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Plavec Z, Domanska A, Liu X, Laine P, Paulin L, Varjosalo M, Auvinen P, Wolf SG, Anastasina M, Butcher SJ. SARS-CoV-2 Production, Purification Methods and UV Inactivation for Proteomics and Structural Studies. Viruses 2022; 14:v14091989. [PMID: 36146795 PMCID: PMC9505060 DOI: 10.3390/v14091989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19. During the pandemic of 2019–2022, at least 500 million have been infected and over 6.3 million people have died from COVID-19. The virus is pleomorphic, and due to its pathogenicity is often handled in very restrictive biosafety containments laboratories. We developed two effective and rapid purification methods followed by UV inactivation that allow easy downstream handling of the virus. We monitored the purification through titering, sequencing, mass spectrometry and electron cryogenic microscopy. Although pelleting through a sucrose cushion, followed by gentle resuspension overnight gave the best particle recovery, infectivity decreased, and the purity was significantly worse than if using the size exclusion resin Capto Core. Capto Core can be used in batch mode, and was seven times faster than the pelleting method, obviating the need for ultracentrifugation in the containment laboratory, but resulting in a dilute virus. UV inactivation was readily optimized to allow handling of the inactivated samples under standard operating conditions. When containment laboratory space is limited, we recommend the use of Capto Core for purification and UV for inactivation as a simple, rapid workflow prior, for instance, to electron cryogenic microscopy or cell activation experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zlatka Plavec
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aušra Domanska
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pia Laine
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lars Paulin
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markku Varjosalo
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Auvinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sharon G. Wolf
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Maria Anastasina
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (S.J.B.); Tel.: +358-5044-84629 (M.A.); +358-5041-55492 (S.J.B.)
| | - Sarah J. Butcher
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (S.J.B.); Tel.: +358-5044-84629 (M.A.); +358-5041-55492 (S.J.B.)
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152
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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented health crisis and economic burden worldwide. Its etiological agent SARS-CoV-2, a new virus in the coronavirus family, has infected hundreds of millions of people worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 has evolved over the past 2 years to increase its transmissibility as well as to evade the immunity established by previous infection and vaccination. Nevertheless, strong immune responses can be elicited by viral infection and vaccination, which have proved to be protective against the emergence of variants, particularly with respect to hospitalization or severe disease. Here, we review our current understanding of how the virus enters the host cell and how our immune system is able to defend against cell entry and infection. Neutralizing antibodies are a major component of our immune defense and have been extensively studied for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Structures of these neutralizing antibodies have provided valuable insights into epitopes that are protective against the original ancestral virus and the variants that have emerged. The molecular characterization of neutralizing epitopes as well as epitope conservation and resistance are important for design of next-generation vaccines and antibody therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hejun Liu
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational BiologyThe Scripps Research InstituteLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ian A. Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational BiologyThe Scripps Research InstituteLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical BiologyThe Scripps Research InstituteLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
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153
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Kayabolen A, Akcan U, Özturan D, Ulbegi‐Polat H, Sahin GN, Pinarbasi‐Degirmenci N, Bayraktar C, Soyler G, Sarayloo E, Nurtop E, Ozer B, Guney‐Esken G, Barlas T, Yildirim IS, Dogan O, Karahuseyinoglu S, Lack NA, Kaya M, Albayrak C, Can F, Solaroglu I, Bagci‐Onder T. Protein Scaffold-Based Multimerization of Soluble ACE2 Efficiently Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Infection In Vitro and In Vivo. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2201294. [PMID: 35896894 PMCID: PMC9353362 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202201294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Soluble ACE2 (sACE2) decoys are promising agents to inhibit SARS-CoV-2, as their efficiency is unlikely to be affected by escape mutations. However, their success is limited by their relatively poor potency. To address this challenge, multimeric sACE2 consisting of SunTag or MoonTag systems is developed. These systems are extremely effective in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 in pseudoviral systems and in clinical isolates, perform better than the dimeric or trimeric sACE2, and exhibit greater than 100-fold neutralization efficiency, compared to monomeric sACE2. SunTag or MoonTag fused to a more potent sACE2 (v1) achieves a sub-nanomolar IC50 , comparable with clinical monoclonal antibodies. Pseudoviruses bearing mutations for variants of concern, including delta and omicron, are also neutralized efficiently with multimeric sACE2. Finally, therapeutic treatment of sACE2(v1)-MoonTag provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in an in vivo mouse model. Therefore, highly potent multimeric sACE2 may offer a promising treatment approach against SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisan Kayabolen
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Ugur Akcan
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Doğancan Özturan
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Hivda Ulbegi‐Polat
- Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology InstituteTUBITAK Marmara Research CenterKocaeli41470Turkey
| | - Gizem Nur Sahin
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | | | - Canan Bayraktar
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Gizem Soyler
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Ehsan Sarayloo
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Department of BiotechnologyBeykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (BILSAB)Bezmialem Vakif UniversityIstanbul34820Turkey
| | - Elif Nurtop
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
| | - Berna Ozer
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
| | - Gulen Guney‐Esken
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
| | - Tayfun Barlas
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
| | - Ismail Selim Yildirim
- Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology InstituteTUBITAK Marmara Research CenterKocaeli41470Turkey
| | - Ozlem Dogan
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
- Koç University School of MedicineDepartment of Medical MicrobiologyIstanbul34010Turkey
| | - Sercin Karahuseyinoglu
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Koç University School of Medicine, Department of Histology and EmbryologyIstanbul34450Türkiye
| | - Nathan A. Lack
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Vancouver Prostate CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBC V6H 3Z6Canada
| | - Mehmet Kaya
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Cem Albayrak
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Department of BiotechnologyBeykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (BILSAB)Bezmialem Vakif UniversityIstanbul34820Turkey
| | - Fusun Can
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
- Koç University School of MedicineDepartment of Medical MicrobiologyIstanbul34010Turkey
| | - Ihsan Solaroglu
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Department of Basic SciencesLoma Linda UniversityLoma LindaCA92354USA
| | - Tugba Bagci‐Onder
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
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154
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Pipitò L, Rujan R, Reynolds CA, Deganutti G. Molecular dynamics studies reveal structural and functional features of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200060. [PMID: 35843871 PMCID: PMC9350306 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic the world experience since 2019. The protein responsible for the first steps of cell invasion, the spike protein, has probably received the most attention in light of its central role during infection. Computational approaches are among the tools employed by the scientific community in the enormous effort to study this new affliction. One of these methods, namely molecular dynamics (MD), has been used to characterize the function of the spike protein at the atomic level and unveil its structural features from a dynamic perspective. In this review, we focus on these main findings, including spike protein flexibility, rare S protein conformational changes, cryptic epitopes, the role of glycans, drug repurposing, and the effect of spike protein variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovico Pipitò
- Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences (CSELS)Faculty of Health and Life SciencesCoventry UniversityCoventryUK
| | - Roxana‐Maria Rujan
- Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences (CSELS)Faculty of Health and Life SciencesCoventry UniversityCoventryUK
| | - Christopher A. Reynolds
- Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences (CSELS)Faculty of Health and Life SciencesCoventry UniversityCoventryUK
| | - Giuseppe Deganutti
- Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences (CSELS)Faculty of Health and Life SciencesCoventry UniversityCoventryUK
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155
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Qiao S, Zhang S, Ge J, Wang X. The spike glycoprotein of highly pathogenic human coronaviruses: structural insights for understanding infection, evolution and inhibition. FEBS Open Bio 2022; 12:1602-1622. [PMID: 35689514 PMCID: PMC9433818 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13454] [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: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly pathogenic human coronaviruses (CoV) including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 have emerged over the past two decades, resulting in infectious disease outbreaks that have greatly affected public health. The CoV surface spike (S) glycoprotein mediates receptor binding and membrane fusion for cell entry, playing critical roles in CoV infection and evolution. The S glycoprotein is also the major target molecule for prophylactic and therapeutic interventions, including neutralizing antibodies and vaccines. In this review, we summarize key studies that have revealed the structural basis of S-mediated cell entry of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, we discuss the evolution of the S glycoprotein to realize cross-species transmission from the viewpoint of structural biology. Lastly, we describe the recent progress in developing antibodies, nanobodies and peptide inhibitors that target the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyuan Qiao
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Shuyuan Zhang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jiwan Ge
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xinquan Wang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
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156
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Sims JJ, Lian S, Meggersee RL, Kasimsetty A, Wilson JM. High activity of an affinity-matured ACE2 decoy against Omicron SARS-CoV-2 and pre-emergent coronaviruses. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271359. [PMID: 36006993 PMCID: PMC9409550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The viral genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), particularly its cell-binding spike protein gene, has undergone rapid evolution during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Variants including Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.2 now seriously threaten the efficacy of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and vaccines that target the spike protein. Viral evolution over a much longer timescale has generated a wide range of genetically distinct sarbecoviruses in animal populations, including the pandemic viruses SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1. The genetic diversity and widespread zoonotic potential of this group complicates current attempts to develop drugs in preparation for the next sarbecovirus pandemic. Receptor-based decoy inhibitors can target a wide range of viral strains with a common receptor and may have intrinsic resistance to escape mutant generation and antigenic drift. We previously generated an affinity-matured decoy inhibitor based on the receptor target of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and deployed it in a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector (rAAV) for intranasal delivery and passive prophylaxis against COVID-19. Here, we demonstrate the exceptional binding and neutralizing potency of this ACE2 decoy against SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.2. Tight decoy binding tracks with human ACE2 binding of viral spike receptor-binding domains across diverse clades of coronaviruses. Furthermore, in a coronavirus that cannot bind human ACE2, a variant that acquired human ACE2 binding was bound by the decoy with nanomolar affinity. Considering these results, we discuss a strategy of decoy-based treatment and passive protection to mitigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and future airway virus threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J. Sims
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Sharon Lian
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Rosemary L. Meggersee
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Aradhana Kasimsetty
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - James M. Wilson
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
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157
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Huang CY, Draczkowski P, Wang YS, Chang CY, Chien YC, Cheng YH, Wu YM, Wang CH, Chang YC, Chang YC, Yang TJ, Tsai YX, Khoo KH, Chang HW, Hsu STD. In situ structure and dynamics of an alphacoronavirus spike protein by cryo-ET and cryo-EM. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4877. [PMID: 35986008 PMCID: PMC9388967 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32588-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious swine disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). PED causes enteric disorders with an exceptionally high fatality in neonates, bringing substantial economic losses in the pork industry. The trimeric spike (S) glycoprotein of PEDV is responsible for virus-host recognition, membrane fusion, and is the main target for vaccine development and antigenic analysis. The atomic structures of the recombinant PEDV S proteins of two different strains have been reported, but they reveal distinct N-terminal domain 0 (D0) architectures that may correspond to different functional states. The existence of the D0 is a unique feature of alphacoronavirus. Here we combined cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to demonstrate in situ the asynchronous S protein D0 motions on intact viral particles of a highly virulent PEDV Pintung 52 strain. We further determined the cryo-EM structure of the recombinant S protein derived from a porcine cell line, which revealed additional domain motions likely associated with receptor binding. By integrating mass spectrometry and cryo-EM, we delineated the complex compositions and spatial distribution of the PEDV S protein N-glycans, and demonstrated the functional role of a key N-glycan in modulating the D0 conformation. Hsu and co-workers integrate cryo-electron tomography, cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry to reveal the structural polymorphism of a pig coronavirus spike protein within intact viral particles, and how glycosylation modulates the conformational changes pertinent to host recognition.
