First Anti-ToCV Activity Evaluation of Glucopyranoside Derivatives Containing a Dithioacetal Moiety through a Novel ToCVCP-Oriented Screening Method

Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) is
a newly reported plant virus that
has rapidly spread to all parts of the world, resulting in a serious
decline in tomato quality and yield due to the lack of effective control
agents. In this study, the ToCV coat protein (ToCVCP) was expressed
and purified in Escherichia coli, and a series of
novel glucopyranoside derivatives containing a dithioacetal moiety
was designed and synthesized. The binding affinity of these compounds
to ToCVCP was determined using microscale thermophoresis. Results
revealed that compounds 6b and 8a interacted
with ToCVCP with Kd values of 0.12 and
0.21 μM, respectively. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase
chain reaction was used to evaluate the anti-ToCV activity of 6b and 8a in vivo, and both significantly reduced
the expression level of ToCVCP gene in tomato compared with commercial
antivirus agents. This study provides an efficient and convenient
screening method for anti-ToCV agents and reliable support for the
development of novel agrochemicals for ToCV.