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Escalera A, Laporte M, Turner S, Karakus U, Gonzalez-Reiche AS, van de Guchte A, Farrugia K, Khalil Z, van Bakel H, Smith D, García-Sastre A, Aydillo T. The impact of S2 mutations on Omicron SARS-CoV-2 cell surface expression and fusogenicity. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2297553. [PMID: 38112266 PMCID: PMC10866063 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2297553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants are still emerging and spreading worldwide. These variants contain a high number of polymorphisms in the spike (S) glycoprotein that could potentially impact their pathogenicity and transmission. We have previously shown that the S:655Y and P681H mutations enhance S protein cleavage and syncytia formation. Interestingly, these polymorphisms are present in Omicron S protein. Here, we characterized the cleavage efficiency and fusogenicity of the S protein of different Omicron sublineages. Our results showed that Omicron BA.1 subvariant is efficiently cleaved but it is poorly fusogenic compared to previous SARS-CoV-2 strains. To understand the basis of this phenotype, we generated chimeric S protein using combinations of the S1 and S2 domains from WA1, Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants. We found that the S2 domain of Omicron BA.1 hindered efficient cell-cell fusion. Interestingly, this domain only contains six unique polymorphisms never detected before in ancestral SARS-CoV-2 variants. WA1614G S proteins containing the six individuals S2 Omicron mutations were assessed for their fusogenicity and S surface expression after transfection in cells. Results showed that the S:N856K and N969K substitutions decreased syncytia formation and impacted S protein cell surface levels. However, we observed that "first-generation" Omicron sublineages that emerged subsequently, had convergently evolved to an enhanced fusogenic activity and S expression on the surface of infected cells while "second-generation" Omicron variants have highly diverged and showed lineage-specific fusogenic properties. Importantly, our findings could have potential implications in the improvement and redesign of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Escalera
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manon Laporte
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sam Turner
- Center for Pathogen Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Umut Karakus
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ana S. Gonzalez-Reiche
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adriana van de Guchte
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Keith Farrugia
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zain Khalil
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Harm van Bakel
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Derek Smith
- Center for Pathogen Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Teresa Aydillo
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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2
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Hasan M, He Z, Jia M, Leung ACF, Natarajan K, Xu W, Yap S, Zhou F, Chen S, Su H, Zhu K, Su H. Dynamic expedition of leading mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2407-2417. [PMID: 38882678 PMCID: PMC11176665 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.037] [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: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The continuous evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused the recent pandemic, has generated countless new variants with varying fitness. Mutations of the spike glycoprotein play a particularly vital role in shaping its evolutionary trajectory, as they have the capability to alter its infectivity and antigenicity. We present a time-resolved statistical method, Dynamic Expedition of Leading Mutations (deLemus), to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. The proposed L -index of the deLemus method is effective in quantifying the mutation strength of each amino acid site and outlining evolutionarily significant sites, allowing the comprehensive characterization of the evolutionary mutation pattern of the spike glycoprotein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Hasan
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhouyi He
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengqi Jia
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Alvin C F Leung
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Wentao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shanqi Yap
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shihong Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hailei Su
- Bengbu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 4339 Huai-shang Road, Anhui 233080, China
| | - Kaicheng Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haibin Su
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
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3
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Kushwaha N, Dwivedi A, Tiwari S, Mishra P, Verma SK. Comprehensive analytics for virus-cell and cell-cell multinucleation system. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 726:150281. [PMID: 38909532 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Cell-fusion mediated generation of multinucleated syncytia represent critical feature during viral infection and in development. Efficiency of syncytia formation is usually illustrated as fusion efficiency under given condition by quantifying total number of nuclei in syncytia normalized to total number of nuclei (both within syncytia and unfused cell nuclei) in unit field of view. However heterogeneity in multinucleated syncytia sizes poses challenge in quantification of cell-fusion multinucleation under diverse conditions. Taking in-vitro SARS-CoV-2 spike-protein variants mediated virus-cell fusion model and placenta trophoblast syncytialization as cell-cell fusion model; herein we emphasize wide application of simple unbiased detailed measure of virus-cell and cell-cell multinucleation using experiential cumulative distribution function (CDF) and fusion number events (FNE) approaches illustrating comprehensive metrics for syncytia interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Kushwaha
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, 226014, India
| | - Aditi Dwivedi
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, 226014, India
| | - Swasti Tiwari
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, 226014, India
| | - Prabhaker Mishra
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, 226014, India
| | - Santosh Kumar Verma
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, 226014, India.
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4
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de Antonellis P, Ferrucci V, Miceli M, Bibbo F, Asadzadeh F, Gorini F, Mattivi A, Boccia A, Russo R, Andolfo I, Lasorsa VA, Cantalupo S, Fusco G, Viscardi M, Brandi S, Cerino P, Monaco V, Choi DR, Cheong JH, Iolascon A, Amente S, Monti M, Fava LL, Capasso M, Kim HY, Zollo M. Targeting ATP2B1 impairs PI3K/Akt/FOXO signaling and reduces SARS-COV-2 infection and replication. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:2974-3007. [PMID: 38816514 PMCID: PMC11239940 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00164-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
ATP2B1 is a known regulator of calcium (Ca2+) cellular export and homeostasis. Diminished levels of intracellular Ca2+ content have been suggested to impair SARS-CoV-2 replication. Here, we demonstrate that a nontoxic caloxin-derivative compound (PI-7) reduces intracellular Ca2+ levels and impairs SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, a rare homozygous intronic variant of ATP2B1 is shown to be associated with the severity of COVID-19. The mechanism of action during SARS-CoV-2 infection involves the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation, inactivation of FOXO3 transcription factor function, and subsequent transcriptional inhibition of the membrane and reticulum Ca2+ pumps ATP2B1 and ATP2A1, respectively. The pharmacological action of compound PI-7 on sustaining both ATP2B1 and ATP2A1 expression reduces the intracellular cytoplasmic Ca2+ pool and thus negatively influences SARS-CoV-2 replication and propagation. As compound PI-7 lacks toxicity in vitro, its prophylactic use as a therapeutic agent against COVID-19 is envisioned here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasqualino de Antonellis
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
- Elysium Cell Bio Ita SRL, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Veronica Ferrucci
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
- Elysium Cell Bio Ita SRL, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Miceli
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
| | - Francesca Bibbo
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Fatemeh Asadzadeh
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
- European School of Molecular Medicine, SEMM, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Gorini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Alessia Mattivi
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Cell Division, Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Russo
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Immacolata Andolfo
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | | | | | - Giovanna Fusco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, 80055, Italy
| | - Maurizio Viscardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, 80055, Italy
| | - Sergio Brandi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, 80055, Italy
| | - Pellegrino Cerino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, 80055, Italy
| | - Vittoria Monaco
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80125, Italy
| | - Dong-Rac Choi
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Elysiumbio Inc., #2007, Samsung Cheil B/D, 309, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06151, Korea
| | - Jae-Ho Cheong
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Achille Iolascon
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Stefano Amente
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Maria Monti
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80125, Italy
| | - Luca L Fava
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Cell Division, Department of Cellular Computational and Integrative Biology-CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Mario Capasso
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Hong-Yeoul Kim
- Elysiumbio Inc., #2007, Samsung Cheil B/D, 309, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06151, Korea
| | - Massimo Zollo
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, 80145, Italy.
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche (DMMBM), 'Federico II' University of Naples, Naples, 80131, Italy.
- Elysium Cell Bio Ita SRL, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.
- European School of Molecular Medicine, SEMM, Naples, Italy.
- DAI Medicina di Laboratorio e Trasfusionale, 'Federico II' University of Naples, 80131, Naples, Italy.
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5
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Lubinski B, Whittaker GR. Host Cell Proteases Involved in Human Respiratory Viral Infections and Their Inhibitors: A Review. Viruses 2024; 16:984. [PMID: 38932275 PMCID: PMC11209347 DOI: 10.3390/v16060984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Viral tropism is most commonly linked to receptor use, but host cell protease use can be a notable factor in susceptibility to infection. Here we review the use of host cell proteases by human viruses, focusing on those with primarily respiratory tropism, particularly SARS-CoV-2. We first describe the various classes of proteases present in the respiratory tract, as well as elsewhere in the body, and incorporate the targeting of these proteases as therapeutic drugs for use in humans. Host cell proteases are also linked to the systemic spread of viruses and play important roles outside of the respiratory tract; therefore, we address how proteases affect viruses across the spectrum of infections that can occur in humans, intending to understand the extrapulmonary spread of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey Lubinski
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA;
| | - Gary R. Whittaker
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Public & Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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6
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Alfadhli A, Bates TA, Barklis RL, Romanaggi C, Tafesse FG, Barklis E. A Nanobody Interaction with SARS-CoV-2 Spike Allows the Versatile Targeting of Lentivirus Vectors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.06.597774. [PMID: 38895228 PMCID: PMC11185593 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.06.597774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
While investigating methods to target gene delivery vectors to specific cell types, we examined the potential of using a nanobody against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein receptor binding domain to direct lentivirus infection of Spike-expressing cells. Using three different approaches, we found that lentiviruses with surface-exposed nanobody domains selectively infect Spike-expressing cells. The targeting is dependent on the fusion function of Spike, and conforms to a model in which nanobody binding to the Spike protein triggers the Spike fusion machinery. The nanobody-Spike interaction also is capable of directing cell-cell fusion, and the selective infection of nanobody-expressing cells by Spike-pseudotyped lentivirus vectors. Significantly, cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 are efficiently and selectively infected by lentivirus vectors pseudotyped with a chimeric nanobody protein. Our results suggest that cells infected by any virus that forms syncytia may be targeted for gene delivery using an appropriate nanobody or virus receptor mimic. Vectors modified in this fashion may prove useful in the delivery of immunomodulators to infected foci to mitigate the effects of viral infections. IMPORTANCE We have discovered that lentiviruses decorated on their surfaces with a nanobody against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein selectively infect Spike-expressing cells. Infection is dependent on the specificity of the nanobody and the fusion function of the Spike protein, and conforms to a reverse fusion model, in which nanobody binding to Spike triggers the Spike fusion machinery. The nanobody-Spike interaction also can drive cell-cell fusion, and infection of nanobody-expressing cells with viruses carrying the Spike protein. Importantly, cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 are selectively infected with nanobody-decorated lentiviruses. These results suggest that cells infected by any virus that expresses an active receptor-binding fusion protein may be targeted by vectors for delivery of cargoes to mitigate infections.
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7
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Dibattista M, Pifferi S, Hernandez-Clavijo A, Menini A. The physiological roles of anoctamin2/TMEM16B and anoctamin1/TMEM16A in chemical senses. Cell Calcium 2024; 120:102889. [PMID: 38677213 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2024.102889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Chemical senses allow animals to detect and discriminate a vast array of molecules. The olfactory system is responsible of the detection of small volatile molecules, while water dissolved molecules are detected by taste buds in the oral cavity. Moreover, many animals respond to signaling molecules such as pheromones and other semiochemicals through the vomeronasal organ. The peripheral organs dedicated to chemical detection convert chemical signals into perceivable information through the employment of diverse receptor types and the activation of multiple ion channels. Two ion channels, TMEM16B, also known as anoctamin2 (ANO2) and TMEM16A, or anoctamin1 (ANO1), encoding for Ca2+-activated Cl¯ channels, have been recently described playing critical roles in various cell types. This review aims to discuss the main properties of TMEM16A and TMEM16B-mediated currents and their physiological roles in chemical senses. In olfactory sensory neurons, TMEM16B contributes to amplify the odorant response, to modulate firing, response kinetics and adaptation. TMEM16A and TMEM16B shape the pattern of action potentials in vomeronasal sensory neurons increasing the interspike interval. In type I taste bud cells, TMEM16A is activated during paracrine signaling mediated by ATP. This review aims to shed light on the regulation of diverse signaling mechanisms and neuronal excitability mediated by Ca-activated Cl¯ channels, hinting at potential new roles for TMEM16A and TMEM16B in the chemical senses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Dibattista
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari A. Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Simone Pifferi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Andres Hernandez-Clavijo
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Anna Menini
- Neurobiology Group, SISSA, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, 34136 Trieste, Italy.