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158
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Marcink TC, Kicmal T, Armbruster E, Zhang Z, Zipursky G, Golub KL, Idris M, Khao J, Drew-Bear J, McGill G, Gallagher T, Porotto M, des Georges A, Moscona A. Intermediates in SARS-CoV-2 spike-mediated cell entry. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo3153. [PMID: 35984891 PMCID: PMC9390989 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo3153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 cell entry is completed after viral spike (S) protein-mediated membrane fusion between viral and host cell membranes. Stable prefusion and postfusion S structures have been resolved by cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, but the refolding intermediates on the fusion pathway are transient and have not been examined. We used an antiviral lipopeptide entry inhibitor to arrest S protein refolding and thereby capture intermediates as S proteins interact with hACE2 and fusion-activating proteases on cell-derived target membranes. Cryo-electron tomography imaged both extended and partially folded intermediate states of S2, as well as a novel late-stage conformation on the pathway to membrane fusion. The intermediates now identified in this dynamic S protein-directed fusion provide mechanistic insights that may guide the design of CoV entry inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara C. Marcink
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Kicmal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Emily Armbruster
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhening Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gillian Zipursky
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kate L. Golub
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohab Idris
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Drew-Bear
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gael McGill
- Digizyme Inc., Brookline, MA, USA
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Dynamics, Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tom Gallagher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Matteo Porotto
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,” 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Amédée des Georges
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Ph.D. Programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne Moscona
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
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159
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Chakraborty C, Bhattacharya M, Sharma AR, Mallik B. Omicron (B.1.1.529) - A new heavily mutated variant: Mapped location and probable properties of its mutations with an emphasis on S-glycoprotein. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 219:980-997. [PMID: 35952818 PMCID: PMC9359758 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Omicron, another SARS-CoV-2 variant, has been recorded and reported as a VoC. It has already spread across >30 countries and is a highly mutated variant. We tried to understand the role of mutations in the investigated variants by comparison with previous characterized VoC. We have mapped the mutations in Omicron S-glycoprotein's secondary and tertiary structure landscape using bioinformatics tools and statistical software and developed different models. In addition, we analyzed the effect of diverse mutations in antibody binding regions of the S-glycoprotein on the binding affinity of the investigated antibodies. This study has chosen eight significant mutations in Omicron (D614G, E484A, N501Y, Q493K, K417N, S477N, Y505H G496S), and seven of them are located in the RBD region. We also performed a comparative analysis of the ΔΔG score of these mutations to understand the stabilizing or destabilizing properties of the investigated mutations. The analysis outcome shows that D614G, Q493K, and S477N mutations are stable mutations with ΔΔG scores of 0.351 kcal/mol, 0.470 kcal/mol, and 0.628 kcal/mol, respectively, according to DynaMut estimations. While other mutations (E484A, N501Y, K417N, Y505H, G496S) showed destabilizing results. The D614G, E484A, N501Y, K417N, Y505H, and G496S mutations increased the molecular flexibility of S-glycoprotein to interact with the ACE2 receptor, increasing the variant's infectivity. Our study will contribute to research on the SARS-CoV-2 variant, Omicron, by providing information on the mutational pattern and exciting properties of these eight significant mutations, such as antibody escape and infectivity quotient (stabilizing or destabilizing; increased or decreased molecular flexibility of S-glycoprotein to interact with the human ACE2 receptor).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiranjib Chakraborty
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal 700126, India.
| | - Manojit Bhattacharya
- Department of Zoology, Fakir Mohan University, Vyasa Vihar, Balasore 756020, Odisha, India
| | - Ashish Ranjan Sharma
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopaedic Surgery, Hallym University-Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon-si 24252, Gangwon-do, South Korea
| | - Bidyut Mallik
- Department of Applied Science, Galgotias College of Engineering and Technology, Knowledge Park-II, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
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160
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Casalino L, Seitz C, Lederhofer J, Tsybovsky Y, Wilson IA, Kanekiyo M, Amaro RE. Breathing and tilting: mesoscale simulations illuminate influenza glycoprotein vulnerabilities. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.08.02.502576. [PMID: 35982676 PMCID: PMC9387122 DOI: 10.1101/2022.08.02.502576] [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: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Influenza virus has resurfaced recently from inactivity during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, raising serious concerns about the nature and magnitude of future epidemics. The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented. Here, we investigate the dynamics of influenza glycoproteins in a crowded protein environment through mesoscale all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of two evolutionary-linked glycosylated influenza A whole-virion models. Our simulations reveal and kinetically characterize three main molecular motions of influenza glycoproteins: NA head tilting, HA ectodomain tilting, and HA head breathing. The flexibility of HA and NA highlights antigenically relevant conformational states, as well as facilitates the characterization of a novel monoclonal antibody, derived from human convalescent plasma, that binds to the underside of the NA head. Our work provides previously unappreciated views on the dynamics of HA and NA, advancing the understanding of their interplay and suggesting possible strategies for the design of future vaccines and antivirals against influenza.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Casalino
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Christian Seitz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Julia Lederhofer
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, United States
| | - Ian A. Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Masaru Kanekiyo
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Rommie E. Amaro
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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161
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Zuzic L, Samsudin F, Shivgan AT, Raghuvamsi PV, Marzinek JK, Boags A, Pedebos C, Tulsian NK, Warwicker J, MacAry P, Crispin M, Khalid S, Anand GS, Bond PJ. Uncovering cryptic pockets in the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Structure 2022; 30:1062-1074.e4. [PMID: 35660160 PMCID: PMC9164293 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a rapid response in vaccine and drug development. Herein, we modeled a complete membrane-embedded SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and used molecular dynamics simulations with benzene probes designed to enhance discovery of cryptic pockets. This approach recapitulated lipid and host metabolite binding sites previously characterized by cryo-electron microscopy, revealing likely ligand entry routes, and uncovered a novel cryptic pocket with promising druggable properties located underneath the 617-628 loop. A full representation of glycan moieties was essential to accurately describe pocket dynamics. A multi-conformational behavior of the 617-628 loop in simulations was validated using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry experiments, supportive of opening and closing dynamics. The pocket is the site of multiple mutations associated with increased transmissibility found in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern including Omicron. Collectively, this work highlights the utility of the benzene mapping approach in uncovering potential druggable sites on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Zuzic
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Firdaus Samsudin
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Aishwary T Shivgan
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Palur V Raghuvamsi
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Jan K Marzinek
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Alister Boags
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore; School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Conrado Pedebos
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Nikhil K Tulsian
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546, Singapore
| | - Jim Warwicker
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Paul MacAry
- Life Sciences Institute, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546, Singapore
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Syma Khalid
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
| | - Ganesh S Anand
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore; Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Peter J Bond
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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162
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Assessing and improving the validity of COVID-19 autopsy studies - A multicentre approach to establish essential standards for immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses. EBioMedicine 2022; 83:104193. [PMID: 35930888 PMCID: PMC9344879 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autopsy studies have provided valuable insights into the pathophysiology of COVID-19. Controversies remain about whether the clinical presentation is due to direct organ damage by SARS-CoV-2 or secondary effects, such as overshooting immune response. SARS-CoV-2 detection in tissues by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) or electron microscopy (EM) can help answer these questions, but a comprehensive evaluation of these applications is missing. Methods We assessed publications using IHC and EM for SARS-CoV-2 detection in autopsy tissues. We systematically evaluated commercially available antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 proteins in cultured cell lines and COVID-19 autopsy tissues. In a multicentre study, we evaluated specificity, reproducibility, and inter-observer variability of SARS-CoV-2 IHC. We correlated RT-qPCR viral tissue loads with semiquantitative IHC scoring. We used qualitative and quantitative EM analyses to refine criteria for ultrastructural identification of SARS-CoV-2. Findings Publications show high variability in detection and interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 abundance in autopsy tissues by IHC or EM. We show that IHC using antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid yields the highest sensitivity and specificity. We found a positive correlation between presence of viral proteins by IHC and RT-qPCR-determined SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA load (N= 35; r=-0.83, p-value <0.0001). For EM, we refined criteria for virus identification and provide recommendations for optimized sampling and analysis. 135 of 144 publications misinterpret cellular structures as virus using EM or show only insufficient data. We provide publicly accessible digitized EM sections as a reference and for training purposes. Interpretation Since detection of SARS-CoV-2 in human autopsy tissues by IHC and EM is difficult and frequently incorrect, we propose criteria for a re-evaluation of available data and guidance for further investigations of direct organ effects by SARS-CoV-2. Funding German Federal Ministry of Health, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Berlin University Alliance, German Research Foundation, German Center for Infectious Research.
