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Jhanwar A, Sharma D, Das U. Unraveling the structural and functional dimensions of SARS-CoV2 proteins in the context of COVID-19 pathogenesis and therapeutics. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 278:134850. [PMID: 39168210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134850] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) has emerged as the causative agent behind the global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As the scientific community strives to comprehend the intricate workings of this virus, a fundamental aspect lies in deciphering the myriad proteins it expresses. This knowledge is pivotal in unraveling the complexities of the viral machinery and devising targeted therapeutic interventions. The proteomic landscape of SARS-CoV2 encompasses structural, non-structural, and open-reading frame proteins, each playing crucial roles in viral replication, host interactions, and the pathogenesis of COVID-19. This comprehensive review aims to provide an updated and detailed examination of the structural and functional attributes of SARS-CoV2 proteins. By exploring the intricate molecular architecture, we have highlighted the significance of these proteins in viral biology. Insights into their roles and interplay contribute to a deeper understanding of the virus's mechanisms, thereby paving the way for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. As the global scientific community strives to combat the ongoing pandemic, this synthesis of knowledge on SARS-CoV2 proteins serves as a valuable resource, fostering informed approaches toward mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and advancing the frontier of antiviral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddh Jhanwar
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Dipika Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Uddipan Das
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
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2
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Timilsina U, Ivey EB, Duffy S, Plianchaisuk A, The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium, Ito J, Sato K, Stavrou S. SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a Mutation Found in BF.5 and BF.7 Sublineages Impacts Its Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2351. [PMID: 38397027 PMCID: PMC10889720 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042351] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
A feature of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BF.5 and BF.7 that recently circulated mainly in China and Japan was the high prevalence of the ORF7a: H47Y mutation, in which the 47th residue of ORF7a has been mutated from a histidine (H) to a tyrosine (Y). Here, we evaluated the effect of this mutation on the three main functions ascribed to the SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a protein. Our findings show that H47Y mutation impairs the ability of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a to antagonize the type I interferon (IFN-I) response and to downregulate major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I) cell surface levels, but had no effect in its anti-SERINC5 function. Overall, our results suggest that the H47Y mutation of ORF7a affects important functions of this protein, resulting in changes in virus pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uddhav Timilsina
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (U.T.); (E.B.I.); (S.D.)
| | - Emily B. Ivey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (U.T.); (E.B.I.); (S.D.)
| | - Sean Duffy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (U.T.); (E.B.I.); (S.D.)
| | - Arnon Plianchaisuk
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8369, Japan; (A.P.); (J.I.); (K.S.)
| | | | - Jumpei Ito
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8369, Japan; (A.P.); (J.I.); (K.S.)
| | - Kei Sato
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8369, Japan; (A.P.); (J.I.); (K.S.)
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8369, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8581, Japan
- International Vaccine Design Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
- Collaboration Unit for Infection, Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0862, Japan
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi 332-0012, Japan
| | - Spyridon Stavrou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (U.T.); (E.B.I.); (S.D.)
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3
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Cheng SMS, Lau JJ, Tsang LCH, Leung K, Lee CK, Hachim A, Kavian N, Chaothai S, Wong RWK, Yu JKM, Chai ZYH, Mori M, Wu C, Yiu K, Hui DSC, Amarasinghe GK, Poon LLM, Wu JT, Valkenburg SA, Peiris M. Serological assays for differentiating natural COVID-19 infection from vaccine induced immunity. J Clin Virol 2024; 170:105621. [PMID: 38056114 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2023.105621] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural SARS-CoV-2 infection may elicit antibodies to a range of viral proteins including non-structural protein ORF8. RNA, adenovirus vectored and sub-unit vaccines expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike would be only expected to elicit S-antibodies and antibodies to distinct domains of nucleocapsid (N) protein may reliably differentiate infection from vaccine-elicited antibody. However, inactivated whole virus vaccines may potentially elicit antibody to wider range of viral proteins, including N protein. We hypothesized that antibody to ORF8 protein will discriminate natural infection from vaccination irrespective of vaccine type. METHODS We optimized and validated the anti-ORF8 and anti-N C-terminal domain (NCTD) ELISA assays using sera from pre-pandemic, RT-PCR confirmed natural infection sera and BNT162b2 (BNT) or CoronaVac vaccinees. We then applied these optimized assays to a cohort of blood donor sera collected in April-July 2022 with known vaccination and self-reported infection status. RESULTS We optimized cut-off values for the anti-ORF8 and anti-N-CTD IgG ELISA assays using receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves. The sensitivity of the anti-ORF8 and anti-N-CTD ELISA for detecting past infection was 83.2% and 99.3%, respectively. Specificity of anti-ORF8 ELISA was 96.8 % vs. the pre-pandemic cohort or 93% considering the pre-pandemic and vaccine cohorts together. The anti-N-CTD ELISA specificity of 98.9% in the pre-pandemic cohort, 93% in BNT vaccinated and only 4 % in CoronaVac vaccinated cohorts. Anti-N-CTD antibody was longer-lived than anti-ORF8 antibody after natural infection. CONCLUSIONS Anti-N-CTD antibody assays provide good discrimination between natural infection and vaccination in BNT162b2 vaccinated individuals. Anti-ORF8 antibody can help discriminate infection from vaccination in either type of vaccine and help estimate infection attack rates (IAR) in communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M S Cheng
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jonathan J Lau
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Leo C H Tsang
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kathy Leung
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Cheuk Kwong Lee
- Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Asmaa Hachim
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Niloufar Kavian
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, & Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Universitaire Paris Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Cochin, Service d'Immunologie Biologique, Paris, France
| | - Sara Chaothai
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ricky W K Wong
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jennifer K M Yu
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zacary Y H Chai
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Masashi Mori
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Nonoichi, Japan
| | - Chao Wu
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Guangdong, China
| | - Karen Yiu
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and SH Ho Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - David S C Hui
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and SH Ho Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Gaya K Amarasinghe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Leo L M Poon
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joseph T Wu
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sophie A Valkenburg
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Malik Peiris
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Immunology and Infection(C2i), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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4
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Stewart H, Lu Y, O’Keefe S, Valpadashi A, Cruz-Zaragoza LD, Michel HA, Nguyen SK, Carnell GW, Lukhovitskaya N, Milligan R, Adewusi Y, Jungreis I, Lulla V, Matthews DA, High S, Rehling P, Emmott E, Heeney JL, Davidson AD, Edgar JR, Smith GL, Firth AE. The SARS-CoV-2 protein ORF3c is a mitochondrial modulator of innate immunity. iScience 2023; 26:108080. [PMID: 37860693 PMCID: PMC10583119 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes a multitude of accessory proteins. Using comparative genomic approaches, an additional accessory protein, ORF3c, has been predicted to be encoded within the ORF3a sgmRNA. Expression of ORF3c during infection has been confirmed independently by ribosome profiling. Despite ORF3c also being present in the 2002-2003 SARS-CoV, its function has remained unexplored. Here we show that ORF3c localizes to mitochondria, where it inhibits innate immunity by restricting IFN-β production, but not NF-κB activation or JAK-STAT signaling downstream of type I IFN stimulation. We find that ORF3c is inhibitory after stimulation with cytoplasmic RNA helicases RIG-I or MDA5 or adaptor protein MAVS, but not after TRIF, TBK1 or phospho-IRF3 stimulation. ORF3c co-immunoprecipitates with the antiviral proteins MAVS and PGAM5 and induces MAVS cleavage by caspase-3. Together, these data provide insight into an uncharacterized mechanism of innate immune evasion by this important human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazel Stewart
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yongxu Lu
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah O’Keefe
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Anusha Valpadashi
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - George W. Carnell
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Rachel Milligan
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Yasmin Adewusi
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Irwin Jungreis
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Valeria Lulla
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David A. Matthews
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Stephen High
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Peter Rehling
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Edward Emmott
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jonathan L. Heeney
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrew D. Davidson
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - James R. Edgar
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Andrew E. Firth
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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5
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Tanwattana N, Wanasen N, Jantraphakorn Y, Srisutthisamphan K, Chailungkarn T, Boonrungsiman S, Lumlertdacha B, Lekchareonsuk P, Kaewborisuth C. Human BST2 inhibits rabies virus release independently of cysteine-linked dimerization and asparagine-linked glycosylation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292833. [PMID: 37922253 PMCID: PMC10624315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292833] [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: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The innate immune response is a first-line defense mechanism triggered by rabies virus (RABV). Interferon (IFN) signaling and ISG products have been shown to confer resistance to RABV at various stages of the virus's life cycle. Human tetherin, also known as bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (hBST2), is a multifunctional transmembrane glycoprotein induced by IFN that has been shown to effectively counteract many viruses through diverse mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that hBST2 inhibits RABV budding by tethering new virions to the cell surface. It was observed that release of virus-like particles (VLPs) formed by RABV G (RABV-G VLPs), but not RABV M (RABV-G VLPs), were suppressed by hBST2, indicating that RABV-G has a specific effect on the hBST2-mediated restriction of RABV. The ability of hBST2 to prevent the release of RABV-G VLPs and impede RABV growth kinetics is retained even when hBST2 has mutations at dimerization and/or glycosylation sites, making hBST2 an antagonist to RABV, with multiple mechanisms possibly contributing to the hBST2-mediated suppression of RABV. Our findings expand the knowledge of host antiviral mechanisms that control RABV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathiphat Tanwattana
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetic Engineering and Bioinformatics, Graduate School, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Virology and Cell Technology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Nanchaya Wanasen
- Virology and Cell Technology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Yuparat Jantraphakorn
- Virology and Cell Technology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Kanjana Srisutthisamphan
- Virology and Cell Technology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Thanathom Chailungkarn
- Virology and Cell Technology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Suwimon Boonrungsiman
- National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), KlongLuang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Boonlert Lumlertdacha
- Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, Thai Red Cross Society, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training Prophylaxis on Rabies, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Porntippa Lekchareonsuk
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetic Engineering and Bioinformatics, Graduate School, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center for Advance Studies in Agriculture and Food, KU Institute Studies, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Challika Kaewborisuth
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetic Engineering and Bioinformatics, Graduate School, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Virology and Cell Technology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
