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Ghelichkhani F, Gonzalez FA, Kapitonova MA, Rozovsky S. Selenoprotein S Interacts with the Replication and Transcription Complex of SARS-CoV-2 by Binding nsp7. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168008. [PMID: 36773692 PMCID: PMC9911985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) replicates and evades detection using ER membranes and their associated protein machinery. Among these hijacked human proteins is selenoprotein S (selenos). This selenoprotein takes part in the protein quality control, signaling, and the regulation of cytokine secretion. While the role of selenos in the viral life cycle is not yet known, it has been reported to interact with SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein 7 (nsp7), a viral protein essential for the replication of the virus. We set to study whether selenos and nsp7 interact directly and if they can still bind when nsp7 is bound to the replication and transcription complex of the virus. Using biochemical assays, we show that selenos binds directly to nsp7. In addition, we found that selenos can bind to nsp7 when it is in a complex with the coronavirus's minimal replication and transcription complex, comprised of nsp7, nsp8, and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase nsp12. In addition, through crosslinking experiments, we mapped the interaction sites of selenos and nsp7 in the replication complex and showed that the hydrophobic segment of selenos is essential for binding to nsp7. This arrangement leaves an extended helix and the intrinsically disordered segment of selenos-including the reactive selenocysteine-exposed and free to potentially recruit additional proteins to the replication and transcription complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farid Ghelichkhani
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Fabio A Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Mariia A Kapitonova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Sharon Rozovsky
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
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Gurjar V, Iqra Kamil S, Chandra A, Qamar I, Singh N. Drugs swapping in coronavirus strains: a structural biology view. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:13488-13495. [PMID: 36744537 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2175037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus belongs to the coronaviridae family, having a single-stranded RNA as genetic material of 26-42 kb in size. The first coronavirus infection emerged in 2002, caused by SARS-CoV1. Since then, genome sequences and three-dimensional structures of crucial proteins and enzymes of the virus have been studied in detail. The novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak has caused the COVID19 pandemic, which is responsible for the deaths of millions of people worldwide. The nCoV was later renamed as SARS-CoV2. The details of most of the COV proteins are available at the atomic and molecular levels. The entire genome is made up of 12 open reading frames that code for 27 different proteins. The spike surface glycoprotein, the envelope protein, the nucleocapsid protein, and the membrane protein are the four structural proteins which are required for virus attachment, entrance, assembly, and pathogenicity. The remaining proteins encoded are called non-structural (NSPs) and support the survival of the virus. Several non-structural proteins are also validated targets for drug development against coronavirus and are being used for drug design purposes. To perform a comparative study, sequences and three-dimensional structures of four crucial viral enzymes, Mpro, PLpro, RdRp, and EndoU from SARS-CoV1 and SARS-CoV2 variants were analyzed. The key structural elements and ligands recognizing amino acid residues were found to be similar in enzymes from both strains. The significant sequences and structural resemblance also suggest that a drug developed either for SARS-CoV1 or SARS-CoV2 using these enzymes may also have the potential to cross-react.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishali Gurjar
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Saiyada Iqra Kamil
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Anshuman Chandra
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Imteyaz Qamar
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nagendra Singh
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Kumar P, Kumar A, Garg N, Giri R. An insight into SARS-CoV-2 membrane protein interaction with spike, envelope, and nucleocapsid proteins. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:1062-1071. [PMID: 34913847 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.2016490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Intraviral protein-protein interactions are crucial for replication, pathogenicity, and viral assembly. Among these, virus assembly is a critical step as it regulates the arrangements of viral structural proteins and helps in the encapsulation of genomic material. SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins play an essential role in the self-rearrangement, RNA encapsulation, and mature virus particle formation. In SARS-CoV, the membrane protein interacts with the envelope and spike protein in Endoplasmic Reticulum Golgi Intermediate Complex (ERGIC) to form an assembly in the lipid bilayer, followed by membrane-ribonucleoprotein (nucleocapsid) interaction. In this study, we tried to understand the interaction of membrane protein's interaction with envelope, spike, and nucleocapsid proteins using protein-protein docking. Further, simulation studies were performed up to 100 ns to examine the stability of protein-protein complexes of Membrane-Envelope, Membrane-Spike, and Membrane-Nucleocapsid proteins. Prime MM-GBSA showed high binding energy calculations for the simulated structures than the docked complex. The interactions identified in our study will be of great importance, as it provides valuable insight into the protein-protein complex, which could be the potential drug targets for future studies.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateek Kumar
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Neha Garg
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rajanish Giri
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India
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54
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Wang M, Wu C, Liu N, Zhang F, Dong H, Wang S, Chen M, Jiang X, Zhang K, Gu L. SARS-CoV-2 RdRp uses NDPs as a substrate and is able to incorporate NHC into RNA from diphosphate form molnupiravir. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 226:946-955. [PMID: 36528144 PMCID: PMC9749393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.12.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 has been ravaging throughout the world for three years and has severely impaired both human health and the economy. The causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 employs the viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex for genome replication and transcription, making RdRp an appealing target for antiviral drug development. Systematic characterization of RdRp will undoubtedly aid in the development of antiviral drugs targeting RdRp. Here, our research reveals that RdRp can recognize and utilize nucleoside diphosphates as a substrate to synthesize RNA with an efficiency of about two thirds of using nucleoside triphosphates as a substrate. Nucleoside diphosphates incorporation is also template-specific and has high fidelity. Moreover, RdRp can incorporate β-d-N4-hydroxycytidine into RNA while using diphosphate form molnupiravir as a substrate. This incorporation results in genome mutation and virus death. It is also observed that diphosphate form molnupiravir is a better substrate for RdRp than the triphosphate form molnupiravir, presenting a new strategy for drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maofeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Cancan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Nan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Fengyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Hongjie Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Shuai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Min Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Xiaoqiong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China
| | - Kundi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China.
| | - Lichuan Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao 266237, PR China.
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Chinthapatla R, Sotoudegan M, Srivastava P, Anderson TK, Moustafa I, Passow K, Kennelly S, Moorthy R, Dulin D, Feng J, Harki D, Kirchdoerfer R, Cameron C, Arnold J. Interfering with nucleotide excision by the coronavirus 3'-to-5' exoribonuclease. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:315-336. [PMID: 36546762 PMCID: PMC9841423 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Some of the most efficacious antiviral therapeutics are ribonucleos(t)ide analogs. The presence of a 3'-to-5' proofreading exoribonuclease (ExoN) in coronaviruses diminishes the potency of many ribonucleotide analogs. The ability to interfere with ExoN activity will create new possibilities for control of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ExoN is formed by a 1:1 complex of nsp14 and nsp10 proteins. We have purified and characterized ExoN using a robust, quantitative system that reveals determinants of specificity and efficiency of hydrolysis. Double-stranded RNA is preferred over single-stranded RNA. Nucleotide excision is distributive, with only one or two nucleotides hydrolyzed in a single binding event. The composition of the terminal basepair modulates excision. A stalled SARS-CoV-2 replicase in complex with either correctly or incorrectly terminated products prevents excision, suggesting that a mispaired end is insufficient to displace the replicase. Finally, we have discovered several modifications to the 3'-RNA terminus that interfere with or block ExoN-catalyzed excision. While a 3'-OH facilitates hydrolysis of a nucleotide with a normal ribose configuration, this substituent is not required for a nucleotide with a planar ribose configuration such as that present in the antiviral nucleotide produced by viperin. Design of ExoN-resistant, antiviral ribonucleotides should be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rukesh Chinthapatla
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mohamad Sotoudegan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Pankaj Srivastava
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Thomas K Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ibrahim M Moustafa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kellan T Passow
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Samantha A Kennelly
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ramkumar Moorthy
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David Dulin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and LaserLaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Junior Research Group 2, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Cauerstr. 3, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Joy Y Feng
- Gilead Sciences, Inc, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
| | - Daniel A Harki
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Robert N Kirchdoerfer
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Craig E Cameron
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jamie J Arnold
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Naidu SAG, Mustafa G, Clemens RA, Naidu AS. Plant-Derived Natural Non-Nucleoside Analog Inhibitors (NNAIs) against RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Complex (nsp7/nsp8/nsp12) of SARS-CoV-2. J Diet Suppl 2023; 20:254-283. [PMID: 34850656 DOI: 10.1080/19390211.2021.2006387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of fast-spreading SARS-CoV-2 mutants has sparked a new phase of COVID-19 pandemic. There is a dire necessity for antivirals targeting highly conserved genomic domains on SARS-CoV-2 that are less prone to mutation. The nsp12, also known as the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp), the core component of 'SARS-CoV-2 replication-transcription complex', is a potential well-conserved druggable antiviral target. Several FDA-approved RdRp 'nucleotide analog inhibitors (NAIs)' such as remdesivir, have been repurposed to treat COVID-19 infections. The NAIs target RdRp protein translation and competitively block the nucleotide insertion into the RNA chain, resulting in the inhibition of viral replication. However, the replication proofreading function of nsp14-ExoN could provide resistance to SARS-CoV-2 against many NAIs. Conversely, the 'non-nucleoside analog inhibitors (NNAIs)' bind to allosteric sites on viral polymerase surface, change the redox state; thereby, exert antiviral activity by altering interactions between the enzyme substrate and active core catalytic site of the RdRp. NNAIs neither require metabolic activation (unlike NAIs) nor compete with intracellular pool of nucleotide triphosphates (NTPs) for anti-RdRp activity. The NNAIs from phytonutrient origin are potential antiviral candidates compared to their synthetic counterparts. Several in-silico studies reported the antiviral spectrum of natural phytonutrient-NNAIs such as Suramin, Silibinin (flavonolignan), Theaflavin (tea polyphenol), Baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone), Corilagin (gallotannin), Hesperidin (citrus bioflavonoid), Lycorine (pyrrolidine alkaloid), with superior redox characteristics (free binding energy, hydrogen-bonds, etc.) than antiviral drugs (i.e. remdesivir, favipiravir). These phytonutrient-NNAIs also exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and cardioprotective functions, with multifunctional therapeutic benefits in the clinical management of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ghulam Mustafa
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Roger A Clemens
- Department of International Regulatory Science, University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Meng W, Guo S, Cao S, Shuda M, Robinson‐McCarthy LR, McCarthy KR, Shuda Y, Paniz Mondolfi AE, Bryce C, Grimes Z, Sordillo EM, Cordon‐Cardo C, Li P, Zhang H, Perlman S, Guo H, Gao S, Chang Y, Moore PS. Development and characterization of a new monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 NSP12 (RdRp). J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28246. [PMID: 36271490 PMCID: PMC9874566 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 NSP12, the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), is required for viral replication and is a therapeutic target to treat COVID-19. To facilitate research on SARS-CoV-2 NSP12 protein, we developed a rat monoclonal antibody (CM12.1) against the NSP12 N-terminus that can facilitate functional studies. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) confirmed the specific detection of NSP12 protein by this antibody for cells overexpressing the protein. Although NSP12 is generated from the ORF1ab polyprotein, IFA of human autopsy COVID-19 lung samples revealed NSP12 expression in only a small fraction of lung cells including goblet, club-like, vascular endothelial cells, and a range of immune cells, despite wide-spread tissue expression of spike protein antigen. Similar studies using in vitro infection also generated scant protein detection in cells with established virus replication. These results suggest that NSP12 may have diminished steady-state expression or extensive posttranslation modifications that limit antibody reactivity during SARS-CoV-2 replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Meng
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Siying Guo
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Simon Cao
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Masahiro Shuda
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Lindsey R. Robinson‐McCarthy
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Kevin R. McCarthy
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Center for Vaccine ResearchUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Yoko Shuda
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Alberto E. Paniz Mondolfi
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell‐Based MedicineIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Clare Bryce
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell‐Based MedicineIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Zachary Grimes
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell‐Based MedicineIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Emilia M. Sordillo
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell‐Based MedicineIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Carlos Cordon‐Cardo
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell‐Based MedicineIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Pengfei Li
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Hu Zhang
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Stanley Perlman
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Haitao Guo
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Shou‐Jiang Gao
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Yuan Chang
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Patrick S. Moore
- Cancer Virology ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
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Sarkar M, Saha S. Modeling of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Proteins: Implications on Its Proteome. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2627:265-299. [PMID: 36959453 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2974-1_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by a group of beta coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is similar to previous SARS- and MERS-causing strains and has infected nearly six hundred and fifty million people all over the globe, while the death toll has crossed the six million mark (as of December, 2022). In this chapter, we look at how computational modeling approaches of the viral proteins could help us understand the various processes in the viral life cycle inside the host, an understanding of which might provide key insights in mitigating this and future threats. This understanding helps us identify key targets for the purpose of drug discovery and vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Sarkar
- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (HTW) Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- MedInsights SAS, Paris, France
| | - Soham Saha
- MedInsights, Veuilly la Poterie, France.