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163
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Ni S, Yang Q, Huang J, Zhou M, Wei L, Yang Y, Wen J, Mo W, Le W, Qi D, Jin L, Li B, Zhao Z, Du K. Constructing high-accuracy theoretical Raman spectra of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins based on a large fragment method. Chem Phys Lett 2022; 800:139663. [PMID: 35529782 PMCID: PMC9055380 DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2022.139663] [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: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In order to control COVID-19, rapid and accurate detection of the pathogenic, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an urgent task. The target spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected experimentally via Raman spectroscopy. However, there lacks high-accuracy theoretical Raman spectra of the spike proteins to as a standard reference for the clinic diagnostic purpose. In this paper, we propose a large fragment method to construct the high-precision Raman spectra for the spike proteins. The large fragment method not only reduces the calculation error but also improves the accuracy of the protein Raman spectra by completely calculating the interactions within the large fragment. The Pearson correlation coefficient of theoretical Raman spectra is greater than 0.929 or more. Compared with the experimental spectra, the characteristic patterns are easily visible. This work provides a detection standard for the spike proteins which shall bring a step closer to the fast recognition of SARS-CoV-2 via Raman spectroscopy method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Ni
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Qiang Yang
- China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Jinling Huang
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Minjie Zhou
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Lai Wei
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Yue Yang
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Jiaxin Wen
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Wenbo Mo
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Wei Le
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Daojian Qi
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Lei Jin
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Bo Li
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Zongqin Zhao
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
| | - Kai Du
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900 Mianyang, China
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164
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Warsame C, Valerini D, Llavori I, Barber AH, Goel S. Modal analysis of novel coronavirus (SARS COV-2) using finite element methodology. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2022; 135:105406. [PMID: 36075162 PMCID: PMC9391233 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many new engineering and scientific innovations have been proposed to date to passivate the novel coronavirus (SARS CoV-2), with the aim of curing the related disease that is now recognised as COVID-19. Currently, vaccine development remains the most reliable solution available. Efforts to provide solutions as alternatives to vaccinations are growing and include established control of behaviours such as self-isolation, social distancing, employing facial masks and use of antimicrobial surfaces. The work here proposes a novel engineering method employing the concept of resonant frequencies to denature SARS CoV-2. Specifically, “modal analysis” is used to computationally analyse the Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors i.e. frequencies and mode shapes to denature COVID-19. An average virion dimension of 63 nm with spike proteins number 6, 7 and 8 were examined, which revealed a natural frequency of a single virus in the range of 88–125 MHz. The information derived about the natural frequency of the virus through this study will open newer ways to exploit medical solutions to combat future pandemics.
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165
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Tioni MF, Jordan R, Pena AS, Garg A, Wu D, Phan SI, Weiss CM, Cheng X, Greenhouse J, Orekov T, Valentin D, Kar S, Pessaint L, Andersen H, Stobart CC, Bloodworth MH, Stokes Peebles R, Liu Y, Xie X, Shi PY, Moore ML, Tang RS. Mucosal administration of a live attenuated recombinant COVID-19 vaccine protects nonhuman primates from SARS-CoV-2. NPJ Vaccines 2022; 7:85. [PMID: 35906244 PMCID: PMC9334537 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00509-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the COVID-19 global pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped RNA virus that relies on its trimeric surface glycoprotein spike for entry into host cells. Here we describe the COVID-19 vaccine candidate MV-014-212, a live, attenuated, recombinant human respiratory syncytial virus expressing a chimeric SARS-CoV-2 spike as the only viral envelope protein. MV-014-212 was attenuated and immunogenic in African green monkeys (AGMs). One mucosal administration of MV-014-212 in AGMs protected against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, reducing by more than 200-fold the peak shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in the nose. MV-014-212 elicited mucosal immunoglobulin A in the nose and neutralizing antibodies in serum that exhibited cross-neutralization against virus variants of concern Alpha, Beta, and Delta. Intranasally delivered, live attenuated vaccines such as MV-014-212 entail low-cost manufacturing suitable for global deployment. MV-014-212 is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials as an intranasal COVID-19 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Jordan
- Meissa Vaccines Inc, Redwood City, CA, USA.,Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Danlu Wu
- Meissa Vaccines Inc, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Xing Cheng
- Meissa Vaccines Inc, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Melissa H Bloodworth
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - R Stokes Peebles
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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166
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Kuang Z, Luginsland J, Thomas RJ, Dennis PB, Kelley-Loughnane N, Roach WP, Naik RR. Molecular dynamics simulations explore effects of electric field orientations on spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 virions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12986. [PMID: 35906467 PMCID: PMC9334739 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17009-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its current worldwide spread have caused a pandemic of acute respiratory disease COVID-19. The virus can result in mild to severe, and even to fatal respiratory illness in humans, threatening human health and public safety. The spike (S) protein on the surface of viral membrane is responsible for viral entry into host cells. The discovery of methods to inactivate the entry of SARS-CoV-2 through disruption of the S protein binding to its cognate receptor on the host cell is an active research area. To explore other prevention strategies against the quick spread of the virus and its mutants, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations have been employed to explore the possibility of manipulating the structure–activity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein by applying electric fields (EFs) in both the protein axial directions and in the direction perpendicular to the protein axis. We have found out the application of EFs perpendicular to the protein axis is most effective in denaturing the HR2 domain which plays critical role in viral-host membrane fusion. This finding suggests that varying irradiation angles may be an important consideration in developing EF based non-invasive technologies to inactivate the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifeng Kuang
- Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, Dayton, OH, 45433, USA.
| | - John Luginsland
- Work Performed With Confluent Sciences, LLC, Albuquerque, NM, 87111, USA
| | - Robert J Thomas
- 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX, 78234, USA
| | - Patrick B Dennis
- Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, Dayton, OH, 45433, USA
| | - Nancy Kelley-Loughnane
- Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, Dayton, OH, 45433, USA
| | - William P Roach
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, VA, 22203, USA
| | - Rajesh R Naik
- 711Th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, Dayton, OH, 45433, USA.
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167
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Verkhivker GM, Agajanian S, Kassab R, Krishnan K. Frustration-driven allosteric regulation and signal transmission in the SARS-CoV-2 spike omicron trimer structures: a crosstalk of the omicron mutation sites allosterically regulates tradeoffs of protein stability and conformational adaptability. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:17723-17743. [PMID: 35839100 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp01893d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Dissecting the regulatory principles underlying function and activity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein at the atomic level is of paramount importance for understanding the mechanisms of virus transmissibility and immune escape. In this work, we introduce a hierarchical computational approach for atomistic modeling of allosteric mechanisms in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike proteins and present evidence of a frustration-based allostery as an important energetic driver of the conformational changes and spike activation. By examining conformational landscapes and the residue interaction networks in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein structures, we have shown that the Omicron mutational sites are dynamically coupled and form a central engine of the allosterically regulated spike machinery that regulates the balance and tradeoffs between conformational plasticity, protein stability, and functional adaptability. We have found that the Omicron mutational sites at the inter-protomer regions form regulatory hotspot clusters that control functional transitions between the closed and open states. Through perturbation-based modeling of allosteric interaction networks and diffusion analysis of communications in the closed and open spike states, we have quantified the allosterically regulated activation mechanism and uncover specific regulatory roles of the Omicron mutations. Atomistic reconstruction of allosteric communication pathways and kinetic modeling using Markov transient analysis reveal that the Omicron mutations form the inter-protomer electrostatic bridges that operate as a network of coupled regulatory switches that could control global conformational changes and signal transmission in the spike protein. The results of this study have revealed distinct and yet complementary roles of the Omicron mutation sites as a network of hotspots that enable allosteric modulation of structural stability and conformational changes which are central for spike activation and virus transmissibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady M Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.,Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Steve Agajanian
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Ryan Kassab
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Keerthi Krishnan
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
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168
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Deroubaix A, Kramvis A. Imaging Techniques: Essential Tools for the Study of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:794264. [PMID: 35937687 PMCID: PMC9355083 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.794264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The world has seen the emergence of a new virus in 2019, SARS-CoV-2, causing the COVID-19 pandemic and millions of deaths worldwide. Microscopy can be much more informative than conventional detection methods such as RT-PCR. This review aims to present the up-to-date microscopy observations in patients, the in vitro studies of the virus and viral proteins and their interaction with their host, discuss the microscopy techniques for detection and study of SARS-CoV-2, and summarize the reagents used for SARS-CoV-2 detection. From basic fluorescence microscopy to high resolution techniques and combined technologies, this article shows the power and the potential of microscopy techniques, especially in the field of virology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Deroubaix
- Hepatitis Virus Diversity Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Life Sciences Imaging Facility, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Anna Kramvis
- Hepatitis Virus Diversity Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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169
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Saville JW, Berezuk AM, Srivastava SS, Subramaniam S. Three-Dimensional Visualization of Viral Structure, Entry, and Replication Underlying the Spread of SARS-CoV-2. Chem Rev 2022; 122:14066-14084. [PMID: 35863749 PMCID: PMC9344915 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c01062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The global spread
of SARS-CoV-2 has proceeded at an unprecedented
rate. Remarkably, characterization of the virus using modern tools
in structural biology has also progressed at exceptional speed. Advances
in electron-based imaging techniques, combined with decades of foundational
studies on related viruses, have enabled the research community to
rapidly investigate structural aspects of the novel coronavirus from
the level of individual viral proteins to imaging the whole virus
in a native context. Here, we provide a detailed review of the structural
biology and pathobiology of SARS-CoV-2 as it relates to all facets
of the viral life cycle, including cell entry, replication, and three-dimensional
(3D) packaging based on insights obtained from X-ray crystallography,
cryo-electron tomography, and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy.
The structural comparison between SARS-CoV-2 and the related earlier
viruses SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV is a common thread throughout this review.
