Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41188384›Full record

ArticleNature microbiology2025

Structural and mechanistic insights into herpesvirus helicase-primase and its therapeutic inhibitors.

Qing Yao, Alexandre Mercier, Arabinda Nayak, Lindsey May, Pui Yan Ho, Ariel Lewis-Ballester, Varsha Nair, Annapurna Sapre, Thomas Aeschbacher, Jit Mukherjee and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
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

15 authors.

Qing YaoGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA. qing.yao1@gilead.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3575-9909
Alexandre MercierGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA. alexandre.mercier@gilead.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-1651-334X
Arabinda NayakGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Lindsey MayGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Pui Yan HoGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Ariel Lewis-BallesterGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Varsha NairGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-8121-9052
Annapurna SapreGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Thomas AeschbacherGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Jit MukherjeeGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Christopher RichardsGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0832-8951
Roberto MateoGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Aesop ChoGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.
Eric LansdonGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9461-1475
Xinchao YuGilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) helicase-primase (HP) complex is a promising anti-herpes therapeutic target. However, progress in developing highly effective small-molecule HP inhibitors (HPIs) for the treatment of genital herpes has been hindered by the lack of structural information on the HP complex and the incomplete understanding of the mechanism of action of HPIs. Here we present the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of the HSV-1 HP apo-complex (3.8 Å), along with structures bound to pritelivir (3.2 Å) and amenamevir (3.2 Å)-two clinically active, chemically distinct HPIs. The potency of both inhibitors against HSV variants bearing mutations within the HPI binding pocket supports the high-resolution mapping of key molecular interactions while revealing residues that govern their antiviral spectrum against alphaherpesviruses. Our results provide important insight into the unique architecture of the HP complex and the mechanism of inhibition of HPIs, paving the way for the development of next-generation antivirals to treat herpesvirus infections.

Indexed as

Antiviral AgentsDNA HelicasesDNA PrimaseEnzyme InhibitorsHerpesvirus 1, HumanViral ProteinsBinding SitesCryoelectron MicroscopyGuanineHumansModels, MolecularOxadiazolesProtein BindingPyridinesSulfonamidesThiazolesAntiviral AgentsASP2151DNA HelicasesDNA PrimaseEnzyme InhibitorsGuaninehelicase-primase, Human herpesvirus 1OxadiazolespritelivirPyridinesSulfonamidesThiazolesViral Proteins

Identifiers

PMID41188384
PMCPMC12669039

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.