- MedInsights SAS, Paris, France.
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59
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Tsang HF, Yu ACS, Yim AKY, Jin N, Wu YO, Cheng HYL, Cheung WL, Leung WMS, Lam KW, Hung TN, Chan L, Chiou J, Pei XM, Lee OYA, Cho WCS, Wong SCC. The clinical characteristics of pediatric patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and whole viral genome sequencing analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282389. [PMID: 36897843 PMCID: PMC10004545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Pediatric population was generally less affected clinically by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Few pediatric cases of COVID-19 have been reported compared to those reported in infected adults. However, a rapid increase in the hospitalization rate of SARS-CoV-2 infected pediatric patients was observed during Omicron variant dominated COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we analyzed the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) genome sequences collected from pediatric patients by whole viral genome amplicon sequencing using Illumina next generation sequencing platform, followed by phylogenetic analysis. The demographic, epidemiologic and clinical data of these pediatric patients are also reported in this study. Fever, cough, running nose, sore throat and vomiting were the more commonly reported symptoms in children infected by Omicron variant. A novel frameshift mutation was found in the ORF1b region (NSP12) of the genome of Omicron variant. Seven mutations were identified in the target regions of the WHO listed SARS-CoV-2 primers and probes. On protein level, eighty-three amino acid substitutions and fifteen amino acid deletions were identified. Our results indicate that asymptomatic infection and transmission among children infected by Omicron subvariants BA.2.2 and BA.2.10.1 are not common. Omicron may have different pathogenesis in pediatric population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hin Fung Tsang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Pathology, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- * E-mail: (HFT); (SCCW)
| | | | | | - Nana Jin
- Codex Genetics Limited, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yu On Wu
- Department of Applied Biology & Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hennie Yuk Lin Cheng
- Department of Applied Biology & Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - WL Cheung
- Department of Applied Biology & Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai Ming Stanley Leung
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Pathology, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Wai Lam
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Pathology, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tin Nok Hung
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Pathology, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Loiston Chan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Pathology, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiachi Chiou
- Department of Applied Biology & Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiao Meng Pei
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - On Ying Angela Lee
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Sze Chuen Cesar Wong
- Department of Applied Biology & Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- * E-mail: (HFT); (SCCW)
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60
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Petushkov I, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Effects of natural RNA modifications on the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. FEBS J 2023; 290:80-92. [PMID: 35916766 PMCID: PMC9538676 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) plays a key role in the replication of RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Processive RNA synthesis by RdRp is crucial for successful genome replication and expression, especially in the case of very long coronaviral genomes. Here, we analysed the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp (the nsp12-nsp7-nsp8 complex) on synthetic primer-templates of various structures, including substrates with mismatched primers or template RNA modifications. It has been shown that RdRp cannot efficiently extend RNA primers containing mismatches and has no intrinsic RNA cleavage activity to remove the primer 3'-end, thus necessitating the action of exoribonuclease for proofreading. Similar to DNA-dependent RNA polymerases, RdRp can perform processive pyrophosphorolysis of the nascent RNA product but this reaction is also blocked in the presence of mismatches. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that several natural post-transcriptional modifications in the RNA template, which do not prevent complementary interactions (N6-methyladenosine, 5-methylcytosine, inosine and pseudouridine), do not change RdRp processivity. At the same time, certain modifications of RNA bases and ribose residues strongly block RNA synthesis, either prior to nucleotide incorporation (3-methyluridine and 1-methylguanosine) or immediately after it (2'-O-methylation). The results demonstrate that the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp can be strongly inhibited by common modifications of the RNA template suggesting a way to design novel antiviral compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Petushkov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
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Alquraan L, Alzoubi KH, Rababa'h SY. Mutations of SARS-CoV-2 and their impact on disease diagnosis and severity. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2023; 39:101256. [PMID: 37131549 PMCID: PMC10127666 DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2023.101256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous variations of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), including D614G, B.1.1.7 (United Kingdom), B.1.1.28 (Brazil P1, P2), CAL.20C (Southern California), B.1.351 (South Africa), B.1.617 (B.1.617.1 Kappa & Delta B.1.617.2) and B.1.1.529, have been reported worldwide. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein is involved in virus-cell binding, where virus-neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) react. Novel variants in the S-protein could maximize viral affinity for the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and increase virus transmission. Molecular detection with false-negative results may refer to mutations in the part of the virus's genome used for virus diagnosis. Furthermore, these changes in S-protein structure alter the neutralizing ability of NAbs, resulting in a reduction in vaccine efficiency. Further information is needed to evaluate how new mutations may affect vaccine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laiali Alquraan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Karem H Alzoubi
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Suzie Y Rababa'h
- Department of Medical Science, Irbid Faculty, Al-Balqa Applied University (BAU), Irbid, Jordan
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Pundir H, Joshi T, Pant M, Bhat S, Pandey J, Chandra S, Tamta S. Identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase inhibitors using pharmacophore modelling, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation approaches. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13366-13377. [PMID: 34637693 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1987329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is one of the crucial enzymes in severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) catalysing the replication of RNA, therefore acts as a potential target for antiviral drug design. The fixation of a ligand in the active site of RdRp may alter the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. Present work aimed at identifying novel inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp enzyme by performing pharmacophore-based virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS). Initially, the pharmacophore model of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp was constructed and the resulting model was used to screen compounds from ChEMBL, ZINC and PubChem databases. During the investigation, 180 compounds were screened using the above model and subjected to molecular docking with RdRp. Two compounds viz. ChEMBL1276156 and PubChem135548348 showed a strong binding affinity with RdRp than its standard inhibitor, Remdesivir. Toxicity prediction of these two compounds reveals their non-toxic nature. These compounds were further subjected to MDS for 100 ns to check their stability after binding with RdRp. The MDS of RdRp-ChEMBL1276156 and RdRp-PubChem135548348 complexes show enhanced stability in comparison to the RdRp-Remdesivir complex. The average interaction energy calculated after 100 ns of MDS was -146.56 and -172.68 KJ mol-1 for RdRp-CHEMBL1276156 complex and RdRp-PubChem135548348 complex, respectively, while -59.90 KJ mol-1 for RdRp-Remdesivir complex. The current investigation reveals that these two compounds are potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and they could be tested in the experimental condition to evaluate their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemlata Pundir
- Department of Botany, D.S.B Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Tanuja Joshi
- Computational Biology & Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Manish Pant
- Department of Post-Harvest Process and Food Engineering, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sunaullah Bhat
- Insect Biosystematics & Insect-Pest Management Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Kumaun University-SSJ Campus, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Jyoti Pandey
- Computational Biology & Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Subhash Chandra
- Computational Biology & Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sushma Tamta
- Department of Botany, D.S.B Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
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63
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Patil SM, Martiz RM, Ramu R, Shirahatti PS, Prakash A, Chandra S J, Ranganatha VL. In silico identification of novel benzophenone-coumarin derivatives as SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13032-13048. [PMID: 34632942 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1978322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we propose our novel benzophenone-coumarin derivatives (BCDs) as potent inhibitors of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of SARS-CoV-2 virus, one of the key targets that are involved in the viral genome replication. We aim to evaluate the in silico antiviral potential of BCDs against this protein target, which involves molecular docking simulations, druglikeliness and pharmacokinetic evaluations, PASS analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and computing binding free energy. Out of all the BCDs screened through these parameters, BCD-8 was found to be the most efficient and potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. During molecular docking simulation, BCD-8 showed an extensive molecular interaction in comparison with that of the standard control used, remdesivir. The druglikeliness and pharmacokinetic analyses also proved the efficiency of BCD-8 as an effective drug without adverse effects. Further, pharmacological potential analysis through PASS depicted the antiviral property of BCD-8. With these findings, we performed molecular dynamics simulations, where BCD-8 edged out remdesivir with its exemplary stable interaction with SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. Furthermore, binding free energy of both BCD-8 and remdesivir was calculated, where BCD-8 showed a lower binding energy and standard deviations in comparison with that of remdesivir. Moreover, being a non-nucleoside analogue, BCD-8 can be used effectively against SARS-CoV-2, whereas nucleoside analogues like remdesivir may become non-functional or less functional due to exonuclease activity of nsp14 of the virus. Therefore, we propose BCD-8 as a SARS-CoV-2 RdRp inhibitor, showing higher predicted efficiency than remdesivir in all the in silico experiments conducted.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashank M Patil
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Reshma Mary Martiz
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Ramith Ramu
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Ashwini Prakash
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Jagadeep Chandra S
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - V Lakshmi Ranganatha
- Department of Chemistry, The National Institute of Engineering, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
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64
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Ahmed S, Mahtarin R, Islam MS, Das S, Al Mamun A, Ahmed SS, Ali MA. Remdesivir analogs against SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:11111-11124. [PMID: 34315339 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1955743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has already taken many lives but is still continuing its spread and exerting jeopardizing effects. This study is aimed to find the most potent ligands from 703 analogs of remdesivir against RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus . RdRp is a major part of a multi-subunit transcription complex of the virus, which is essential for viral replication. In clinical trials, it has been found that remdesivir is effective to inhibit viral replication in Ebola and in primary human lung cell cultures; it effectively impedes replication of a broad-spectrum pre-pandemic bat coronaviruses and epidemic human coronaviruses. After virtual screening, 30 most potent ligands and remdesivir were modified with triphosphate. Quantum mechanics-based quantitative structure-activity relationship envisages the binding energy for ligands applying partial least square (PLS) regression. PLS regression remarkably predicts the binding energy of the effective ligands with an accuracy of 80% compared to the value attained from molecular docking. Two ligands (L4:58059550 and L28:126719083), which have more interactions with the target protein than the other ligands including standard remdesivir triphosphate, were selected for further analysis. Molecular dynamics simulation is done to assess the stability and dynamic nature of the drug-protein complex. Binding-free energy results via PRODIGY server and molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area method depict that the potential and solvation energies play a crucial role. Considering all computational analysis, we recommend the best remdesivir analogs can be utilized for efficacy test through in vitro and in vivo trials against SARS-CoV-2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinthyia Ahmed