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8
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Xiang Q, Wu J, Zhou Y, Li L, Tian M, Li G, Zhang Z, Fu Y. SARS-CoV-2 Membrane protein regulates the function of Spike by inhibiting its plasma membrane localization and enzymatic activity of Furin. Microbiol Res 2024; 282:127659. [PMID: 38430890 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The presence of a multibasic cleavage site in the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 makes it prone to be cleaved by Furin at the S1/S2 junction (aa. 685-686), which enhances the usage of TMPRSS2 to promote cell-cell fusion to form syncytia. Syncytia may contribute to pathology by facilitating viral dissemination, cytopathicity, immune evasion, and inflammation. However, the role of other SARS-CoV-2 encoding viral proteins in syncytia formation remains largely unknown. Here, we report that SARS-CoV-2 M protein effectively inhibits syncytia formation triggered by Spike or its variants (Alpha, Delta, Omicron, etc.) and prevents Spike cleavage into S1 and S2 based on a screen assay of 20 viral proteins. Mechanistically, M protein interacts with Furin and inhibits its enzymatic activity, preventing the cleavage of Spike. In addition, M interacts with Spike independent of its cytoplasmic tail, retaining it within the cytoplasm and reducing cell membrane localization. Our findings offer new insights into M protein's role in regulating Spike's function and underscore the importance of functional interplay among viral proteins, highlighting potential avenues for SARS-CoV-2 therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Xiang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China
| | - Jie Wu
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China
| | - Yuzheng Zhou
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518112, China
| | - Linhao Li
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China
| | - Miao Tian
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China
| | - Guobao Li
- Department of Tuberculosis, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, China.
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518112, China.
| | - Yang Fu
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, China.
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9
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Zhang L, Dopfer-Jablonka A, Nehlmeier I, Kempf A, Graichen L, Calderón Hampel N, Cossmann A, Stankov MV, Morillas Ramos G, Schulz SR, Jäck HM, Behrens GMN, Pöhlmann S, Hoffmann M. Virological Traits of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.87.1 Lineage. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:487. [PMID: 38793739 PMCID: PMC11125805 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Transmissibility and immune evasion of the recently emerged, highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.87.1 are unknown. Here, we report that BA.2.87.1 efficiently enters human cells but is more sensitive to antibody-mediated neutralization than the currently dominating JN.1 variant. Acquisition of adaptive mutations might thus be needed for efficient spread in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (L.Z.); (I.N.); (A.K.); (L.G.); (S.P.)
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alexandra Dopfer-Jablonka
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.D.-J.); (N.C.H.); (A.C.); (M.V.S.); (G.M.R.); (G.M.N.B.)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Inga Nehlmeier
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (L.Z.); (I.N.); (A.K.); (L.G.); (S.P.)
| | - Amy Kempf
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (L.Z.); (I.N.); (A.K.); (L.G.); (S.P.)
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Luise Graichen
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (L.Z.); (I.N.); (A.K.); (L.G.); (S.P.)
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Noemí Calderón Hampel
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.D.-J.); (N.C.H.); (A.C.); (M.V.S.); (G.M.R.); (G.M.N.B.)
| | - Anne Cossmann
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.D.-J.); (N.C.H.); (A.C.); (M.V.S.); (G.M.R.); (G.M.N.B.)
| | - Metodi V. Stankov
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.D.-J.); (N.C.H.); (A.C.); (M.V.S.); (G.M.R.); (G.M.N.B.)
| | - Gema Morillas Ramos
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.D.-J.); (N.C.H.); (A.C.); (M.V.S.); (G.M.R.); (G.M.N.B.)
| | - Sebastian R. Schulz
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany (H.-M.J.)
| | - Hans-Martin Jäck
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany (H.-M.J.)
| | - Georg M. N. Behrens
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (A.D.-J.); (N.C.H.); (A.C.); (M.V.S.); (G.M.R.); (G.M.N.B.)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Center for Individualized Infection Medicine (CiiM), 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (L.Z.); (I.N.); (A.K.); (L.G.); (S.P.)
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Hoffmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (L.Z.); (I.N.); (A.K.); (L.G.); (S.P.)
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Freidel MR, Armen RS. Research Progress on Spike-Dependent SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Inhibitors and Small Molecules Targeting the S2 Subunit of Spike. Viruses 2024; 16:712. [PMID: 38793593 PMCID: PMC11125925 DOI: 10.3390/v16050712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive drug repurposing efforts have sought to identify small-molecule antivirals with various mechanisms of action. Here, we aim to review research progress on small-molecule viral entry and fusion inhibitors that directly bind to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Early in the pandemic, numerous small molecules were identified in drug repurposing screens and reported to be effective in in vitro SARS-CoV-2 viral entry or fusion inhibitors. However, given minimal experimental information regarding the exact location of small-molecule binding sites on Spike, it was unclear what the specific mechanism of action was or where the exact binding sites were on Spike for some inhibitor candidates. The work of countless researchers has yielded great progress, with the identification of many viral entry inhibitors that target elements on the S1 receptor-binding domain (RBD) or N-terminal domain (NTD) and disrupt the S1 receptor-binding function. In this review, we will also focus on highlighting fusion inhibitors that target inhibition of the S2 fusion function, either by disrupting the formation of the postfusion S2 conformation or alternatively by stabilizing structural elements of the prefusion S2 conformation to prevent conformational changes associated with S2 function. We highlight experimentally validated binding sites on the S1/S2 interface and on the S2 subunit. While most substitutions to the Spike protein to date in variants of concern (VOCs) have been localized to the S1 subunit, the S2 subunit sequence is more conserved, with only a few observed substitutions in proximity to S2 binding sites. Several recent small molecules targeting S2 have been shown to have robust activity over recent VOC mutant strains and/or greater broad-spectrum antiviral activity for other more distantly related coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roger S. Armen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, 901 Walnut St. Suite 918, Philadelphia, PA 19170, USA;
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11
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Carrascosa-Sàez M, Marqués MC, Geller R, Elena SF, Rahmeh A, Dufloo J, Sanjuán R. Cell type-specific adaptation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike. Virus Evol 2024; 10:veae032. [PMID: 38779130 PMCID: PMC11110937 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veae032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect various human tissues and cell types, principally via interaction with its cognate receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). However, how the virus evolves in different cellular environments is poorly understood. Here, we used experimental evolution to study the adaptation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike to four human cell lines expressing different levels of key entry factors. After twenty passages of a spike-expressing recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), cell-type-specific phenotypic changes were observed and sequencing allowed the identification of sixteen adaptive spike mutations. We used VSV pseudotyping to measure the entry efficiency, ACE2 affinity, spike processing, TMPRSS2 usage, and entry pathway usage of all the mutants, alone or in combination. The fusogenicity of the mutant spikes was assessed with a cell-cell fusion assay. Finally, mutant recombinant VSVs were used to measure the fitness advantage associated with selected mutations. We found that the effects of these mutations varied across cell types, both in terms of viral entry and replicative fitness. Interestingly, two spike mutations (L48S and A372T) that emerged in cells expressing low ACE2 levels increased receptor affinity, syncytia induction, and entry efficiency under low-ACE2 conditions. Our results demonstrate specific adaptation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike to different cell types and have implications for understanding SARS-CoV-2 tissue tropism and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Carrascosa-Sàez
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio). University of Valencia—CSIC, Paterna, 46980, Spain
| | - María-Carmen Marqués
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio). University of Valencia—CSIC, Paterna, 46980, Spain
| | - Ron Geller
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio). University of Valencia—CSIC, Paterna, 46980, Spain
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV), CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Valencia 46010, Spain
| | - Santiago F Elena
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio). University of Valencia—CSIC, Paterna, 46980, Spain
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Amal Rahmeh
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de La Vida (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Jérémy Dufloo
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio). University of Valencia—CSIC, Paterna, 46980, Spain
| | - Rafael Sanjuán
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio). University of Valencia—CSIC, Paterna, 46980, Spain
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12
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Hillung J, Olmo-Uceda MJ, Muñoz-Sánchez JC, Elena SF. Accumulation Dynamics of Defective Genomes during Experimental Evolution of Two Betacoronaviruses. Viruses 2024; 16:644. [PMID: 38675984 PMCID: PMC11053736 DOI: 10.3390/v16040644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Virus-encoded replicases often generate aberrant RNA genomes, known as defective viral genomes (DVGs). When co-infected with a helper virus providing necessary proteins, DVGs can multiply and spread. While DVGs depend on the helper virus for propagation, they can in some cases disrupt infectious virus replication, impact immune responses, and affect viral persistence or evolution. Understanding the dynamics of DVGs alongside standard viral genomes during infection remains unclear. To address this, we conducted a long-term experimental evolution of two betacoronaviruses, the human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) and the murine hepatitis virus (MHV), in cell culture at both high and low multiplicities of infection (MOI). We then performed RNA-seq at regular time intervals, reconstructed DVGs, and analyzed their accumulation dynamics. Our findings indicate that DVGs evolved to exhibit greater diversity and abundance, with deletions and insertions being the most common types. Notably, some high MOI deletions showed very limited temporary existence, while others became prevalent over time. We observed differences in DVG abundance between high and low MOI conditions in HCoV-OC43 samples. The size distribution of HCoV-OC43 genomes with deletions differed between high and low MOI passages. In low MOI lineages, short and long DVGs were the most common, with an additional cluster in high MOI lineages which became more prevalent along evolutionary time. MHV also showed variations in DVG size distribution at different MOI conditions, though they were less pronounced compared to HCoV-OC43, suggesting a more random distribution of DVG sizes. We identified hotspot regions for deletions that evolved at a high MOI, primarily within cistrons encoding structural and accessory proteins. In conclusion, our study illustrates the widespread formation of DVGs during betacoronavirus evolution, influenced by MOI and cell- and virus-specific factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hillung
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SysBio), CSIC-UV, Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 9, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain; (J.H.); (M.J.O.-U.); (J.C.M.-S.)
| | - María J. Olmo-Uceda
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SysBio), CSIC-UV, Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 9, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain; (J.H.); (M.J.O.-U.); (J.C.M.-S.)
| | - Juan C. Muñoz-Sánchez
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SysBio), CSIC-UV, Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 9, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain; (J.H.); (M.J.O.-U.); (J.C.M.-S.)
| | - Santiago F. Elena
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SysBio), CSIC-UV, Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 9, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain; (J.H.); (M.J.O.-U.); (J.C.M.-S.)
