Inhibition of murine coronavirus RNA synthesis by hydroxyguanidine derivatives.

A series of hydroxyguanidine derivatives, which are substituted salicylaldehyde Schiff-bases of 1-amino-3- hydroxyguanidine tosylate, were tested for the inhibition of RNA synthesis of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). It was shown that these compounds could selectively inhibit virus-specific RNA synthesis. Every aspect of viral RNA synthesis, including synthesis of negative-stranded RNA, subgenomic mRNA transcription and genomic RNA replication, was inhibited to roughly the same extent. These compounds are the first known inhibitors of coronaviral RNA synthesis and should prove useful for understanding the mechanism of viral RNA synthesis.