We conclude by highlighting some of the outstanding unanswered structural
questions and underscore areas that are under rapid current development
such as the design of effective therapeutics that block viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Saville
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3
| | - Alison M Berezuk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3
| | - Shanti S Srivastava
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3
| | - Sriram Subramaniam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3.,Gandeeva Therapeutics Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5C 6N5
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170
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Sorokina M, Belapure J, Tüting C, Paschke R, Papasotiriou I, Rodrigues JP, Kastritis PL. An Electrostatically-steered Conformational Selection Mechanism Promotes SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Variation. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167637. [PMID: 35595165 PMCID: PMC9112565 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167637] [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: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
After two years since the outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic remains a global public health emergency. SARS-CoV-2 variants with substitutions on the spike (S) protein emerge increasing the risk of immune evasion and cross-species transmission. Here, we analyzed the evolution of the S protein as recorded in 276,712 samples collected before the start of vaccination efforts. Our analysis shows that most variants destabilize the S protein trimer, increase its conformational heterogeneity and improve the odds of the recognition by the host cell receptor. Most frequent substitutions promote overall hydrophobicity by replacing charged amino acids, reducing stabilizing local interactions in the unbound S protein trimer. Moreover, our results identify "forbidden" regions that rarely show any sequence variation, and which are related to conformational changes occurring upon fusion. These results are significant for understanding the structure and function of SARS-CoV-2 related proteins which is a critical step in vaccine development and epidemiological surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Sorokina
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany,RGCC International GmbH, Baarerstrasse 95, Zug 6300, Switzerland,BioSolutions GmbH, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Jaydeep Belapure
- Interdisciplinary Research Center HALOmem, Charles Tanford Protein Center, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3a, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Christian Tüting
- Interdisciplinary Research Center HALOmem, Charles Tanford Protein Center, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3a, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Reinhard Paschke
- BioSolutions GmbH, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany,Biozentrum, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany
| | | | | | - Panagiotis L. Kastritis
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany,Interdisciplinary Research Center HALOmem, Charles Tanford Protein Center, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3a, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany,Biozentrum, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany,Corresponding author at: Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany
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171
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Gao K, Wang R, Chen J, Cheng L, Frishcosy J, Huzumi Y, Qiu Y, Schluckbier T, Wei X, Wei GW. Methodology-Centered Review of Molecular Modeling, Simulation, and Prediction of SARS-CoV-2. Chem Rev 2022; 122:11287-11368. [PMID: 35594413 PMCID: PMC9159519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite tremendous efforts in the past two years, our understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), virus-host interactions, immune response, virulence, transmission, and evolution is still very limited. This limitation calls for further in-depth investigation. Computational studies have become an indispensable component in combating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their low cost, their efficiency, and the fact that they are free from safety and ethical constraints. Additionally, the mechanism that governs the global evolution and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 cannot be revealed from individual experiments and was discovered by integrating genotyping of massive viral sequences, biophysical modeling of protein-protein interactions, deep mutational data, deep learning, and advanced mathematics. There exists a tsunami of literature on the molecular modeling, simulations, and predictions of SARS-CoV-2 and related developments of drugs, vaccines, antibodies, and diagnostics. To provide readers with a quick update about this literature, we present a comprehensive and systematic methodology-centered review. Aspects such as molecular biophysics, bioinformatics, cheminformatics, machine learning, and mathematics are discussed. This review will be beneficial to researchers who are looking for ways to contribute to SARS-CoV-2 studies and those who are interested in the status of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifu Gao
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Rui Wang
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Limei Cheng
- Clinical
Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics, Bristol
Myers Squibb, Princeton, New Jersey 08536, United States
| | - Jaclyn Frishcosy
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Yuta Huzumi
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Yuchi Qiu
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Tom Schluckbier
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Xiaoqi Wei
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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172
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Sanyal D, Banerjee S, Bej A, Chowdhury VR, Uversky VN, Chowdhury S, Chattopadhyay K. An integrated understanding of the evolutionary and structural features of the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD). Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 217:492-505. [PMID: 35841961 PMCID: PMC9278002 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.022] [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: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Conventional drug development strategies typically use pocket in protein structures as drug-target sites. They overlook the plausible effects of protein evolvability and resistant mutations on protein structure which in turn may impair protein-drug interaction. In this study, we used an integrated evolution and structure guided strategy to develop potential evolutionary-escape resistant therapeutics using receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike-protein/S-protein as a model. Deploying an ensemble of sequence space exploratory tools including co-evolutionary analysis and deep mutational scans we provide a quantitative insight into the evolutionarily constrained subspace of the RBD sequence-space. Guided by molecular simulation and structure network analysis we highlight regions inside the RBD, which are critical for providing structural integrity and conformational flexibility. Using fuzzy C-means clustering we combined evolutionary and structural features of RBD and identified a critical region. Subsequently, we used computational drug screening using a library of 1615 small molecules and identified one lead molecule, which is expected to target the identified region, critical for evolvability and structural stability of RBD. This integrated evolution-structure guided strategy to develop evolutionary-escape resistant lead molecules have potential general applications beyond SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dwipanjan Sanyal
- Protein Folding and Dynamics Group, Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Suharto Banerjee
- Protein Folding and Dynamics Group, Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Aritra Bej
- Protein Folding and Dynamics Group, Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Vaidehi Roy Chowdhury
- Protein Folding and Dynamics Group, Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Laboratory of New Methods in Biology, Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Pushchino, Moscow region 142290, Russia
| | - Sourav Chowdhury
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Krishnananda Chattopadhyay
- Protein Folding and Dynamics Group, Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India.
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173
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Kapoor K, Chen T, Tajkhorshid E. Posttranslational modifications optimize the ability of SARS-CoV-2 spike for effective interaction with host cell receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2119761119. [PMID: 35737823 PMCID: PMC9282386 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119761119] [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: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein is the prime target for vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutic antibodies against the virus. While anchored in the viral envelope, for effective virulence, the spike needs to maintain structural flexibility to recognize the host cell surface receptors and bind to them, a property that can heavily depend upon the dynamics of the unresolved domains, most prominently the stalk. Construction of the complete, membrane-bound spike model and the description of its dynamics are critical steps in understanding the inner working of this key element of the viral infection by SARS-CoV-2. Combining homology modeling, protein-protein docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we have developed a full spike structure in a native membrane. Multimicrosecond MD simulations of this model, the longest known single trajectory of the full spike, reveal conformational dynamics employed by the protein to explore the surface of the host cell. In agreement with cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), three flexible hinges in the stalk allow for global conformational heterogeneity of spike in the fully glycosylated system mediated by glycan-glycan and glycan-lipid interactions. The dynamical range of the spike is considerably reduced in its nonglycosylated form, confining the area explored by the spike on the host cell surface. Furthermore, palmitoylation of the membrane domain amplifies the local curvature that may prime the fusion. We show that the identified hinge regions are highly conserved in SARS coronaviruses, highlighting their functional importance in enhancing viral infection, and thereby, provide points for discovery of alternative therapeutics against the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Kapoor
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Tianle Chen
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
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174
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Integrating Conformational Dynamics and Perturbation-Based Network Modeling for Mutational Profiling of Binding and Allostery in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Variant Complexes with Antibodies: Balancing Local and Global Determinants of Mutational Escape Mechanisms. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12070964. [PMID: 35883520 PMCID: PMC9313167 DOI: 10.3390/biom12070964] [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: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we combined all-atom MD simulations, the ensemble-based mutational scanning of protein stability and binding, and perturbation-based network profiling of allosteric interactions in the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with a panel of cross-reactive and ultra-potent single antibodies (B1-182.1 and A23-58.1) as well as antibody combinations (A19-61.1/B1-182.1 and A19-46.1/B1-182.1). Using this approach, we quantify the local and global effects of mutations in the complexes, identify protein stability centers, characterize binding energy hotspots, and predict the allosteric control points of long-range interactions and communications. Conformational dynamics and distance fluctuation analysis revealed the antibody-specific signatures of protein stability and flexibility of the spike complexes that can affect the pattern of mutational escape. A network-based perturbation approach for mutational profiling of allosteric residue potentials revealed how antibody binding can modulate allosteric interactions and identified allosteric control points that can form vulnerable sites for mutational escape. The results show that the protein stability and binding energetics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with the panel of ultrapotent antibodies are tolerant to the effect of Omicron mutations, which may be related to their neutralization efficiency. By employing an integrated analysis of conformational dynamics, binding energetics, and allosteric interactions, we found that the antibodies that neutralize the Omicron spike variant mediate the dominant binding energy hotpots in the conserved stability centers and allosteric control points in which mutations may be restricted by the requirements of the protein folding stability and binding to the host receptor. This study suggested a mechanism in which the patterns of escape mutants for the ultrapotent antibodies may not be solely determined by the binding interaction changes but are associated with the balance and tradeoffs of multiple local and global factors, including protein stability, binding affinity, and long-range interactions.
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175
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Li T, Yu L, Sun J, Liu J, He X. Ionization of D571 Is Coupled with SARS-CoV-2 Spike Up/Down Equilibrium Revealing the pH-Dependent Allosteric Mechanism of Receptor-Binding Domains. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:4828-4839. [PMID: 35736566 PMCID: PMC9236204 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c02365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
As a type I viral fusion protein, SARS-CoV-2 spike undergoes a pH-dependent switch to mediate the endosomal positioning of the receptor-binding domain to facilitate viral entry into cells and immune evasion. Gaps in our knowledge concerning the conformational transitions and key intramolecular motivations have hampered the development of effective therapeutics against the virus. To clarify the pH-sensitive elements on spike-gating the receptor-binding domain (RBD) opening and understand the details of the RBD opening transition, we performed microsecond-time scale constant pH molecular dynamics simulations in this study. We identified the deeply buried D571 with a clear pKa shift, suggesting a potential pH sensor, and showed the coupling of ionization of D571 with spike RBD-up/down equilibrium. We also computed the free-energy landscape for RBD opening and identified the crucial interactions that influence RBD dynamics. The atomic-level characterization of the pH-dependent spike activation mechanism provided herein offers new insights for a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 viral entry and infection and hence supports the discovery of novel therapeutics for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy,
China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009,
China
| | - Lan Yu
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical
University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jingfang Sun
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy,
China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009,
China
| | - Jinfeng Liu
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy,
China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009,
China
| | - Xiao He
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular
Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Molecule
Intelligent Syntheses, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East
China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- New York University-East China Normal University
Center for Computational Chemistry, New York University
Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
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176
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Poustforoosh A, Hashemipour H, Tüzün B, Azadpour M, Faramarz S, Pardakhty A, Mehrabani M, Nematollahi MH. The Impact of D614G Mutation of SARS-COV-2 on the Efficacy of Anti-viral Drugs: A Comparative Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Study. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:241. [PMID: 35792936 PMCID: PMC9258457 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02921-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
D614G is one of the most reported mutations in the spike protein of SARS-COV-2 that has altered some crucial characteristics of coronaviruses, such as rate of infection and binding affinities. The binding affinity of different antiviral drugs was evaluated using rigid molecular docking. The reliability of the docking results was evaluated with the induced-fit docking method, and a better understanding of the drug-protein interactions was performed using molecular dynamics simulation. The results show that the D614G variant could change the binding affinity of antiviral drugs and spike protein remarkably. Although Cytarabine showed an appropriate interaction with the wild spike protein, Ribavirin and PMEG diphosphate exhibited a significant binding affinity to the mutated spike protein. The parameters of the ADME/T analysis showed that these drugs are suitable for further in-vitro and in-vivo investigation. D614G alteration affected the binding affinity of the RBD and its receptor on the cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Poustforoosh
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hassan Hashemipour
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Vali-e-Asr, University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran.
| | - Burak Tüzün
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Mahdiyeh Azadpour
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sanaz Faramarz
- Department of Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Abbas Pardakhty
- Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Mehrabani
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Nematollahi
- Department of Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. .,Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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177
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Moreno N, Moreno-Chaparro D, Usabiaga FB, Ellero M. Hydrodynamics of spike proteins dictate a transport-affinity competition for SARS-CoV-2 and other enveloped viruses. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11080. [PMID: 35773454 PMCID: PMC9245886 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14884-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Many viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 or Influenza, possess envelopes decorated with surface proteins (a.k.a. spikes). Depending on the virus type, a large variability is present in the surface-proteins number, morphology and reactivity, which remains generally unexplained. Since viruses' transmissibility depends on features beyond their genetic sequence, new tools are required to discern the effects of spikes functionality, interaction, and morphology. Here, we postulate the relevance of hydrodynamic interactions in the viral infectivity of enveloped viruses and propose micro-rheological characterization as a platform for virus differentiation. To understand how the spikes affect virion mobility and infectivity, we investigate the diffusivity of spike-decorated structures using mesoscopic-hydrodynamic simulations. Furthermore, we explored the interplay between affinity and passive viral transport. Our results revealed that the diffusional mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 is strongly influenced by the size and distribution of its spikes. We propose and validate a universal mechanism to explain the link between optimal virion structure and maximal infectivity for many virus families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Moreno
- Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, BCAM. Alameda de Mazarredo 14, Bilbao, 48009, Spain.
| | | | | | - Marco Ellero
- Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, BCAM. Alameda de Mazarredo 14, Bilbao, 48009, Spain. .,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Calle de Maria Diaz de Haro 3, Bilbao, 48013, Spain. .,Zienkiewicz Center for Computational Engineering (ZCCE), Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN, UK.