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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13
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Dufloo J, Sanjuán R. Temperature impacts SARS-CoV-2 spike fusogenicity and evolution. mBio 2024; 15:e0336023. [PMID: 38411986 PMCID: PMC11005339 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03360-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infects both the upper and lower respiratory tracts, which are characterized by different temperatures (33°C and 37°C, respectively). In addition, fever is a common COVID-19 symptom. SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to replicate more efficiently at low temperatures, but the effect of temperature on different viral proteins remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate how temperature affects the SARS-CoV-2 spike function and evolution. We first observed that increasing temperature from 33°C to 37°C or 39°C increased spike-mediated cell-cell fusion. We then experimentally evolved a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike at these different temperatures. We found that spike-mediated cell-cell fusion was maintained during evolution at 39°C but was lost in a high proportion of viruses that evolved at 33°C or 37°C. Consistently, sequencing of the spikes evolved at 33°C or 37°C revealed the accumulation of mutations around the furin cleavage site, a region that determines cell-cell fusion, whereas this did not occur in spikes evolved at 39°C. Finally, using site-directed mutagenesis, we found that disruption of the furin cleavage site had a temperature-dependent effect on spike-induced cell-cell fusion and viral fitness. Our results suggest that variations in body temperature may affect the activity and diversification of the SARS-CoV-2 spike. IMPORTANCE When it infects humans, SARS-CoV-2 is exposed to different temperatures (e.g., replication site and fever). Temperature has been shown to strongly impact SARS-CoV-2 replication, but how it affects the activity and evolution of the spike protein remains poorly understood. Here, we first show that high temperatures increase the SARS-CoV-2 spike fusogenicity. Then, we demonstrate that the evolution of the spike activity and variants depends on temperature. Finally, we show that the functional effect of specific spike mutations is temperature-dependent. Overall, our results suggest that temperature may be a factor influencing the activity and adaptation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike in vivo, which will help understanding viral tropism, pathogenesis, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Dufloo
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat de València, Paterna, València, Spain
| | - Rafael Sanjuán
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat de València, Paterna, València, Spain
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14
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Amidei A, Dobrovolny HM. Virus-mediated cell fusion of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Math Biosci 2024; 369:109144. [PMID: 38224908 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has the ability to form large multi-nucleated cells known as syncytia. Little is known about how syncytia affect the dynamics of the infection or severity of the disease. In this manuscript, we extend a mathematical model of cell-cell fusion assays to estimate both the syncytia formation rate and the average duration of the fusion phase for five strains of SARS-CoV-2. We find that the original Wuhan strain has the slowest rate of syncytia formation (6.4×10-4/h), but takes only 4.0 h to complete the fusion process, while the Alpha strain has the fastest rate of syncytia formation (0.36 /h), but takes 7.6 h to complete the fusion process. The Beta strain also has a fairly fast syncytia formation rate (9.7×10-2/h), and takes the longest to complete fusion (8.4 h). The D614G strain has a fairly slow syncytia formation rate (2.8×10-3/h), but completes fusion in 4.0 h. Finally, the Delta strain is in the middle with a syncytia formation rate of 3.2×10-2/h and a fusing time of 6.1 h. We note that for these SARS-CoV-2 strains, there appears to be a tradeoff between the ease of forming syncytia and the speed at which they complete the fusion process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ava Amidei
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Hana M Dobrovolny
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
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15
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Chan CWF, Wang B, Nan L, Huang X, Mao T, Chu HY, Luo C, Chu H, Choi GCG, Shum HC, Wong ASL. High-throughput screening of genetic and cellular drivers of syncytium formation induced by the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:291-309. [PMID: 37996617 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01140-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Mapping mutations and discovering cellular determinants that cause the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to induce infected cells to form syncytia would facilitate the development of strategies for blocking the formation of such cell-cell fusion. Here we describe high-throughput screening methods based on droplet microfluidics and the size-exclusion selection of syncytia, coupled with large-scale mutagenesis and genome-wide knockout screening via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), for the large-scale identification of determinants of cell-cell fusion. We used the methods to perform deep mutational scans in spike-presenting cells to pinpoint mutable syncytium-enhancing substitutions in two regions of the spike protein (the fusion peptide proximal region and the furin-cleavage site). We also used a genome-wide CRISPR screen in cells expressing the receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 to identify inhibitors of clathrin-mediated endocytosis that impede syncytium formation, which we validated in hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2. Finding genetic and cellular determinants of the formation of syncytia may reveal insights into the physiological and pathological consequences of cell-cell fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles W F Chan
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bei Wang
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lang Nan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiner Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tianjiao Mao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hoi Yee Chu
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Cuiting Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hin Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Department of Infectious Disease and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
| | - Gigi C G Choi
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Alan S L Wong
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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16
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Heil M. Self-DNA driven inflammation in COVID-19 and after mRNA-based vaccination: lessons for non-COVID-19 pathologies. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1259879. [PMID: 38439942 PMCID: PMC10910434 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1259879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered an unprecedented concentration of economic and research efforts to generate knowledge at unequalled speed on deregulated interferon type I signalling and nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer in B-cells (NF-κB)-driven interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18 secretion causing cytokine storms. The translation of the knowledge on how the resulting systemic inflammation can lead to life-threatening complications into novel treatments and vaccine technologies is underway. Nevertheless, previously existing knowledge on the role of cytoplasmatic or circulating self-DNA as a pro-inflammatory damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) was largely ignored. Pathologies reported 'de novo' for patients infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 to be outcomes of self-DNA-driven inflammation in fact had been linked earlier to self-DNA in different contexts, e.g., the infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1, sterile inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. I highlight particularly how synergies with other DAMPs can render immunogenic properties to normally non-immunogenic extracellular self-DNA, and I discuss the shared features of the gp41 unit of the HIV-1 envelope protein and the SARS-CoV 2 Spike protein that enable HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 to interact with cell or nuclear membranes, trigger syncytia formation, inflict damage to their host's DNA, and trigger inflammation - likely for their own benefit. These similarities motivate speculations that similar mechanisms to those driven by gp41 can explain how inflammatory self-DNA contributes to some of most frequent adverse events after vaccination with the BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer/BioNTech) or the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine, i.e., myocarditis, herpes zoster, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune nephritis or hepatitis, new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus, and flare-ups of psoriasis or lupus. The hope is to motivate a wider application of the lessons learned from the experiences with COVID-19 and the new mRNA vaccines to combat future non-COVID-19 diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Heil
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV)-Unidad Irapuato, Irapuato, Mexico
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17
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Quaranta P, Scabia G, Storti B, Dattilo A, Quintino L, Perrera P, Di Primio C, Costa M, Pistello M, Bizzarri R, Maffei M. SARS-CoV-2 Infection Alters the Phenotype and Gene Expression of Adipocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2086. [PMID: 38396763 PMCID: PMC10889321 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence emphasizes that excess fat mass is associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease. Nevertheless, the intricate interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and adipocytes remains poorly understood. It is crucial to decipher the progression of COVID-19 both in the acute phase and on long-term outcomes. In this study, an in vitro model using the human SGBS cell line (Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome) was developed to investigate the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in adipocytes, and the effects of virus exposure on adipocyte function. Our results show that SGBS adipocytes expressing ACE2 are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, as evidenced by the release of the viral genome into the medium, detection of the nucleocapsid in cell lysates, and positive immunostaining for the spike protein. Infected adipocytes show remarkable changes compared to uninfected controls: increased surface area of lipid droplets, upregulated expression of genes of inflammation (Haptoglobin, MCP-1, IL-6, PAI-1), increased oxidative stress (MnSOD), and a concomitant reduction of transcripts related to adipocyte function (leptin, fatty acid synthase, perilipin). Moreover, exogenous expression of spike protein in SGBS adipocytes also led to an increase in lipid droplet size. In conclusion using the human SGBS cell line, we detected SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in adipocytes, revealing substantial morphological and functional changes in infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Quaranta
- Retrovirus Center, Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (P.Q.); (P.P.); (M.P.)
- National Research Council—Institute of Neuroscience, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (C.D.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Gaia Scabia
- National Research Council—Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (G.S.); (L.Q.)
- Center for Obesity and Lipodystrophy, Pisa University-Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Barbara Storti
- National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology, Scuola Normale Superiore, National Research Council—Institute of Nanoscience, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Alessia Dattilo
- Center for Obesity and Lipodystrophy, Pisa University-Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Lara Quintino
- National Research Council—Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (G.S.); (L.Q.)
| | - Paola Perrera
- Retrovirus Center, Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (P.Q.); (P.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Cristina Di Primio
- National Research Council—Institute of Neuroscience, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (C.D.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Mario Costa
- National Research Council—Institute of Neuroscience, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (C.D.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Mauro Pistello
- Retrovirus Center, Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (P.Q.); (P.P.); (M.P.)
- Virology Unit, Pisa University-Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Ranieri Bizzarri
- National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology, Scuola Normale Superiore, National Research Council—Institute of Nanoscience, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy;
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 65, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Margherita Maffei
- National Research Council—Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (G.S.); (L.Q.)
