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 K d 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.