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178
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The Cellular Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in Virus-Infected Cells Using the Receptor Binding Domain Binding Specific Human Monoclonal Antibodies. J Virol 2022; 96:e0045522. [PMID: 35727030 PMCID: PMC9278116 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00455-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A human monoclonal antibody panel (PD4, PD5, PD7, SC23, and SC29) was isolated from the B cells of convalescent patients and used to examine the S protein in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. While all five antibodies bound conformational-specific epitopes within SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, only PD5, PD7, and SC23 were able to bind to the receptor binding domain (RBD). Immunofluorescence microscopy was used to examine the S protein RBD in cells infected with the Singapore isolates SARS-CoV-2/0334 and SARS-CoV-2/1302. The RBD-binders exhibited a distinct cytoplasmic staining pattern that was primarily localized within the Golgi complex and was distinct from the diffuse cytoplasmic staining pattern exhibited by the non-RBD-binders (PD4 and SC29). These data indicated that the S protein adopted a conformation in the Golgi complex that enabled the RBD recognition by the RBD-binders. The RBD-binders also recognized the uncleaved S protein, indicating that S protein cleavage was not required for RBD recognition. Electron microscopy indicated high levels of cell-associated virus particles, and multiple cycle virus infection using RBD-binder staining provided evidence for direct cell-to-cell transmission for both isolates. Although similar levels of RBD-binder staining were demonstrated for each isolate, SARS-CoV-2/1302 exhibited slower rates of cell-to-cell transmission. These data suggest that a conformational change in the S protein occurs during its transit through the Golgi complex that enables RBD recognition by the RBD-binders and suggests that these antibodies can be used to monitor S protein RBD formation during the early stages of infection. IMPORTANCE The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein receptor binding domain (RBD) mediates the attachment of SARS-CoV-2 to the host cell. This interaction plays an essential role in initiating virus infection, and the S protein RBD is therefore a focus of therapeutic and vaccine interventions. However, new virus variants have emerged with altered biological properties in the RBD that can potentially negate these interventions. Therefore, an improved understanding of the biological properties of the RBD in virus-infected cells may offer future therapeutic strategies to mitigate SARS- CoV-2 infection. We used physiologically relevant antibodies that were isolated from the B cells of convalescent COVID-19 patients to monitor the RBD in cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 clinical isolates. These immunological reagents specifically recognize the correctly folded RBD and were used to monitor the appearance of the RBD in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells and identified the site where the RBD first appears.
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179
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Fadda E. Molecular simulations of complex carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022; 69:102175. [PMID: 35728307 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Complex carbohydrates (glycans) are the most abundant and versatile biopolymers in nature. The broad diversity of biochemical functions that carbohydrates cover is a direct consequence of the variety of 3D architectures they can adopt, displaying branched or linear arrangements, widely ranging in sizes, and with the highest diversity of building blocks of any other natural biopolymer. Despite this unparalleled complexity, a common denominator can be found in the glycans' inherent flexibility, which hinders experimental characterization, but that can be addressed by high-performance computing (HPC)-based molecular simulations. In this short review, I present and discuss the state-of-the-art of molecular simulations of complex carbohydrates and glycoconjugates, highlighting methodological strengths and weaknesses, important insights through emblematic case studies, and suggesting perspectives for future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Fadda
- Department of Chemistry and Hamilton Institute, Maynooth University, Ireland.
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180
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Coutinho JVP, Macedo-da-Silva J, Mule SN, Kronenberger T, Rosa-Fernandes L, Wrenger C, Palmisano G. Glycoprotein molecular dynamics analysis: SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein case study. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2022; 131:277-309. [PMID: 35871894 PMCID: PMC9181370 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Molecular Dynamics (MD) is a method used to calculate the movement of atoms and molecules broadly applied to several aspects of science. It involves computational simulation, which makes it, at first glance, not easily accessible. The rise of several automated tools to perform molecular simulations has allowed researchers to navigate through the various steps of MD. This enables to elucidate structural properties of proteins that could not be analyzed otherwise, such as the impact of glycosylation. Glycosylation dictates the physicochemical and biological properties of a protein modulating its solubility, stability, resistance to proteolysis, interaction partners, enzymatic activity, binding and recognition. Given the high conformational and compositional diversity of the glycan chains, assessing their influence on the protein structure is challenging using conventional analytical techniques. In this manuscript, we present a step-by-step workflow to build and perform MD analysis of glycoproteins focusing on the SPIKE glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 to appraise the impact of glycans in structure stabilization and antibody occlusion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janaina Macedo-da-Silva
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simon Ngao Mule
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thales Kronenberger
- Department of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tuebingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; Tuebingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Livia Rosa-Fernandes
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carsten Wrenger
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Faculty of Science and engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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181
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Ghimire D, Han Y, Lu M. Structural Plasticity and Immune Evasion of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Variants. Viruses 2022; 14:1255. [PMID: 35746726 PMCID: PMC9229035 DOI: 10.3390/v14061255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The global pandemic of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has significantly affected every human life and overloaded the health care system worldwide. Limited therapeutic options combined with the consecutive waves of the infection and emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially variants of concern (VOCs), have prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic and challenged its control. The Spike (S) protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 is the primary target exposed to the host and essential for virus entry into cells. The parental (Wuhan-Hu-1 or USA/WA1 strain) S protein is the virus-specific component of currently implemented vaccines. However, S is most prone to mutations, potentially shifting the dynamics of virus-host interactions by affecting S conformational/structural profiles. Scientists have rapidly resolved atomic structures of S VOCs and elucidated molecular details of these mutations, which can inform the design of S-directed novel therapeutics and broadly protective vaccines. Here, we discuss recent findings on S-associated virus transmissibility and immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs and experimental approaches used to profile these properties. We summarize the structural studies that document the structural flexibility/plasticity of S VOCs and the potential roles of accumulated mutations on S structures and functions. We focus on the molecular interpretation of structures of the S variants and its insights into the molecular mechanism underlying antibody evasion and host cell-receptor binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibya Ghimire
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler, TX 75708, USA;
| | | | - Maolin Lu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler, TX 75708, USA;
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182
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Conformational ensemble of the full-length SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein based on molecular simulations and SAXS data. Biophys Chem 2022; 288:106843. [PMID: 35696898 PMCID: PMC9172258 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The nucleocapsid protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus comprises two RNA-binding domains and three regions that are intrinsically disordered. While the structures of the RNA-binding domains have been solved using protein crystallography and NMR, current knowledge of the conformations of the full-length nucleocapsid protein is rather limited. To fill in this knowledge gap, we combined coarse-grained molecular simulations with data from small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments using the ensemble refinement of SAXS (EROS) method. Our results show that the dimer of the full-length nucleocapsid protein exhibits large conformational fluctuations with its radius of gyration ranging from about 4 to 8 nm. The RNA-binding domains do not make direct contacts. The disordered region that links these two domains comprises a hydrophobic α-helix which makes frequent and nonspecific contacts with the RNA-binding domains. Each of the intrinsically disordered regions adopts conformations that are locally compact, yet on average, much more extended than Gaussian chains of equivalent lengths. We offer a detailed picture of the conformational ensemble of the nucleocapsid protein dimer under near-physiological conditions, which will be important for understanding the nucleocapsid assembly process.