- Center for Obesity and Lipodystrophy, Pisa University-Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Via Filippo Buonarroti 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
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18
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Zhang L, Kempf A, Nehlmeier I, Cossmann A, Richter A, Bdeir N, Graichen L, Moldenhauer AS, Dopfer-Jablonka A, Stankov MV, Simon-Loriere E, Schulz SR, Jäck HM, Čičin-Šain L, Behrens GMN, Drosten C, Hoffmann M, Pöhlmann S. SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 enters lung cells and evades neutralizing antibodies with high efficiency. Cell 2024; 187:596-608.e17. [PMID: 38194966 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
BA.2.86, a recently identified descendant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.2 sublineage, contains ∼35 mutations in the spike (S) protein and spreads in multiple countries. Here, we investigated whether the virus exhibits altered biological traits, focusing on S protein-driven viral entry. Employing pseudotyped particles, we show that BA.2.86, unlike other Omicron sublineages, enters Calu-3 lung cells with high efficiency and in a serine- but not cysteine-protease-dependent manner. Robust lung cell infection was confirmed with authentic BA.2.86, but the virus exhibited low specific infectivity. Further, BA.2.86 was highly resistant against all therapeutic antibodies tested, efficiently evading neutralization by antibodies induced by non-adapted vaccines. In contrast, BA.2.86 and the currently circulating EG.5.1 sublineage were appreciably neutralized by antibodies induced by the XBB.1.5-adapted vaccine. Collectively, BA.2.86 has regained a trait characteristic of early SARS-CoV-2 lineages, robust lung cell entry, and evades neutralizing antibodies. However, BA.2.86 exhibits low specific infectivity, which might limit transmissibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Amy Kempf
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Nehlmeier
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anne Cossmann
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Anja Richter
- Institute of Virology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Najat Bdeir
- Department of Viral Immunology, Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Luise Graichen
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Alexandra Dopfer-Jablonka
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Metodi V Stankov
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Etienne Simon-Loriere
- G5 Evolutionary Genomics of RNA Viruses, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 75015 Paris, France; National Reference Center for Viruses of respiratory Infections, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Sebastian R Schulz
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Hans-Martin Jäck
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Luka Čičin-Šain
- Department of Viral Immunology, Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Center for Individualized Infection Medicine, a joint venture of HZI and MHH, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Georg M N Behrens
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Center for Individualized Infection Medicine, a joint venture of HZI and MHH, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus Hoffmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
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19
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Bolland W, Michel V, Planas D, Hubert M, Staropoli I, Guivel-Benhassine F, Porrot F, N'Debi M, Rodriguez C, Fourati S, Prot M, Planchais C, Hocqueloux L, Simon-Lorière E, Mouquet H, Prazuck T, Pawlotsky JM, Bruel T, Schwartz O, Buchrieser J. High fusion and cytopathy of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.640.1. J Virol 2024; 98:e0135123. [PMID: 38088562 PMCID: PMC10805008 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01351-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 variants with undetermined properties have emerged intermittently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Some variants possess unique phenotypes and mutations which allow further characterization of viral evolution and Spike functions. Around 1,100 cases of the B.1.640.1 variant were reported in Africa and Europe between 2021 and 2022, before the expansion of Omicron. Here, we analyzed the biological properties of a B.1.640.1 isolate and its Spike. Compared to the ancestral Spike, B.1.640.1 carried 14 amino acid substitutions and deletions. B.1.640.1 escaped binding by some anti-N-terminal domain and anti-receptor-binding domain monoclonal antibodies, and neutralization by sera from convalescent and vaccinated individuals. In cell lines, infection generated large syncytia and a high cytopathic effect. In primary airway cells, B.1.640.1 replicated less than Omicron BA.1 and triggered more syncytia and cell death than other variants. The B.1.640.1 Spike was highly fusogenic when expressed alone. This was mediated by two poorly characterized and infrequent mutations located in the Spike S2 domain, T859N and D936H. Altogether, our results highlight the cytopathy of a hyper-fusogenic SARS-CoV-2 variant, supplanted upon the emergence of Omicron BA.1. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT04750720.)IMPORTANCEOur results highlight the plasticity of SARS-CoV-2 Spike to generate highly fusogenic and cytopathic strains with the causative mutations being uncharacterized in previous variants. We describe mechanisms regulating the formation of syncytia and the subsequent consequences in a primary culture model, which are poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bolland
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Michel
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit, Institut Pasteur, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Planas
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
- Vaccine Research Institute, Créteil, France
| | - Mathieu Hubert
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Staropoli
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
| | | | - Françoise Porrot
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
| | - Mélissa N'Debi
- Department of Virology, Hôpital Henri Mondor (AP-HP), Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
- Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, INSERM U955, Créteil, France
| | - Christophe Rodriguez
- Department of Virology, Hôpital Henri Mondor (AP-HP), Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
- Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, INSERM U955, Créteil, France
| | - Slim Fourati
- Department of Virology, Hôpital Henri Mondor (AP-HP), Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
- Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, INSERM U955, Créteil, France
| | - Matthieu Prot
- Evolutionary Genomics of RNA Viruses, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Cyril Planchais
- Humoral Immunology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1222, Paris, France
| | | | - Etienne Simon-Lorière
- Evolutionary Genomics of RNA Viruses, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Mouquet
- Humoral Immunology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1222, Paris, France
| | | | - Jean-Michel Pawlotsky
- Department of Virology, Hôpital Henri Mondor (AP-HP), Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
- Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, INSERM U955, Créteil, France
| | - Timothée Bruel
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
- Vaccine Research Institute, Créteil, France
| | - Olivier Schwartz
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
- Vaccine Research Institute, Créteil, France
| | - Julian Buchrieser
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
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20
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Ye Z, Galvanetto N, Puppulin L, Pifferi S, Flechsig H, Arndt M, Triviño CAS, Di Palma M, Guo S, Vogel H, Menini A, Franz CM, Torre V, Marchesi A. Structural heterogeneity of the ion and lipid channel TMEM16F. Nat Commun 2024; 15:110. [PMID: 38167485 PMCID: PMC10761740 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44377-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane protein 16 F (TMEM16F) is a Ca2+-activated homodimer which functions as an ion channel and a phospholipid scramblase. Despite the availability of several TMEM16F cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures, the mechanism of activation and substrate translocation remains controversial, possibly due to restrictions in the accessible protein conformational space. In this study, we use atomic force microscopy under physiological conditions to reveal a range of structurally and mechanically diverse TMEM16F assemblies, characterized by variable inter-subunit dimerization interfaces and protomer orientations, which have escaped prior cryo-EM studies. Furthermore, we find that Ca2+-induced activation is associated to stepwise changes in the pore region that affect the mechanical properties of transmembrane helices TM3, TM4 and TM6. Our direct observation of membrane remodelling in response to Ca2+ binding along with additional electrophysiological analysis, relate this structural multiplicity of TMEM16F to lipid and ion permeation processes. These results thus demonstrate how conformational heterogeneity of TMEM16F directly contributes to its diverse physiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjie Ye
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), 34136, Trieste, Italy
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nicola Galvanetto
- Department of Physics, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Puppulin
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, I-30172 Mestre, Venice, Italy
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, 920-1192, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Simone Pifferi
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), 34136, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60126, Ancona, Italy
| | - Holger Flechsig
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, 920-1192, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Melanie Arndt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Di Palma
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60126, Ancona, Italy
| | - Shifeng Guo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Horst Vogel
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anna Menini
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Clemens M Franz
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, 920-1192, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Vincent Torre
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), 34136, Trieste, Italy.
- Institute of Materials (ION-CNR), Area Science Park, Basovizza, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
- BIoValley Investments System and Solutions (BISS), 34148, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Arin Marchesi
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, 920-1192, Kanazawa, Japan.
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60126, Ancona, Italy.
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21
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Xie M. Virus-Induced Cell Fusion and Syncytia Formation. Results Probl Cell Differ 2024; 71:283-318. [PMID: 37996683 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-37936-9_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Most enveloped viruses encode viral fusion proteins to penetrate host cell by membrane fusion. Interestingly, many enveloped viruses can also use viral fusion proteins to induce cell-cell fusion, both in vitro and in vivo, leading to the formation of syncytia or multinucleated giant cells (MGCs). In addition, some non-enveloped viruses encode specialized viral proteins that induce cell-cell fusion to facilitate viral spread. Overall, viruses that can induce cell-cell fusion are nearly ubiquitous in mammals. Virus cell-to-cell spread by inducing cell-cell fusion may overcome entry and post-entry blocks in target cells and allow evasion of neutralizing antibodies. However, molecular mechanisms of virus-induced cell-cell fusion remain largely unknown. Here, I summarize the current understanding of virus-induced cell fusion and syncytia formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maorong Xie
- Division of Infection and Immunity, UCL, London, UK.
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22
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Gabdoulkhakova AG, Mingaleeva RN, Romozanova AM, Sagdeeva AR, Filina YV, Rizvanov AA, Miftakhova RR. Immunology of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:65-83. [PMID: 38467546 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924010048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
According to the data from the World Health Organization, about 800 million of the world population had contracted coronavirus infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 by mid-2023. Properties of this virus have allowed it to circulate in the human population for a long time, evolving defense mechanisms against the host immune system. Severity of the disease depends largely on the degree of activation of the systemic immune response, including overstimulation of macrophages and monocytes, cytokine production, and triggering of adaptive T- and B-cell responses, while SARS-CoV-2 evades the immune system actions. In this review, we discuss immune responses triggered in response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus entry into the cell and malfunctions of the immune system that lead to the development of severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida G Gabdoulkhakova
- Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420008, Russia.
- Kazan State Medical Academy - Branch Campus of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Further Professional Education "Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Kazan, 420012, Russia
| | | | | | | | | | - Albert A Rizvanov
- Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420008, Russia
- Division of Medical and Biological Sciences, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Kazan, 420111, Russia
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23
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Huerta L, Gamboa-Meraz A, Estrada-Ochoa PS. Relevance of the Entry by Fusion at the Cytoplasmic Membrane vs. Fusion After Endocytosis in the HIV and SARS-Cov-2 Infections. Results Probl Cell Differ 2024; 71:329-344. [PMID: 37996685 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-37936-9_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 and SARS-Cov-2 fuse at the cell surface or at endosomal compartments for entry into target cells; entry at the cell surface associates to productive infection, whereas endocytosis of low pH-independent viruses may lead to virus inactivation, slow replication, or alternatively, to productive infection. Endocytosis and fusion at the cell surface are conditioned by cell type-specific restriction factors and the presence of enzymes required for activation of the viral fusogen. Whereas fusion with the plasma membrane is considered the main pathway to productive infection of low pH-independent entry viruses, endocytosis is also productive and may be the main route of the highly efficient cell-to-cell dissemination of viruses. Alternative receptors, membrane cofactors, and the presence of enzymes processing the fusion protein at the cell membrane, determine the balance between fusion and endocytosis in specific target cells. Characterization of the mode of entry in particular cell culture conditions is desirable to better assess the effect of neutralizing and blocking agents and their mechanism of action. Whatever the pathway of virus internalization, production of the viral proteins into the cells can lead to the expression of the viral fusion protein on the cell surface; if this protein is able to induce membrane fusion at physiological pH, it promotes the fusion of the infected cell with surrounding uninfected cells, leading to the formation of syncytia or heterokaryons. Importantly, particular membrane proteins and lipids act as cofactors to support fusion. Virus-induced cell-cell fusion leads to efficient virus replication into fused cells, cell death, inflammation, and severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor Huerta
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, CDMX, Mexico.
| | - Alejandro Gamboa-Meraz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, CDMX, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Bioquímicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Pablo Samuel Estrada-Ochoa
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, CDMX, Mexico
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Ciudad de México, México
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24
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Lustig G, Ganga Y, Rodel HE, Tegally H, Khairallah A, Jackson L, Cele S, Khan K, Jule Z, Reedoy K, Karim F, Bernstein M, Ndung’u T, Moosa MYS, Archary D, de Oliveira T, Lessells R, Neher RA, Abdool Karim SS, Sigal A. SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunosuppression evolves sub-lineages which independently accumulate neutralization escape mutations. Virus Evol 2023; 10:vead075. [PMID: 38361824 PMCID: PMC10868398 DOI: 10.1093/ve/vead075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
One mechanism of variant formation may be evolution during long-term infection in immunosuppressed people. To understand the viral phenotypes evolved during such infection, we tested SARS-CoV-2 viruses evolved from an ancestral B.1 lineage infection lasting over 190 days post-diagnosis in an advanced HIV disease immunosuppressed individual. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed two evolving sub-lineages, with the second sub-lineage replacing the first sub-lineage in a seeming evolutionary sweep. Each sub-lineage independently evolved escape from neutralizing antibodies. The most evolved virus for the first sub-lineage (isolated day 34) and the second sub-lineage (isolated day 190) showed similar escape from ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and Delta-variant infection elicited neutralizing immunity despite having no spike mutations in common relative to the B.1 lineage. The day 190 isolate also evolved higher cell-cell fusion and faster viral replication and caused more cell death relative to virus isolated soon after diagnosis, though cell death was similar to day 34 first sub-lineage virus. These data show that SARS-CoV-2 strains in prolonged infection in a single individual can follow independent evolutionary trajectories which lead to neutralization escape and other changes in viral properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gila Lustig
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Yashica Ganga
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Hylton E Rodel
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, UCL Cruciform Building Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Houriiyah Tegally
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Afrah Khairallah
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Laurelle Jackson
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Sandile Cele
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Khadija Khan
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Zesuliwe Jule
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Kajal Reedoy
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Farina Karim
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Mallory Bernstein
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Thumbi Ndung’u
