1
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Nguyen H, Nguyen HL, Lan PD, Thai NQ, Sikora M, Li MS. Interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with host cells and antibodies: experiment and simulation. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:6497-6553. [PMID: 37650302 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs01170g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the devastating global COVID-19 pandemic announced by WHO in March 2020. Through unprecedented scientific effort, several vaccines, drugs and antibodies have been developed, saving millions of lives, but the fight against COVID-19 continues as immune escape variants of concern such as Delta and Omicron emerge. To develop more effective treatments and to elucidate the side effects caused by vaccines and therapeutic agents, a deeper understanding of the molecular interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with them and human cells is required. With special interest in computational approaches, we will focus on the structure of SARS-CoV-2 and the interaction of its spike protein with human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) as a prime entry point of the virus into host cells. In addition, other possible viral receptors will be considered. The fusion of viral and human membranes and the interaction of the spike protein with antibodies and nanobodies will be discussed, as well as the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on protein synthesis in host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung Nguyen
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Hoang Linh Nguyen
- Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Faculty of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
| | - Pham Dang Lan
- Life Science Lab, Institute for Computational Science and Technology, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, 729110 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Physics and Engineering Physics, VNUHCM-University of Science, 227, Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, 749000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Quoc Thai
- Dong Thap University, 783 Pham Huu Lau Street, Ward 6, Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap, Vietnam
| | - Mateusz Sikora
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
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2
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Stincarelli MA, Quagliata M, Di Santo A, Pacini L, Fernandez FR, Arvia R, Rinaldi S, Papini AM, Rovero P, Giannecchini S. SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory activity of a short peptide derived from internal fusion peptide of S2 subunit of spike glycoprotein. Virus Res 2023; 334:199170. [PMID: 37422270 PMCID: PMC10384657 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a great concern in human population. To fight coronavirus emergence, we have dissected the conserved amino acid region of the internal fusion peptide in the S2 subunit of Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 to design new inhibitory peptides. Among the 11 overlapping peptides (9-23-mer), PN19, a 19-mer peptide, exhibited a powerful inhibitory activity against different SARS-CoV-2 clinical isolate variants in absence of cytotoxicity. The PN19 inhibitory activity was found to be dependent on conservation of the central Phe and C-terminal Tyr residues in the peptide sequence. Circular dichroism spectra of the active peptide exhibited an alpha-helix propensity, confirmed by secondary structure prediction analysis. The PN19 inhibitory activity, exerted in the first step of virus infection, was reduced after peptide adsorption treatment with virus-cell substrate during fusion interaction. Additionally, PN19 inhibitory activity was reduced by adding S2 membrane-proximal region derived peptides. PN19 showed binding ability to the S2 membrane proximal region derived peptides, confirmed by molecular modelling, playing a role in the mechanism of action. Collectively, these results confirm that the internal fusion peptide region is a good candidate on which develop peptidomimetic anti SARS-CoV-2 antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alfreda Stincarelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Michael Quagliata
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Santo
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pacini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Feliciana Real Fernandez
- CNR - Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (CNR-ICCOM), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019, Italy
| | - Rosaria Arvia
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Silvia Rinaldi
- CNR - Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (CNR-ICCOM), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Papini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy.
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3
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Meher G, Bhattacharjya S, Chakraborty H. Membrane cholesterol regulates the oligomerization and fusogenicity of SARS-CoV fusion peptide: implications in viral entry. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:7815-7824. [PMID: 36857640 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp04741a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
N-terminal residues (770-788) of the S2 glycoprotein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) have been recognized as a potential fusion peptide that can be involved in the entry of the virus into the host cell. Membrane composition plays an important role in lipid-peptide interaction and the oligomeric status of the peptide. SARS-CoV fusion peptide (S2 fusion peptide) is known to undergo cholesterol-dependent oligomerization in the membrane; however, its significance in membrane fusion is still speculative. This study aimed to investigate the oligomerization of SARS-CoV fusion peptide in a membrane containing phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylglycerol, with varying concentrations of cholesterol, and to evaluate peptide-induced membrane fusion to correlate the importance of peptide oligomerization with membrane fusion. Peptide-induced modulation of membrane organization and dynamics was explored by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic measurements using depth-dependent probes. The results clearly demonstrated the induction of S2 fusion peptide oligomerization by membrane cholesterol and the higher efficiency of the oligomer in promoting membrane fusion compared to its monomeric counterpart. Cholesterol-dependent peptide oligomerization and membrane fusion are important aspects of viral infection since the cholesterol level can change with age as well as with the onset of various pathophysiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetanjali Meher
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha, 768 019, India.
| | - Surajit Bhattacharjya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551, Singapore.