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183
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Faraji SN, Raee MJ, Hashemi SMA, Daryabor G, Tabrizi R, Dashti FS, Behboudi E, Heidarnejad K, Nowrouzi-Sohrabi P, Hatam G. Human interaction targets of SARS-COV-2 spike protein: A systematic review. EUR J INFLAMM 2022. [PMCID: PMC9160582 DOI: 10.1177/1721727x221095382] [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] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The development of effective targeted therapy and drug-design approaches against the SARS-CoV-2 is a universal health priority. Therefore, it is important to assess possible therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 via its most interaction targets. The present study aimed to perform a systematic review on clinical and experimental investigations regarding SARS-COV-2 interaction targets for human cell entry. Methods: A systematic search using relevant MeSH terms and keywords was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science (ISI) databases up to July 2021. Two reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of the studies, extracted the data, and evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies. Additionally, a narrative synthesis was done as a qualitative method for data gathering and synthesis of each outcome measure. Results: A total of 5610 studies were identified, and 128 articles were included in the systematic review. Based on the results, spike antigen was the only interaction protein from SARS-CoV-2. However, the interaction proteins from humans varied including different spike receptors and several cleavage enzymes. The most common interactions of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 for cell entry were ACE2 (entry receptor) and TMPRSS2 (for spike priming). A lot of published studies have mainly focused on the ACE2 receptor followed by the TMPRSS family and furin. Based on the results, ACE2 polymorphisms as well as spike RBD mutations affected the SARS-CoV-2 binding affinity. Conclusion: The included studies shed more light on SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry mechanisms and detailed interactions, which could enhance the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and the development of new and comprehensive therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Nooreddin Faraji
- School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohamad Javad Raee
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohamad Ali Hashemi
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Microbiology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Daryabor
- Autoimmune Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Reza Tabrizi
- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Fateme Sadat Dashti
- Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Emad Behboudi
- Department of Microbiology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Kamran Heidarnejad
- Recombinant Antibody Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Peyman Nowrouzi-Sohrabi
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Hatam
- Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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184
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Yang H, Liu P, Zhang Y, Du T, Zhou Y, Lu S, Peng X. Characteristic analysis of Omicron-included SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e129. [PMID: 35434714 PMCID: PMC8994548 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.129] [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: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In view of the rapid development of the COVID-19 pandemic and SARS-CoV-2 mutation, we characterized the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) by both bioinformatics methods and experiments. The representative genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs were first downloaded from NCBI, including the prototypic strain, Alpha (B.1.1.7) strain, Beta (B.1.351) strain, Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B1.1.529) strain. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the D614G mutation led to formation of a protruding spike (S) in the tertiary structure of spike protein, which could be responsible for the enhanced binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. The epitope analysis further showed that the S protein antigenicity of the Omicron variant changed dramatically, which was possibly associated with its enhanced ability of immune escape. To verify the bioinformatics results, we performed experiments of pseudovirus infection and protein affinity assay. Notably, we found that the spike protein of Omicron variant showed the weakest infectivity and binding ability among all tested strains. Finally, we also proved this through virus infection experiments, and found that the cytotoxicity of Omicron seems to be not strong enough. The results in this study provide guidelines for prevention and control of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yang
- Institute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Penghui Liu
- Institute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Yong Zhang
- Institute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Tingfu Du
- Institute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Yanan Zhou
- Institute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Shuaiyao Lu
- Institute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Xiaozhong Peng
- Institute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingYunnanChina
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular BiologyDepartment of Molecular Biology and BiochemistryInstitute of Basic Medical SciencesMedical Primate Research CenterNeuroscience CenterChinese Academy of Medical SciencesSchool of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
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185
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Peters JJ, Leitz J, Guo Q, Beck F, Baumeister W, Brunger AT. A feature-guided, focused 3D signal permutation method for subtomogram averaging. J Struct Biol 2022; 214:107851. [PMID: 35346811 PMCID: PMC9149098 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2022.107851] [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: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Advances in electron microscope instrumentation, cryo-electron tomography data collection, and subtomogram averaging have allowed for the in-situ visualization of molecules and their complexes in their native environment. Current data processing pipelines commonly extract subtomograms as a cubic subvolume with the key assumption that the selected object of interest is discrete from its surroundings. However, in instances when the object is in its native environment, surrounding densities may negatively affect the subsequent alignment and refinement processes, leading to loss of information due to misalignment. For example, the strong densities from surrounding membranes may dominate the alignment process for membrane proteins. Here, we developed methods for feature-guided subtomogram alignment and 3D signal permutation for subtomogram averaging. Our 3D signal permutation method randomizes and filters voxels outside a mask of any shape and blurs the boundary of the mask that encapsulates the object of interest. The randomization preserves global statistical properties such as mean density and standard deviation of voxel density values, effectively producing a featureless background surrounding the object of interest. This signal permutation process can be repeatedly applied with intervening alignments of the 3D signal-permuted subvolumes, recentering of the mask, and optional adjustments of the shape of the mask. We have implemented these methods in a new processing pipeline which starts from tomograms, contains feature-guided subtomogram extraction and alignment, 3D signal-permutation, and subtomogram visualization tools. As an example, feature-guided alignment and 3D signal permutation leads to improved subtomogram average maps for a dataset of synaptic protein complexes in their native environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Jacob Peters
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Jeremy Leitz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Qiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Florian Beck
- CryoEM Technology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Baumeister
- Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Axel T Brunger
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.
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186
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Abstract
Since November 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has been a matter of global concern due to its rapid spread, the millions of deaths it caused, and repeated waves of infections. One after another, many variants of this novel virus have come into existence due to its constant mutability, specifically in the spike glycoprotein region. The tally for variants of concern (VOCs), which already include Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1) and Delta (B.1.617.2), has increased to five with the latest appearance of Omicron (B.1.1.529). In our study, we examine the effect of the transmissibility and infectious potential of the virus due to various mutations of SARS-CoV-2, especially in the receptor-binding domain (RBD). We discuss the role of genome sequencing in tracing all the mutations and the importance of the R value (reproductive number) to understand the virus spread. We also review the effectiveness of the available vaccines on the variants of concern, as the rapid spread of the newly emergent Omicron variant has raised doubts about the usefulness of the current vaccines. The use of a mixed vaccination strategy has proved to be effective, yet the newer variants, such as Omicron, demand booster doses for the population. Multivalent immunogens could be considered as the plausible solution for conferring protection against potential new mutants of the virus in the future.
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187
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Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 Surrogate TGEV Individual Virions Structure Survival under Harsh Physicochemical Environments. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111759. [PMID: 35681454 PMCID: PMC9179875 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective airborne transmission of coronaviruses via liquid microdroplets requires a virion structure that must withstand harsh environmental conditions. Due to the demanding biosafety requirements for the study of human respiratory viruses, it is important to develop surrogate models to facilitate their investigation. Here we explore the mechanical properties and nanostructure of transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) virions in liquid milieu and their response to different chemical agents commonly used as biocides. Our data provide two-fold results on virus stability: First, while particles with larger size and lower packing fraction kept their morphology intact after successive mechanical aggressions, smaller viruses with higher packing fraction showed conspicuous evidence of structural damage and content release. Second, monitoring the structure of single TGEV particles in the presence of detergent and alcohol in real time revealed the stages of gradual degradation of the virus structure in situ. These data suggest that detergent is three orders of magnitude more efficient than alcohol in destabilizing TGEV virus particles, paving the way for optimizing hygienic protocols for viruses with similar structure, such as SARS-CoV-2.
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188
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Hunt AC, Case JB, Park YJ, Cao L, Wu K, Walls AC, Liu Z, Bowen JE, Yeh HW, Saini S, Helms L, Zhao YT, Hsiang TY, Starr TN, Goreshnik I, Kozodoy L, Carter L, Ravichandran R, Green LB, Matochko WL, Thomson CA, Vögeli B, Krüger A, VanBlargan LA, Chen RE, Ying B, Bailey AL, Kafai NM, Boyken SE, Ljubetič A, Edman N, Ueda G, Chow CM, Johnson M, Addetia A, Navarro MJ, Panpradist N, Gale M, Freedman BS, Bloom JD, Ruohola-Baker H, Whelan SPJ, Stewart L, Diamond MS, Veesler D, Jewett MC, Baker D. Multivalent designed proteins neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and confer protection against infection in mice. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabn1252. [PMID: 35412328 PMCID: PMC9258422 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn1252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
New variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue to arise and prolong the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, we used a cell-free expression workflow to rapidly screen and optimize constructs containing multiple computationally designed miniprotein inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2. We found the broadest efficacy was achieved with a homotrimeric version of the 75-residue angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mimic AHB2 (TRI2-2) designed to geometrically match the trimeric spike architecture. Consistent with the design model, in the cryo-electron microscopy structure TRI2-2 forms a tripod at the apex of the spike protein that engaged all three receptor binding domains simultaneously. TRI2-2 neutralized Omicron (B.1.1.529), Delta (B.1.617.2), and all other variants tested with greater potency than the monoclonal antibodies used clinically for the treatment of COVID-19. TRI2-2 also conferred prophylactic and therapeutic protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge when administered intranasally in mice. Designed miniprotein receptor mimics geometrically arrayed to match pathogen receptor binding sites could be a widely applicable antiviral therapeutic strategy with advantages over antibodies in greater resistance to viral escape and antigenic drift, and advantages over native receptor traps in lower chances of autoimmune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. Hunt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - James Brett Case
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Young-Jun Park
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Longxing Cao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kejia Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Alexandra C. Walls
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Zhuoming Liu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - John E. Bowen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Hsien-Wei Yeh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Shally Saini
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Louisa Helms
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Yan Ting Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Oral Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Tien-Ying Hsiang
- Department of Immunology, Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Tyler N. Starr
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Inna Goreshnik
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Lisa Kozodoy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Lydia B. Green
- Amgen Research, Biologic Discovery, Burnaby, V5A 1V7, BC, Canada
| | | | | | - Bastian Vögeli
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Invizyne Technologies Inc., Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA
| | - Antje Krüger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Laura A. VanBlargan
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Rita E. Chen
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Baoling Ying
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Adam L. Bailey
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Natasha M. Kafai
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Scott E. Boyken
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Ajasja Ljubetič
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department for Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, SI-1000, Slovenia
| | - Natasha Edman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- USA Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - George Ueda
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Cameron M. Chow
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Neolukin Therapeutics Inc., Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
| | - Max Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Amin Addetia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- The Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Mary Jane Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Nuttada Panpradist
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Michael Gale
- Department of Immunology, Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Benjamin S. Freedman
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Jesse D. Bloom
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Hannele Ruohola-Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Oral Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Sean P. J. Whelan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Lance Stewart
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Michael S. Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - David Veesler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Michael C. Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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189
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Zheng S, Wolff G, Greenan G, Chen Z, Faas FGA, Bárcena M, Koster AJ, Cheng Y, Agard DA. AreTomo: An integrated software package for automated marker-free, motion-corrected cryo-electron tomographic alignment and reconstruction. J Struct Biol X 2022; 6:100068. [PMID: 35601683 PMCID: PMC9117686 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2022.100068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
AreTomo, a GPU accelerated software package, fully automates motion-corrected marker-free tomographic alignment and reconstruction. AreTomo can produce tomograms with sufficient accuracy to be directly used for subtomogram averaging. AreTomo enables the on-the-fly reconstruction of tomograms in parallel with tilt series collection, thus providing users with real-time feedback of sample quality.