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, UCL Cruciform Building Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mahomed-Yunus S Moosa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nelson R. Mandela School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Derseree Archary
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Tulio de Oliveira
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Richard Lessells
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Richard A Neher
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge - Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Salim S Abdool Karim
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Alex Sigal
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Africa Health Research Institute, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban 4001, South Africa
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25
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Lee JD, Menasche BL, Mavrikaki M, Uyemura MM, Hong SM, Kozlova N, Wei J, Alfajaro MM, Filler RB, Müller A, Saxena T, Posey RR, Cheung P, Muranen T, Heng YJ, Paulo JA, Wilen CB, Slack FJ. Differences in syncytia formation by SARS-CoV-2 variants modify host chromatin accessibility and cellular senescence via TP53. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113478. [PMID: 37991919 PMCID: PMC10785701 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a significant public health threat due to the ability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants to evade the immune system and cause breakthrough infections. Although pathogenic coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV lead to severe respiratory infections, how these viruses affect the chromatin proteomic composition upon infection remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we use our recently developed integrative DNA And Protein Tagging methodology to identify changes in host chromatin accessibility states and chromatin proteomic composition upon infection with pathogenic coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 infection induces TP53 stabilization on chromatin, which contributes to its host cytopathic effect. We mapped this TP53 stabilization to the SARS-CoV-2 spike and its propensity to form syncytia, a consequence of cell-cell fusion. Differences in SARS-CoV-2 spike variant-induced syncytia formation modify chromatin accessibility, cellular senescence, and inflammatory cytokine release via TP53. Our findings suggest that differences in syncytia formation alter senescence-associated inflammation, which varies among SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Lee
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Bridget L Menasche
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Maria Mavrikaki
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Madison M Uyemura
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Su Min Hong
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nina Kozlova
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jin Wei
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mia M Alfajaro
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Renata B Filler
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Arne Müller
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tanvi Saxena
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ryan R Posey
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Priscilla Cheung
- Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Taru Muranen
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yujing J Heng
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Craig B Wilen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Frank J Slack
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School Initiative for RNA Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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26
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Boulton S, Poutou J, Gill R, Alluqmani N, He X, Singaravelu R, Crupi MJ, Petryk J, Austin B, Angka L, Taha Z, Teo I, Singh S, Jamil R, Marius R, Martin N, Jamieson T, Azad T, Diallo JS, Ilkow CS, Bell JC. A T cell-targeted multi-antigen vaccine generates robust cellular and humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 31:101110. [PMID: 37822719 PMCID: PMC10562195 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.101110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent behind the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has continued to mutate and create new variants with increased resistance against the WHO-approved spike-based vaccines. With a significant portion of the worldwide population still unvaccinated and with waning immunity against newly emerging variants, there is a pressing need to develop novel vaccines that provide broader and longer-lasting protection. To generate broader protective immunity against COVID-19, we developed our second-generation vaccinia virus-based COVID-19 vaccine, TOH-VAC-2, encoded with modified versions of the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins as well as a unique poly-epitope antigen that contains immunodominant T cell epitopes from seven different SARS-CoV-2 proteins. We show that the poly-epitope antigen restimulates T cells from the PBMCs of individuals formerly infected with SARS-CoV-2. In mice, TOH-VAC-2 vaccination produces high titers of S- and N-specific antibodies and generates robust T cell immunity against S, N, and poly-epitope antigens. The immunity generated from TOH-VAC-2 is also capable of protecting mice from heterologous challenge with recombinant VSV viruses that express the same SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Altogether, these findings demonstrate the effectiveness of our versatile vaccine platform as an alternative or complementary approach to current vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Boulton
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Joanna Poutou
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Rida Gill
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Nouf Alluqmani
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Xiaohong He
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Ragunath Singaravelu
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Mathieu J.F. Crupi
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Julia Petryk
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Bradley Austin
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Leonard Angka
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Zaid Taha
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Iris Teo
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Siddarth Singh
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Rameen Jamil
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Ricardo Marius
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Nikolas Martin
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Taylor Jamieson
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Taha Azad
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1E 4K8, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Jean-Simon Diallo
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Carolina S. Ilkow
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - John C. Bell
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
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Fauquet J, Carette J, Duez P, Zhang J, Nachtergael A. Microfluidic Diffusion Sizing Applied to the Study of Natural Products and Extracts That Modulate the SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD/ACE2 Interaction. Molecules 2023; 28:8072. [PMID: 38138562 PMCID: PMC10745392 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28248072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD and ACE2 proteins is a crucial step for host cell infection by the virus. Without it, the entire virion entrance mechanism is compromised. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of various natural product classes, including flavonoids, anthraquinones, saponins, ivermectin, chloroquine, and erythromycin, to modulate this interaction. To accomplish this, we applied a recently developed a microfluidic diffusional sizing (MDS) technique that allows us to probe protein-protein interactions via measurements of the hydrodynamic radius (Rh) and dissociation constant (KD); the evolution of Rh is monitored in the presence of increasing concentrations of the partner protein (ACE2); and the KD is determined through a binding curve experimental design. In a second time, with the protein partners present in equimolar amounts, the Rh of the protein complex was measured in the presence of different natural products. Five of the nine natural products/extracts tested were found to modulate the formation of the protein complex. A methanol extract of Chenopodium quinoa Willd bitter seed husks (50 µg/mL; bisdesmoside saponins) and the flavonoid naringenin (1 µM) were particularly effective. This rapid selection of effective modulators will allow us to better understand agents that may prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Fauquet
- Unit of Therapeutic Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons, Belgium; (J.F.); (P.D.); (A.N.)
| | - Julie Carette
- Unit of Therapeutic Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons, Belgium; (J.F.); (P.D.); (A.N.)
| | - Pierre Duez
- Unit of Therapeutic Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons, Belgium; (J.F.); (P.D.); (A.N.)
| | - Jiuliang Zhang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Amandine Nachtergael
- Unit of Therapeutic Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons, Belgium; (J.F.); (P.D.); (A.N.)
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28
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Heo CK, Lim WH, Yang J, Son S, Kim SJ, Kim DJ, Poo H, Cho EW. Novel S2 subunit-specific antibody with broad neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1307693. [PMID: 38143750 PMCID: PMC10749193 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1307693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), had a major impact on both the global health and economy. Numerous virus-neutralizing antibodies were developed against the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein to block viral binding to host cells and were authorized for control of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, frequent mutations in the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 enabled the emergence of immune evasive variants. To address these challenges, broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting the relatively conserved S2 subunit and its epitopes have been investigated as antibody therapeutics and universal vaccines. Methods We initiated this study by immunizing BALB/c mice with β-propiolactone-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (IAV) to generate B-cell hybridomas. These hybridomas were subsequently screened using HEK293T cells expressing the S2-ECD domain. Hybridomas that produced anti-S2 antibodies were selected, and we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the potential of these anti-S2 antibodies as antiviral agents and versatile tools for research and diagnostics. Results In this study, we present a novel S2-specific antibody, 4A5, isolated from BALB/c mice immunized with inactivated SARS-CoV-2. 4A5 exhibited specific affinity to SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunits compared with those of other β-CoVs. 4A5 bound to epitope segment F1109-V1133 between the heptad-repeat1 (HR1) and the stem-helix (SH) region. The 4A5 epitope is highly conserved in SARS-CoV-2 variants, with a significant conformational feature in both pre- and postfusion S proteins. Notably, 4A5 exhibited broad neutralizing activity against variants and triggered Fc-enhanced antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis. Discussion These findings offer a promising avenue for novel antibody therapeutics and insights for next-generation vaccine design. The identification of 4A5, with its unique binding properties and broad neutralizing capacity, offers a potential solution to the challenge posed by SARS-CoV-2 variants and highlights the importance of targeting the conserved S2 subunit in combating the COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Kyu Heo
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Hee Lim
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Yang
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sumin Son
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jick Kim
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Doo-Jin Kim
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Haryoung Poo
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Wie Cho
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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29
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Scheim DE, Vottero P, Santin AD, Hirsh AG. Sialylated Glycan Bindings from SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein to Blood and Endothelial Cells Govern the Severe Morbidities of COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17039. [PMID: 38069362 PMCID: PMC10871123 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Consistent with well-established biochemical properties of coronaviruses, sialylated glycan attachments between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SP) and host cells are key to the virus's pathology. SARS-CoV-2 SP attaches to and aggregates red blood cells (RBCs), as shown in many pre-clinical and clinical studies, causing pulmonary and extrapulmonary microthrombi and hypoxia in severe COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 SP attachments to the heavily sialylated surfaces of platelets (which, like RBCs, have no ACE2) and endothelial cells (having minimal ACE2) compound this vascular damage. Notably, experimentally induced RBC aggregation in vivo causes the same key morbidities as for severe COVID-19, including microvascular occlusion, blood clots, hypoxia and myocarditis. Key risk factors for COVID-19 morbidity, including older age, diabetes and obesity, are all characterized by markedly increased propensity to RBC clumping. For mammalian species, the degree of clinical susceptibility to COVID-19 correlates to RBC aggregability with p = 0.033. Notably, of the five human betacoronaviruses, the two common cold strains express an enzyme that releases glycan attachments, while the deadly SARS, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS do not, although viral loads for COVID-19 and the two common cold infections are similar. These biochemical insights also explain the previously puzzling clinical efficacy of certain generics against COVID-19 and may support the development of future therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 and long COVID patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Scheim
- US Public Health Service, Commissioned Corps, Inactive Reserve, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Paola Vottero
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Alessandro D Santin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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30
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Desai PJ. Expression and fusogenic activity of SARS CoV-2 Spike protein displayed in the HSV-1 Virion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.28.568860. [PMID: 38076893 PMCID: PMC10705244 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.568860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a zoonotic pathogen that can cause severe respiratory disease in humans. The new SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of the current global pandemic termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has resulted in many millions of deaths world-wide. The virus is a member of the Betacoronavirus family, its genome is a positive strand RNA molecule that encodes for many genes which are required for virus genome replication as well as for structural proteins that are required for virion assembly and maturation. A key determinant of this virus is the Spike (S) protein embedded in the virion membrane and mediates attachment of the virus to the receptor (ACE2). This protein also is required for cell-cell fusion (syncytia) that is an important pathogenic determinant. We have developed a pseudotyped herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) recombinant virus expressing S protein in the virion envelop. This virus has also been modified to express a Venus fluorescent protein fusion to VP16, a virion protein of HSV-1. The virus expressing Spike can enter cells and generates large multi-nucleated syncytia which are evident by the Venus fluorescence. The HSV-1 recombinant virus is genetically stable and virus amplification can be easily done by infecting cells. This recombinant virus provides a reproducible platform for Spike function analysis and thus adds to the repertoire of pseudotyped viruses expressing Spike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant J. Desai
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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31
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Quirouette C, Cresta D, Li J, Wilkie KP, Liang H, Beauchemin CAA. The effect of random virus failure following cell entry on infection outcome and the success of antiviral therapy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17243. [PMID: 37821517 PMCID: PMC10567758 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44180-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
A virus infection can be initiated with very few or even a single infectious virion, and as such can become extinct, i.e. stochastically fail to take hold or spread significantly. There are many ways that a fully competent infectious virion, having successfully entered a cell, can fail to cause a productive infection, i.e. one that yields infectious virus progeny. Though many stochastic models (SMs) have been developed and used to estimate a virus infection's establishment probability, these typically neglect infection failure post virus entry. The SM presented herein introduces parameter [Formula: see text] which corresponds to the probability that a virion's entry into a cell will result in a productive cell infection. We derive an expression for the likelihood of infection establishment in this new SM, and find that prophylactic therapy with an antiviral reducing [Formula: see text] is at least as good or better at decreasing the establishment probability, compared to antivirals reducing the rates of virus production or virus entry into cells, irrespective of the SM parameters. We investigate the difference in the fraction of cells consumed by so-called extinct versus established virus infections, and find that this distinction becomes biologically meaningless as the probability of establishment approaches zero. We explain why the release of virions continuously over an infectious cell's lifespan, rather than as a single burst at the end of the cell's lifespan, does not result in an increased risk of infection extinction. We show, instead, that the number of virus released, not the timing of the release, affects infection establishment and associated critical antiviral efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Cresta
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jizhou Li
- Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS), RIKEN, Wako, Japan
| | - Kathleen P Wilkie
- Department of Mathematics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Haozhao Liang
- Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (RNC), RIKEN, Wako, Japan
- Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Catherine A A Beauchemin
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada.
- Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS), RIKEN, Wako, Japan.