- Division of Computer Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rumana Mahtarin
- Division of Computer Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Shamiul Islam
- Division of Computer Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Susmita Das
- Division of Computer Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abdulla Al Mamun
- Key Laboratory of Soft Chemistry and Functional Materials of MOE, School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Sayeda Samina Ahmed
- Division of Computer Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ackas Ali
- Division of Computer Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Sharma PP, Kumar S, Srivastava S, Srivastava M, Jee B, Gorobets NY, Kumar D, Kumar M, Asthana S, Zhang P, Poonam, Zoltner M, Rathi B. Computational study of novel inhibitory molecule, 1-(4-((2 S,3 S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyl)piperazin-1-yl)-3-phenylurea, with high potential to competitively block ATP binding to the RNA dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2 virus. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:10162-10180. [PMID: 34151735 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1940281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
For coronaviruses, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is an essential enzyme that catalyses the replication from RNA template and therefore remains an attractive therapeutic target for anti-COVID drug discovery. In the present study, we performed a comprehensive in silico screening for 16,776 potential molecules from recently established drug libraries based on two important pharmacophores (3-amino-4-phenylbutan-2-ol and piperazine). Based on initial assessment, 4042 molecules were obtained suitable as drug candidates, which were following Lipinski's rule. Molecular docking implemented for the analysis of molecular interactions narrowed this number of compounds down to 19. Subsequent to screening filtering criteria and considering the critical parameters viz. docking score and MM-GBSA binding free energy, 1-(4-((2S,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyl)piperazin-1-yl)-3-phenylurea (compound 1) was accomplished to score highest in comparison to the remaining 18 shortlisted drug candidates. Notably, compound 1 displayed higher docking score (-8.069 kcal/mol) and MM-GBSA binding free energy (-49.56 kcal/mol) than the control drug, remdesivir triphosphate, the active form of remdesivir as well as adenosine triphosphate. Furthermore, a molecular dynamics simulation was carried out (100 ns), which substantiated the candidacy of compound 1 as better inhibitor. Overall, our systematic in silico study predicts the potential of compound 1 to exhibit a more favourable specific activity than remdesivir triphosphate. Hence, we suggest compound 1 as a novel potential drug candidate, which should be considered for further exploration and validation of its potential against SARS-CoV-2 in wet lab experimental studies.Communicated by Ramasawamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prem Prakash Sharma
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Sumit Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Sukrit Srivastava
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.,Infection Biology Group, Indian Foundation for Fundamental Research, Rae Bareli, India
| | - Mitul Srivastava
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana, India
| | - Babban Jee
- Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India, New Delhi, India
| | - Nikolay Yu Gorobets
- Department of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, State Scientific Institution 'Institute for Single Crystals' of National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Dhruv Kumar
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shailendra Asthana
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana, India
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Poonam
- Department of Chemistry, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Martin Zoltner
- Drug Discovery and Evaluation Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Brijesh Rathi
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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66
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Lei S, Chen X, Wu J, Duan X, Men K. Small molecules in the treatment of COVID-19. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:387. [PMID: 36464706 PMCID: PMC9719906 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01249-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has become a global crisis, and brought severe disruptions to societies and economies. Until now, effective therapeutics against COVID-19 are in high demand. Along with our improved understanding of the structure, function, and pathogenic process of SARS-CoV-2, many small molecules with potential anti-COVID-19 effects have been developed. So far, several antiviral strategies were explored. Besides directly inhibition of viral proteins such as RdRp and Mpro, interference of host enzymes including ACE2 and proteases, and blocking relevant immunoregulatory pathways represented by JAK/STAT, BTK, NF-κB, and NLRP3 pathways, are regarded feasible in drug development. The development of small molecules to treat COVID-19 has been achieved by several strategies, including computer-aided lead compound design and screening, natural product discovery, drug repurposing, and combination therapy. Several small molecules representative by remdesivir and paxlovid have been proved or authorized emergency use in many countries. And many candidates have entered clinical-trial stage. Nevertheless, due to the epidemiological features and variability issues of SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary to continue exploring novel strategies against COVID-19. This review discusses the current findings in the development of small molecules for COVID-19 treatment. Moreover, their detailed mechanism of action, chemical structures, and preclinical and clinical efficacies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibei Lei
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaohua Chen
- grid.54549.390000 0004 0369 4060Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072 China
| | - Jieping Wu
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingmei Duan
- grid.54549.390000 0004 0369 4060Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072 China
| | - Ke Men
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 People’s Republic of China
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67
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Progress on COVID-19 Chemotherapeutics Discovery and Novel Technology. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27238257. [PMID: 36500347 PMCID: PMC9736643 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel highly contagious and pathogenic coronavirus that emerged in late 2019. SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily through virus-containing droplets and small particles of air pollution, which greatly increases the risk of inhaling these virus particles when people are in close proximity. COVID-19 is spreading across the world, and the COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to human health and public safety. To date, there are no specific vaccines or effective drugs against SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we focus on the enzyme targets of the virus and host that may be critical for the discovery of chemical compounds and natural products as antiviral drugs, and describe the development of potential antiviral drugs in the preclinical and clinical stages. At the same time, we summarize novel emerging technologies applied to the research on new drug development and the pathological mechanisms of COVID-19.
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68
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Xu X, Chen Y, Lu X, Zhang W, Fang W, Yuan L, Wang X. An update on inhibitors targeting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase for COVID-19 treatment: Promises and challenges. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 205:115279. [PMID: 36209840 PMCID: PMC9535928 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The highly transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen of the COVID-19 pandemic, bring new waves of infection worldwide. Identification of effective therapeutic drugs to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is an urgent global need. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), an essential enzyme for viral RNA replication, is the most promising target for antiviral drug research since it has no counterpart in human cells and shows the highest conservation across coronaviruses. This review summarizes recent progress in studies of RdRp inhibitors, focusing on interactions between these inhibitors and the enzyme complex, based on structural analysis, and their effectiveness. In addition, we propose new possible strategies to address the shortcomings of current inhibitors, which may guide the development of novel efficient inhibitors to combat COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Xu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China.
| | - Yuheng Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Xinyu Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 311402, China
| | - Wanlin Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 311402, China
| | - Wenxiu Fang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 311402, China
| | - Luping Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 311402, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 311402, China.
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69
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Dey R, Samadder A, Nandi S. Exploring the Targets of Novel Corona Virus and Docking-based Screening of Potential Natural Inhibitors to Combat COVID-19. Curr Top Med Chem 2022; 22:2410-2434. [PMID: 36281864 DOI: 10.2174/1568026623666221020163831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
There is a need to explore natural compounds against COVID-19 due to their multitargeted actions against various targets of nCoV. They act on multiple sites rather than single targets against several diseases. Thus, there is a possibility that natural resources can be repurposed to combat COVID-19. However, the biochemical mechanisms of these inhibitors were not known. To reveal the mode of anti-nCoV action, structure-based docking plays a major role. The present study is an attempt to explore various potential targets of SARS-CoV-2 and the structure-based screening of various potential natural inhibitors to combat the novel coronavirus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishita Dey
- Department of Zoology, Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Lab., University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, 741235, India.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Global Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Affiliated to Uttarakhand Technical University), Kashipur, 244713, India
| | - Asmita Samadder
- Department of Zoology, Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Lab., University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, 741235, India
| | - Sisir Nandi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Global Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Affiliated to Uttarakhand Technical University), Kashipur, 244713, India
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Inhibition of Viral RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases by Nucleoside Inhibitors: An Illustration of the Unity and Diversity of Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012649. [PMID: 36293509 PMCID: PMC9604226 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) is essential for the replication and expression of RNA viral genomes. This class of viruses comprise a large number of highly pathogenic agents that infect essentially all species of plants and animals including humans. Infections often lead to epidemics and pandemics that have remained largely out of control due to the lack of specific and reliable preventive and therapeutic regimens. This unmet medical need has led to the exploration of new antiviral targets, of which RdRP is a major one, due to the fact of its obligatory need in virus growth. Recent studies have demonstrated the ability of several synthetic nucleoside analogs to serve as mimics of the corresponding natural nucleosides. These mimics cause stalling/termination of RdRP, or misincorporation, preventing virus replication or promoting large-scale lethal mutations. Several such analogs have received clinical approval and are being routinely used in therapy. In parallel, the molecular structural basis of their inhibitory interactions with RdRP is being elucidated, revealing both traditional and novel mechanisms including a delayed chain termination effect. This review offers a molecular commentary on these mechanisms along with their clinical implications based on analyses of recent results, which should facilitate the rational design of structure-based antiviral drugs.