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Wu F, Chen X, Ma Y, Wu Y, Li R, Huang Y, Zhang R, Zhou Y, Zhan J, Liu S, Xu W. Glycosylated, Lipid-Binding, CDR-Like Domains of SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 Indicate Unique Sites of Immune Regulation. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0123423. [PMID: 37318366 PMCID: PMC10434001 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01234-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has posed a significant threat to human health and the global economy since the end of 2019. Unfortunately, due to the virus's rapid evolution, preventingand controlling the epidemic remains challenging. The ORF8 protein is a unique accessory protein in SARS-CoV-2 that plays a crucial role in immune regulation, but its molecular details are still largely unknown. In this study, we successfully expressed SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 in mammalian cells and determined its structure using X-ray crystallography at a resolution of 2.3 Å. Our findings reveal several novel features of ORF8. We found that four pairs of disulfide bonds and glycosylation at residue N78 are essential for stabilizing ORF8's protein structure. Additionally, we identified a lipid-binding pocket and three functional loops that tend to form CDR-like domains that may interact with immune-related proteins to regulate the host immune system. On cellular experiments also demonstrated that glycosylation at N78 regulats of ORF8's ability to bind to monocytes cells. These novel features of ORF8 provide structural insights to into its immune-related function and may serve as new targets for developing ORF8-mediated immune regulation inhibitors. IMPORTANCE COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 virus, has triggered a global outbreak. The virus's continuous mutation increases its infectivity and may be directly related to the immune escape response of viral proteins. In this study, we used X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 protein, a unique accessory protein expressed in mammalian cells, at a resolution of 2.3 Å. Our novel structure reveals important structure details that shed light on ORF8's involvement in immune regulation, including conservation disulfide bonds, a glycosylation site at N78, a lipid-binding pocket, and three functional loops that tend to form CDR-like domains that may interact with immune-related proteins to modulate the host immune system. We also conducted preliminary validation experiments on immune cells. These new insights into ORF8's structure and function provide potential targets for developing inhibitors to block the ORF8-mediated immune regulation between viral protein and host, ultimately contributing to the development of novel therapeutics for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanhong Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuzhe Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanwei Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaoqi Zhou
- Institute for Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian Zhan
- Institute for Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuwen Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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7
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Investigation of the effects of N-Acetylglucosamine on the stability of the spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 by molecular dynamics simulations. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2023; 1222:114049. [PMID: 36743995 PMCID: PMC9890939 DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2023.114049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A lot of effort has been made in developing vaccine and therapeutic agents against the SARS-CoV-2, concentrating on the Spike protein that binds angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 on human cells. Nowadays, some researches study the role of the N-linked glycans as potential targets for vaccines and new agents. Due to the flexibility and diversity of the N-linked glycans, in this work, we focus on the N-Acetylglucosamine moiety, which is the precursor of nearly all eukaryotic glycans. We performed molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects of the N-Acetylglucosamine on the stability of the spike glycoprotein in SARS-CoV-2. After a 100 ns of simulation on the spike proteins without and with the N-Acetylglucosamine molecules, we found that the presence of N-Acetylglucosamine increases the local stability in their vicinity; even though their effect on the full structure is negligible. Thus; it can be inferred that the N-Acetylglucosamine moieties can potentially affect the interaction of the S protein with the ACE2 receptor. We also found that the S1 domain is more flexible than the S2 domain. We propose which of the experimentally observed glycans found on the spike may be more functional than the others. Detailed understanding of glycans is key for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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8
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Simas MCDC, Costa SM, Gomes PDSFC, Cruz NVGD, Corrêa IA, de Souza MRM, Dornelas-Ribeiro M, Nogueira TLS, Santos CGMD, Hoffmann L, Tanuri A, Moura-Neto RSD, Damaso CR, Costa LJD, Silva R. Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a Deletions from COVID-19-Positive Individuals and Its Impact on Virus Spread in Cell Culture. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030801. [PMID: 36992509 PMCID: PMC10051148 DOI: 10.3390/v15030801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing the COVID-19 outbreak, posed a primary concern of public health worldwide. The most common changes in SARS-CoV-2 are single nucleotide substitutions, also reported insertions and deletions. This work investigates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a deletions identified in COVID-19-positive individuals. Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 complete genomes showed three different ORF7a size deletions (190-nt, 339-nt and 365-nt). Deletions were confirmed through Sanger sequencing. The ORF7a∆190 was detected in a group of five relatives with mild symptoms of COVID-19, and the ORF7a∆339 and ORF7a∆365 in a couple of co-workers. These deletions did not affect subgenomic RNAs (sgRNA) production downstream of ORF7a. Still, fragments associated with sgRNA of genes upstream of ORF7a showed a decrease in size when corresponding to samples with deletions. In silico analysis suggests that the deletions impair protein proper function; however, isolated viruses with partial deletion of ORF7a can replicate in culture cells similarly to wild-type viruses at 24 hpi, but with less infectious particles after 48 hpi. These findings on deleted ORF7a accessory protein gene, contribute to understanding SARS-CoV-2 phenotypes such as replication, immune evasion and evolutionary fitness as well insights into the role of SARS-CoV-2_ORF7a in the mechanism of virus-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Clara da Costa Simas
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Sara Mesquita Costa
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Priscila da Silva Figueiredo Celestino Gomes
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
- Physics Department, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | - Isadora Alonso Corrêa
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | | | - Marcos Dornelas-Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Biodefesa, Instituto de Biologia do Exército, Rio de Janeiro 20911-270, Brazil
| | | | | | - Luísa Hoffmann
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20270-021, Brazil
| | - Amilcar Tanuri
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | | | - Clarissa R Damaso
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Luciana Jesus da Costa
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Rosane Silva
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
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9
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Foster CSP, Bull RA, Tedla N, Santiago F, Agapiou D, Adhikari A, Walker GJ, Shrestha LB, Van Hal SJ, Kim KW, Rawlinson WD. Persistence of a Frameshifting Deletion in SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a for the Duration of a Major Outbreak. Viruses 2023; 15:522. [PMID: 36851735 PMCID: PMC9966144 DOI: 10.3390/v15020522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Australia experienced widespread COVID-19 outbreaks from infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant between June 2021 and February 2022. A 17-nucleotide frameshift-inducing deletion in ORF7a rapidly became represented at the consensus level (Delta-ORF7aΔ17del) in most Australian outbreak cases. Studies from early in the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that frameshift-inducing deletions in ORF7a do not persist for long in the population; therefore, Delta-ORF7aΔ17del genomes should have disappeared early in the Australian outbreak. In this study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of global Delta genomes to characterise the dynamics of Delta-ORF7aΔ17del over time, determined the frequency of all ORF7a deletions worldwide, and compared global trends with those of the Australian Delta outbreak. We downloaded all GISAID clade GK Delta genomes and scanned them for deletions in ORF7a. For each deletion we identified, we characterised its frequency, the number of countries it was found in, and how long it persisted. Of the 4,018,216 Delta genomes identified globally, 134,751 (~3.35%) possessed an ORF7a deletion, and ORF7aΔ17del was the most common. ORF7aΔ17del was the sole deletion in 28,014 genomes, of which 27,912 (~99.6%) originated from the Australian outbreak. During the outbreak, ~87% of genomes were Delta-ORF7aΔ17del, and genomes with this deletion were sampled until the outbreak's end. These data demonstrate that, contrary to suggestions early in the COVID-19 pandemic, genomes with frameshifting deletions in ORF7a can persist over long time periods. We suggest that the proliferation of Delta-ORF7aΔ17del genomes was likely a chance founder effect. Nonetheless, the frequency of ORF7a deletions in SARS-CoV-2 genomes worldwide suggests they might have some benefit for virus transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S. P. Foster
- Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Rowena A. Bull
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- The Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Nicodemus Tedla
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Fernando Santiago
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - David Agapiou
- The Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Anurag Adhikari
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- The Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences, Lalitpur 44700, Province Bagmati, Nepal
| | - Gregory J. Walker
- Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Lok Bahadur Shrestha
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- The Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sebastiaan J. Van Hal
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, NSW Health Pathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Ki Wook Kim
- Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - William D. Rawlinson
- Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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10
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Deletions across the SARS-CoV-2 Genome: Molecular Mechanisms and Putative Functional Consequences of Deletions in Accessory Genes. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11010229. [PMID: 36677521 PMCID: PMC9862619 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010229] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The analysis of deletions may reveal evolutionary trends and provide new insight into the surprising variability and rapidly spreading capability that SARS-CoV-2 has shown since its emergence. To understand the factors governing genomic stability, it is important to define the molecular mechanisms of deletions in the viral genome. In this work, we performed a statistical analysis of deletions. Specifically, we analyzed correlations between deletions in the SARS-CoV-2 genome and repetitive elements and documented a significant association of deletions with runs of identical (poly-) nucleotides and direct repeats. Our analyses of deletions in the accessory genes of SARS-CoV-2 suggested that there may be a hypervariability in ORF7A and ORF8 that is not associated with repetitive elements. Such recurrent search in a "sequence space" of accessory genes (that might be driven by natural selection) did not yet cause increased viability of the SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, deletions in the accessory genes may ultimately produce new variants that are more successful compared to the viral strains with the conventional architecture of the SARS-CoV-2 accessory genes.
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11
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SARS-CoV-2 accessory proteins ORF7a and ORF3a use distinct mechanisms to down-regulate MHC-I surface expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2208525120. [PMID: 36574644 PMCID: PMC9910621 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208525120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules, which are dimers of a glycosylated polymorphic transmembrane heavy chain and the small-protein β2-microglobulin (β2m), bind peptides in the endoplasmic reticulum that are generated by the cytosolic turnover of cellular proteins. In virus-infected cells, these peptides may include those derived from viral proteins. Peptide-MHC-I complexes then traffic through the secretory pathway and are displayed at the cell surface where those containing viral peptides can be detected by CD8+ T lymphocytes that kill infected cells. Many viruses enhance their in vivo survival by encoding genes that down-regulate MHC-I expression to avoid CD8+ T cell recognition. Here, we report that two accessory proteins encoded by SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, down-regulate MHC-I expression using distinct mechanisms. First, ORF3a, a viroporin, reduces the global trafficking of proteins, including MHC-I, through the secretory pathway. The second, ORF7a, interacts specifically with the MHC-I heavy chain, acting as a molecular mimic of β2m to inhibit its association. This slows the exit of properly assembled MHC-I molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum. We demonstrate that ORF7a reduces antigen presentation by the human MHC-I allele HLA-A*02:01. Thus, both ORF3a and ORF7a act post-translationally in the secretory pathway to lower surface MHC-I expression, with ORF7a exhibiting a specific mechanism that allows immune evasion by SARS-CoV-2.
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12
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Sarkar M, Saha S. Modeling of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Proteins: Implications on Its Proteome. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2627:265-299. [PMID: 36959453 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2974-1_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by a group of beta coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is similar to previous SARS- and MERS-causing strains and has infected nearly six hundred and fifty million people all over the globe, while the death toll has crossed the six million mark (as of December, 2022). In this chapter, we look at how computational modeling approaches of the viral proteins could help us understand the various processes in the viral life cycle inside the host, an understanding of which might provide key insights in mitigating this and future threats. This understanding helps us identify key targets for the purpose of drug discovery and vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Sarkar
- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (HTW) Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- MedInsights SAS, Paris, France
| | - Soham Saha
- MedInsights, Veuilly la Poterie, France.
- MedInsights SAS, Paris, France.