AreTomo, an abbreviation for Alignment and Reconstruction for Electron Tomography, is a GPU accelerated software package that fully automates motion-corrected marker-free tomographic alignment and reconstruction in a single package. By correcting in-plane rotation, translation, and importantly, the local motion resulting from beam-induced motion from tilt to tilt, AreTomo can produce tomograms with sufficient accuracy to be directly used for subtomogram averaging. Another major application is the on-the-fly reconstruction of tomograms in parallel with tilt series collection to provide users with real-time feedback of sample quality allowing users to make any necessary adjustments of collection parameters. Here, the multiple alignment algorithms implemented in AreTomo are described and the local motions measured on a typical tilt series are analyzed. The residual local motion after correction for global motion was found in the range of ± 80 Å, indicating that the accurate correction of local motion is critical for high-resolution cryo-electron tomography (cryoET).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn Zheng
- Dept. Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA
| | - Georg Wolff
- Section Electron Microscopy, Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZC, Netherlands
| | - Garrett Greenan
- Dept. Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Zhen Chen
- Dept. Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Frank G A Faas
- Section Electron Microscopy, Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZC, Netherlands
| | - Montserrat Bárcena
- Section Electron Microscopy, Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZC, Netherlands
| | - Abraham J Koster
- Section Electron Microscopy, Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZC, Netherlands
| | - Yifan Cheng
- Dept. Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA
| | - David A Agard
- Dept. Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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190
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Akkız H. The Biological Functions and Clinical Significance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Corcern. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:849217. [PMID: 35669924 PMCID: PMC9163346 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.849217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is continuing to evolve, emerging novel variants with spike protein mutations. Although most mutations emerged in the SARS-CoV-2 genome are neutral or mildly deleterious, a small number of mutations can affect virus phenotype that confers the virus a fitness advantage. These mutations can enhance viral replication, raise the risk of reinfection and blunt the potency of neutralizing antibodies triggered by previous infection and vaccination. Since December 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 has emerged five quickly spreading strains, designated variants of concern (VOCs), including the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant, the Beta (B.1.351) variant, the Gamma (P.1) variant, the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant and the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant. These variants have a high number of the mutations in the spike protein that promotes viral cell entry through the angiotensin-converting enzyme -2 (ACE2). Mutations that have arisen in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein are of great concern due to their potential to evade neutralizing antibodies triggered by previous infection and vaccines. The Alpha variant emerged in the United Kingdom in the second half of 2020 that has spread quickly globally and acquired the E484K mutation in the United Kingdom and the United States. The Beta and Gamma variants emerged in South Africa and Brazil, respectively, that have additional mutations at positions E484 and K417 in the RBD. SARS-CoV-2 variants containing the combination of N501Y, E484K, and K417N/T mutations exhibit remarkably decreased sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies mediated by vaccination or previous infection. The Gamma variant may result in more severe disease than other variants do even in convalescent individuals. The Delta variant emerged in India in December 2020 and has spread to many countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. The Delta variant has 8 mutations in the spike protein, some of which can influence immune responses to the key antigenic regions of RBD. In early November 2021, the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant was first detected in Botswana and South Africa. The Omicron variant harbors more than 30 mutations in the spike protein, many of which are located within the RBD, which have been associated with increased transmissibility and immune evasion after previous infection and vaccination. Additionally, the Omicron variant contains 3 deletions and one insertion in the spike protein. Recently, the Omicron variant has been classified into three sublineages, including BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3, with strikingly different genetic characteristics. The Omicron BA.2 sublineage has different virological landscapes, such as transmissibility, pathogenicity and resistance to the vaccine-induced immunity compared to BA.1 and BA.3 sublineages. Mutations emerged in the RBD of the spike protein of VOCs increase viral replication, making the virus more infectious and more transmissible and enable the virus to evade vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies. Unfortunately, the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 VOCs has tempered early optimism regarding the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. This review addresses the biological and clinical significance of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs and their impact on neutralizing antibodies mediated by existing COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hikmet Akkız
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
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191
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Wierzbicki T, Bai Y. Finite element modeling of alpha-helices and tropocollagen molecules with reference to the spike of SARS-CoV-2. Biophys J 2022; 121:2353-2370. [PMID: 35598047 PMCID: PMC9162829 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.05.021] [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: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The newly developed finite element modeling at the atomic scale was used to predict the static and dynamic response of the alpha-helix (AH) and tropocollagen (TC) protein fragments, the main building blocks of the spike of the SARS-CoV-2. The geometry and morphology of the spike's stalk and its connection to the viral envelope were determined from the combination of most recent Molecular Dynamics simulation and images of Cryo-Electron microscope. The stiffness parameters of the covalent bonds in the main chain of the helix were taken from the literature. The AH and TC were modeled using both beam elements (wire model) and shell elements (ribbon model) in finite element analysis to predict their mechanical properties under tension. The asymptotic stiffening features of AH and TC under tensile loading were revealed and compared with a new analytical solution. The mechanical stiffnesses under other loading conditions, including compression, torsion and bending were also predicted numerically and correlated with the results of the existing MD simulations and tests. The mode shapes and natural frequencies of the spike were predicted using the built FE model. The frequencies were shown to be within the safe range of 1-20 MHz routinely used for medical imaging and diagnosis by means of ultrasound. These results provide a solid theoretical basis for using ultrasound to study damaging coronavirus through transient and resonant vibration at large deformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Wierzbicki
- Impact and Crashworthiness Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yuanli Bai
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace of Engineering, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
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192
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Wang H, Jia S, Li Z, Duan Y, Tao G, Zhao Z. A Comprehensive Review of Artificial Intelligence in Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Genet 2022; 13:845305. [PMID: 35559010 PMCID: PMC9086537 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.845305] [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: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has seriously affected numerous countries in the world from various aspects such as education, economy, social security, public health, etc. Most governments have made great efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, e.g., locking down hard-hit cities and advocating masks for the population. However, some countries and regions have relatively poor medical conditions in terms of insufficient medical equipment, hospital capacity overload, personnel shortage, and other problems, resulting in the large-scale spread of the epidemic. With the unique advantages of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it plays an extremely important role in medical imaging, clinical data, drug development, epidemic prediction, and telemedicine. Therefore, AI is a powerful tool that can help humans solve complex problems, especially in the fight against COVID-19. This study aims to analyze past research results and interpret the role of Artificial Intelligence in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 from five aspects. In this paper, we also discuss the future development directions in different fields and prove the validity of the models through experiments, which will help researchers develop more efficient models to control the spread of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haishuai Wang
- College of Computer Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shangru Jia
- Department of Computer and Information Engineering, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhao Li
- Alibaba-ZJU Joint Research Institute of Frontier Technologies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yucong Duan
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Guangyu Tao
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziping Zhao
- Department of Computer and Information Engineering, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
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193
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Bregnhøj M, Roeters SJ, Chatterley AS, Madzharova F, Mertig R, Pedersen JS, Weidner T. Structure and Orientation of the SARS-Coronavirus-2 Spike Protein at Air-Water Interfaces. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:3425-3430. [PMID: 35477296 PMCID: PMC9063992 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein is located at the outermost perimeter of the viral envelope and is the first component of the virus to make contact with surrounding interfaces. The stability of the spike protein when in contact with surfaces plays a deciding role for infection pathways and for the viability of the virus after surface contact. While cryo-EM structures of the spike protein have been solved with high resolution and structural studies in solution have provided information about the secondary and tertiary structures, only little is known about the folding when adsorbed to surfaces. We here report on the secondary structure and orientation of the S1 segment of the spike protein, which is often used as a model protein for in vitro studies of SARS-CoV-2, at the air-water interface using surface-sensitive vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. The air-water interface plays an important role for SARS-CoV-2 when suspended in aerosol droplets, and it serves as a model system for hydrophobic surfaces in general. The SFG experiments show that the S1 segment of the spike protein remains folded at the air-water interface and predominantly binds in its monomeric state, while the combination of small-angle X-ray scattering and two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy measurements indicate that it forms hexamers with the same secondary structure in aqueous solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Bregnhøj
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus
University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C,
Denmark
| | - Steven J. Roeters
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus
University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C,
Denmark
| | - Adam S. Chatterley
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus
University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C,
Denmark
| | - Fani Madzharova
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus
University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C,
Denmark
| | - Rolf Mertig
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus
University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C,
Denmark
| | - Jan Skov Pedersen
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus
University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C,
Denmark
| | - Tobias Weidner
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus
University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C,
Denmark
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194
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Petersen JD, Lu J, Fitzgerald W, Zhou F, Blank PS, Matthies D, Zimmerberg J. Unique Aggregation of Retroviral Particles Pseudotyped with the Delta Variant SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. Viruses 2022; 14:1024. [PMID: 35632764 PMCID: PMC9147488 DOI: 10.3390/v14051024] [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: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, lineage B.1.617.2, exhibit faster initial infection with a higher viral load than prior variants, and pseudotyped viral particles bearing the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spike protein induce a faster initial infection rate of target cells compared to those bearing other SARS-CoV-2 variant spikes. Here, we show that pseudotyped viral particles bearing the Delta variant spike form unique aggregates, as evidenced by negative stain and cryogenic electron microscopy (EM), flow cytometry, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Viral particles pseudotyped with other SARS-CoV-2 spike variants do not show aggregation by any of these criteria. The contribution to infection kinetics of the Delta spike's unique property to aggregate is discussed with respect to recent evidence for collective infection by other viruses. Irrespective of this intriguing possibility, spike-dependent aggregation is a new functional parameter of spike-expressing viral particles to evaluate in future spike protein variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D. Petersen
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Division of Basic and Translational Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.D.P.); (P.S.B.)
| | - Jianming Lu
- Codex BioSolutions, Inc., Department of Research and Development, Cell Biology, 12358 Parklawn Dr., Suite 250, North Bethesda, MD 20852, USA;
| | - Wendy Fitzgerald
- Section on Intercellular Interactions, Division of Basic and Translational Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Fei Zhou
- Unit on Structural Biology, Division of Basic and Translational Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (F.Z.); (D.M.)
| | - Paul S. Blank
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Division of Basic and Translational Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.D.P.); (P.S.B.)
| | - Doreen Matthies
- Unit on Structural Biology, Division of Basic and Translational Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (F.Z.); (D.M.)
| | - Joshua Zimmerberg
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Division of Basic and Translational Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.D.P.); (P.S.B.)