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71
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Shannon A, Sama B, Gauffre P, Guez T, Debart F, Vasseur JJ, Decroly E, Canard B, Ferron F. A second type of N7-guanine RNA cap methyltransferase in an unusual locus of a large RNA virus genome. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:11186-11198. [PMID: 36265859 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The order Nidovirales is a diverse group of (+)RNA viruses, with a common genome organization and conserved set of replicative and editing enzymes. In particular, RNA methyltransferases play a central role in mRNA stability and immune escape. However, their presence and distribution in different Nidovirales families is not homogeneous. In Coronaviridae, the best characterized family, two distinct methytransferases perform methylation of the N7-guanine and 2'-OH of the RNA-cap to generate a cap-1 structure (m7GpppNm). The genes of both of these enzymes are located in the ORF1b genomic region. While 2'-O-MTases can be identified for most other families based on conservation of both sequence motifs and genetic loci, identification of the N7-guanine methyltransferase has proved more challenging. Recently, we identified a putative N7-MTase domain in the ORF1a region (N7-MT-1a) of certain members of the large genome Tobaniviridae family. Here, we demonstrate that this domain indeed harbors N7-specific methyltransferase activity. We present its structure as the first N7-specific Rossmann-fold (RF) MTase identified for (+)RNA viruses, making it remarkably different from that of the known Coronaviridae ORF1b N7-MTase gene. We discuss the evolutionary implications of such an appearance in this unexpected location in the genome, which introduces a split-off in the classification of Tobaniviridae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh Shannon
- Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Bhawna Sama
- Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre Gauffre
- Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Théo Guez
- IBMM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | - Françoise Debart
- IBMM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Etienne Decroly
- Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Canard
- Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France.,European Virus Bioinformatics Center, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - François Ferron
- Aix-Marseille Université and CNRS, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 7257, 13009, Marseille, France.,European Virus Bioinformatics Center, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
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Pourfarjam Y, Ma Z, Kim IK. ATP enhances the error-prone ribonucleotide incorporation by the SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 625:53-59. [PMID: 35947915 PMCID: PMC9344795 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.07.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) has caused a global pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome is replicated by a conserved "core" replication-transcription complex (RTC) containing an error-prone RNA-dependent RNA polymerase holoenzyme (holo-RdRp, nsp12-nsp7-nsp8) and a RNA proofreading nuclease (nsp14-nsp10). Although structures and functions of SARS-CoV-2 holo-RdRp have been extensively studied and ribonucleotide-analog inhibitors, such as Remdesivir, have been treated for COVID-19 patients, the substrate and nucleotide specificity of SARS-CoV-2 holo-RdRp remain unknown. Here, our biochemical analysis of SARS-CoV-2 holo-RdRp reveals that it has a robust DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity, in addition to its intrinsic RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity. Strikingly, SARS-CoV-2 holo-RdRp fully extends RNAs with a low-fidelity even when only ATP and pyrimidine nucleotides, in particular CTP, are provided. This ATP-dependent error-prone ribonucleotide incorporation by SARS-CoV-2 holo-RdRp resists excision by the RNA proofreading nuclease in vitro. Our collective results suggest that a physiological concentration of ATP likely contributes to promoting the error-prone incorporation of ribonucleotides and ribonucleotide-analogs by SARS-CoV-2 holo-RdRp and provide a useful foundation to develop ribonucleotide analogs as an effective therapeutic strategy to combat coronavirus-mediated outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasin Pourfarjam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, 301 Clifton Ct, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, 301 Clifton Ct, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - In-Kwon Kim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, 301 Clifton Ct, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
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73
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Mir SA, Alaidarous M, Alshehri B, Bin Dukhyil AA, Banawas S, Madkhali Y, Alsagaby SA, Al Othaim A. Immunoinformatics-Based Identification of B and T Cell Epitopes in RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase of SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10101660. [PMID: 36298525 PMCID: PMC9611076 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10101660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which emerged in December 2019, is a serious health concern throughout the world. Despite massive COVID-19 vaccination on a global scale, there is a rising need to develop more effective vaccines and drugs to curb the spread of coronavirus. METHODOLOGY In this study, we screened the amino acid sequence of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19) for the identification of B and T cell epitopes using various immunoinformatic tools. These identified potent B and T cell epitopes with high antigenicity scores were linked together to design the multi-epitope vaccine construct. The physicochemical properties, overall quality, and stability of the designed vaccine construct were confirmed by suitable bioinformatic tools. RESULTS After proper in silico prediction and screening, we identified 3 B cell, 18 CTL, and 10 HTL epitopes from the RdRp protein sequence. The screened epitopes were non-toxic, non-allergenic, and highly antigenic in nature as revealed by appropriate servers. Molecular docking revealed stable interactions of the designed multi-epitope vaccine with human TLR3. Moreover, in silico immune simulations showed a substantial immunogenic response of the designed vaccine. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that our designed multi-epitope vaccine possessing intrinsic T cell and B cell epitopes with high antigenicity scores could be considered for the ongoing development of peptide-based novel vaccines against COVID-19. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies need to be performed to confirm our in silico observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabir Ahmad Mir
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +966-536300645
| | - Mohammed Alaidarous
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
- Health and Basic Sciences Research Center, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bader Alshehri
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul Aziz Bin Dukhyil
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saeed Banawas
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
- Health and Basic Sciences Research Center, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Yahya Madkhali
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Suliman A. Alsagaby
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayoub Al Othaim
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
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74
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Lee SJ, Kim YJ, Ahn DG. Distinct Molecular Mechanisms Characterizing Pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 32:1073-1085. [PMID: 36039385 PMCID: PMC9628960 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2206.06064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has continued for over 2 years, following the outbreak of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) in 2019. It has resulted in enormous casualties and severe economic crises. The rapid development of vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 has helped slow the spread. In the meantime, various mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 have emerged to evade current vaccines and therapeutics. A better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is a prerequisite for developing efficient, advanced vaccines and therapeutics. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a tremendous amount of research has been conducted to unveil SARSCoV-2 pathogenesis, from clinical observations to biochemical analysis at the molecular level upon viral infection. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 propagation and pathogenesis, with an update on recent advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Jin Lee
- Department of Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, Therapeutics and Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Jin Kim
- Department of Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, Therapeutics and Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Gyun Ahn
- Department of Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, Therapeutics and Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
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75
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Tanimoto S, Itoh SG, Okumura H. State-of-the-Art Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies of RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase of SARS-CoV-2. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810358. [PMID: 36142270 PMCID: PMC9499461 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are powerful theoretical methods that can reveal biomolecular properties, such as structure, fluctuations, and ligand binding, at the level of atomic detail. In this review article, recent MD simulation studies on these biomolecular properties of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is a multidomain protein, of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are presented. Although the tertiary structures of RdRps in SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV are almost identical, the RNA synthesis activity of RdRp of SARS-CoV is higher than SARS-CoV-2. Recent MD simulations observed a difference in the dynamic properties of the two RdRps, which may cause activity differences. RdRp is also a drug target for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nucleotide analogs, such as remdesivir and favipiravir, are considered to be taken up by RdRp and inhibit RNA replication. Recent MD simulations revealed the recognition mechanism of RdRp for these drug molecules and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The ligand-recognition ability of RdRp decreases in the order of remdesivir, favipiravir, and ATP. As a typical recognition process, it was found that several lysine residues of RdRp transfer these ligand molecules to the binding site such as a “bucket brigade.” This finding will contribute to understanding the mechanism of the efficient ligand recognition by RdRp. In addition, various simulation studies on the complexes of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp with several nucleotide analogs are reviewed, and the molecular mechanisms by which these compounds inhibit the function of RdRp are discussed. The simulation studies presented in this review will provide useful insights into how nucleotide analogs are recognized by RdRp and inhibit the RNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoichi Tanimoto
- Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
| | - Satoru G. Itoh
- Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hisashi Okumura
- Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Correspondence:
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76
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Yuyukina SK, Zharkov DO. Mechanisms of Coronavirus Genome Stability As Potential Targets for Antiviral Drugs. HERALD OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 2022; 92:470-478. [PMID: 36091852 PMCID: PMC9447942 DOI: 10.1134/s1019331622040256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it necessary to create antivirals active against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. One of the widely used strategies to fight off viral infections is the use of modified nucleoside analogues that inhibit viral replication by incorporating DNA or RNA into the growing chain, thus stopping its synthesis. The difficulty of using this method of treatment in the case of SARS-CoV-2 is that coronaviruses have an effective mechanism for maintaining genome stability. Its central element is the nsp14 protein, which is characterized by exonuclease activity, due to which incorrectly included and noncanonical nucleotides are removed from the 3' end of the growing RNA chain. Inhibitors of nsp14 exonuclease and nucleoside analogues resistant to its action are viewed as potential targets for anticoronavirus therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. K. Yuyukina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - D. O. Zharkov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
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77
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SARS-CoV-2 infection: Pathogenesis, Immune Responses, Diagnosis. JOURNAL OF PURE AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.22207/jpam.16.3.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has emerged as the most alarming infection of the present time instigated by the virus SARS-CoV-2. In spite of advanced research technologies, the exact pathophysiology and treatment of the condition still need to be explored. However, SARS-CoV-2 has several structural and functional similarities that resemble SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV which may be beneficial in exploring the possible treatment and diagnostic strategies for SARS-CoV-2. This review discusses the pathogen phenotype, genotype, replication, pathophysiology, elicited immune response and emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 and their similarities with other similar viruses. SARS-CoV-2 infection is detected by a number of diagnostics techniques, their advantages and limitations are also discussed in detail. The review also focuses on nanotechnology-based easy and fast detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Various pathways which might play a vital role during SARS-CoV-2 infection have been elaborately discussed since immune response plays a major role during viral infections.