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13
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Liu Z, Fu Y, Huang Y, Zeng F, Rao J, Xiao X, Sun X, Jin H, Li J, Yang J, Du W, Liu L. Ubiquitination of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a Prevents Cell Death Induced by Recruiting BclXL To Activate ER Stress. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0150922. [PMID: 36326498 PMCID: PMC9769937 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01509-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has emerged in the last 2 years. The accessory protein ORF7a has been proposed as an immunomodulating factor that can cause dramatic inflammatory responses, but it is unknown how ORF7a interacts with host cells. We show that ORF7a induces cell apoptosis by recruiting the prosurvival factor BclXL to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via the exposed C-terminal residues Lys117 and Lys119. Simultaneously, ORF7a activates ER stress via the PERK-elF2α-CHOP pathway and inhibits the expression of endogenous BclXL, resulting in enhanced cell apoptosis. Ubiquitination of ORF7a interrupts the interaction with BclXL in the ER and weakens the activation of ER stress, which to some extent rescues the cells. Our work demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a hires antiapoptosis protein and aggregates on the ER, resulting in ER stress and apoptosis initiation. On the other hand, ORF7a utilizes the ubiquitin system to impede and escape host elimination, providing a promising potential target for developing strategies for minimizing the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPORTANCE Viruses struggle to reproduce after infecting cells, and the host eliminates infected cells through apoptosis to prevent virus spread. Cells adopt a special ubiquitination code to protect against viral infection, while ORF7a manipulates and exploits the ubiquitin system to eliminate host cells' effect on apoptosis and redirect cellular pathways in favor of virus survival. Our results revealed that SARS-CoV-2-encoded accessory protein ORF7a recruits prosurvival factor BclXL to the ER and activates the cellular ER stress response resulting in the initiation of programmed death to remove virus-infected cells. Ubiquitination of ORF7a blocked the recruitment of BclXL and suppressed the ER stress response, which helps to counteract cell apoptosis and rescue cell fate. These findings help us understand the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 invasion and contribute to a theoretical foundation for the clinical prevention of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Yanan Fu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Yanping Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Feng Zeng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Jingjing Rao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Xiaoguang Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Hao Jin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Weixing Du
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Long Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Institute of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
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14
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Arumugam GS, Damodharan K, Doble M, Thennarasu S. Significant perspectives on various viral infections targeted antiviral drugs and vaccines including COVID-19 pandemicity. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:21. [PMID: 35838929 PMCID: PMC9283561 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00078-z] [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: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
A virus enters a living organism and recruits host metabolism to reproduce its own genome and proteins. The viral infections are intricate and cannot be completely removed through existing antiviral drugs. For example, the herpes, influenza, hepatitis and human immunodeficiency viruses are a few dreadful ones amongst them. Significant studies are needed to understand the viral entry and their growth in host cells to design effective antivirals. This review emphasizes the range of therapeutical antiviral drugs, inhibitors along with vaccines to fight against viral pathogens, especially for combating COVID-19. Moreover, we have provided the basic and in depth information about viral targets, drugs availability, their mechanisms of action, method of prevention of viral diseases and highlighted the significances of anticoagulants, convalescent plasma for COVID-19 treatment, scientific details of airborne transmission, characteristics of antiviral drug delivery using nanoparticles/carriers, nanoemulsions, nanogels, metal based nanoparticles, alike the future nanosystems through nanobubbles, nanofibers, nanodiamonds, nanotraps, nanorobots and eventually, the therapeutic applications of micro- and nanoparticulates, current status for clinical development against COVID-19 together with environmental implications of antivirals, gene therapy etc., which may be useful for repurposing and designing of novel antiviral drugs against various dreadful diseases, especially the SARS-CoV-2 and other associated variants.
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15
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Surya W, Queralt-Martin M, Mu Y, Aguilella VM, Torres J. SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein 7b forms homotetramers in detergent. Virol J 2022; 19:193. [PMID: 36414943 PMCID: PMC9680129 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-022-01920-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A global pandemic is underway caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The SARS-CoV-2 genome, like its predecessor SARS-CoV, contains open reading frames that encode accessory proteins involved in virus-host interactions active during infection and which likely contribute to pathogenesis. One of these accessory proteins is 7b, with only 44 (SARS-CoV) and 43 (SARS-CoV-2) residues. It has one predicted transmembrane domain fully conserved, which suggests a functional role, whereas most variability is contained in the predicted cytoplasmic C-terminus. In SARS-CoV, 7b protein is expressed in infected cells, and the transmembrane domain was necessary and sufficient for Golgi localization. Also, anti-p7b antibodies have been found in the sera of SARS-CoV convalescent patients. In the present study, we have investigated the hypothesis that SARS-2 7b protein forms oligomers with ion channel activity. We show that in both SARS viruses 7b is almost completely α-helical and has a single transmembrane domain. In SDS, 7b forms various oligomers, from monomers to tetramers, but only monomers when exposed to reductants. Combination of SDS gel electrophoresis and analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) in both equilibrium and velocity modes suggests a dimer-tetramer equilibrium, but a monomer-dimer-tetramer equilibrium in the presence of reductant. This data suggests that although disulfide-linked dimers may be present, they are not essential to form tetramers. Inclusion of pentamers or higher oligomers in the SARS-2 7b model were detrimental to fit quality. Preliminary models of this association was generated with AlphaFold2, and two alternative models were exposed to a molecular dynamics simulation in presence of a model lipid membrane. However, neither of the two models provided any evident pathway for ions. To confirm this, SARS-2 p7b was studied using Planar Bilayer Electrophysiology. Addition of p7b to model membranes produced occasional membrane permeabilization, but this was not consistent with bona fide ion channels made of a tetrameric assembly of α-helices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wahyu Surya
- grid.59025.3b0000 0001 2224 0361School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551 Singapore
| | - Maria Queralt-Martin
- grid.9612.c0000 0001 1957 9153Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Universitat Jaume I, 12080 Castelló, Spain
| | - Yuguang Mu
- grid.59025.3b0000 0001 2224 0361School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551 Singapore
| | - Vicente M. Aguilella
- grid.9612.c0000 0001 1957 9153Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Universitat Jaume I, 12080 Castelló, Spain
| | - Jaume Torres
- grid.59025.3b0000 0001 2224 0361School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551 Singapore
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16
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Xing J, Shankar R, Ko M, Zhang K, Zhang S, Drelich A, Paithankar S, Chekalin E, Chua MS, Rajasekaran S, Kent Tseng CT, Zheng M, Kim S, Chen B. Deciphering COVID-19 host transcriptomic complexity and variations for therapeutic discovery against new variants. iScience 2022; 25:105068. [PMID: 36093376 PMCID: PMC9439871 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular manifestations of host cells responding to SARS-CoV-2 and its evolving variants of infection are vastly different across the studied models and conditions, imposing challenges for host-based antiviral drug discovery. Based on the postulation that antiviral drugs tend to reverse the global host gene expression induced by viral infection, we retrospectively evaluated hundreds of signatures derived from 1,700 published host transcriptomic profiles of SARS/MERS/SARS-CoV-2 infection using an iterative data-driven approach. A few of these signatures could be reversed by known anti-SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors, suggesting the potential of extrapolating the biology for new variant research. We discovered IMD-0354 as a promising candidate to reverse the signatures globally with nanomolar IC50 against SARS-CoV-2 and its five variants. IMD-0354 stimulated type I interferon antiviral response, inhibited viral entry, and down-regulated hijacked proteins. This study demonstrates that the conserved coronavirus signatures and the transcriptomic reversal approach that leverages polypharmacological effects could guide new variant therapeutic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xing
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Rama Shankar
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Meehyun Ko
- Zoonotic Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13488, Korea
| | - Keke Zhang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Sulin Zhang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Aleksandra Drelich
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Shreya Paithankar
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Eugene Chekalin
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Mei-Sze Chua
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Surender Rajasekaran
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Chien-Te Kent Tseng
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Center of Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Mingyue Zheng
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Seungtaek Kim
- Zoonotic Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13488, Korea
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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17
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Abdullaev A, Abdurakhimov A, Mirakbarova Z, Ibragimova S, Tsoy V, Nuriddinov S, Dalimova D, Turdikulova S, Abdurakhmonov I. Genome sequence diversity of SARS-CoV-2 obtained from clinical samples in Uzbekistan. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270314. [PMID: 35759503 PMCID: PMC9236271 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tracking temporal and spatial genomic changes and evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are among the most urgent research topics worldwide, which help to elucidate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis and the effect of deleterious variants. Our current study concentrates genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Uzbekistan and their associations with COVID-19 severity. Thirty-nine whole genome sequences (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from PCR-positive patients from Tashkent, Uzbekistan for the period of July-August 2021, were generated and further subjected to further genomic analysis. Genome-wide annotations of clinical isolates from our study have revealed a total of 223 nucleotide-level variations including SNPs and 34 deletions at different positions throughout the entire genome of SARS-CoV-2. These changes included two novel mutations at the Nonstructural protein (Nsp) 13: A85P and Nsp12: Y479N, which were unreported previously. There were two groups of co-occurred substitution patterns: the missense mutations in the Spike (S): D614G, Open Reading Frame (ORF) 1b: P314L, Nsp3: F924, 5`UTR:C241T; Nsp3:P2046L and Nsp3:P2287S, and the synonymous mutations in the Nsp4:D2907 (C8986T), Nsp6:T3646A and Nsp14:A1918V regions, respectively. The “Nextstrain” clustered the largest number of SARS-CoV-2 strains into the Delta clade (n = 32; 82%), followed by two Alpha-originated (n = 4; 10,3%) and 20A (n = 3; 7,7%) clades. Geographically the Delta clade sample sequences were grouped into several clusters with the SARS-CoV genotypes from Russia, Denmark, USA, Egypt and Bangladesh. Phylogenetically, the Delta isolates in our study belong to the two main subclades 21A (56%) and 21J (44%). We found that females were more affected by 21A, whereas males by 21J variant (χ2 = 4.57; p ≤ 0.05, n = 32). The amino acid substitution ORF7a:P45L in the Delta isolates found to be significantly associated with disease severity. In conclusion, this study evidenced that Identified novel substitutions Nsp13: A85P and Nsp12: Y479N, have a destabilizing effect, while missense substitution ORF7a: P45L significantly associated with disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Vladimir Tsoy
- Center for Advanced Technologies, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | | | | | | | - Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov
- Center for Advanced Technologies, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Qibray Region, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan
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18
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Farley SE, Kyle JE, Leier HC, Bramer LM, Weinstein JB, Bates TA, Lee JY, Metz TO, Schultz C, Tafesse FG. A global lipid map reveals host dependency factors conserved across SARS-CoV-2 variants. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3487. [PMID: 35715395 PMCID: PMC9203258 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31097-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of host dependency factors for SARS-CoV-2 remains elusive. Here, we map alterations in host lipids following SARS-CoV-2 infection using nontargeted lipidomics. We find that SARS-CoV-2 rewires host lipid metabolism, significantly altering hundreds of lipid species to effectively establish infection. We correlate these changes with viral protein activity by transfecting human cells with each viral protein and performing lipidomics. We find that lipid droplet plasticity is a key feature of infection and that viral propagation can be blocked by small-molecule glycerolipid biosynthesis inhibitors. We find that this inhibition was effective against the main variants of concern (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta), indicating that glycerolipid biosynthesis is a conserved host dependency factor that supports this evolving virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scotland E Farley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jennifer E Kyle
- Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA, USA
| | - Hans C Leier
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lisa M Bramer
- Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA, USA
| | - Jules B Weinstein
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Timothy A Bates
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Joon-Yong Lee
- Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA, USA
| | - Thomas O Metz
- Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA, USA
| | - Carsten Schultz
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Fikadu G Tafesse
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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19
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Brinkac L, Diepold S, Mitchell S, Sarnese S, Kolakowski LF, Nelson WM, Jennings K. SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant isolates from vaccinated individuals. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:417. [PMID: 35658876 PMCID: PMC9166184 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08652-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant was first identified in the U.S. in March 2021 and has rapidly become the predominant lineage across the U.S. due to increased transmissibility, immune evasion and vaccine breakthrough. The aim of this study was to better understand the genetic diversity and the potential impact of mutations observed in SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the U.S. in vaccinated individuals. RESULTS Whole genome sequencing was performed on thirty-four SARS-CoV-2 positive samples using the Oxford Nanopore MinION. Evolutionary genomic analysis revealed two novel mutations, ORF1b:V2354F and a premature stop codon, ORF7a:Q94*, identified in a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 Delta isolates collected from vaccinated individuals in Colorado. The ORF1b:V2354F mutation, corresponding to NSP15:V303F, may induce a conformational change and result in a disruption to a flanking beta-sheet structure. The premature stop codon, ORF7a:Q94*, truncates the transmembrane protein and cytosolic tail used to mediate protein transport. This may affect protein localization to the ER-Golgi. In addition to these novel mutations, the cluster of vaccinated isolates contain an additional mutation in the spike protein, at position 112, compared to the Delta variant defining mutations. This mutation, S112L, exists in isolates previously obtained in the U.S. The S112L mutation substitutes a bulky hydrophobic side chain for a polar side chain, which results in a non-conservative substitution within the protein that may affect antibody-binding affinity. Additionally, the vaccinated cluster of isolates contains non-synonymous mutations within ORF8 and NSPs which further distinguish this cluster from the respective ancestral Delta variant. CONCLUSIONS These results show there is an emerging sub-lineage of the ancestral Delta variant circulating in the U.S. As mutations emerge in constellations, those with a potentially beneficial advantage to the virus may continue to circulate while others will cease.