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32
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Zhang Q, Tang W, Stancanelli E, Jung E, Syed Z, Pagadala V, Saidi L, Chen CZ, Gao P, Xu M, Pavlinov I, Li B, Huang W, Chen L, Liu J, Xie H, Zheng W, Ye Y. Host heparan sulfate promotes ACE2 super-cluster assembly and enhances SARS-CoV-2-associated syncytium formation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5777. [PMID: 37723160 PMCID: PMC10507024 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41453-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection causes spike-dependent fusion of infected cells with ACE2 positive neighboring cells, generating multi-nuclear syncytia that are often associated with severe COVID. To better elucidate the mechanism of spike-induced syncytium formation, we combine chemical genetics with 4D confocal imaging to establish the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) as a critical stimulator for spike-induced cell-cell fusion. We show that HS binds spike and promotes spike-induced ACE2 clustering, forming synapse-like cell-cell contacts that facilitate fusion pore formation between ACE2-expresing and spike-transfected human cells. Chemical or genetic inhibition of HS mitigates ACE2 clustering, and thus, syncytium formation, whereas in a cell-free system comprising purified HS and lipid-anchored ACE2, HS stimulates ACE2 clustering directly in the presence of spike. Furthermore, HS-stimulated syncytium formation and receptor clustering require a conserved ACE2 linker distal from the spike-binding site. Importantly, the cell fusion-boosting function of HS can be targeted by an investigational HS-binding drug, which reduces syncytium formation in vitro and viral infection in mice. Thus, HS, as a host factor exploited by SARS-CoV-2 to facilitate receptor clustering and a stimulator of infection-associated syncytium formation, may be a promising therapeutic target for severe COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Weichun Tang
- Laboratory of Pediatric and Respiratory Virus Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Eduardo Stancanelli
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Eunkyung Jung
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Zulfeqhar Syed
- Electron Microscopy Core, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Vijayakanth Pagadala
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Glycan Therapeutics Corp, 617 Hutton Street, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Layla Saidi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Catherine Z Chen
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Peng Gao
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Miao Xu
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Ivan Pavlinov
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Bing Li
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Wenwei Huang
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Liqiang Chen
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Jian Liu
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Hang Xie
- Laboratory of Pediatric and Respiratory Virus Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Wei Zheng
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Yihong Ye
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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33
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Lee JD, Menasche BL, Mavrikaki M, Uyemura MM, Hong SM, Kozlova N, Wei J, Alfajaro MM, Filler RB, Müller A, Saxena T, Posey RR, Cheung P, Muranen T, Heng YJ, Paulo JA, Wilen CB, Slack FJ. Differences in syncytia formation by SARS-CoV-2 variants modify host chromatin accessibility and cellular senescence via TP53. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.31.555625. [PMID: 37693555 PMCID: PMC10491142 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.31.555625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 remains a significant public health threat due to the ability of SARS-CoV-2 variants to evade the immune system and cause breakthrough infections. Although pathogenic coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV lead to severe respiratory infections, how these viruses affect the chromatin proteomic composition upon infection remains largely uncharacterized. Here we used our recently developed integrative DNA And Protein Tagging (iDAPT) methodology to identify changes in host chromatin accessibility states and chromatin proteomic composition upon infection with pathogenic coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 infection induces TP53 stabilization on chromatin, which contributes to its host cytopathic effect. We mapped this TP53 stabilization to the SARS-CoV-2 spike and its propensity to form syncytia, a consequence of cell-cell fusion. Differences in SARS-CoV-2 spike variant-induced syncytia formation modify chromatin accessibility, cellular senescence, and inflammatory cytokine release via TP53. Our findings suggest that differences in syncytia formation alter senescence-associated inflammation, which varies among SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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34
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Aiello A, Najafi-Fard S, Goletti D. Initial immune response after exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis or to SARS-COV-2: similarities and differences. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1244556. [PMID: 37662901 PMCID: PMC10470049 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1244556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), whose etiologic agent is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), are currently the two deadliest infectious diseases in humans, which together have caused about more than 11 million deaths worldwide in the past 3 years. TB and COVID-19 share several aspects including the droplet- and aerosol-borne transmissibility, the lungs as primary target, some symptoms, and diagnostic tools. However, these two infectious diseases differ in other aspects as their incubation period, immune cells involved, persistence and the immunopathological response. In this review, we highlight the similarities and differences between TB and COVID-19 focusing on the innate and adaptive immune response induced after the exposure to Mtb and SARS-CoV-2 and the pathological pathways linking the two infections. Moreover, we provide a brief overview of the immune response in case of TB-COVID-19 co-infection highlighting the similarities and differences of each individual infection. A comprehensive understanding of the immune response involved in TB and COVID-19 is of utmost importance for the design of effective therapeutic strategies and vaccines for both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Delia Goletti
- Translational Research Unit, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
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Zeng Z, Geng X, Wen X, Chen Y, Zhu Y, Dong Z, Hao L, Wang T, Yang J, Zhang R, Zheng K, Sun Z, Zhang Y. Novel receptor, mutation, vaccine, and establishment of coping mode for SARS-CoV-2: current status and future. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1232453. [PMID: 37645223 PMCID: PMC10461067 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1232453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its resultant pneumonia in December 2019, the cumulative number of infected people worldwide has exceeded 670 million, with over 6.8 million deaths. Despite the marketing of multiple series of vaccines and the implementation of strict prevention and control measures in many countries, the spread and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 have not been completely and effectively controlled. The latest research shows that in addition to angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE2), dozens of protein molecules, including AXL, can act as host receptors for SARS-CoV-2 infecting human cells, and virus mutation and immune evasion never seem to stop. To sum up, this review summarizes and organizes the latest relevant literature, comprehensively reviews the genome characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 as well as receptor-based pathogenesis (including ACE2 and other new receptors), mutation and immune evasion, vaccine development and other aspects, and proposes a series of prevention and treatment opinions. It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for an in-depth understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 along with a research basis and new ideas for the diagnosis and classification, of COVID-19-related disease and for drug and vaccine research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaomu Zeng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital Jiangxi Hospital of Central South University, National Regional Medical Center for Nervous System Diseases, Nanchang, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiuchao Geng
- Department of Nursing, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Xichao Wen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Yueyue Chen
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yixi Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zishu Dong
- Department of Zoology, Advanced Research Institute, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
| | - Liangchao Hao
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, China
| | - Tingting Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Jifeng Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Ruobing Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Kebin Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Zhiwei Sun
- Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhao Zhang
- Cancer Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
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Liu ZY, Vaira LA, Boscolo-Rizzo P, Walker A, Hopkins C. Post-viral olfactory loss and parosmia. BMJ MEDICINE 2023; 2:e000382. [PMID: 37841969 PMCID: PMC10568123 DOI: 10.1136/bmjmed-2022-000382] [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] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has brought olfactory dysfunction to the forefront of public awareness, because up to half of infected individuals could develop olfactory dysfunction. Loss of smell-which can be partial or total-in itself is debilitating, but the distortion of sense of smell (parosmia) that can occur as a consequence of a viral upper respiratory tract infection (either alongside a reduction in sense of smell or as a solo symptom) can be very distressing for patients. Incidence of olfactory loss after SARS-CoV-2 infection has been estimated by meta-analysis to be around 50%, with more than one in three who will subsequently report parosmia. While early loss of sense of smell is thought to be due to infection of the supporting cells of the olfactory epithelium, the underlying mechanisms of persistant loss and parosmia remain less clear. Depletion of olfactory sensory neurones, chronic inflammatory infiltrates, and downregulation of receptor expression are thought to contribute. There are few effective therapeutic options, so support and olfactory training are essential. Further research is required before strong recommendations can be made to support treatment with steroids, supplements, or interventions applied topically or injected into the olfactory epithelium in terms of improving recovery of quantitative olfactory function. It is not yet known whether these treatments will also achieve comparable improvements in parosmia. This article aims to contextualise parosmia in the setting of post-viral olfactory dysfunction, explore some of the putative molecular mechanisms, and review some of the treatment options available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Yu Liu
- Department of ENT Surgery, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Luigi Angelo Vaira
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Sardegna, Italy
| | - Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Health Sciences, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Abigail Walker
- Department of ENT, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
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Labach DS, Kohio HP, Tse EA, Paparisto E, Friesen NJ, Pankovich J, Bazett M, Barr SD. The Metallodrug BOLD-100 Is a Potent Inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Has Broad-Acting Antiviral Activity. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1095. [PMID: 37509131 PMCID: PMC10377621 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an urgent need to discover and test new drugs to treat patients. Metal-based drugs are known to interact with DNA and/or a variety of proteins such as enzymes and transcription factors, some of which have been shown to exhibit anticancer and antimicrobial effects. BOLD-100 (sodium trans-[tetrachlorobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)]dihydrate) is a novel ruthenium-based drug currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancer. Given that metal-based drugs are known to exhibit antimicrobial activities, we asked if BOLD-100 exhibits antiviral activity towards SARS-CoV-2. We demonstrated that BOLD-100 potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and cytopathic effects in vitro. An RNA sequencing analysis showed that BOLD-100 inhibits virus-induced transcriptional changes in infected cells. In addition, we showed that the antiviral activity of BOLD-100 is not specific for SARS-CoV-2, but also inhibits the replication of the evolutionarily divergent viruses Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 and Human Adenovirus type 5. This study identifies BOLD-100 as a potentially novel broad-acting antiviral drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Labach
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Dental Sciences Building Room 3007, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Hinissan P Kohio
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Dental Sciences Building Room 3007, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Edwin A Tse
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Dental Sciences Building Room 3007, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Ermela Paparisto
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Dental Sciences Building Room 3007, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Nicole J Friesen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Dental Sciences Building Room 3007, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Jim Pankovich
- Bold Therapeutics Inc., 422 Richards St, Suite 170, Vancouver, BC V6N 2Z4, Canada
| | - Mark Bazett
- Bold Therapeutics Inc., 422 Richards St, Suite 170, Vancouver, BC V6N 2Z4, Canada
| | - Stephen D Barr
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Dental Sciences Building Room 3007, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
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Reuter N, Chen X, Kropff B, Peter AS, Britt WJ, Mach M, Überla K, Thomas M. SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Is Capable of Inducing Cell-Cell Fusions Independent from Its Receptor ACE2 and This Activity Can Be Impaired by Furin Inhibitors or a Subset of Monoclonal Antibodies. Viruses 2023; 15:1500. [PMID: 37515187 PMCID: PMC10384293 DOI: 10.3390/v15071500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, efficiently spreads cell-to-cell through mechanisms facilitated by its membrane glycoprotein spike. We established a dual split protein (DSP) assay based on the complementation of GFP and luciferase to quantify the fusogenic activity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We provide several lines of evidence that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, but not SARS-CoV-1, induced cell-cell fusion even in the absence of its receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This poorly described ACE2-independent cell fusion activity of the spike protein was strictly dependent on the proteasomal cleavage of the spike by furin while TMPRSS2 was dispensable. Previous and current variants of concern (VOCs) differed significantly in their fusogenicity. The Delta spike was extremely potent compared to Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Kappa, while the Omicron spike was almost devoid of receptor-independent fusion activity. Nonetheless, for all analyzed variants, cell fusion was dependent on furin cleavage and could be pharmacologically inhibited with CMK. Mapping studies revealed that amino acids 652-1273 conferred the ACE2-independent fusion activity of the spike. Unexpectedly, residues proximal to the furin cleavage site were not of major relevance, whereas residue 655 critically regulated fusion. Finally, we found that the spike's fusion activity in the absence of ACE2 could be inhibited by antibodies directed against its N-terminal domain (NTD) but not by antibodies targeting its receptor-binding domain (RBD). In conclusion, our BSL-1-compatible DSP assay allowed us to screen for inhibitors or antibodies that interfere with the spike's fusogenic activity and may therefore contribute to both rational vaccine design and development of novel treatment options against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Reuter
- Virologisches Institut, Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Xiaohan Chen
- Virologisches Institut, Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Barbara Kropff
- Virologisches Institut, Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Antonia Sophia Peter
- Virologisches Institut, Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - William J Britt
- Departments of Pediatrics, Microbiology and Neurobiology, Children's Hospital of Alabama, School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233-1771, USA
| | - Michael Mach
- Virologisches Institut, Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Klaus Überla
- Virologisches Institut, Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Marco Thomas
- Virologisches Institut, Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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Fang Q, He X, Zheng X, Fu Y, Fu T, Luo J, Du Y, Lan J, Yang J, Luo Y, Chen X, Zhou N, Wang Z, Lyu J, Chen L. Verifying AXL and putative proteins as SARS-CoV-2 receptors by DnaE intein-based rapid cell-cell fusion assay. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28953. [PMID: 37461287 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