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78
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Shi FS, Yu Y, Li YL, Cui L, Zhao Z, Wang M, Wang B, Zhang R, Huang YW. Expression Profile and Localization of SARS-CoV-2 Nonstructural Replicase Proteins in Infected Cells. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0074422. [PMID: 35730969 PMCID: PMC9431475 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00744-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused unprecedented loss of life and economic trouble all over the world, though the mechanism of its replication remains poorly understood. In this study, antibodies were generated and used to systematically determine the expression profile and subcellular distribution of 11 SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural replicase proteins (nsp1, nsp2, nsp3, nsp5, nsp7, nsp8, nsp9, nsp10, nsp13, nsp14, and nsp15) by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay. Nsp3, nsp5, and nsp8 were detected in perinuclear foci at different time points, with diffusion and stronger fluorescence observed over time. In particular, colocalization of nsp8 and nsp13 with different replicase proteins suggested viral protein-protein interaction, which may be key to understanding their functions and potential molecular mechanisms. Viral intermediate dsRNA was detected in perinuclear foci as early as 2-h postinfection, indicating the initiation of virus replication. With the passage of time, these perinuclear dsRNA foci became larger and brighter, and nearly all colocalized with N protein, consistent with viral growth over time. Thus, the development of these anti-nsp antibodies provides basic tools for the further study of replication and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE The intracellular localization of SARS-CoV-2 replicase nonstructural proteins (nsp) during infection has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we systematically analyzed the expression and subcellular localization of 11 distinct viral nsp and dsRNA over time in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells by using individual antibody against these replicase proteins. The data indicated that nsp gene expression is highly regulated in space and time, which could be useful to understand the function of viral replicases and future development of diagnostics and potential antiviral strategies against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Shu Shi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, China
| | - Ya-Li Li
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lilan Cui
- Novoprotein Scientific Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Zhuangzhuang Zhao
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mi Wang
- Novoprotein Scientific Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, China
| | - Yao-Wei Huang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
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79
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Campagnola G, Govindarajan V, Pelletier A, Canard B, Peersen OB. The SARS-CoV nsp12 Polymerase Active Site Is Tuned for Large-Genome Replication. J Virol 2022; 96:e0067122. [PMID: 35924919 PMCID: PMC9400494 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00671-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive-strand RNA viruses replicate their genomes using virally encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRP) with a common active-site structure and closure mechanism upon which replication speed and fidelity can evolve to optimize virus fitness. Coronaviruses (CoV) form large multicomponent RNA replication-transcription complexes containing a core RNA synthesis machine made of the nsp12 RdRP protein with one nsp7 and two nsp8 proteins as essential subunits required for activity. We show that assembly of this complex can be accelerated 5-fold by preincubation of nsp12 with nsp8 and further optimized with the use of a novel nsp8L7 heterodimer fusion protein construct. Using rapid kinetics methods, we measure elongation rates of up to 260 nucleotides (nt)/s for the core replicase, a rate that is unusually fast for a viral polymerase. To address the origin of this fast rate, we examined the roles of two CoV-specific residues in the RdRP active site: Ala547, which replaces a conserved glutamate above the bound NTP, and Ser759, which mutates the palm domain GDD sequence to SDD. Our data show that Ala547 allows for a doubling of replication rate, but this comes at a fidelity cost that is mitigated by using a SDD sequence in the palm domain. Our biochemical data suggest that fixation of mutations in polymerase motifs F and C played a key role in nidovirus evolution by tuning replication rate and fidelity to accommodate their large genomes. IMPORTANCE Replicating large genomes represents a challenge for RNA viruses because fast RNA synthesis is needed to escape innate immunity defenses, but faster polymerases are inherently low-fidelity enzymes. Nonetheless, the coronaviruses replicate their ≈30-kb genomes using the core polymerase structure and mechanism common to all positive-strand RNA viruses. The classic explanation for their success is that the large-genome nidoviruses have acquired an exonuclease-based repair system that compensates for the high polymerase mutation rate. In this work, we establish that the nidoviral polymerases themselves also play a key role in maintaining genome integrity via mutations at two key active-site residues that enable very fast replication rates while maintaining typical mutation rates. Our findings further demonstrate the evolutionary plasticity of the core polymerase platform by showing how it has adapted during the expansion from short-genome picornaviruses to long-genome nidoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Campagnola
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Vishnu Govindarajan
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Annelise Pelletier
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Bruno Canard
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université CNRS UMR 7257, AFMB, Marseille, France
| | - Olve B. Peersen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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80
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Gheshlaghi SZ, Nakhaei E, Ebrahimi A, Jafari M, Shahraki A, Rezazadeh S, Saberinasab E, Nowroozi A, Hosseini SS. Analysis of medicinal and therapeutic potential of Withania somnifera derivatives against COVID-19. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-11. [PMID: 35993530 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2112977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Apart from chemical and allopathic drugs, several medicinal plants contain phytochemicals that are potentially useful to counter the COVID-19 pandemic. Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), which has a good effect on some viral infections, can be considered as a candidate against the virus. In the present study, thirty-nine natural compounds of Ashwagandha were investigated in terms of their binding to the important drug targets to treat the COVID-19. Although the molecular docking calculations reveal the binding affinities of the compounds to Mpro, TMPRSS2, NSP15, PLpro, Spike RBD + ACE2, RdRp and NSP12 as targets in controlling the coronavirus enzymes, Withanoside II is expected to be the most effective compound due to the high affinity in binding with many of considered targets. Furthermore, the Withanoside III, IV, V, X, and XI have favorable binding affinities as ligands with respect to the MM/GBSA calculations. The molecular dynamics simulations MD explore a stable hydrogen bond network between ligands and the active sites residues. Also, the dynamic fluctuations of the binding site residues verify their tight binding to ligands. Moreover, the stability of ligand-protein complexes is approved by the RMSD ranges lower than 0.5 Å in equilibration zone for all mentioned complexes. The TMPRSS2-Withanolide Q and Mpro-Withanoside IV complexes are the most stable pairs using the MM/GBSA calculations and MD simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Zare Gheshlaghi
- Department of Chemistry, Computational Quantum Chemistry Laboratory, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Nakhaei
- Department of Chemistry, Computational Quantum Chemistry Laboratory, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Ali Ebrahimi
- Department of Chemistry, Computational Quantum Chemistry Laboratory, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Majid Jafari
- Department of Plant Protection, Higher Education Complex of Saravan, College of Agriculture
| | - Asiyeh Shahraki
- Department of Chemistry, Computational Quantum Chemistry Laboratory, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Shiva Rezazadeh
- Department of Chemistry, Computational Quantum Chemistry Laboratory, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Erfan Saberinasab
- School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Alireza Nowroozi
- Department of Chemistry, Computational Quantum Chemistry Laboratory, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
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81
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De Castro S, Stevaert A, Maldonado M, Delpal A, Vandeput J, Van Loy B, Eydoux C, Guillemot JC, Decroly E, Gago F, Canard B, Camarasa MJ, Velázquez S, Naesens L. A Versatile Class of 1,4,4-Trisubstituted Piperidines Block Coronavirus Replication In Vitro. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1021. [PMID: 36015168 PMCID: PMC9416004 DOI: 10.3390/ph15081021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a clear need for novel antiviral concepts to control SARS-CoV-2 infection. Based on the promising anti-coronavirus activity observed for a class of 1,4,4-trisubstituted piperidines, we here conducted a detailed analysis of the structure-activity relationship of these structurally unique inhibitors. Despite the presence of five points of diversity, the synthesis of an extensive series of analogues was readily achieved by Ugi four-component reaction from commercially available reagents. After evaluating 63 analogues against human coronavirus 229E, four of the best molecules were selected and shown to have micromolar activity against SARS-CoV-2. Since the action point was situated post virus entry and lying at the stage of viral polyprotein processing and the start of RNA synthesis, enzymatic assays were performed with CoV proteins involved in these processes. While no inhibition was observed for SARS-CoV-2 nsp12-nsp7-nsp8 polymerase, nsp14 N7-methyltransferase and nsp16/nsp10 2'-O-methyltransferase, nor the nsp3 papain-like protease, the compounds clearly inhibited the nsp5 main protease (Mpro). Although the inhibitory activity was quite modest, the plausibility of binding to the catalytic site of Mpro was established by in silico studies. Therefore, the 1,4,4-trisubstituted piperidines appear to represent a novel class of non-covalent CoV Mpro inhibitors that warrants further optimization and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia De Castro
- Instituto de Química Médica (IQM, CSIC), E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Annelies Stevaert
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Adrien Delpal
- AFMB, UMR 7257, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Julie Vandeput
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Van Loy
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cecilia Eydoux
- AFMB, UMR 7257, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, 13288 Marseille, France
| | | | - Etienne Decroly
- AFMB, UMR 7257, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Federico Gago
- Unidad Asociada al IQM-CSIC, Área de Farmacología, Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de Alcalá, E-28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Bruno Canard
- AFMB, UMR 7257, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, 13288 Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Lieve Naesens
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
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SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 Exoribonuclease Removes the Natural Antiviral 3′-Deoxy-3′,4′-didehydro-cytidine Nucleotide from RNA. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081790. [PMID: 36016411 PMCID: PMC9415739 DOI: 10.3390/v14081790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The on-going global pandemic of COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, which features a proofreading mechanism to facilitate the replication of its large RNA genome. The 3′-to-5′ exoribonuclease (ExoN) activity of SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 14 (nsp14) removes nucleotides misincorporated during RNA synthesis by the low-fidelity viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and thereby compromises the efficacy of antiviral nucleoside/nucleotide analogues. Here we show biochemically that SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 can excise the natural antiviral chain-terminating nucleotide, 3′-deoxy-3′,4′-didehydro-cytidine 5′-monophosphate (ddhCMP), incorporated by RdRp at the 3′ end of an RNA strand. Nsp14 ExoN processes an RNA strand terminated with ddhCMP more efficiently than that with a non-physiological chain terminator 3′-deoxy-cytidine monophosphate (3′-dCMP), whereas RdRp is more susceptible to chain termination by 3′-dCTP than ddhCTP. These results suggest that nsp14 ExoN could play a role in protecting SARS-CoV-2 from ddhCTP, which is produced as part of the innate immune response against viral infections, and that the SARS-CoV-2 enzymes may have adapted to minimize the antiviral effect of ddhCTP.