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20
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Goud VR, Chakraborty R, Chakraborty A, Lavudi K, Patnaik S, Sharma S, Patnaik S. A bioinformatic approach of targeting SARS-CoV-2 replication by silencing a conserved alternative reserve of the orf8 gene using host miRNAs. Comput Biol Med 2022; 145:105436. [PMID: 35366472 PMCID: PMC8942883 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has yielded multiple relevant mutations, many of which have branched into major variants. The Omicron variant has a huge similarity with the original viral strain (first COVID-19 strain from Wuhan). Among different genes, the highly variable orf8 gene is responsible for crucial host interactions and has undergone multiple mutations and indels. The sequence of the orf8 gene of the Omicron variant is, however, identical with the gene sequence of the wild type. orf8 modulates the host immunity making it easier for the virus to conceal itself and remain undetected. Variants seem to be deleting this gene without affecting the viral replication. While analyzing, we came across the conserved orf7a gene in the viral genome which exhibits a partial sequence homology as well as functional similarity with the SARS-CoV-2 orf8. Hence, we have proposed here in our hypothesis that, orf7a might be an alternative reserve of orf8 present in the virus which was compensating for the lost gene. A computational approach was adopted where we screened various miRNAs targeted against the orf8 gene. These miRNAs were then docked onto the orf8 mRNA sequences. The same set of miRNAs was then used to check for their binding affinity with the orf7a reference mRNA. Results showed that miRNAs targeting the orf8 had favorable shape complementarity and successfully docked with the orf7a gene as well. These findings provide a basis for developing new therapeutic approaches where both orf8 and orf7a can be targeted simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kousalya Lavudi
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Sriram Patnaik
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Swati Sharma
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India,Dept. of Skill Buildings Shri Ramasamy Memorial University, Sikkim, Gangtok, 737102, India
| | - Srinivas Patnaik
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India,Corresponding author. School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
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21
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SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a potently inhibits the antiviral effect of the host factor SERINC5. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2935. [PMID: 35618710 PMCID: PMC9135752 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30609-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Serine Incorporator 5 (SERINC5), a cellular multipass transmembrane protein that is involved in sphingolipid and phosphatydilserine biogenesis, potently restricts a number of retroviruses, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). SERINC5 is incorporated in the budding virions leading to the inhibition of virus infectivity. In turn, retroviruses, including HIV, encode factors that counteract the antiviral effect of SERINC5. While SERINC5 has been well studied in retroviruses, little is known about its role in other viral families. Due to the paucity of information regarding host factors targeting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), we evaluated the effect of SERINC proteins on SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we show SERINC5 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 entry by blocking virus-cell fusion, and SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a counteracts the antiviral effect of SERINC5 by blocking the incorporation of over expressed SERINC5 in budding virions. SERINC5, is a cellular multipass transmembrane protein involved in sphingolipid and phosphatydilserine biogenesis and a known retroviral restriction factor. Here, Timilsina et al. show that SERINC5 is a host restriction factor for SARS-CoV-2 that prevents viral fusion during entry. Further they show that viral ORF7a counteracts SERINC5 anti-viral activity by blocking its incorporation into progeny virions.
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22
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Arshad N, Laurent-Rolle M, Ahmed WS, Hsu JCC, Mitchell SM, Pawlak J, Sengupta D, Biswas KH, Cresswell P. SARS-CoV-2 accessory proteins ORF7a and ORF3a use distinct mechanisms to downregulate MHC-I surface expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.05.17.492198. [PMID: 35611331 PMCID: PMC9128780 DOI: 10.1101/2022.05.17.492198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules, which are dimers of a glycosylated polymorphic transmembrane heavy chain and the small protein β 2 -microglobulin (β 2 m), bind peptides in the endoplasmic reticulum that are generated by the cytosolic turnover of cellular proteins. In virus-infected cells these peptides may include those derived from viral proteins. Peptide-MHC-I complexes then traffic through the secretory pathway and are displayed at the cell surface where those containing viral peptides can be detected by CD8 + T lymphocytes that kill infected cells. Many viruses enhance their in vivo survival by encoding genes that downregulate MHC-I expression to avoid CD8 + T cell recognition. Here we report that two accessory proteins encoded by SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, downregulate MHC-I expression using distinct mechanisms. One, ORF3a, a viroporin, reduces global trafficking of proteins, including MHC-I, through the secretory pathway. The second, ORF7a, interacts specifically with the MHC-I heavy chain, acting as a molecular mimic of β 2 m to inhibit its association. This slows the exit of properly assembled MHC-I molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum. We demonstrate that ORF7a reduces antigen presentation by the human MHC-I allele HLA-A*02:01. Thus, both ORF3a and ORF7a act post-translationally in the secretory pathway to lower surface MHC-I expression, with ORF7a exhibiting a novel and specific mechanism that allows immune evasion by SARS-CoV-2. Significance Statement Viruses may down-regulate MHC class I expression on infected cells to avoid elimination by cytotoxic T cells. We report that the accessory proteins ORF7a and ORF3a of SARS-CoV-2 mediate this function and delineate the two distinct mechanisms involved. While ORF3a inhibits global protein trafficking to the cell surface, ORF7a acts specifically on MHC-I by competing with β 2 m for binding to the MHC-I heavy chain. This is the first account of molecular mimicry of β 2 m as a viral mechanism of MHC-I down-regulation to facilitate immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najla Arshad
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Maudry Laurent-Rolle
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Wesam S Ahmed
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha – 34110, Qatar
| | - Jack Chun-Chieh Hsu
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Susan M Mitchell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Joanna Pawlak
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Debrup Sengupta
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kabir H Biswas
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha – 34110, Qatar
| | - Peter Cresswell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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23
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Lara-Jacobo L, Islam G, Desaulniers JP, Kirkwood AE, Simmons DBD. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Proteins in Wastewater Samples by Mass Spectrometry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:5062-5070. [PMID: 35348338 PMCID: PMC8982736 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The recent COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed the health system worldwide, and there was a need to track outbreaks and try to use this information as an early warning system. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) enabled detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater treatment plant influents. Until now, the most used technique for this detection has been the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This study proposes a mass spectrometry (MS)-based method that detected specific SARS-CoV-2 proteins in wastewater, 5 and 6 days ahead of the case data for two municipalities. We identified unique peptides of eight proteins related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 infection. We detected the nonstructural protein (NSP) pp1ab (transcribed after host cell infection) most frequently in all of the samples. As a result, we suspect that in the active cases of COVID-19, the pp1ab protein is present in high abundance in the urine and feces and that this protein could be used as an alternative biomarker. These data were collected before mass vaccination occurred in the population.
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24
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Consecutive deletions in a unique Uruguayan SARS-CoV-2 lineage evidence the genetic variability potential of accessory genes. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263563. [PMID: 35176063 PMCID: PMC8853529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletions frequently occur in the six accessory genes of SARS-CoV-2, but most genomes with deletions are sporadic and have limited spreading capability. Here, we analyze deletions in the ORF7a of the N.7 lineage, a unique Uruguayan clade from the Brazilian B.1.1.33 lineage. Thirteen samples collected during the early SARS-CoV-2 wave in Uruguay had deletions in the ORF7a. Complete genomes were obtained by Illumina next-generation sequencing, and deletions were confirmed by Sanger sequencing and capillary electrophoresis. The N.7 lineage includes several individuals with a 12-nucleotide deletion that removes four amino acids of the ORF7a. Notably, four individuals underwent an additional 68-nucleotide novel deletion that locates 44 nucleotides downstream in the terminal region of the same ORF7a. The simultaneous occurrence of the 12 and 68-nucleotide deletions fuses the ORF7a and ORF7b, two contiguous accessory genes that encode transmembrane proteins with immune-modulation activity. The fused ORF retains the signal peptide and the complete Ig-like fold of the 7a protein and the transmembrane domain of the 7b protein, suggesting that the fused protein plays similar functions to original proteins in a single format. Our findings evidence the remarkable dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 and the possibility that single and consecutive deletions occur in accessory genes and promote changes in the genomic organization that help the virus explore genetic variations and select for new, higher fit changes.
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25
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Farley SE, Kyle JE, Leier HC, Bramer LM, Weinstein J, Bates TA, Lee JY, Metz TO, Schultz C, Tafesse FG. A global lipid map reveals host dependency factors conserved across SARS-CoV-2 variants. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.02.14.480430. [PMID: 35194611 PMCID: PMC8863149 DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.14.480430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of host dependency factors for SARS-CoV-2 remains elusive. We mapped alterations in host lipids following SARS-CoV-2 infection using nontargeted lipidomics. We found that SARS-CoV-2 rewires host lipid metabolism, altering 409 lipid species up to 64-fold relative to controls. We correlated these changes with viral protein activity by transfecting human cells with each viral protein and performing lipidomics. We found that lipid droplet plasticity is a key feature of infection and that viral propagation can be blocked by small-molecule glycerolipid biosynthesis inhibitors. We found that this inhibition was effective against the main variants of concern (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta), indicating that glycerolipid biosynthesis is a conserved host dependency factor that supports this evolving virus.
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26
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Yan W, Zheng Y, Zeng X, He B, Cheng W. Structural biology of SARS-CoV-2: open the door for novel therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:26. [PMID: 35087058 PMCID: PMC8793099 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00884-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the pandemic disease COVID-19, which is so far without efficacious treatment. The discovery of therapy reagents for treating COVID-19 are urgently needed, and the structures of the potential drug-target proteins in the viral life cycle are particularly important. SARS-CoV-2, a member of the Orthocoronavirinae subfamily containing the largest RNA genome, encodes 29 proteins including nonstructural, structural and accessory proteins which are involved in viral adsorption, entry and uncoating, nucleic acid replication and transcription, assembly and release, etc. These proteins individually act as a partner of the replication machinery or involved in forming the complexes with host cellular factors to participate in the essential physiological activities. This review summarizes the representative structures and typically potential therapy agents that target SARS-CoV-2 or some critical proteins for viral pathogenesis, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying viral infection, prevention of infection, and treatment. Indeed, these studies open the door for COVID therapies, leading to ways to prevent and treat COVID-19, especially, treatment of the disease caused by the viral variants are imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhu Yan
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanhui Zheng
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaotao Zeng
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Bin He
- Department of Emergency Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China.
- The First People's Hospital of Longquanyi District Chengdu, 610100, Chengdu, China.
| | - Wei Cheng
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China.