As the understanding of the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection continues to grow, researchers have come to realize that ACE2 and TMPRSS2 receptors are not the only way for the virus to invade the host, and that there are many molecules that may serve as potential receptors or cofactors. The functionality of these numerous receptors, proposed by different research groups, demands a fast, simple, and accurate validation method. To address this issue, we here established a DnaE intein-based cell-cell fusion system, a key result of our study, which enables rapid simulation of SARS-CoV-2 host cell infection. This system allowed us to validate that proteins such as AXL function as SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptors and synergize with ACE2 for cell invasion, and that proteins like NRP1 act as cofactors, facilitating ACE2-mediated syncytium formation. Our results also suggest that mutations in the NTD of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spike protein show a preferential selection for Spike-AXL interaction over Spike-LDLRAD3. In summary, our system serves as a crucial tool for the rapid and comprehensive verification of potential receptors, screening of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies, or targeted drugs, bearing substantial implications for translational clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Fang
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaobai He
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Technology Engineering Research Center for Laboratory and Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnostics Translation, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoguang Zheng
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Fu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ting Fu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Technology Engineering Research Center for Laboratory and Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingyi Luo
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yaoqiang Du
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Technology Engineering Research Center for Laboratory and Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Allergy Center, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiajing Lan
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Yang
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Technology Engineering Research Center for Laboratory and Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnostics Translation, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongneng Luo
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Technology Engineering Research Center for Laboratory and Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnostics Translation, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaopan Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Technology Engineering Research Center for Laboratory and Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Naiming Zhou
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Technology Engineering Research Center for Laboratory and Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Allergy Center, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianxin Lyu
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Linjie Chen
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Technology Engineering Research Center for Laboratory and Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnostics Translation, Hangzhou, China
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Hu S, Wang N, Chen S, Zhang H, Wang C, Ma W, Zhang X, Wu Y, Lv Y, Xue Z, Bai H, Ge S, He H, Lu W, Zhang T, Ding Y, Liu R, Han S, Zhan Y, Zhan G, Guo Z, Zhang Y, Lu J, Gao J, Jia Q, Wang Y, Wang H, Lu S, Jin T, Chiu S, He L. Harringtonine: A more effective antagonist for Omicron variant. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 213:115617. [PMID: 37211174 PMCID: PMC10195862 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Fusion with host cell membrane is the main mechanism of infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we propose that a new strategy to screen small-molecule antagonists blocking SARS-CoV-2 membrane fusion. Using cell membrane chromatography (CMC), we found that harringtonine (HT) simultaneously targeted SARS-CoV-2 S protein and host cell surface TMPRSS2 expressed by the host cell, and subsequently confirmed that HT can inhibit membrane fusion. HT effectively blocked SARS-CoV-2 original strain entry with the IC50 of 0.217 μM, while the IC50 in delta variant decreased to 0.101 μM, the IC50 in Omicron BA.1 variant was 0.042 μM. Due to high transmissibility and immune escape, Omicron subvariant BA.5 has become the dominant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and led to escalating COVID-19 cases, however, against BA.5, HT showed a surprising effectiveness. The IC50 in Omicron BA.5 was even lower than 0.0019 μM. The above results revealed the effect of HT on Omicron is very significant. In summary, we characterize HT as a small-molecule antagonist by direct targeting on the Spike protein and TMPRSS2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiling Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Nan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shaohong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huajun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Weina Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xinghai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanni Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhuoyin Xue
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Haoyun Bai
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuai Ge
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Huaizhen He
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wen Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengli Han
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yingzhuan Zhan
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guanqun Zhan
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zengjun Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yongjing Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiayu Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiapan Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qianqian Jia
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuejin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hongliang Wang
- Department of pathogen biology and immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China
| | - Shemin Lu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Sciences and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Sandra Chiu
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Sciences and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Langchong He
- School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
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Martínez-Mármol R, Giordano-Santini R, Kaulich E, Cho AN, Przybyla M, Riyadh MA, Robinson E, Chew KY, Amor R, Meunier FA, Balistreri G, Short KR, Ke YD, Ittner LM, Hilliard MA. SARS-CoV-2 infection and viral fusogens cause neuronal and glial fusion that compromises neuronal activity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg2248. [PMID: 37285437 PMCID: PMC10246911 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg2248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Numerous viruses use specialized surface molecules called fusogens to enter host cells. Many of these viruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can infect the brain and are associated with severe neurological symptoms through poorly understood mechanisms. We show that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces fusion between neurons and between neurons and glia in mouse and human brain organoids. We reveal that this is caused by the viral fusogen, as it is fully mimicked by the expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein or the unrelated fusogen p15 from the baboon orthoreovirus. We demonstrate that neuronal fusion is a progressive event, leads to the formation of multicellular syncytia, and causes the spread of large molecules and organelles. Last, using Ca2+ imaging, we show that fusion severely compromises neuronal activity. These results provide mechanistic insights into how SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses affect the nervous system, alter its function, and cause neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Martínez-Mármol
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Rosina Giordano-Santini
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Eva Kaulich
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ann-Na Cho
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Magdalena Przybyla
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Md Asrafuzzaman Riyadh
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Emilija Robinson
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Keng Yih Chew
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Rumelo Amor
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Frédéric A. Meunier
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Giuseppe Balistreri
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Kirsty R. Short
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Yazi D. Ke
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Lars M. Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Massimo A. Hilliard
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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Kuzmina A, Korovin D, Cohen Lass I, Atari N, Ottolenghi A, Hu P, Mandelboim M, Rosental B, Rosenberg E, Diaz-Griffero F, Taube R. Changes within the P681 residue of spike dictate cell fusion and syncytia formation of Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 with no effects on neutralization or infectivity. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16750. [PMID: 37292300 PMCID: PMC10238279 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid spread and dominance of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 lineages have posed severe health challenges worldwide. While extensive research on the role of the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) in promoting viral infectivity and vaccine sensitivity has been well documented, the functional significance of the 681PRRAR/SV687 polybasic motif of the viral spike is less clear. In this work, we monitored the infectivity levels and neutralization potential of the wild-type human coronavirus 2019 (hCoV-19), Delta, and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses against sera samples drawn four months post administration of a third dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Our findings show that in comparison to hCoV-19 and Delta SARS-CoV-2, Omicron lineages BA.1 and BA.2 exhibit enhanced infectivity and a sharp decline in their sensitivity to vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. Interestingly, P681 mutations within the viral spike do not play a role in the neutralization potential or infectivity of SARS Cov-2 pseudoviruses carrying mutations in this position. The P681 residue however, dictates the ability of the spike protein to promote fusion and syncytia formation between infected cells. While spike from hCoV-19 (P681) and Omicron (H681) promote only modest cell fusion and formation of syncytia between cells that express the spike-protein, Delta spike (R681) displays enhanced fusogenic activity and promotes syncytia formation. Additional analysis shows that a single P681R mutation within the hCoV-19 spike, or H681R within the Omicron spike, restores fusion potential to similar levels observed for the Delta R681 spike. Conversely, R681P point mutation within the spike of Delta pseudovirus abolishes efficient fusion and syncytia formation. Our investigation also demonstrates that spike proteins from hCoV-19 and Delta SARS-CoV-2 are efficiently incorporated into viral particles relative to the spike of Omicron lineages. We conclude that the third dose of the Pfizer-BNT162b2 provides appreciable protection against the newly emerged Omicron sub-lineages. However, the neutralization sensitivity of these new variants is diminished relative to that of the hCoV-19 or Delta SARS-CoV-2. We further show that the P681 residue within spike dictates cell fusion and syncytia formation with no effects on the infectivity of the specific viral variant and on its sensitivity to vaccine-mediated neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alona Kuzmina
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Dina Korovin
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Ido Cohen Lass
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Nofar Atari
- Central Virology Laboratory, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health and Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Aner Ottolenghi
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Pan Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Michal Mandelboim
- Central Virology Laboratory, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health and Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Benyamin Rosental
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | | | - Felipe Diaz-Griffero
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ran Taube
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
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Park SB, Khan M, Chiliveri SC, Hu X, Irvin P, Leek M, Grieshaber A, Hu Z, Jang ES, Bax A, Liang TJ. SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants harbor spike protein mutations responsible for their attenuated fusogenic phenotype. Commun Biol 2023; 6:556. [PMID: 37225764 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04923-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the emergence of the Omicron variants at the end of 2021, they quickly became the dominant variants globally. The Omicron variants may be more easily transmitted compared to the earlier Wuhan and the other variants. In this study, we aimed to elucidate mechanisms of the altered infectivity associated with the Omicron variants. We systemically evaluated mutations located in the S2 sequence of spike and identified mutations that are responsible for altered viral fusion. We demonstrated that mutations near the S1/S2 cleavage site decrease S1/S2 cleavage, resulting in reduced fusogenicity. Mutations in the HR1 and other S2 sequences also affect cell-cell fusion. Based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies and in silico modeling, these mutations affect fusogenicity possibly at multiple steps of the viral fusion. Our findings reveal that the Omicron variants have accumulated mutations that contribute to reduced syncytial formation and hence an attenuated pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Bum Park
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Mohsin Khan
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sai Chaitanya Chiliveri
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Xin Hu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Parker Irvin
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Madeleine Leek
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ailis Grieshaber
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Zongyi Hu
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Eun Sun Jang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, 13620, Republic of Korea
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - T Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Chaudhary S, Yadav RP, Kumar S, Yadav SC. Ultrastructural study confirms the formation of single and heterotypic syncytial cells in bronchoalveolar fluids of COVID-19 patients. Virol J 2023; 20:97. [PMID: 37208729 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02062-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 was reported to induce cell fusions to form multinuclear syncytia that might facilitate viral replication, dissemination, immune evasion, and inflammatory responses. In this study, we have reported the types of cells involved in syncytia formation at different stages of COVID-19 disease through electron microscopy. METHODS Bronchoalveolar fluids from the mild (n = 8, SpO2 > 95%, no hypoxia, within 2-8 days of infection), moderate (n = 8, SpO2 90% to ≤ 93% on room air, respiratory rate ≥ 24/min, breathlessness, within 9-16 days of infection), and severe (n = 8, SpO2 < 90%, respiratory rate > 30/min, external oxygen support, after 17th days of infection) COVID-19 patients were examined by PAP (cell type identification), immunofluorescence (for the level of viral infection), scanning (SEM), and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy to identify the syncytia. RESULTS Immunofluorescence studies (S protein-specific antibodies) from each syncytium indicate a very high infection level. We could not find any syncytial cells in mildly infected patients. However, identical (neutrophils or type 2 pneumocytes) and heterotypic (neutrophils-monocytes) plasma membrane initial fusion (indicating initiation of fusion) was observed under TEM in moderately infected patients. Fully matured large-size (20-100 μm) syncytial cells were found in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS-like) patients of neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophage origin under SEM. CONCLUSIONS This ultrastructural study on the syncytial cells from COVID-19 patients sheds light on the disease's stages and types of cells involved in the syncytia formations. Syncytia formation was first induced in type II pneumocytes by homotypic fusion and later with haematopoetic cells (monocyte and neutrophils) by heterotypic fusion in the moderate stage (9-16 days) of the disease. Matured syncytia were reported in the late phase of the disease and formed large giant cells of 20 to 100 μm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shikha Chaudhary
- Electron Microscope Facility, Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Ravi P Yadav
- Electron Microscope Facility, Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Shailendra Kumar
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain Medicine and Critical Care, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Subhash Chandra Yadav
- Electron Microscope Facility, Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Delhi, 110029, India.