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Xu G, Wang Y, Wang Q, Ma J. Studying protein-protein interaction through side-chain modeling method OPUS-Mut. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6663639. [PMID: 35959990 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein side chains are vitally important to many biological processes such as protein-protein interaction. In this study, we evaluate the performance of our previous released side-chain modeling method OPUS-Mut, together with some other methods, on three oligomer datasets, CASP14 (11), CAMEO-Homo (65) and CAMEO-Hetero (21). The results show that OPUS-Mut outperforms other methods measured by all residues or by the interfacial residues. We also demonstrate our method on evaluating protein-protein docking pose on a dataset Oligomer-Dock (75) created using the top 10 predictions from ZDOCK 3.0.2. Our scoring function correctly identifies the native pose as the top-1 in 45 out of 75 targets. Different from traditional scoring functions, our method is based on the overall side-chain packing favorableness in accordance with the local packing environment. It emphasizes the significance of side chains and provides a new and effective scoring term for studying protein-protein interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Xu
- Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.,Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201210, China.,Shanghai AI Laboratory, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yilin Wang
- Georgetown Preparatory School, North Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
| | - Qinghua Wang
- Center for Biomolecular Innovation, Harcam Biomedicines, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianpeng Ma
- Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.,Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201210, China.,Shanghai AI Laboratory, Shanghai 200030, China
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84
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Chinthapatla R, Sotoudegan M, Anderson T, Moustafa IM, Passow KT, Kennelly SA, Moorthy R, Dulin D, Feng JY, Harki DA, Kirchdoerfer R, Cameron CE, Arnold JJ. Interfering with nucleotide excision by the coronavirus 3'-to-5' exoribonuclease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.08.11.503614. [PMID: 35982684 PMCID: PMC9387131 DOI: 10.1101/2022.08.11.503614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Some of the most efficacious antiviral therapeutics are ribonucleos(t)ide analogs. The presence of a 3'-to-5' proofreading exoribonuclease (ExoN) in coronaviruses diminishes the potency of many ribonucleotide analogs. The ability to interfere with ExoN activity will create new possibilities for control of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ExoN is formed by a 1:1 complex of nsp14 and nsp10 proteins. We have purified and characterized ExoN using a robust, quantitative system that reveals determinants of specificity and efficiency of hydrolysis. Double-stranded RNA is preferred over single-stranded RNA. Nucleotide excision is distributive, with only one or two nucleotides hydrolyzed in a single binding event. The composition of the terminal basepair modulates excision. A stalled SARS-CoV-2 replicase in complex with either correctly or incorrectly terminated products prevents excision, suggesting that a mispaired end is insufficient to displace the replicase. Finally, we have discovered several modifications to the 3'-RNA terminus that interfere with or block ExoN-catalyzed excision. While a 3'-OH facilitates hydrolysis of a nucleotide with a normal ribose configuration, this substituent is not required for a nucleotide with a planar ribose configuration such as that present in the antiviral nucleotide produced by viperin. Design of ExoN-resistant, antiviral ribonucleotides should be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rukesh Chinthapatla
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mohamad Sotoudegan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Thomas Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute of Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ibrahim M. Moustafa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kellan T. Passow
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Samantha A. Kennelly
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ramkumar Moorthy
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David Dulin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and LaserLaB Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Junior Research Group 2, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Cauerstr. 3, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Joy Y. Feng
- Gilead Sciences, Inc, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
| | - Daniel A. Harki
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Robert Kirchdoerfer
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute of Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Craig E. Cameron
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jamie J. Arnold
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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85
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Proteolytic Processing of the Coronavirus Replicase Nonstructural Protein 14 Exonuclease Is Not Required for Virus Replication but Alters RNA Synthesis and Viral Fitness. J Virol 2022; 96:e0084122. [PMID: 35924922 PMCID: PMC9400476 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00841-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoVs) initiate replication by translation of the positive-sense RNA genome into the replicase polyproteins connecting 16 nonstructural protein domains (nsp1-16), which are subsequently processed by viral proteases to yield mature nsp. For the betacoronavirus murine hepatitis virus (MHV), total inhibition of translation or proteolytic processing of replicase polyproteins results in rapid cessation of RNA synthesis. The nsp5-3CLpro (Mpro) processes nsps7-16, which assemble into functional replication-transcription complexes (RTCs), including the enzymatic nsp12-RdRp and nsp14-exoribonuclease (ExoN)/N7-methyltransferase. The nsp14-ExoN activity mediates RNA-dependent RNA proofreading, high-fidelity RNA synthesis, and replication. To date, the solved partial RTC structures, biochemistry, and models use or assume completely processed, mature nsp. Here, we demonstrate that in MHV, engineered deletion of the cleavage sites between nsp13-14 and nsp14-15 allowed recovery of replication-competent virus. Compared to wild-type (WT) MHV, the nsp13-14 and nsp14-15 cleavage deletion mutants demonstrated delayed replication kinetics, impaired genome production, altered abundance and patterns of recombination, and impaired competitive fitness. Further, the nsp13-14 and nsp14-15 mutant viruses demonstrated mutation frequencies that were significantly higher than with the WT. The results demonstrate that cleavage of nsp13-14 or nsp14-15 is not required for MHV viability and that functions of the RTC/nsp14-ExoN are impaired when assembled with noncleaved intermediates. These data will inform future genetic, structural, biochemical, and modeling studies of coronavirus RTCs and nsp 13, 14, and 15 and may reveal new approaches for inhibition or attenuation of CoV infection. IMPORTANCE Coronavirus replication requires proteolytic maturation of the nonstructural replicase proteins to form the replication-transcription complex. Coronavirus replication-transcription complex models assume mature subunits; however, mechanisms of coronavirus maturation and replicase complex formation have yet to be defined. Here, we show that for the coronavirus murine hepatitis virus, cleavage between the nonstructural replicase proteins nsp13-14 and nsp14-15 is not required for replication but does alter RNA synthesis and recombination. These results shed new light on the requirements for coronavirus maturation and replication-transcription complex assembly, and they may reveal novel therapeutic targets and strategies for attenuation.
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86
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Al-Humaidi JY, Badrey MG, Aly AA, Nayl AA, Zayed MEM, Jefri OA, Gomha SM. Evaluation of the Binding Relationship of the RdRp Enzyme to Novel Thiazole/Acid Hydrazone Hybrids Obtainable through Green Synthetic Procedure. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14153160. [PMID: 35956675 PMCID: PMC9371204 DOI: 10.3390/polym14153160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex is used by SARS-CoV-2 for genome replication and transcription, making RdRp an interesting target for developing the antiviral treatment. Hence the current work is concerned with the green synthesis, characterization and docking study with the RdRp enzyme of the series of novel and diverse hydrazones and pyrazoles. 4-Methyl-2-(2-(1-phenylethylidene)hydrazineyl)thiazole-5-carbohydrazide was prepared and then condensed with different carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones either carbocyclic aromatic or heterocyclic) afforded the corresponding hydrazide-hydrazones. The combination of the acid hydrazide with bifunctional reagents such as acetylacetone, β-ketoesters (ethyl acetoacetate and ethyl benzoylacetate) resulted in the formation of pyrazole derivatives. The synthesized compounds were all obtained through grinding method using drops of AcOH. Various analytical and spectral analyses were used to determine the structures of the prepared compounds. Molecular Operating Environment (MOE®) version 2014.09 was used to estimate interactions between the prepared thiazole/hydrazone hybrids and RdRp obtained from the protein data bank (PDB: 7bv2) using enzyme-ligand docking for all synthesized derivatives and Remdesivir as a reference. Docking results with the RdRp enzyme revealed that the majority of the investigated drugs bind well to the enzyme via various types of interactions in comparison with the reference drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehan Y. Al-Humaidi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. BOX 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Mohamed G. Badrey
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, El-Fayoum 63514, Egypt;
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Arts-Almandaq, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha 65515, Saudia Arabia
| | - Ashraf A. Aly
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Organic Division, Minia University, El-Minia 61519, Egypt;
| | - AbdElAziz A. Nayl
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: or (A.A.N.); or (S.M.G.)
| | - Mohie E. M. Zayed
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; (M.E.M.Z.); (O.A.J.)
| | - Ohoud A. Jefri
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; (M.E.M.Z.); (O.A.J.)
| | - Sobhi M. Gomha
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: or (A.A.N.); or (S.M.G.)
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87
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Muddapur UM, Badiger S, Shaikh IA, Ghoneim MM, Alshamrani SA, Mahnashi MH, Alsaikhan F, El-Sherbiny M, Al-Serwi RH, Khan AAL, Mannasaheb BA, Bahafi A, Iqubal SS, Begum T, Gouse HSM, Mohammed T, Hombalimath VS. Molecular modelling and simulation techniques to investigate the effects of fungal metabolites on the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp protein inhibition. JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY - SCIENCE 2022; 34:102147. [PMID: 35702575 PMCID: PMC9186507 DOI: 10.1016/j.jksus.2022.102147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Various protein/receptor targets have been discovered through in-silico research. They are expanding rapidly due to their extensive advantage of delivering new drug candidates more quickly, efficiently, and at a lower cost. The automation of organic synthesis and biochemical screening will lead to a revolution in the entire research arena in drug discovery. In this research article, a few fungal metabolites were examined through an in-silico approach which involves major steps such as (a) Molecular Docking Analysis, (b) Drug likeness and ADMET studies, and (c) Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Fungal metabolites were taken from Antibiotic Database which showed antiviral effects on severe viral diseases such as HIV. Docking, Lipinski's, and ADMET analyses investigated the binding affinity and toxicity of five metabolites: Chromophilone I, iso; F13459; Stachyflin, acetyl; A-108836; Integracide A (A-108835). Chromophilone I, iso was subjected to additional analysis, including a 50 ns MD simulation of the protein to assess the occurring alterations. This molecule's docking data shows that it had the highest binding affinity. ADMET research revealed that the ligand might be employed as an oral medication. MD simulation revealed that the ligand–protein interaction was stable. Finally, this ligand can be exploited to develop SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic options. Fungal metabolites that have been studied could be a potential source for future lead candidates. Further study of these molecules may result in creating an antiviral drug to battle the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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88
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Wright LR, Wright DL, Weller SK. Viral Nucleases from Herpesviruses and Coronavirus in Recombination and Proofreading: Potential Targets for Antiviral Drug Discovery. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071557. [PMID: 35891537 PMCID: PMC9324378 DOI: 10.3390/v14071557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we explore recombination in two very different virus families that have become major threats to human health. The Herpesviridae are a large family of pathogenic double-stranded DNA viruses involved in a range of diseases affecting both people and animals. Coronaviridae are positive-strand RNA viruses (CoVs) that have also become major threats to global health and economic stability, especially in the last two decades. Despite many differences, such as the make-up of their genetic material (DNA vs. RNA) and overall mechanisms of genome replication, both human herpes viruses (HHVs) and CoVs have evolved to rely heavily on recombination for viral genome replication, adaptation to new hosts and evasion of host immune regulation. In this review, we will focus on the roles of three viral exonucleases: two HHV exonucleases (alkaline nuclease and PolExo) and one CoV exonuclease (ExoN). We will review the roles of these three nucleases in their respective life cycles and discuss the state of drug discovery efforts against these targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee R. Wright
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.R.W.); (D.L.W.)
| | - Dennis L. Wright
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.R.W.); (D.L.W.)
| | - Sandra K. Weller
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(860)-679-2310; Fax: +1-(860)-679-1239
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89
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Allosteric Modulation of the Main Protease (MPro) of SARS-CoV-2 by Casticin—Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. CHEMISTRY AFRICA 2022. [PMCID: PMC9261893 DOI: 10.1007/s42250-022-00411-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition of the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 has been suggested to be vital in shutting down viral replication in a host. Most efforts aimed at inhibiting MPro activity have been channeled into competitive inhibition at the active site, but this strategy will require a high inhibitor concentration and impressive inhibitor-MPro binding affinity. Allosteric inhibition can potentially serve as an effective strategy for alleviating these limitations. In this study, the ability of antiviral natural products to inhibit MPro in an allosteric fashion was explored with in silico techniques. Molecular docking revealed a strong interaction between casticin, an antiviral flavonoid, and Mpro at a site distant from the active site. This site, characterized as a distal site, has been shown to have an interdependent dynamic effect with the active site region. Mpro only, Mpro-peptide (binary) and Mpro-peptide-casticin (ternary) complexes were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations for 50 ns to investigate the modulatory activity of casticin binding on Mpro. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that binding of casticin at the distal site interferes with the proper orientation of the peptide substrate in the oxyanion hole of the active site, and this could lead to a halt or decrease in catalytic activity. This study therefore highlights casticin as a potential allosteric modulator of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, which could be optimized and developed into a potential lead compound for anti-SARS-CoV-2 chemotherapy.