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27
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A Conservative Replacement in the Transmembrane Domain of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a as a Putative Risk Factor in COVID-19. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10121276. [PMID: 34943191 PMCID: PMC8698902 DOI: 10.3390/biology10121276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary The pathogenicity and transmissibility of the COVID-19 pandemic causative agent, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is related to the functions of the proteins synthesized intracellularly, as guided by viral RNA. It is vitally important to accurately pinpoint novel variants of concern of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in order to understand the molecular features of novel mutations and manage the on-going battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. We focused on A105V mutation in the ORF7a accessory protein. Sequencing and clinical data showed that this mutation is associated with increased severity and lethality in a group of Romanian patients, despite a lower viral copy number and a lower number of associated comorbidities. This effect is primarily due to increased protein stability through allosteric effects as shown by molecular dynamics analyses. This behavior manifests especially among residues 39–56, and the ones adjacent to 26–30 loop, placed in direct contact with potential interaction partners. Together, the results provide novel insights into the role of ORF7a in the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2. Abstract The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic follows an unpredictable evolution, driven by both host-related factors such as mobility, vaccination status, and comorbidities and by pathogen-related ones. The pathogenicity of its causative agent, SARS-CoV-2 virus, relates to the functions of the proteins synthesized intracellularly, as guided by viral RNA. These functions are constantly altered through mutations resulting in increased virulence, infectivity, and antibody-evasion abilities. Well-characterized mutations in the spike protein, such as D614G, N439K, Δ69–70, E484K, or N501Y, are currently defining specific variants; however, some less studied mutations outside the spike region, such as p. 3691 in NSP6, p. 9659 in ORF-10, 8782C > T in ORF-1ab, or 28144T > C in ORF-8, have been proposed for altering SARS-CoV-2 virulence and pathogenicity. Therefore, in this study, we focused on A105V mutation of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a accessory protein, which has been associated with severe COVID-19 clinical manifestation. Molecular dynamics and computational structural analyses revealed that this mutation differentially alters ORF7a dynamics, suggesting a gain-of-function role that may explain its role in the severe form of COVID-19 disease.
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28
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Srinivasan K, Pandey AK, Livingston A, Venkatesh S. Roles of host mitochondria in the development of COVID-19 pathology: Could mitochondria be a potential therapeutic target? MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2021; 2:38. [PMID: 34841263 PMCID: PMC8608434 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-021-00060-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019 and its spread worldwide caused an acute pandemic of Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). Since then, COVID-19 has been under intense scrutiny as its outbreak led to significant changes in healthcare, social activities, and economic settings worldwide. Although angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor is shown to be the primary port of SARS-CoV-2 entry in cells, the mechanisms behind the establishment and pathologies of COVID-19 are poorly understood. As recent studies have shown that host mitochondria play an essential role in virus-mediated innate immune response, pathologies, and infection, in this review, we will discuss in detail the entry and progression of SARS-CoV-2 and how mitochondria could play roles in COVID-19 disease. We will also review the potential interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and mitochondria and discuss possible treatments, including whether mitochondria as a potential therapeutic target in COVID-19. Understanding SARS-CoV-2 and mitochondrial interactions mediated virus establishment, inflammation, and other consequences may provide a unique mechanism and conceptual advancement in finding a novel treatment for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavya Srinivasan
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers -New Jersey Medical School, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ USA
- New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY USA
| | - Ashutosh Kumar Pandey
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers -New Jersey Medical School, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ USA
| | | | - Sundararajan Venkatesh
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers -New Jersey Medical School, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ USA
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29
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Petrosino M, Stellato F, Chiaraluce R, Consalvi V, La Penna G, Pasquo A, Proux O, Rossi G, Morante S. Zn-Induced Interactions Between SARS-CoV-2 orf7a and BST2/Tetherin. ChemistryOpen 2021; 10:1133-1141. [PMID: 34791819 PMCID: PMC8600262 DOI: 10.1002/open.202100217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We present in this work a first X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy study of the interactions of Zn with human BST2/tetherin and SARS-CoV-2 orf7a proteins as well as with some of their complexes. The analysis of the XANES region of the measured spectra shows that Zn binds to BST2, as well as to orf7a, thus resulting in the formation of BST2-orf7a complexes. This structural information confirms the the conjecture, recently put forward by some of the present Authors, according to which the accessory orf7a (and possibly also orf8) viral protein are capable of interfering with the BST2 antiviral activity. Our explanation for this behavior is that, when BST2 gets in contact with Zn bound to the orf7a Cys15 ligand, it has the ability of displacing the metal owing to the creation of a new disulfide bridge across the two proteins. The formation of this BST2-orf7a complex destabilizes BST2 dimerization, thus impairing the antiviral activity of the latter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Petrosino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza Università di RomaPiazzale Aldo Moro 500185RomaItaly
| | - Francesco Stellato
- Dipartimento di FisicaUniversità di Roma Tor Vergata and INFNVia della Ricerca Scientifica, 100133RomaItaly
- INFN - Sezione di Roma Tor VergataVia della Ricerca Scientifica, 100133RomaItaly
| | - Roberta Chiaraluce
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza Università di RomaPiazzale Aldo Moro 500185RomaItaly
| | - Valerio Consalvi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza Università di RomaPiazzale Aldo Moro 500185RomaItaly
| | - Giovanni La Penna
- INFN - Sezione di Roma Tor VergataVia della Ricerca Scientifica, 100133RomaItaly
- CNR - Istituto di chimica dei composti organometallici50019 –Sesto FiorentinoItaly
| | - Alessandra Pasquo
- ENEA CR FrascatiDiagnostics and Metrology Laboratory FSN-TECFIS-DIMVia Enrico Fermi, 4500044FrascatiRM
| | - Olivier Proux
- Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de GrenobleUAR 832 CNRSUniversitè Grenoble Alpes38041GrenobleFrance
| | - Giancarlo Rossi
- Dipartimento di FisicaUniversità di Roma Tor Vergata and INFNVia della Ricerca Scientifica, 100133RomaItaly
- INFN - Sezione di Roma Tor VergataVia della Ricerca Scientifica, 100133RomaItaly
- Centro Fermi – Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche “Enrico Fermi”00184RomaItaly
| | - Silvia Morante
- Dipartimento di FisicaUniversità di Roma Tor Vergata and INFNVia della Ricerca Scientifica, 100133RomaItaly
- INFN - Sezione di Roma Tor VergataVia della Ricerca Scientifica, 100133RomaItaly
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30
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Kaur A, Chopra M, Bhushan M, Gupta S, Kumari P H, Sivagurunathan N, Shukla N, Rajagopal S, Bhalothia P, Sharma P, Naravula J, Suravajhala R, Gupta A, Abbasi BA, Goswami P, Singh H, Narang R, Polavarapu R, Medicherla KM, Valadi J, Kumar S A, Chaubey G, Singh KK, Bandapalli OR, Kavi Kishor PB, Suravajhala P. The Omic Insights on Unfolding Saga of COVID-19. Front Immunol 2021; 12:724914. [PMID: 34745097 PMCID: PMC8564481 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.724914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The year 2019 has seen an emergence of the novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Since the onset of the pandemic, biological and interdisciplinary research is being carried out across the world at a rapid pace to beat the pandemic. There is an increased need to comprehensively understand various aspects of the virus from detection to treatment options including drugs and vaccines for effective global management of the disease. In this review, we summarize the salient findings pertaining to SARS-CoV-2 biology, including symptoms, hosts, epidemiology, SARS-CoV-2 genome, and its emerging variants, viral diagnostics, host-pathogen interactions, alternative antiviral strategies and application of machine learning heuristics and artificial intelligence for effective management of COVID-19 and future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvinpreet Kaur
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Punjab, India
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
| | - Mehak Chopra
- Centre for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| | - Mahak Bhushan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Sonal Gupta
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Jaipur, India
| | | | - Narmadhaa Sivagurunathan
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Jaipur, India
| | - Nidhi Shukla
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Jaipur, India
| | - Shalini Rajagopal
- Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology & Research (Deemed to be University), Guntur, India
| | - Purva Bhalothia
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Jaipur, India
| | - Purnima Sharma
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Punjab, India
| | - Jalaja Naravula
- Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology & Research (Deemed to be University), Guntur, India
| | - Renuka Suravajhala
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Chemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, India
| | - Ayam Gupta
- Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology & Research (Deemed to be University), Guntur, India
| | - Bilal Ahmed Abbasi
- Functional Genomics Unit, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India
| | - Prittam Goswami
- Department of Biotechnology, Haldia Institute of Technology, West Bengal, India
| | - Harpreet Singh
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Punjab, India
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
| | - Rahul Narang
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - Krishna Mohan Medicherla
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Jaipur, India
| | - Jayaraman Valadi
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Computer Science, Flame University, Pune, India
| | - Anil Kumar S
- Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology & Research (Deemed to be University), Guntur, India
| | - Gyaneshwer Chaubey
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Keshav K. Singh
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Obul Reddy Bandapalli
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
- German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Applied Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, India
| | - Polavarapu Bilhan Kavi Kishor
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
- Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology & Research (Deemed to be University), Guntur, India
| | - Prashanth Suravajhala
- Bioclues.org, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Jaipur, India
- Amrita School of Biotechnology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala, India
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31
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Meyer B, Chiaravalli J, Gellenoncourt S, Brownridge P, Bryne DP, Daly LA, Grauslys A, Walter M, Agou F, Chakrabarti LA, Craik CS, Eyers CE, Eyers PA, Gambin Y, Jones AR, Sierecki E, Verdin E, Vignuzzi M, Emmott E. Characterising proteolysis during SARS-CoV-2 infection identifies viral cleavage sites and cellular targets with therapeutic potential. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5553. [PMID: 34548480 PMCID: PMC8455558 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25796-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent behind the COVID-19 pandemic, responsible for over 170 million infections, and over 3.7 million deaths worldwide. Efforts to test, treat and vaccinate against this pathogen all benefit from an improved understanding of the basic biology of SARS-CoV-2. Both viral and cellular proteases play a crucial role in SARS-CoV-2 replication. Here, we study proteolytic cleavage of viral and cellular proteins in two cell line models of SARS-CoV-2 replication using mass spectrometry to identify protein neo-N-termini generated through protease activity. We identify previously unknown cleavage sites in multiple viral proteins, including major antigens S and N: the main targets for vaccine and antibody testing efforts. We discover significant increases in cellular cleavage events consistent with cleavage by SARS-CoV-2 main protease, and identify 14 potential high-confidence substrates of the main and papain-like proteases. We show that siRNA depletion of these cellular proteins inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication, and that drugs targeting two of these proteins: the tyrosine kinase SRC and Ser/Thr kinase MYLK, show a dose-dependent reduction in SARS-CoV-2 titres. Overall, our study provides a powerful resource to understand proteolysis in the context of viral infection, and to inform the development of targeted strategies to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and treat COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjoern Meyer
- Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, CNRS, UMR 3569, Institut Pasteur, CEDEX 15, Paris, France
| | - Jeanne Chiaravalli
- Chemogenomic and Biological Screening Core Facility, C2RT, Departments of Cell Biology & Infection and of Structural Biology & Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CEDEX 15, Paris, France
| | - Stacy Gellenoncourt
- CIVIC Group, Virus & Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur and CNRS, UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Philip Brownridge
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Dominic P Bryne
- Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Leonard A Daly
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Arturas Grauslys
- Computational Biology Facility, LIV-SRF, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Marius Walter
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Fabrice Agou
- Chemogenomic and Biological Screening Core Facility, C2RT, Departments of Cell Biology & Infection and of Structural Biology & Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CEDEX 15, Paris, France
| | - Lisa A Chakrabarti
- CIVIC Group, Virus & Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur and CNRS, UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Claire E Eyers
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Patrick A Eyers
- Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Yann Gambin
- EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Sciences, and School of Medical Sciences, Botany Road, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Andrew R Jones
- Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Emma Sierecki
- EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Sciences, and School of Medical Sciences, Botany Road, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Eric Verdin
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Marco Vignuzzi
- Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, CNRS, UMR 3569, Institut Pasteur, CEDEX 15, Paris, France
| | - Edward Emmott
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK.