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195
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Shi Z, Li X, Wang L, Sun Z, Zhang H, Chen X, Cui Q, Qiao H, Lan Z, Zhang X, Li X, Li L, Xu J, Gong R, Fan C, Geng Y. Structural basis of nanobodies neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 variants. Structure 2022; 30:707-720.e5. [PMID: 35276082 PMCID: PMC8908544 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Because of the evolutionary variants of SARS-CoV-2, development of broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies resilient to virus escape is urgently needed. We identified a group of high-affinity nanobodies from camels immunized with receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and resolved the structures of two non-competing nanobodies (NB1A7 and NB1B11) in complex with RBD using X-ray crystallography. The structures show that NB1A7 targets the highly conserved cryptic epitope shared by SARS-CoV-2 variants and some other coronaviruses and blocks ACE2 receptor attachment of the spike protein, and NB1B11 epitope overlaps with the contacting surface of ACE2 and is different from the binding site of NB1A7. These two nanobodies were covalently linked into multivalent and bi-paratopic formats, which significantly improved the avidity and neutralization potency and may further inhibit viral escape. The results contribute to the structure-guided design of antibodies against future variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus to combat coronavirus epidemics and pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhong Shi
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Stake Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China,Department of Biopharmaceutics, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Xiyang Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Lu Wang
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Stake Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zengchao Sun
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Stake Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China,Department of Biopharmaceutics, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Haiwei Zhang
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 44 Xiao Hong Shan, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
| | - Xiaochen Chen
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Stake Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qianqian Cui
- College of Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Huarui Qiao
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Zhongyun Lan
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Xianheng Li
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Lingyun Li
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Stake Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianfeng Xu
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China,Corresponding author
| | - Rui Gong
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 44 Xiao Hong Shan, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China,Corresponding author
| | - Chengpeng Fan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China,Corresponding author
| | - Yong Geng
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Stake Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China,School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,Corresponding author
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196
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Lai YC, Cheng YW, Chao CH, Chang YY, Chen CD, Tsai WJ, Wang S, Lin YS, Chang CP, Chuang WJ, Chen LY, Wang YR, Chang SY, Huang W, Wang JR, Tseng CK, Lin CK, Chuang YC, Yeh TM. Antigenic Cross-Reactivity Between SARS-CoV-2 S1-RBD and Its Receptor ACE2. Front Immunol 2022; 13:868724. [PMID: 35603169 PMCID: PMC9114768 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.868724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging virus responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 binds to the human cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its receptor-binding domain in the S1 subunit of the spike protein (S1-RBD). The serum levels of autoantibodies against ACE2 are significantly higher in patients with COVID-19 than in controls and are associated with disease severity. However, the mechanisms through which these anti-ACE2 antibodies are induced during SARS-CoV-2 infection are unclear. In this study, we confirmed the increase in antibodies against ACE2 in patients with COVID-19 and found a positive correlation between the amounts of antibodies against ACE2 and S1-RBD. Moreover, antibody binding to ACE2 was significantly decreased in the sera of some COVID-19 patients after preadsorption of the sera with S1-RBD, which indicated that antibodies against S1-RBD can cross-react with ACE2. To confirm this possibility, two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs 127 and 150) which could bind to both S1-RBD and ACE2 were isolated from S1-RBD-immunized mice. Measurement of the binding affinities by Biacore showed these two mAbs bind to ACE2 much weaker than binding to S1-RBD. Epitope mapping using synthetic overlapping peptides and hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) revealed that the amino acid residues P463, F464, E465, R466, D467 and E471 of S1-RBD are critical for the recognition by mAbs 127 and 150. In addition, Western blotting analysis showed that these mAbs could recognize ACE2 only in native but not denatured form, indicating the ACE2 epitopes recognized by these mAbs were conformation-dependent. The protein-protein interaction between ACE2 and the higher affinity mAb 127 was analyzed by HDX-MS and visualized by negative-stain transmission electron microscopy imaging combined with antigen-antibody docking. Together, our results suggest that ACE2-cross-reactive anti-S1-RBD antibodies can be induced during SARS-CoV-2 infection due to potential antigenic cross-reactivity between S1-RBD and its receptor ACE2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Chung Lai
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Leadgene Biomedical, Inc., Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wei Cheng
- Leadgene Biomedical, Inc., Tainan, Taiwan
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chiao-Hsuan Chao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Wei-Jiun Tsai
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Shuying Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yee-Shin Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Peng Chang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Woei-Jer Chuang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Sui-Yuan Chang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wenya Huang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Ren Wang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Yung-Chun Chuang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Leadgene Biomedical, Inc., Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Trai-Ming Yeh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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197
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Trozzi F, Karki N, Song Z, Verma N, Kraka E, Zoltowski BD, Tao P. Allosteric control of ACE2 peptidase domain dynamics. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:3605-3618. [PMID: 35420112 PMCID: PMC9205182 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob00606e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) assists the regulation of blood pressure and is the main target of the coronaviruses responsible for SARS and COVID19. The catalytic function of ACE2 relies on the opening and closing motion of its peptidase domain (PD). In this study, we investigated the possibility of allosterically controlling the ACE2 PD functional dynamics. After confirming that ACE2 PD binding site opening-closing motion is dominant in characterizing its conformational landscape, we observed that few mutations in the viral receptor binding domain fragments were able to impart different effects on the binding site opening of ACE2 PD. This showed that binding to the solvent exposed area of ACE2 PD can effectively alter the conformational profile of the protein, and thus likely its catalytic function. Using a targeted machine learning model and relative entropy-based statistical analysis, we proposed the mechanism for the allosteric perturbation that regulates the ACE2 PD binding site dynamics at atomistic level. The key residues and the source of the allosteric regulation of ACE PD dynamics are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Trozzi
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA.
| | - Nischal Karki
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA.
| | - Zilin Song
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA.
| | - Niraj Verma
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA.
| | - Elfi Kraka
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA.
| | - Brian D Zoltowski
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA.
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA.
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198
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Roessler J, Pich D, Albanese M, Wratil PR, Krähling V, Hellmuth JC, Scherer C, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Becker S, Keppler OT, Brisson A, Zeidler R, Hammerschmidt W. Quantitation of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies with a virus-free, authentic test. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac045. [PMID: 36382127 PMCID: PMC9645495 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), and their concentration in sera of convalescents and vaccinees are a correlate of protection from COVID-19. The antibody concentrations in clinical samples that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 are difficult and very cumbersome to assess with conventional virus neutralization tests (cVNTs), which require work with the infectious virus and biosafety level 3 containment precautions. Alternative virus neutralization tests currently in use are mostly surrogate tests based on direct or competitive enzyme immunoassays or use viral vectors with the spike protein as the single structural component of SARS-CoV-2. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a virus-free, safe and very fast (4.5 h) in vitro diagnostic test based on engineered yet authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus-like-particles (VLPs). They share all features of the original SARS-CoV-2 but lack the viral RNA genome and thus are non-infectious. NAbs induced by infection or vaccination, but also potentially neutralizing monoclonal antibodies can be reliably quantified and assessed with ease and within hours with our test, because they interfere and block the ACE2-mediated uptake of VLPs by recipient cells. Results from the VLP neutralization test (VLPNT) showed excellent specificity and sensitivity and correlated very well with a cVNT using fully infectious SARS-CoV-2. The results also demonstrated the reduced neutralizing capacity of COVID-19 vaccinee sera against variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 including omicron B.1.1.529, BA.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Roessler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Munich, Germany
| | - Dagmar Pich
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Munich, Germany
| | - Manuel Albanese
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Munich, Germany
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul R Wratil
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Munich, Germany
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Verena Krähling
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Johannes C Hellmuth
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Clemens Scherer
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael von Bergwelt-Baildon
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, Germany
| | - Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Oliver T Keppler
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Munich, Germany
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Alain Brisson
- UMR-CBMN CNRS-University of Bordeaux-INP, Pessac, France
| | - Reinhard Zeidler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hammerschmidt
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Munich, Germany
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199
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Nwagwu CS, Ugwu CN, Ogbonna JDN, Onugwu AL, Agbo CP, Echezona AC, Ezeibe EN, Uzondu S, Kenechukwu FC, Akpa PA, Momoh MA, Nnamani PO, Tarirai C, Ofokansi KC, Attama AA. Recent and advanced nano-technological strategies for COVID-19 vaccine development. METHODS IN MICROBIOLOGY 2022; 50:151-188. [PMID: 38620863 PMCID: PMC9015106 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mim.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 has been one of the greatest challenges modern medicine and science has ever faced. It has affected millions of people around the world and altered human life and activities as we once knew. The high prevalence as well as an extended period of incubations which usually does not present with symptoms have played a formidable role in the transmission and infection of millions. A lot of research has been carried out on developing suitable treatment and effective preventive measures for the control of the pandemic. Preventive strategies which include social distancing, use of masks, washing of hands, and contact tracing have been effective in slowing the spread of the virus; however, the infectious nature of the SARS-COV-2 has made these strategies unable to eradicate its spread. In addition, the continuous increase in the number of cases and death, as well as the appearance of several variants of the virus, has necessitated the development of effective and safe vaccines in a bid to ensure that human activities can return to normalcy. Nanotechnology has been of great benefit in the design of vaccines as nano-sized materials have been known to aid the safe and effective delivery of antigens as well as serve as suitable adjuvants to potentiate responses to vaccines. There are only four vaccine candidates currently approved for use in humans while many other candidates are at various levels of development. This review seeks to provide updated information on the current nano-technological strategies employed in the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinekwu Sherridan Nwagwu
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Chinenye Nnenna Ugwu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state, Nigeria
| | - John Dike Nwabueze Ogbonna
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Adaeze Linda Onugwu
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Chinazom Precious Agbo
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Adaeze Chidiebere Echezona
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Ezinwanne Nneoma Ezeibe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state, Nigeria
| | - Samuel Uzondu
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Frankline Chimaobi Kenechukwu
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Paul Achile Akpa
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Mumuni Audu Momoh
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Petra Obioma Nnamani
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Clemence Tarirai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Kenneth Chibuzor Ofokansi
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Anthony Amaechi Attama
- Drug Delivery & Nanomedicines Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
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Verkhivker G, Agajanian S, Kassab R, Krishnan K. Computer Simulations and Network-Based Profiling of Binding and Allosteric Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Variant Complexes and the Host Receptor: Dissecting the Mechanistic Effects of the Delta and Omicron Mutations. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:4376. [PMID: 35457196 PMCID: PMC9032413 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we combine all-atom MD simulations and comprehensive mutational scanning of S-RBD complexes with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) host receptor in the native form as well as the S-RBD Delta and Omicron variants to (a) examine the differences in the dynamic signatures of the S-RBD complexes and (b) identify the critical binding hotspots and sensitivity of the mutational positions. We also examined the differences in allosteric interactions and communications in the S-RBD complexes for the Delta and Omicron variants. Through the perturbation-based scanning of the allosteric propensities of the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD residues and dynamics-based network centrality and community analyses, we characterize the global mediating centers in the complexes and the nature of local stabilizing communities. We show that a constellation of mutational sites (G496S, Q498R, N501Y and Y505H) correspond to key binding energy hotspots and also contribute decisively to the key interfacial communities that mediate allosteric communications between S-RBD and ACE2. These Omicron mutations are responsible for both favorable local binding interactions and long-range allosteric interactions, providing key functional centers that mediate the high transmissibility of the virus. At the same time, our results show that other mutational sites could provide a "flexible shield" surrounding the stable community network, thereby allowing the Omicron virus to modulate immune evasion at different epitopes, while protecting the integrity of binding and allosteric interactions in the RBD-ACE2 complexes. This study suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein may exploit the plasticity of the RBD to generate escape mutants, while engaging a small group of functional hotspots to mediate efficient local binding interactions and long-range allosteric communications with ACE2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (R.K.); (K.K.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Steve Agajanian
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (R.K.); (K.K.)
| | - Ryan Kassab
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (R.K.); (K.K.)
| | - Keerthi Krishnan
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (R.K.); (K.K.)
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