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90
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Kumar S, Kovalenko S, Bhardwaj S, Sethi A, Gorobets NY, Desenko SM, Poonam, Rathi B. Drug repurposing against SARS-CoV-2 using computational approaches. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:2015-2027. [PMID: 35151891 PMCID: PMC8830191 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has generated a critical need for treatments to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. However, traditional drug development takes many years, which is not practical solution given the current pandemic. Therefore, a viable option is to repurpose existing drugs. The structural data of several proteins vital for the virus became available shortly after the start of the pandemic. In this review, we discuss the importance of these targets and their available potential inhibitors predicted by the computational approaches. Among the hits identified by computational approaches, 35 candidates were suggested for further evaluation, among which ten drugs are in clinical trials (Phase III and IV) for treating Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Svitlana Kovalenko
- Department of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, State Scientific Institution 'Institute for Single Crystals', National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Nauky Ave. 60, Kharkiv 61001, Ukraine
| | - Shakshi Bhardwaj
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, India
| | - Aaftaab Sethi
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, India
| | - Nikolay Yu Gorobets
- Department of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, State Scientific Institution 'Institute for Single Crystals', National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Nauky Ave. 60, Kharkiv 61001, Ukraine.
| | - Sergey M Desenko
- Department of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, State Scientific Institution 'Institute for Single Crystals', National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Nauky Ave. 60, Kharkiv 61001, Ukraine
| | - Poonam
- Department of Chemistry, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
| | - Brijesh Rathi
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, India.
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91
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Chakrabartty I, Khan M, Mahanta S, Chopra H, Dhawan M, Choudhary OP, Bibi S, Mohanta YK, Emran TB. Comparative overview of emerging RNA viruses: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and current treatment. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2022; 79:103985. [PMID: 35721786 PMCID: PMC9188442 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
From many decades, emerging infections have threatened humanity. The pandemics caused by different CoVs have already claimed and will continue to claim millions of lives. The SARS, Ebola, MERS epidemics and the most recent emergence of COVID-19 pandemic have threatened populations across borders. Since a highly pathogenic CoV has been evolved into the human population in the twenty-first century known as SARS, scientific advancements and innovative methods to tackle these viruses have increased in order to improve response preparedness towards the unpredictable threat posed by these rapidly emerging pathogens. Recently published review articles on SARS-CoV-2 have mainly focused on its pathogenesis, epidemiology and available treatments. However, in this review, we have done a systematic comparison of all three CoVs i.e., SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2 along with Ebola and Zika in terms of their epidemiology, virology, clinical features and current treatment strategies. This review focuses on important emerging RNA viruses starting from Zika, Ebola and the CoVs which include SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2. Each of these viruses has been elaborated on the basis of their epidemiology, virulence, transmission and treatment. However, special attention has been given to SARS-CoV-2 and the disease caused by it i.e., COVID-19 due to current havoc caused worldwide. At the end, insights into the current understanding of the lessons learned from previous epidemics to combat emerging CoVs have been described. The travel-related viral spread, the unprecedented nosocomial outbreaks and the high case-fatality rates associated with these highly transmissible and pathogenic viruses highlight the need for new prophylactic and therapeutic actions which include but are not limited to clinical indicators, contact tracing, and laboratory investigations as important factors that need to be taken into account in order to arrive at the final conclusion. Recently published review articles on SARS-CoV-2 have mainly focused on its pathogenesis, epidemiology and available treatments. The pandemics caused by different CoVs have already claimed and will continue to claim millions of lives. This review focuses on important emerging RNA viruses starting from Zika, Ebola and the CoVs which include SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2. Globally, numerous studies and researchers have recently started fighting this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Chakrabartty
- Department of Applied Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), 9th Mile, Techno City, Baridua, Ri-Bhoi 793101, Meghalaya, India
| | - Maryam Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, U.P, India
| | - Saurov Mahanta
- National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Guwahati Centre Guwahati, 781008, Assam, India
| | - Hitesh Chopra
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, India
| | - Manish Dhawan
- Department of Microbiology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004, Punjab, India.,Trafford College, Altrincham, Manchester, WA14 5PQ, UK
| | - Om Prakash Choudhary
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University (I), Selesih, Aizawl, India
| | - Shabana Bibi
- Department of Biosciences, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan.,Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Yugal Kishore Mohanta
- Department of Applied Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), 9th Mile, Techno City, Baridua, Ri-Bhoi 793101, Meghalaya, India
| | - Talha Bin Emran
- Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong, 4381, Bangladesh.,Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
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92
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Zein AFMZ, Sulistiyana CS, Raffaello WM, Wibowo A, Pranata R. Sofosbuvir with daclatasvir and the outcomes of patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis with GRADE assessment. Postgrad Med J 2022; 98:509-514. [PMID: 37066509 PMCID: PMC8189832 DOI: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2021-140287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of sofosbuvir/daclatasvir (SOF/DCV) on mortality, the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and clinical recovery in patients with COVID-19. METHODS We performed a systematic literature search through the PubMed, Scopus and Embase from the inception of databases until 6 April 2021. The intervention group was SOF/DCV, and the control group was standard of care. The primary outcome was mortality, defined as clinically validated death. The secondary outcomes were (1) the need for ICU admission or IMV and (2) clinical recovery. The pooled effect estimates were reported as risk ratios (RRs). RESULTS There were four studies with a total of 231 patients in this meta-analysis. Three studies were randomised controlled trial, and one study was non-randomised. SOF/DCV was associated with lower mortality (RR: 0.31 (0.12, 0.78); p=0.013; I2: 0%) and reduced need for ICU admission or IMV (RR: 0.35 (0.18, 0.69); p=0.002; I2: 0%). Clinical recovery was achieved more frequently in the SOF/DCV (RR: 1.20 (1.04, 1.37); p=0.011; I2: 21.1%). There was a moderate certainty of evidence for mortality and need for ICU/IMV outcome, and a low certainty of evidence for clinical recovery. The absolute risk reductions were 140 fewer per 1000 for mortality and 186 fewer per 1000 for the need for ICU/IMV. The increase in clinical recovery was 146 more per 1000. CONCLUSION SOF/DCV may reduce mortality rate and need for ICU/IMV in patients with COVID-19 while increasing the chance for clinical recovery. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION PROSPERO: CRD42021247510.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Fariz Malvi Zamzam Zein
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Cirebon, Indonesia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Waled General Hospital, Cirebon, Indonesia
| | - Catur Setiya Sulistiyana
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Cirebon, Indonesia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Waled General Hospital, Cirebon, Indonesia
| | | | - Arief Wibowo
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran, Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Hasan Sadikin, Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
| | - Raymond Pranata
- Faculty of Medicine Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran, Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Hasan Sadikin, Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
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93
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Wang X, Tao C, Morozova I, Kalachikov S, Li X, Kumar S, Russo JJ, Ju J. Identifying Structural Features of Nucleotide Analogues to Overcome SARS-CoV-2 Exonuclease Activity. Viruses 2022; 14:1413. [PMID: 35891393 PMCID: PMC9324094 DOI: 10.3390/v14071413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
With the recent global spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, there remains an urgent need to develop effective and variant-resistant oral drugs. Recently, we reported in vitro results validating the use of combination drugs targeting both the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and proofreading exonuclease (ExoN) as potential COVID-19 therapeutics. For the nucleotide analogues to be efficient SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors, two properties are required: efficient incorporation by RdRp and substantial resistance to excision by ExoN. Here, we have selected and evaluated nucleotide analogues with a variety of structural features for resistance to ExoN removal when they are attached at the 3' RNA terminus. We found that dideoxynucleotides and other nucleotides lacking both 2'- and 3'-OH groups were most resistant to ExoN excision, whereas those possessing both 2'- and 3'-OH groups were efficiently removed. We also found that the 3'-OH group in the nucleotide analogues was more critical than the 2'-OH for excision by ExoN. Since the functionally important sequences in Nsp14/10 are highly conserved among all SARS-CoV-2 variants, these identified structural features of nucleotide analogues offer invaluable insights for designing effective RdRp inhibitors that can be simultaneously efficiently incorporated by the RdRp and substantially resist ExoN excision. Such newly developed RdRp terminators would be good candidates to evaluate their ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture and animal models, perhaps combined with additional exonuclease inhibitors to increase their overall effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanting Wang
- Center for Genome Technology and Biomolecular Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; (X.W.); (C.T.); (I.M.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (S.K.); (J.J.R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Chuanjuan Tao
- Center for Genome Technology and Biomolecular Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; (X.W.); (C.T.); (I.M.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (S.K.); (J.J.R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Irina Morozova
- Center for Genome Technology and Biomolecular Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; (X.W.); (C.T.); (I.M.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (S.K.); (J.J.R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Sergey Kalachikov
- Center for Genome Technology and Biomolecular Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; (X.W.); (C.T.); (I.M.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (S.K.); (J.J.R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Xiaoxu Li
- Center for Genome Technology and Biomolecular Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; (X.W.); (C.T.); (I.M.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (S.K.); (J.J.R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Shiv Kumar
- Center for Genome Technology and Biomolecular Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; (X.W.); (C.T.); (I.M.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (S.K.); (J.J.R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - James J. Russo
- Center for Genome Technology and Biomolecular Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; (X.W.); (C.T.); (I.M.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (S.K.); (J.J.R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jingyue Ju
- Center for Genome Technology and Biomolecular Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; (X.W.); (C.T.); (I.M.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (S.K.); (J.J.R.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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94
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Sun C, Xie C, Bu GL, Zhong LY, Zeng MS. Molecular characteristics, immune evasion, and impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:202. [PMID: 35764603 PMCID: PMC9240077 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01039-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The persistent COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 has brought an enormous public health burden to the global society and is accompanied by various evolution of the virus genome. The consistently emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants harboring critical mutations impact the molecular characteristics of viral proteins and display heterogeneous behaviors in immune evasion, transmissibility, and the clinical manifestation during infection, which differ each strain and endow them with distinguished features during populational spread. Several SARS-CoV-2 variants, identified as Variants of Concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization, challenged global efforts on COVID-19 control due to the rapid worldwide spread and enhanced immune evasion from current antibodies and vaccines. Moreover, the recent Omicron variant even exacerbated the global anxiety in the continuous pandemic. Its significant evasion from current medical treatment and disease control even highlights the necessity of combinatory investigation of the mutational pattern and influence of the mutations on viral dynamics against populational immunity, which would greatly facilitate drug and vaccine development and benefit the global public health policymaking. Hence in this review, we summarized the molecular characteristics, immune evasion, and impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 variants and focused on the parallel comparison of different variants in mutational profile, transmissibility and tropism alteration, treatment effectiveness, and clinical manifestations, in order to provide a comprehensive landscape for SARS-CoV-2 variant research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 510060, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chu Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 510060, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guo-Long Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 510060, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lan-Yi Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 510060, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mu-Sheng Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 510060, Guangzhou, China. .,Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, 510060, Guangzhou, China.