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32
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Bhavaniramya S, Ramar V, Vishnupriya S, Palaniappan R, Sibiya A, Baskaralingam V. Comprehensive analysis of SARS-COV-2 drug targets and pharmacological aspects in treating the COVID-19. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2021; 15:393-417. [PMID: 34382513 DOI: 10.2174/1874467214666210811120635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Corona viruses are enveloped, single-stranded RNA (Ribonucleic acid) viruses and they cause pandemic diseases having a devastating effect on both human healthcare and the global economy. To date, six corona viruses have been identified as pathogenic organisms which are significantly responsible for the infection and also cause severe respiratory diseases. Among them, the novel SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) caused a major outbreak of corona virus diseases 2019 (COVID-19). Coronaviridae family members can affects both humans and animals. In human, corona viruses cause severe acute respiratory syndrome with mild to severe outcomes. Several structural and genomics have been investigated, and the genome encodes about 28 proteins most of them with unknown function though it shares remarkable sequence identity with other proteins. There is no potent and licensed vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and several trials are underway to investigate the possible therapeutic agents against viral infection. However, some of the antiviral drugs that have been investigated against SARS-CoV-2 are under clinical trials. In the current review we comparatively emphasize the emergence and pathogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 and their infection and discuss the various putative drug targets of both viral and host receptors for developing effective vaccines and therapeutic combinations to overcome the viral outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sundaresan Bhavaniramya
- Biomaterials and Biotechnology in Animal Health Lab, Department of Animal Health and Management, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630004, Tamil Nadu. India
| | - Vanajothi Ramar
- Department of Biomedical Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, 620024. India
| | - Selvaraju Vishnupriya
- College of Food and Dairy Technology, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai 600052. India
| | - Ramasamy Palaniappan
- Research and Development Wing, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Bharath Institute of Higher Education (BIHER), Chennai-600044, Tamilnadu. India
| | - Ashokkumar Sibiya
- Biomaterials and Biotechnology in Animal Health Lab, Department of Animal Health and Management, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630004, Tamil Nadu. India
| | - Vaseeharan Baskaralingam
- Biomaterials and Biotechnology in Animal Health Lab, Department of Animal Health and Management, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630004, Tamil Nadu. India
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33
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Chazal N. Coronavirus, the King Who Wanted More Than a Crown: From Common to the Highly Pathogenic SARS-CoV-2, Is the Key in the Accessory Genes? Front Microbiol 2021; 12:682603. [PMID: 34335504 PMCID: PMC8317507 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.682603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that emerged in late 2019, is the etiologic agent of the current "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19) pandemic, which has serious health implications and a significant global economic impact. Of the seven human coronaviruses, all of which have a zoonotic origin, the pandemic SARS-CoV-2, is the third emerging coronavirus, in the 21st century, highly pathogenic to the human population. Previous human coronavirus outbreaks (SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV) have already provided several valuable information on some of the common molecular and cellular mechanisms of coronavirus infections as well as their origin. However, to meet the new challenge caused by the SARS-CoV-2, a detailed understanding of the biological specificities, as well as knowledge of the origin are crucial to provide information on viral pathogenicity, transmission and epidemiology, and to enable strategies for therapeutic interventions and drug discovery. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the current advances in SARS-CoV-2 knowledges, in light of pre-existing information of other recently emerging coronaviruses. We depict the specificity of the immune response of wild bats and discuss current knowledge of the genetic diversity of bat-hosted coronaviruses that promotes viral genome expansion (accessory gene acquisition). In addition, we describe the basic virology of coronaviruses with a special focus SARS-CoV-2. Finally, we highlight, in detail, the current knowledge of genes and accessory proteins which we postulate to be the major keys to promote virus adaptation to specific hosts (bat and human), to contribute to the suppression of immune responses, as well as to pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Chazal
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
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34
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Lobiuc A, Dimian M, Gheorghita R, Sturdza OAC, Covasa M. Introduction and Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in North-East of Romania During the First COVID-19 Outbreak. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:654417. [PMID: 34305826 PMCID: PMC8292954 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.654417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Romania officially declared its first Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) case on February 26, 2020. The first and largest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Romania was recorded in Suceava, North-East region of the country, and originated at the Suceava regional county hospital. Following sheltering-in-place measures, infection rates decreased, only to rise again after relaxation of measures. This study describes the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Suceava and other parts of Romania and analyses the mutations and their association with clinical manifestation of the disease during the period of COVID-19 outbreak. Sixty-two samples were sequenced via high-throughput platform and screened for variants. For selected mutations, putative biological significance was assessed, and their effects on disease severity. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted on Romanian genomes (n = 112) and on sequences originating from Europe, United Kingdom, Africa, Asia, South, and North America (n = 876). The results indicated multiple introduction events for SARS-CoV-2 in Suceava, mainly from Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Russia although some sequences were also related to those from the Czechia, Belgium, and France. Most Suceava genomes contained mutations common to European lineages, such as A20268G, however, approximately 10% of samples were missing such mutations, indicating a possible different arrival route. While overall genome regions ORF1ab, S, and ORF7 were subject to most mutations, several recurring mutations such as A105V were identified, and these were mainly present in severe forms of the disease. Non-synonymous mutations, such as T987N (Thr987Asn in NSP3a domain), associated with changes in a protein responsible for decreasing viral tethering in human host were also present. Patients with diabetes and hypertension exhibited higher risk ratios (RR) of acquiring severe forms of the disease and these were mainly related to A105V mutation. This study identified the arrival routes of SARS-CoV-2 in Romania and revealed potential associations between the SARS-CoV-2 genomic organization circulating in the country and the clinical manifestation of COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Lobiuc
- Department of Human Health and Development, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania
| | - Mihai Dimian
- Department of Computers, Electronics and Automation, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania
- Integrated Center for Research, Development and Innovation in Advanced Materials, Nanotechnologies, and Distributed Systems for Fabrication and Control, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania
| | - Roxana Gheorghita
- Department of Human Health and Development, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania
- Integrated Center for Research, Development and Innovation in Advanced Materials, Nanotechnologies, and Distributed Systems for Fabrication and Control, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania
| | - Olga Adriana Caliman Sturdza
- Department of Human Health and Development, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania
- Regional County Emergency Hospital, Suceava, Romania
| | - Mihai Covasa
- Department of Human Health and Development, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania
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35
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Gorkhali R, Koirala P, Rijal S, Mainali A, Baral A, Bhattarai HK. Structure and Function of Major SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV Proteins. Bioinform Biol Insights 2021; 15:11779322211025876. [PMID: 34220199 PMCID: PMC8221690 DOI: 10.1177/11779322211025876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of COVID-19 pandemic, has a genomic organization consisting of 16 nonstructural proteins (nsps), 4 structural proteins, and 9 accessory proteins. Relative of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, has genomic organization, which is very similar. In this article, the function and structure of the proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV are described in great detail. The nsps are expressed as a single or two polyproteins, which are then cleaved into individual proteins using two proteases of the virus, a chymotrypsin-like protease and a papain-like protease. The released proteins serve as centers of virus replication and transcription. Some of these nsps modulate the host’s translation and immune systems, while others help the virus evade the host immune system. Some of the nsps help form replication-transcription complex at double-membrane vesicles. Others, including one RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and one exonuclease, help in the polymerization of newly synthesized RNA of the virus and help minimize the mutation rate by proofreading. After synthesis of the viral RNA, it gets capped. The capping consists of adding GMP and a methylation mark, called cap 0 and additionally adding a methyl group to the terminal ribose called cap1. Capping is accomplished with the help of a helicase, which also helps remove a phosphate, two methyltransferases, and a scaffolding factor. Among the structural proteins, S protein forms the receptor of the virus, which latches on the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor of the host and N protein binds and protects the genomic RNA of the virus. The accessory proteins found in these viruses are small proteins with immune modulatory roles. Besides functions of these proteins, solved X-ray and cryogenic electron microscopy structures related to the function of the proteins along with comparisons to other coronavirus homologs have been described in the article. Finally, the rate of mutation of SARS-CoV-2 residues of the proteome during the 2020 pandemic has been described. Some proteins are mutated more often than other proteins, but the significance of these mutation rates is not fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritesh Gorkhali
- Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | | | - Sadikshya Rijal
- Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | - Ashmita Mainali
- Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | - Adesh Baral
- Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
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36
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Dugan HL, Stamper CT, Li L, Changrob S, Asby NW, Halfmann PJ, Zheng NY, Huang M, Shaw DG, Cobb MS, Erickson SA, Guthmiller JJ, Stovicek O, Wang J, Winkler ES, Madariaga ML, Shanmugarajah K, Jansen MO, Amanat F, Stewart I, Utset HA, Huang J, Nelson CA, Dai YN, Hall PD, Jedrzejczak RP, Joachimiak A, Krammer F, Diamond MS, Fremont DH, Kawaoka Y, Wilson PC. Profiling B cell immunodominance after SARS-CoV-2 infection reveals antibody evolution to non-neutralizing viral targets. Immunity 2021; 54:1290-1303.e7. [PMID: 34022127 PMCID: PMC8101792 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Dissecting the evolution of memory B cells (MBCs) against SARS-CoV-2 is critical for understanding antibody recall upon secondary exposure. Here, we used single-cell sequencing to profile SARS-CoV-2-reactive B cells in 38 COVID-19 patients. Using oligo-tagged antigen baits, we isolated B cells specific to the SARS-CoV-2 spike, nucleoprotein (NP), open reading frame 8 (ORF8), and endemic human coronavirus (HCoV) spike proteins. SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific cells were enriched in the memory compartment of acutely infected and convalescent patients several months post symptom onset. With severe acute infection, substantial populations of endemic HCoV-reactive antibody-secreting cells were identified and possessed highly mutated variable genes, signifying preexisting immunity. Finally, MBCs exhibited pronounced maturation to NP and ORF8 over time, especially in older patients. Monoclonal antibodies against these targets were non-neutralizing and non-protective in vivo. These findings reveal antibody adaptation to non-neutralizing intracellular antigens during infection, emphasizing the importance of vaccination for inducing neutralizing spike-specific MBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley L Dugan
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Lei Li
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Siriruk Changrob
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicholas W Asby
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Peter J Halfmann
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711
| | - Nai-Ying Zheng
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Min Huang
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Dustin G Shaw
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Mari S Cobb
- Section of Genetic Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Steven A Erickson
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jenna J Guthmiller
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Olivia Stovicek
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jiaolong Wang
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Emma S Winkler
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | | | | | - Maud O Jansen
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Fatima Amanat
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Isabelle Stewart
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Henry A Utset
- University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jun Huang
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Christopher A Nelson
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Ya-Nan Dai
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Paige D Hall
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Robert P Jedrzejczak
- Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Consortium for Advanced Science and Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Andrzej Joachimiak
- Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Consortium for Advanced Science and Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Michael S Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Molecular Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Daved H Fremont
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711; Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 108-8639 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Patrick C Wilson
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; University of Chicago Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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37
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Nemudryi A, Nemudraia A, Wiegand T, Nichols J, Snyder DT, Hedges JF, Cicha C, Lee H, Vanderwood KK, Bimczok D, Jutila MA, Wiedenheft B. SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance identifies naturally occurring truncation of ORF7a that limits immune suppression. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109197. [PMID: 34043946 PMCID: PMC8118641 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 950,000 whole-genome sequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been determined for viruses isolated from around the world. These sequences are critical for understanding the spread and evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Using global phylogenomics, we show that mutations frequently occur in the C-terminal end of ORF7a. We isolate one of these mutant viruses from a patient sample and use viral challenge experiments to link this isolate (ORF7aΔ115) to a growth defect. ORF7a is implicated in immune modulation, and we show that the C-terminal truncation negates anti-immune activities of the protein, which results in elevated type I interferon response to the viral infection. Collectively, this work indicates that ORF7a mutations occur frequently, and that these changes affect viral mechanisms responsible for suppressing the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Nemudryi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Anna Nemudraia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Tanner Wiegand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Joseph Nichols
