuclear-localized capsid, we examined the nucleic acid binding and cargo delivery activity of the CHIKV capsid. We used bacterially purified capsid protein to probe the binding affinity with CHIKV genome-specific and non-specific nucleic acids. We found that the capsid was able to bind non-specifically to different forms of nucleic acids. The successful transfection of GFP-tagged plasmid DNA by CHIKV capsid protein shows the DNA delivery ability of the protein. Further, we selected and investigated the DNA binding and cargo delivery activity of commercially synthesized Nuclear Localization Signal sequences (NLS 1 and NLS2) of capsid protein. Both peptides showed comparable DNA binding affinity, however, only the NLS1 peptide was capable of delivering plasmid DNA inside the cell. Furthermore, the cellular uptake study using the FITC-labelled NLS1 peptide was performed to highlight the membrane penetrating ability. Structural analysis was performed using circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopy to elucidate the transfection ability of the NLS1 peptides. Our findings suggest that the capsid of CHIKV might influence cellular trafficking in the infected cell via non-specific interactions. Our study also indicates the significance of NLS sequences in the multifunctionality of CHIKV capsid protein.

Novel modulators of p53-signaling encoded by unknown genes of emerging viruses.

The p53 transcription factor plays a key role both in cancer and in the cell-intrinsic response to infections. The ORFEOME project hypothesized that novel p53-virus interactions reside in hitherto uncharacterized, unknown, or hypothetical open reading frames (orfs) of human viruses. Hence, 172 orfs of unknown function from the emerging viruses SARS-Coronavirus, MERS-Coronavirus, influenza, Ebola, Zika (ZIKV), Chikungunya and Kaposi Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) were de novo synthesized, validated and tested in a functional screen of p53 signaling. This screen revealed novel mechanisms of p53 virus interactions and two viral proteins KSHV orf10 and ZIKV NS2A binding to p53. Originally identified as the target of small DNA tumor viruses, these experiments reinforce the notion that all viruses, including RNA viruses, interfere with p53 functions. These results validate this resource for analogous systems biology approaches to identify functional properties of uncharacterized viral proteins, long non-coding RNAs and micro RNAs.

Pyrimidone inhibitors targeting Chikungunya Virus nsP3 macrodomain by fragment-based drug design.

The macrodomain of nsP3 (nsP3MD) is highly conserved among the alphaviruses and ADP-ribosylhydrolase activity of Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) nsP3MD is critical for CHIKV viral replication and virulence. No small molecule drugs targeting CHIKV nsP3 have been identified to date. Here we report small fragments that bind to nsP3MD which were discovered by virtually screening a fragment library and X-ray crystallography. These identified fragments share a similar scaffold, 2-pyrimidone-4-carboxylic acid, and are specifically bound to the ADP-ribose binding site of nsP3MD. Among the fragments, 2-oxo-5,6-benzopyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid showed anti-CHIKV activity with an IC50 of 23 µM. Our fragment-based drug discovery approach provides valuable information to further develop a specific and potent nsP3 inhibitor of CHIKV viral replication based on the 2-pyrimidone-4-carboxylic acid scaffold. In silico studies suggest this pyrimidone scaffold could also bind to the macrodomains of other alphaviruses and coronaviruses and thus, have potential pan-antiviral activity.

Role of Chikungunya nsP3 in Regulating G3BP1 Activity, Stress Granule Formation and Drug Efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Ras-GTPase activating protein SH3-domain-binding proteins (G3BP) are a small family of RNA-binding proteins implicated in regulating gene expression. Changes in expression of G3BPs are correlated to several cancers including thyroid, colon, pancreatic and breast cancer. G3BPs are important regulators of stress granule (SG) formation and function. SG are ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles that respond to cellular stresses to triage mRNA resulting in transcripts being selectively degraded, stored or translated resulting in a change of gene expression which confers a survival response to the cell. These changes in gene expression contribute to the development of drug resistance. Many RNA viruses, including Chikungunya (and potentially Coronavirus), dismantle SG so that the cell cannot respond to the viral infection. Non-structural protein 3 (nsP3), from the Chikungunya virus, has been shown to translocate G3BP away from SG. Interestingly in cancer cells, the formation of SG is correlated to drug-resistance and blocking SG formation has been shown to reestablish the efficacy of the anticancer drug bortezomib. METHODS: Chikungunya nsP3 was transfected into breast cancer cell lines T47D and MCF7 to disrupt SG formation. Changes in the cytotoxicity of bortezomib were measured. RESULTS: Bortezomib cytotoxicity in breast cancer cell lines changed with a 22 fold decrease in its IC50 for T47D and a 7 fold decrease for MCF7 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Chikungunya nsP3 disrupts SG formation. As a result, it increases the cytotoxicity of the FDA approved drug, bortezomib. In addition, the increased cytotoxicity appears to correlate to improved bortezomib selectivity when compared to control cell lines.