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95
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Agarwal D, Zafar I, Ahmad SU, Kumar S, Ain QU, Sundaray JK, Rather MA. Structural, genomic information and computational analysis of emerging coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). BULLETIN OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE 2022; 46:170. [PMID: 35729950 PMCID: PMC9199328 DOI: 10.1186/s42269-022-00861-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Background The emerging viral pandemic worldwide is associated with a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). This virus is said to emerge from its epidemic center in Wuhan, China, in 2019. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are single-stranded, giant, enveloped RNA viruses that come under the family of coronaviridae and order Nidovirales which are the crucial pathogens for humans and other vertebrates. Main body Coronaviruses are divided into several subfamilies and genera based on the genomic structure and phylogenetic relationship. The name corona is raised due to the presence of spike protein on the envelope of the virus. The structural and genomic study revealed that the total genome size of SARS-CoV-2 is from 29.8 kb to 29.9 kb. The spike protein (S) is a glycoprotein that attaches to the receptor of host cells for entry into the host cell, followed by the attachment of virus RNA to the host ribosome for translation. The phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 revealed the similarity (75-88%) with bat SARS-like coronavirus. Conclusion The sign and symptoms of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 are also discussed in this paper. The worldwide outbreak and prevention from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 are overviewed in the present article. The latest variant of coronavirus and the status of vaccines are also overviewed in the present article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Agarwal
- Tamil Nadu Dr. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University-IFPGS, OMR Campus, Vaniyanchavadi, Chennai, India
| | - Imran Zafar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Virtual University Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Syed Umair Ahmad
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hazara University Mansehra, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Sujit Kumar
- Postgraduate Institute of Fisheries Education and Research Kamdhenu University, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Qurat ul Ain
- Government College Women University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Jitendra Kumar Sundaray
- ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Kausalyaganga, Bhubaneswar, Odisha India 751002
| | - Mohd Ashraf Rather
- Division of Fish Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Fisheries Ganderbal, Sher-e- Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kashmir, India
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96
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Troyano-Hernáez P, Reinosa R, Holguín Á. Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain during the First Two Years of the Pandemic: Circulating Variants, Amino Acid Conservation, and Genetic Variability in Structural, Non-Structural, and Accessory Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:6394. [PMID: 35742840 PMCID: PMC9223475 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Monitoring SARS-CoV-2’s genetic diversity and emerging mutations in this ongoing pandemic is crucial to understanding its evolution and ensuring the performance of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapies. Spain has been one of the main epicenters of COVID-19, reaching the highest number of cases and deaths per 100,000 population in Europe at the beginning of the pandemic. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain and its 18 Autonomous Communities across the six epidemic waves established from February 2020 to January 2022. We report on the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants in each epidemic wave and Spanish region and analyze the mutation frequency, amino acid (aa) conservation, and most frequent aa changes across each structural/non-structural/accessory viral protein among the Spanish sequences deposited in the GISAID database during the study period. The overall SARS-CoV-2 mutation frequency was 1.24 × 10−5. The aa conservation was >99% in the three types of protein, being non-structural the most conserved. Accessory proteins had more variable positions, while structural proteins presented more aa changes per sequence. Six main lineages spread successfully in Spain from 2020 to 2022. The presented data provide an insight into the SARS-CoV-2 circulation and genetic variability in Spain during the first two years of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - África Holguín
- HIV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Microbiology Department and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS) in Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Red en Investigación Translacional en Infecciones Pediátricas (RITIP), 28034 Madrid, Spain; (P.T.-H.); (R.R.)
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97
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Sogukomerogullari HG. Molecular docking-assisted investigation of Pd(II) complexes carrying "SNS" pincer-type pyridine-thioether ligand as potential drug candidates against COVID-19. Comput Biol Med 2022; 145:105512. [PMID: 35429834 PMCID: PMC8994705 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a threat to public health throughout the world since the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was discovered in late 2019. Since the beginning of the pandemic, scientists have done a tremendous amount of work in this area. However, among these studies, the investigation of the effect of newly synthesized compounds against coronavirus is rather weak. Examining the newly synthesized compounds with a computer-assisted molecular docking study provides quite an advantage in terms of the estimation and analysis of the biochemical activity and binding affinity of existing synthesized compounds against a biological target in a labor, time, and cost-saving way. In this study, the SNS pincer type 2,6-bis[[(4-methylphenyl)thio]methyl]pyridine ligand(L) (1) and its novel Pd(II) complexes ([Pd(κ2-L)(OAc)2]·3H2O (2) and [Pd(κ2-L)Cl2]·3H2O (3)) were synthesized and characterized by using FT-IR, UV-Vis, NMR, mass and elemental analysis techniques. The synthesized Pd complexes exhibited a square planar structure. The compounds were found to have non-electrolytic behavior. In the meantime, in silico investigations have defined and justified interaction processes between these molecules and Pd(II) at the atomic level. Furthermore, using molecular docking against target proteins of SARS-CoV-2, the efficiency of the SNS pincer type ligand and its Pd (II) complexes produced was studied and discussed for the first time. The experimental data has been supported and illuminated using computational visual methods and molecular docking, and the findings produced indicate compatibility. The binding energy values of the relevant compounds on the four protein model structures of SARS-CoV-2 (Main Protease, Papain-like protease, RdRp without RNA, and RdRp with RNA) are represented. Compound 2 ([Pd(κ2-L)(OAc)2]·3H2O) is the structure that exhibits the highest biochemical activity. According to all of the docking studies, Papain-like protease is the SARS-CoV-2 protein with which the three compounds exhibit mutual interaction. The compound 2 structure, in particular, is the most effective in terms of structural and interaction with the targets, as well as binding orientations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice Gamze Sogukomerogullari
- Medical Services and Techniques Department, Health Services Vocational School, Gaziantep University, 27310, Gaziantep, Turkey.
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98
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Khater I, Nassar A. Seeking antiviral drugs to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase: A molecular docking analysis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268909. [PMID: 35639751 PMCID: PMC9154104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 outbreak associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) raised health concerns across the globe and has been considered highly transmissible between people. In attempts for finding therapeutic treatment for the new disease, this work has focused on examining the polymerase inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2 nsp12 and co-factors nsp8 and nsp7. Several polymerase inhibitors were examined against PDB ID: 6M71 using computational analysis evaluating the ligand's binding affinity to replicating groove to the active site. The findings of this analysis showed Cytarabine of -5.65 Kcal/mol with the highest binding probability (70%) to replicating groove of 6M71. The complex stability was then examined over 19 ns molecular dynamics simulation suggesting that Cytarabine might be possible potent inhibitor for the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Khater
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Aaya Nassar
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
- Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
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99
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Gastrointestinal Involvement in SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061188. [PMID: 35746659 PMCID: PMC9228950 DOI: 10.3390/v14061188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has evolved into a virus that primarily results in mild or asymptomatic disease, making its transmission more challenging to control. In addition to the respiratory tract, SARS-CoV-2 also infects the digestive tract. Some gastrointestinal symptoms occur with or before respiratory symptoms in patients with COVID-19. Respiratory infections are known to cause intestinal immune impairment and gastrointestinal symptoms. When the intestine is inflamed, cytokines affect the lung immune response and inflammation through blood circulation. The gastrointestinal microbiome may be a modifiable factor in determining the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity. The development of oral SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates and the maintenance of gut microbiota profiles may contribute to the early control of COVID-19 outbreaks. To this end, this review summarizes information on the gastrointestinal complications caused by SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 infection, the gastrointestinal–lung axis immune response, potential control strategies for oral vaccine candidates and maintaining intestinal microbiota homeostasis.
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100
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Li J, Jia H, Tian M, Wu N, Yang X, Qi J, Ren W, Li F, Bian H. SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Variants: Unmasking Structure, Function, Infection, and Immune Escape Mechanisms. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:869832. [PMID: 35646741 PMCID: PMC9134119 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.869832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
As of April 1, 2022, over 468 million COVID-19 cases and over 6 million deaths have been confirmed globally. Unlike the common coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 has highly contagious and attracted a high level of concern worldwide. Through the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins, we can gain a deeper understanding of structure-function relationships, viral infection mechanisms, and viable strategies for antiviral therapy. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the first widely acknowledged SARS-CoV-2 receptor, but researches have shown that there are additional co-receptors that can facilitate the entry of SARS-CoV-2 to infect humans. We have performed an in-depth review of published papers, searching for co-receptors or other auxiliary membrane proteins that enhance viral infection, and analyzing pertinent pathogenic mechanisms. The genome, and especially the spike gene, undergoes mutations at an abnormally high frequency during virus replication and/or when it is transmitted from one individual to another. We summarized the main mutant strains currently circulating global, and elaborated the structural feature for increased infectivity and immune evasion of variants. Meanwhile, the principal purpose of the review is to update information on the COVID-19 outbreak. Many countries have novel findings on the early stage of the epidemic, and accruing evidence has rewritten the timeline of the outbreak, triggering new thinking about the origin and spread of COVID-19. It is anticipated that this can provide further insights for future research and global epidemic prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Feifei Li
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Hongjun Bian
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
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