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Deann T Snyder
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Jodi F Hedges
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Calvin Cicha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Helen Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | | | - Diane Bimczok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Mark A Jutila
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Blake Wiedenheft
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
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38
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Ongaro A, Oselladore E, Memo M, Ribaudo G, Gianoncelli A. Insight into the LFA-1/SARS-CoV-2 Orf7a Complex by Protein-Protein Docking, Molecular Dynamics, and MM-GBSA Calculations. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:2780-2787. [PMID: 34043356 PMCID: PMC8189040 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome, open reading frames (ORFs) encode for viral accessory proteins. Among these, Orf7a structurally resembles the members of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily and intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs), in particular. ICAMs are involved in integrin binding through lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1). Based on such considerations and on previous findings on SARS-CoV, it has been postulated that the formation of the LFA-1/Orf7a complex could contribute to SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and pathogenicity. With the current work, we aim at providing insight into this macromolecular assembly, taking advantage of the recently reported SARS-CoV-2 Orf7a structure. Protein-protein docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and a Molecular Mechanical-Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GBSA)-based stage were enrolled to provide refined models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Ongaro
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Erika Oselladore
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Maurizio Memo
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Ribaudo
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gianoncelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
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Koifman OI, Lebedeva NS, Gubarev YA, Koifman MO. Modeling the binding of protoporphyrin IX, verteporfin, and chlorin e6 to SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Chem Heterocycl Compd (N Y) 2021; 57:423-431. [PMID: 34007082 PMCID: PMC8118678 DOI: 10.1007/s10593-021-02920-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we analyze the latest data on the molecular docking of a range of SARS-CoV-2 proteins to protoporphyrin IX, verteporfin, and chlorin e6, as well as consider the prospects for using chlorins and porphyrins as agents for photoinactivation of the SARS2 virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar I. Koifman
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 Akademicheskaya St, Ivanovo, 153045 Russia
- Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology, 7 Sheremetevskii Ave, Ivanovo, 153000 Russia
| | - Natalia Sh. Lebedeva
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 Akademicheskaya St, Ivanovo, 153045 Russia
| | - Yury A. Gubarev
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 Akademicheskaya St, Ivanovo, 153045 Russia
| | - Mikhail O. Koifman
- Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology, 7 Sheremetevskii Ave, Ivanovo, 153000 Russia
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Chakraborty S, Mallajosyula V, Tato CM, Tan GS, Wang TT. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in advanced clinical trials: Where do we stand? Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 172:314-338. [PMID: 33482248 PMCID: PMC7816567 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to the focused application of resources and scientific expertise toward the goal of developing investigational vaccines to prevent COVID-19. The highly collaborative global efforts by private industry, governments and non-governmental organizations have resulted in a number of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates moving to Phase III trials in a period of only months since the start of the pandemic. In this review, we provide an overview of the preclinical and clinical data on SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that are currently in Phase III clinical trials and in few cases authorized for emergency use. We further discuss relevant vaccine platforms and provide a discussion of SARS-CoV-2 antigens that may be targeted to increase the breadth and durability of vaccine responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saborni Chakraborty
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Vamsee Mallajosyula
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation, and Infection, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Cristina M Tato
- Infectious Disease Initiative, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gene S Tan
- J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Capricorn Lane, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Taia T Wang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Skariyachan S, Gopal D, Muddebihalkar AG, Uttarkar A, Niranjan V. Structural insights on the interaction potential of natural leads against major protein targets of SARS-CoV-2: Molecular modelling, docking and dynamic simulation studies. Comput Biol Med 2021; 132:104325. [PMID: 33751995 PMCID: PMC7954774 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Though significant efforts are in progress for developing drugs and vaccines against COVID-19, limited therapeutic agents are available currently. Thus, it is essential to undertake COVID-19 research and to identify therapeutic interventions in which computational modeling and virtual screening of lead molecules provide significant insights. The present study aimed to predict the interaction potential of natural lead molecules against prospective protein targets of SARS-CoV-2 by molecular modeling, docking, and dynamic simulation. Based on the literature survey and database search, fourteen molecular targets were selected and the three targets which lack the native structures were computationally modeled. The drug-likeliness and pharmacokinetic features of ninety-two natural molecules were predicted. Four lead molecules with ideal drug-likeliness and pharmacokinetic properties were selected and docked against fourteen targets, and their binding energies were compared with the binding energy of the interaction between Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine to their usual targets. The stabilities of selected docked complexes were confirmed by MD simulation and energy calculations. Four natural molecules demonstrated profound binding to most of the prioritized targets, especially, Hyoscyamine and Tamaridone to spike glycoprotein and Rotiorinol-C and Scutifoliamide-A to replicase polyprotein-1ab main protease of SARS-CoV-2 showed better binding energy, conformational and dynamic stabilities compared to the binding energy of Chloroquine and its usual target glutathione-S-transferase. The aforementioned lead molecules can be used to develop novel therapeutic agents towards the protein targets of SARS-CoV-2, and the study provides significant insight for structure-based drug development against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinosh Skariyachan
- Department of Microbiology, St. Pius X College Rajapuram, Kasaragod, Kerala, India,Corresponding author
| | - Dharshini Gopal
- Department of Bioinformatics, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Akshay Uttarkar
- Department of Biotechnology, RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Vidya Niranjan
- Department of Biotechnology, RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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Zhou Z, Huang C, Zhou Z, Huang Z, Su L, Kang S, Chen X, Chen Q, He S, Rong X, Xiao F, Chen J, Chen S. Structural insight reveals SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a as an immunomodulating factor for human CD14 + monocytes. iScience 2021; 24:102187. [PMID: 33615195 PMCID: PMC7879101 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated immune cell responses have been linked to the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the specific viral factors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were currently unknown. Herein, we reveal that the Immunoglobulin-like fold ectodomain of the viral protein SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a interacts with high efficiency to CD14+ monocytes in human peripheral blood, compared to pathogenic protein SARS-CoV ORF7a. The crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a at 2.2 Å resolution reveals three remarkable changes on the amphipathic side of the four-stranded β-sheet, implying a potential functional interface of the viral protein. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a coincubation with CD14+ monocytes ex vivo triggered a decrease in HLA-DR/DP/DQ expression levels and upregulated significant production of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, and TNF-α. Our work demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a is an immunomodulating factor for immune cell binding and triggers dramatic inflammatory responses, providing promising therapeutic drug targets for pandemic COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziliang Zhou
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Chunliu Huang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhechong Zhou
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Zhaoxia Huang
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Lili Su
- The Health Management Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Sisi Kang
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Xiaoxue Chen
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Qiuyue Chen
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Suhua He
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Xia Rong
- Institute of Clinical Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou 510095, China
| | - Fei Xiao
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Center for Precision Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shoudeng Chen
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
- Department of Experimental Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
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Nemudryi A, Nemudraia A, Wiegand T, Nichols J, Snyder DT, Hedges JF, Cicha C, Lee H, Vanderwood KK, Bimczok D, Jutila M, Wiedenheft B. SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance identifies naturally occurring truncations of ORF7a that limit immune suppression. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021:2021.02.22.21252253. [PMID: 33655280 PMCID: PMC7924305 DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.22.21252253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Over 200,000 whole genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 have been determined for viruses isolated from around the world. These sequences have been critical for understanding the spread and evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Using global phylogenomics, we show that mutations frequently occur in the C-terminal end of ORF7a. We have isolated one of these mutant viruses from a patient sample and used viral challenge experiments to demonstrate that Δ115 mutation results in a growth defect. ORF7a has been implicated in immune modulation, and we show that the C-terminal truncation results in distinct changes in interferon stimulated gene expression. Collectively, this work indicates that ORF7a mutations occur frequently and that these changes affect viral mechanisms responsible for suppressing the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Nemudryi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
- Twitter: @artemnemudryi
- Lead contact
| | - Anna Nemudraia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Tanner Wiegand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Joseph Nichols
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Deann T Snyder
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Jodi F Hedges
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Calvin Cicha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Helen Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | | | - Diane Bimczok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Mark Jutila
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Blake Wiedenheft
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
- Twitter: @WiedenheftLab
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Kaur M, Sharma A, Kumar S, Singh G, Barnwal RP. SARS-CoV-2: Insights into its structural intricacies and functional aspects for drug and vaccine development. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 179:45-60. [PMID: 33662418 PMCID: PMC7919520 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.02.212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Globally, SARS-CoV-2 has emerged as threat to life and economy. Researchers are trying to find a cure against this pathogen but without much success. Several attempts have been made to understand the atomic level details of SARS-CoV-2 in the past few months. However, one review with all structural details for drug and vaccine development has been missing. Hence, this review aims to summarize key functional roles played by various domains of SARS-CoV-2 genome during its entry into the host, replication, repression of host immune response and overall viral life cycle. Additionally, various proteins of SARS-CoV-2 for finding a potent inhibitor have also been highlighted. To mitigate this deadly virus, an understanding of atomic level information, pathogenicity mechanisms and functions of different proteins in causing the infection is imperative. Thus, these structural details would finally pave the way for development of a potential drug/vaccine against the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandeep Kaur
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Akanksha Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India; UIPS, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Gurpal Singh
- UIPS, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Ravi P Barnwal
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
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Mohammed MEA. SARS-CoV-2 proteins: Are they useful as targets for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines? Curr Mol Med 2021; 22:50-66. [PMID: 33622224 DOI: 10.2174/1566524021666210223143243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The proteins of coronavirus are classified to nonstructural, structural, and accessory. There are 16 nonstructural viral proteins beside their precursors (1a and 1ab polyproteins). The nonstructural proteins are named as nsp1 to nsp16 and they act as enzymes, coenzymes, and binding proteins to facilitate the replication, transcription, and translation of the virus. The structural proteins are bound to the RNA in the nucleocapsid (N- protein) or to the lipid bilayer membrane of the viral envelope. The lipid bilayer proteins include the membrane protein (M), envelope protein (E), and spike protein (S). Beside their role as structural proteins, they are essential for the host cells binding and invasion. The SARS-CoV-2 contains six accessory proteins which participates in the viral replication, assembly and virus- host interactions. The SARS-CoV-2 accessory proteins are orf3a, orf6, orf7a, orf7b, orf8, and orf10. The functions of the SARS-CoV-2 are not well known, while the functions of their corresponding proteins in SARS-CoV are either well known or poorly studied. Recently, the Oxford University and Pfizer and BioNTech made SARS-CoV-2 vaccines through targeting the spike protein gene. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the health authorities of the United Kingdom approved and started vaccination using the Pfizer and BioNTech mRNA vaccine. Also, The FDA of USA approved the treatment of COVID-19 using two monoclonal antibodies produced by Regeneron pharmaceuticals to target the spike protein. The SARS-CoV-2 proteins can be used for the diagnosis, as drug targets and in vaccination trials for COVID-19. For future COVID-19 research, more efforts should be done to elaborate the functions and structure of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins so as to use them as targets for COVID-19 drug and vaccines. Special attention should be drawn to extensive research on the SARS-CoV-2 nsp3, orf8, and orf10.