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Ma Y, Li P, Hu Y, Qiu T, Wang L, Lu H, Lv K, Xu M, Zhuang J, Liu X, He S, He B, Liu S, Liu L, Wang Y, Yue X, Zhai Y, Luo W, Mai H, Kuang Y, Chen S, Ye F, Zhou N, Zhao W, Chen J, Chen S, Xiong X, Shi M, Pan JA, Chen YQ. Spike substitution T813S increases Sarbecovirus fusogenicity by enhancing the usage of TMPRSS2. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011123. [PMID: 37196033 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV Spike (S) protein shares considerable homology with SARS-CoV-2 S, especially in the conserved S2 subunit (S2). S protein mediates coronavirus receptor binding and membrane fusion, and the latter activity can greatly influence coronavirus infection. We observed that SARS-CoV S is less effective in inducing membrane fusion compared with SARS-CoV-2 S. We identify that S813T mutation is sufficient in S2 interfering with the cleavage of SARS-CoV-2 S by TMPRSS2, reducing spike fusogenicity and pseudoparticle entry. Conversely, the mutation of T813S in SARS-CoV S increased fusion ability and viral replication. Our data suggested that residue 813 in the S was critical for the proteolytic activation, and the change from threonine to Serine at 813 position might be an evolutionary feature adopted by SARS-2-related viruses. This finding deepened the understanding of Spike fusogenicity and could provide a new perspective for exploring Sarbecovirus' evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Ma
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengbin Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yunqi Hu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tianyi Qiu
- Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixiang Wang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongjie Lu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kexin Lv
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mengxin Xu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaxin Zhuang
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xue Liu
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Suhua He
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Bing He
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuning Liu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lin Liu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinyu Yue
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanmei Zhai
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wanyu Luo
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haoting Mai
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Kuang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shifeng Chen
- The 74(th) Group Army Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Ye
- The 74(th) Group Army Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Zhou
- The 74(th) Group Army Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing Zhao
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shoudeng Chen
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xiaoli Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mang Shi
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ji-An Pan
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yao-Qing Chen
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- National Medical Products Administration Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Sun Yat-sen University, Guanzhou, China
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Lundin SB, Kann H, Fulurija A, Andersson B, Nakka SS, Andersson LM, Gisslén M, Harandi AM. A novel precision-serology assay for SARS-CoV-2 infection based on linear B-cell epitopes of Spike protein. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1166924. [PMID: 37251407 PMCID: PMC10213285 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1166924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic illustrates the need for serology diagnostics with improved accuracy. While conventional serology based on recognition of entire proteins or subunits thereof has made significant contribution to the antibody assessment space, it often suffers from sub-optimal specificity. Epitope-based, high-precision, serology assays hold potential to capture the high specificity and diversity of the immune system, hence circumventing the cross-reactivity with closely related microbial antigens. Methods We herein report mapping of linear IgG and IgA antibody epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein in samples from SARS-CoV-2 exposed individuals along with certified SARS-CoV-2 verification plasma samples using peptide arrays. Results We identified 21 distinct linear epitopes. Importantly, we showed that pre-pandemic serum samples contain IgG antibodies reacting to the majority of protein S epitopes, most likely as a result of prior infection with seasonal coronaviruses. Only 4 of the identified SARS-CoV-2 protein S linear epitopes were specific for SARS-CoV-2 infection. These epitopes are located at positions 278-298 and 550-586, just proximal and distal to the RBD, as well as at position 1134-1156 in the HR2 subdomain and at 1248-1271 in the C-terminal subdomain of protein S. To substantiate the applicability of our findings, we tested three of the high-accuracy protein S epitopes in a Luminex assay, using a certified validation plasma sample set from SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. The Luminex results were well aligned with the peptide array results, and correlated very well with in-house and commercial immune assays for RBD, S1 and S1/S2 domains of protein S. Conclusion We present a comprehensive mapping of linear B-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 protein S, that identifies peptides suitable for a precision serology assay devoid of cross-reactivity. These results have implications for development of highly specific serology test for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and other members of the coronaviridae family, as well as for rapid development of serology tests for future emerging pandemic threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel B. Lundin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Biotome Pty Ltd, Perth, WA, Australia
- Biotome AB, Kullavik, Sweden
| | - Hanna Kann
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alma Fulurija
- Biotome Pty Ltd, Perth, WA, Australia
- Biotome AB, Kullavik, Sweden
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Marshall Centre, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Björn Andersson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sravya S. Nakka
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lars-Magnus Andersson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Magnus Gisslén
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ali M. Harandi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Petersen E, Chudakova D, Erdyneeva D, Zorigt D, Shabalina E, Gudkov D, Karalkin P, Reshetov I, Mynbaev OA. COVID-19-The Shift of Homeostasis into Oncopathology or Chronic Fibrosis in Terms of Female Reproductive System Involvement. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108579. [PMID: 37239926 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus remains a global public health concern due to the systemic nature of the infection and its long-term consequences, many of which remain to be elucidated. SARS-CoV-2 targets endothelial cells and blood vessels, altering the tissue microenvironment, its secretion, immune-cell subpopulations, the extracellular matrix, and the molecular composition and mechanical properties. The female reproductive system has high regenerative potential, but can accumulate damage, including due to SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 is profibrotic and can change the tissue microenvironment toward an oncogenic niche. This makes COVID-19 and its consequences one of the potential regulators of a homeostasis shift toward oncopathology and fibrosis in the tissues of the female reproductive system. We are looking at SARS-CoV-2-induced changes at all levels in the female reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Petersen
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Daria Chudakova
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Daiana Erdyneeva
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Dulamsuren Zorigt
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | | | - Denis Gudkov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Pavel Karalkin
- P.A. Herzen Moscow Research Institute of Oncology, 125284 Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Cluster Oncology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor Reshetov
- Institute of Cluster Oncology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ospan A Mynbaev
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
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Queiroz-Junior CM, Santos ACPM, Gonçalves MR, Brito CB, Barrioni B, Almeida PJ, Gonçalves-Pereira MH, Silva T, Oliveira SR, Pereira MM, Santiago HC, Teixeira MM, Costa VV. Acute coronavirus infection triggers a TNF-dependent osteoporotic phenotype in mice. Life Sci 2023; 324:121750. [PMID: 37142087 PMCID: PMC10152759 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Millions of people died during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the vast majority of infected individuals survived. Now, some consequences of the disease, known as long COVID, are been revealed. Although the respiratory system is the target of Sars-CoV-2, COVID-19 can influence other parts of the body, including bone. The aim of this work was to investigate the impact of acute coronavirus infection in bone metabolism. MAIN METHODS We evaluated RANKL/OPG levels in serum samples of patients with and without acute COVID-19. In vitro, the effects of coronavirus in osteoclasts and osteoblasts were investigated. In vivo, we evaluated the bone phenotype in a BSL2 mouse model of SARS-like disease induced by murine coronavirus (MHV-3). KEY FINDINGS Patients with acute COVID-19 presented decreased OPG and increased RANKL/OPG ratio in the serum versus healthy individuals. In vitro, MHV-3 infected macrophages and osteoclasts, increasing their differentiation and TNF release. Oppositely, osteoblasts were not infected. In vivo, MHV-3 lung infection triggered bone resorption in the femur of mice, increasing the number of osteoclasts at 3dpi and decreasing at 5dpi. Indeed, apoptotic-caspase-3+ cells have been detected in the femur after infection as well as viral RNA. RANKL/OPG ratio and TNF levels also increased in the femur after infection. Accordingly, the bone phenotype of TNFRp55-/- mice infected with MHV-3 showed no signs of bone resorption or increase in the number of osteoclasts. SIGNIFICANCE Coronavirus induces an osteoporotic phenotype in mice dependent on TNF and on macrophage/osteoclast infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celso M Queiroz-Junior
- Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Anna C P M Santos
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Matheus R Gonçalves
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Camila B Brito
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Breno Barrioni
- Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Janaúba, MG, Brazil
| | - Pedro J Almeida
- Medical School, Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcela H Gonçalves-Pereira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Tarcília Silva
- Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sicília R Oliveira
- Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Marivalda M Pereira
- Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials, School of Engineering, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Helton C Santiago
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Mauro M Teixeira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Vivian V Costa
- Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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49
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Zhang Q, Tang WC, Stancanelli E, Jung E, Syed Z, Pagadala V, Saidi L, Chen CZ, Gao P, Xu M, Pavlinov I, Li B, Huang W, Chen L, Liu J, Xie H, Zheng W, Ye Y. Heparan sulfate promotes ACE2 super-cluster assembly to enhance SARS-CoV-2-associated syncytium formation. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2693563. [PMID: 37034606 PMCID: PMC10081376 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2693563/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism of syncytium formation, caused by spike-induced cell-cell fusion in severe COVID-19, is largely unclear. Here we combine chemical genetics with 4D confocal imaging to establish the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) as a critical host factor exploited by SARS-CoV-2 to enhance spike’s fusogenic activity. HS binds spike to facilitate ACE2 clustering, generating synapse-like cell-cell contacts to promote fusion pore formation. ACE2 clustering, and thus, syncytium formation is significantly mitigated by chemical or genetic elimination of cell surface HS, while in a cell-free system consisting of purified HS, spike, and lipid-anchored ACE2, HS directly induces ACE2 clustering. Importantly, the interaction of HS with spike allosterically enables a conserved ACE2 linker in receptor clustering, which concentrates spike at the fusion site to overcome fusion-associated activity loss. This fusion-boosting mechanism can be effectively targeted by an investigational HS-binding drug, which reduces syncytium formation in vitro and viral infection in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhang
- The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
| | - Wei-Chun Tang
- Laboratory of Pediatric and Respiratory Viral Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research & Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, US Food & Drug Administration
| | | | | | | | | | - Layla Saidi
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
| | | | - Peng Gao
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
| | - Miao Xu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
| | - Ivan Pavlinov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
| | - Bing Li
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
| | - Wenwei Huang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
| | | | | | - Hang Xie
- Laboratory of Pediatric and Respiratory Viral Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research & Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, US Food & Drug Administration
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Villalaín J. SARS-CoV-2 Protein S Fusion Peptide Is Capable of Wrapping Negatively-Charged Phospholipids. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:344. [PMID: 36984731 PMCID: PMC10057416 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13030344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, which is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA enveloped virus, emerged in late 2019 and was declared a worldwide pandemic in early 2020 causing more than 600 million infections so far and more than 6 million deaths in the world. Although new vaccines have been implemented, the pandemic continues to impact world health dramatically. Membrane fusion, critical for the viral entry into the host cell, is one of the main targets for the development of novel antiviral therapies to combat COVID-19. The S2 subunit of the viral S protein, a class I membrane fusion protein, contains the fusion domain which is directly implicated in the fusion mechanism. The knowledge of the membrane fusion mechanism at the molecular level will undoubtedly result in the development of effective antiviral strategies. We have used all-atom molecular dynamics to analyse the binding of the SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide to specific phospholipids in model membranes composed of only one phospholipid plus cholesterol in the presence of either Na+ or Ca2+. Our results show that the fusion peptide is capable of binding to the membrane, that its secondary structure does not change significantly upon binding, that it tends to preferentially bind electronegatively charged phospholipids, and that it does not bind cholesterol at all. Understanding the intricacies of the membrane fusion mechanism and the molecular interactions involved will lead us to the development of antiviral molecules that will allow a more efficient battle against these viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Villalaín
- Institute of Research, Development, and Innovation in Healthcare Biotechnology (IDiBE), Universitas "Miguel Hernández", E-03202 Elche, Spain
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