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46
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Characterizing genomic variants and mutations in SARS-CoV-2 proteins from Indian isolates. GENE REPORTS 2021; 25:101044. [PMID: 33623833 PMCID: PMC7893251 DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2021.101044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is mutating and creating divergent variants by altering the composition of essential constituent proteins. Pharmacologically, it is crucial to understand the diverse mechanism of mutations for stable vaccine or anti-viral drug design. Our current study concentrates on all the constituent proteins of 469 SARS-CoV-2 genome samples, derived from Indian patients. However, the study may easily be extended to the samples across the globe. We perform clustering analysis towards identifying unique variants in each of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins. A total of 536 mutated positions within the coding regions of SARS-CoV-2 proteins are detected among the identified variants from Indian isolates. We quantify mutations by focusing on the unique variants of each SARS-CoV-2 protein. We report the average number of mutation per variant, percentage of mutated positions, synonymous and non-synonymous mutations, mutations occurring in three codon positions and so on. Our study reveals the most susceptible six (06) proteins, which are ORF1ab, Spike (S), Nucleocapsid (N), ORF3a, ORF7a, and ORF8. Several non-synonymous substitutions are observed to be unique in different SARS-CoV-2 proteins. A total of 57 possible deleterious amino acid substitutions are predicted, which may impact on the protein functions. Several mutations show a large decrease in protein stability and are observed in putative functional domains of the proteins that might have some role in disease pathogenesis. We observe a good number of physicochemical property change during above deleterious substitutions.
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Gorgulla C, Padmanabha Das KM, Leigh KE, Cespugli M, Fischer PD, Wang ZF, Tesseyre G, Pandita S, Shnapir A, Calderaio A, Gechev M, Rose A, Lewis N, Hutcheson C, Yaffe E, Luxenburg R, Herce HD, Durmaz V, Halazonetis TD, Fackeldey K, Patten J, Chuprina A, Dziuba I, Plekhova A, Moroz Y, Radchenko D, Tarkhanova O, Yavnyuk I, Gruber C, Yust R, Payne D, Näär AM, Namchuk MN, Davey RA, Wagner G, Kinney J, Arthanari H. A multi-pronged approach targeting SARS-CoV-2 proteins using ultra-large virtual screening. iScience 2021; 24:102021. [PMID: 33426509 PMCID: PMC7783459 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.102021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The unparalleled global effort to combat the continuing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic over the last year has resulted in promising prophylactic measures. However, a need still exists for cheap, effective therapeutics, and targeting multiple points in the viral life cycle could help tackle the current, as well as future, coronaviruses. Here, we leverage our recently developed, ultra-large-scale in silico screening platform, VirtualFlow, to search for inhibitors that target SARS-CoV-2. In this unprecedented structure-based virtual campaign, we screened roughly 1 billion molecules against each of 40 different target sites on 17 different potential viral and host targets. In addition to targeting the active sites of viral enzymes, we also targeted critical auxiliary sites such as functionally important protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Gorgulla
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Krishna M. Padmanabha Das
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kendra E. Leigh
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen 60438, Germany
| | | | - Patrick D. Fischer
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Saarland 66123, Germany
| | - Zi-Fu Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | | | | | - Anthony Calderaio
- VirtualFlow Organization, https://virtual-flow.org/, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Alexander Rose
- Mol∗ Consortium, https://molstar.org, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Henry D. Herce
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | | | - Konstantin Fackeldey
- Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB), Berlin 14195, Germany
- Institute of Mathematics, Technical University Berlin, Berlin 10587, Germany
| | - J.J. Patten
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University Medical School, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yurii Moroz
- Chemspace, Kyiv 02094, Ukraine
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv 01601, Ukraine
| | - Dmytro Radchenko
- Enamine, Kyiv 02094, Ukraine
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv 01601, Ukraine
| | | | | | - Christian Gruber
- Innophore GmbH, Graz 8010, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Ryan Yust
- Google, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | | | - Anders M. Näär
- Department of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Mark N. Namchuk
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert A. Davey
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University Medical School, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Gerhard Wagner
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Haribabu Arthanari
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Giri R, Bhardwaj T, Shegane M, Gehi BR, Kumar P, Gadhave K, Oldfield CJ, Uversky VN. Understanding COVID-19 via comparative analysis of dark proteomes of SARS-CoV-2, human SARS and bat SARS-like coronaviruses. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:1655-1688. [PMID: 32712910 DOI: 10.1101/2020.03.13.990598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The recently emerged coronavirus designated as SARS-CoV-2 (also known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or Wuhan coronavirus) is a causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is rapidly spreading throughout the world now. More than 1.21 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and more than 67,000 COVID-19-associated mortalities have been reported worldwide till the writing of this article, and these numbers are increasing every passing hour. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the SARS-CoV-2 spread as a global public health emergency and admitted COVID-19 as a pandemic now. Multiple sequence alignment data correlated with the already published reports on SARS-CoV-2 evolution indicated that this virus is closely related to the bat severe acute respiratory syndrome-like coronavirus (bat SARS-like CoV) and the well-studied human SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The disordered regions in viral proteins are associated with the viral infectivity and pathogenicity. Therefore, in this study, we have exploited a set of complementary computational approaches to examine the dark proteomes of SARS-CoV-2, bat SARS-like, and human SARS CoVs by analysing the prevalence of intrinsic disorder in their proteins. According to our findings, SARS-CoV-2 proteome contains very significant levels of structural order. In fact, except for nucleocapsid, Nsp8, and ORF6, the vast majority of SARS-CoV-2 proteins are mostly ordered proteins containing less intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs). However, IDPRs found in SARS-CoV-2 proteins are functionally important. For example, cleavage sites in its replicase 1ab polyprotein are found to be highly disordered, and almost all SARS-CoV-2 proteins contains molecular recognition features (MoRFs), which are intrinsic disorder-based protein-protein interaction sites that are commonly utilized by proteins for interaction with specific partners. The results of our extensive investigation of the dark side of SARS-CoV-2 proteome will have important implications in understanding the structural and non-structural biology of SARS or SARS-like coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajanish Giri
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India.
| | - Taniya Bhardwaj
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India
| | - Meenakshi Shegane
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India
| | - Bhuvaneshwari R Gehi
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India
| | - Prateek Kumar
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India
| | - Kundlik Gadhave
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO Kamand, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India
| | | | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- Laboratory of New Methods in Biology, Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Moscow region, Pushchino, 142290, Russia
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49
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Nizamudeen ZA, Xu ER, Karthik V, Halawa M, Arkill KP, Jackson AM, Bates DO, Emsley J. Structural assessment of SARS-CoV2 accessory protein ORF7a predicts LFA-1 and Mac-1 binding potential. Biosci Rep 2021; 41:BSR20203837. [PMID: 33305306 PMCID: PMC7796194 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20203837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
ORF7a is an accessory protein common to SARS-CoV1 and the recently discovered SARS-CoV2, which is causing the COVID-19 pandemic. The ORF7a protein has a structural homology with ICAM-1 which binds to the T lymphocyte integrin receptor LFA-1. As COVID-19 has a strong immune component as part of the disease, we sought to determine whether SARS-CoV2 would have a similar structural interaction with LFA-1. Using molecular docking simulations, we found that SARS-CoV2 ORF7a has the key structural determinants required to bind LFA-1 but also the related leukocyte integrin Mac-1, which is also known to be expressed by macrophages. Our study shows that SARS-CoV2 ORF7a protein has a conserved Ig immunoglobulin-like fold containing an integrin binding site that provides a mechanistic hypothesis for SARS-CoV2's interaction with the human immune system. This suggests that experimental investigation of ORF7a-mediated effects on immune cells such as T lymphocytes and macrophages (leukocytes) could help understand the disease further and develop effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zubair Ahmed Nizamudeen
- Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Emma-Ruoqi Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Vivin Karthik
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, U.S.A
| | - Mohamed Halawa
- School of Pharmacy, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Kenton P. Arkill
- Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Andrew M. Jackson
- Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - David O. Bates
- Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Jonas Emsley
- School of Pharmacy, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
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50
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Panzera Y, Ramos N, Frabasile S, Calleros L, Marandino A, Tomás G, Techera C, Grecco S, Fuques E, Goñi N, Ramas V, Coppola L, Chiparelli H, Sorhouet C, Mogdasy C, Arbiza J, Delfraro A, Pérez R. A deletion in SARS-CoV-2 ORF7 identified in COVID-19 outbreak in Uruguay. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 68:3075-3082. [PMID: 33501730 PMCID: PMC8014828 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The analysis of genetic diversity in SARS‐CoV‐2 is the focus of several studies, providing insights into how the virus emerged and evolves. Most common changes in SARS‐CoV‐2 are single or point nucleotide substitutions; meanwhile, insertions and deletions (indels) have been identified as a less frequent source of viral genetic variability. Here, we report the emergence of a 12‐nucleotide deletion in ORF7a, resulting in a 4‐amino acid in‐frame deletion. The Δ12 variant was identified in viruses from patients of a single outbreak and represents the first report of this deletion in South American isolates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Δ12 strains belong to the lineage B.1.1 and clustered separated from the remaining Uruguayan strains. The ∆12 variant was detected in 14 patients of this outbreak by NGS sequencing and/or two rapid and economic methodologies: Sanger amplicon sequencing and capillary electrophoresis. The presence of strong molecular markers as the deletion described here are useful for tracking outbreaks and reveal a significant aspect of the SARS‐CoV‐2 evolution on the robustness of the virus to keep its functionality regardless loss of genetic material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanina Panzera
- Sección Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Biología Animal, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Ramos
- Sección Virología. Instituto de Biología e Instituto de Química Biológica. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sandra Frabasile
- Sección Virología. Instituto de Biología e Instituto de Química Biológica. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Calleros
- Sección Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Biología Animal, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Ana Marandino
- Sección Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Biología Animal, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gonzalo Tomás
- Sección Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Biología Animal, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Claudia Techera
- Sección Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Biología Animal, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sofía Grecco
- Sección Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Biología Animal, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Eddie Fuques
- Sección Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Biología Animal, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Goñi
- Departamento de Laboratorios de Salud Pública. Ministerio de Salud Pública, Centro Nacional de Referencia de Influenza y otros Virus Respiratorios, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Viviana Ramas
- Departamento de Laboratorios de Salud Pública. Ministerio de Salud Pública, Centro Nacional de Referencia de Influenza y otros Virus Respiratorios, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Leticia Coppola
- Departamento de Laboratorios de Salud Pública. Ministerio de Salud Pública, Centro Nacional de Referencia de Influenza y otros Virus Respiratorios, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Héctor Chiparelli
- Departamento de Laboratorios de Salud Pública. Ministerio de Salud Pública, Centro Nacional de Referencia de Influenza y otros Virus Respiratorios, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cecilia Sorhouet
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Mutualista Médica Uruguaya, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cristina Mogdasy
- Departamento de Laboratorios de Salud Pública. Ministerio de Salud Pública, Centro Nacional de Referencia de Influenza y otros Virus Respiratorios, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Juan Arbiza
- Sección Virología. Instituto de Biología e Instituto de Química Biológica. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Adriana Delfraro
- Sección Virología. Instituto de Biología e Instituto de Química Biológica. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Ruben Pérez
- Sección Genética Evolutiva, Departamento de Biología Animal, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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