| | - Hirak Chakraborty
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha, 768 019, India. .,Centre of Excellence in Natural Products and Therapeutics, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha, 768 019, India
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4
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Sardar A, Bera T, Kumar Samal S, Dewangan N, Kamble M, Guha S, Tarafdar PK. C-Terminal Lipidation of SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Peptide Reinstates Superior Membrane Fusion Catalytic Ability. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202203034. [PMID: 36422064 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202203034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) mediates a critical stage in infection, the fusion between viral and host membranes. The protein is categorized as a class I viral fusion protein and has two distinct cleavage sites that can be activated by proteases. The activation deploys the fusion peptide (FP) for insertion into the target cell membranes. Recent studies including our experiments showed that the FP was unable to modulate the kinetics of fusion at a low peptide-to-lipid ratio akin to the spike density at the viral surface. Therefore, we modified the C terminus of FP and attached a myristoyl chain (C-myr-FP) to restrict the C terminus near to the interface, bridge both membranes, and increase the effective local concentration. The lipidated FP (C-myr-FP) of SARS-CoV-2 greatly accelerates membrane fusion at a low peptide-to-lipid ratio as compared to the FP with no lipidation. Biophysical experiments suggest that C-myr-FP adopts a helical structure, perturbs the membrane interface, and increases water penetration to catalyze fusion. Scrambled peptide (C-myr-sFP) and truncated peptide (C-myr-8FP) could not significantly catalyze the fusion, thus suggesting the important role of myristoylation and the N terminus. C-myr-FP enhances murine coronavirus infection by promoting syncytia formation in L2 cells. The C-terminal lipidation of the FP might be a useful strategy to induce artificial fusion in biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avijit Sardar
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741246, Mohanpur, India
| | - Tapas Bera
- Department of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, 700032, Kolkata, India
| | - Santosh Kumar Samal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741246, Mohanpur, India
| | - Nikesh Dewangan
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741246, Mohanpur, India
| | - Mithila Kamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741246, Mohanpur, India
| | - Samit Guha
- Department of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, 700032, Kolkata, India
| | - Pradip K Tarafdar
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741246, Mohanpur, India
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5
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Baier CJ, Barrantes FJ. Role of cholesterol-recognition motifs in the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2023; 222:113090. [PMID: 36563415 PMCID: PMC9743692 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.113090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The presence of linear amino acid motifs with the capacity to recognize the neutral lipid cholesterol, known as Cholesterol Recognition/interaction Amino acid Consensus sequence (CRAC), and its inverse or mirror image, CARC, has recently been reported in the primary sequence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike S homotrimeric glycoprotein. These motifs also occur in the two other pathogenic coronaviruses, SARS-CoV, and Middle-East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV), most conspicuously in the transmembrane domain, the fusion peptide, the amino-terminal domain, and the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Here we analyze the presence of cholesterol-recognition motifs in these key regions of the spike glycoprotein in the pathogenic CoVs. We disclose the inherent pathophysiological implications of the cholesterol motifs in the virus-host cell interactions and variant infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Javier Baier
- Laboratorio de Toxicología, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur (INBIOSUR), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia (DBByF), San Juan 670, B8000ICN Bahía Blanca, Argentina,Correspondence to: INBIOSUR-CONICET-UNS, DBByF, San Juan 670, B8000ICN Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco J. Barrantes
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, BIOMED UCA-CONICET, 1600 Av. A. Moreau de Justo, C1107AAZ Buenos Aires, Argentina,Correspondence to: BIOMED UCA-CONICET, Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1600, C1107AFF Buenos Aires, Argentina
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6
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Negi G, Sharma A, Dey M, Dhanawat G, Parveen N. Membrane attachment and fusion of HIV-1, influenza A, and SARS-CoV-2: resolving the mechanisms with biophysical methods. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:1109-1140. [PMID: 36249860 PMCID: PMC9552142 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-022-00999-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Attachment to and fusion with cell membranes are two major steps in the replication cycle of many human viruses. We focus on these steps for three enveloped viruses, i.e., HIV-1, IAVs, and SARS-CoV-2. Viral spike proteins drive the membrane attachment and fusion of these viruses. Dynamic interactions between the spike proteins and membrane receptors trigger their specific attachment to the plasma membrane of host cells. A single virion on cell membranes can engage in binding with multiple receptors of the same or different types. Such dynamic and multivalent binding of these viruses result in an optimal attachment strength which in turn leads to their cellular entry and membrane fusion. The latter process is driven by conformational changes of the spike proteins which are also class I fusion proteins, providing the energetics of membrane tethering, bending, and fusion. These viruses exploit cellular and membrane factors in regulating the conformation changes and membrane processes. Herein, we describe the major structural and functional features of spike proteins of the enveloped viruses including highlights on their structural dynamics. The review delves into some of the case studies in the literature discussing the findings on multivalent binding, membrane hemifusion, and fusion of these viruses. The focus is on applications of biophysical tools with an emphasis on single-particle methods for evaluating mechanisms of these processes at the molecular and cellular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetanjali Negi
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
| | - Anurag Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
| | - Manorama Dey
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
| | - Garvita Dhanawat
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
| | - Nagma Parveen
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
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7
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Birtles D, Oh AE, Lee J. Exploring the
pH
dependence of the
SARS‐CoV
‐2 complete fusion domain and the role of its unique structural features. Protein Sci 2022. [PMCID: PMC9538437 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
SARS‐CoV‐2 may enter target cells through the process of membrane fusion at either the plasma (~pH 7.4–7.0) or endosomal (~pH 6.5–5.0) membrane in order to deliver its genetic information. The fusion domain (FD) of the spike glycoprotein is responsible for initiating fusion and is thus integral to the viral life cycle. The FD of SARS‐CoV‐2 is unique in that it consists of two structurally distinctive regions referred to as the fusion peptide (FP) and the fusion loop (FL); yet the molecular mechanisms behind how this FD perturbs the membrane to initiate fusion remains unclear. In this study via solution NMR, we witnessed only a slight conformational change in the FD between pH 7.4 and pH 5.0, resulting in a minor elongation of helix 1. However, we found that the FD's ability to mediate membrane fusion has a large and significant pH dependence, with fusion events being more readily induced at low pH. Interestingly, a biphasic relationship between the environmental pH and fusogenicity was discovered, suggesting a preference for the FD to initiate fusion at the late endosomal membrane. Furthermore, the conserved disulfide bond and hydrophobic motif “LLF” were found to be critical for the function of the complete FD, with minimal activity witnessed when either was perturbed. In conclusion, these findings indicate that the SARS‐CoV‐2 FD preferably initiates fusion at a pH similar to the late endosome through a mechanism that heavily relies on the internal disulfide bond of the FL and hydrophobic LLF motif within the FP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Birtles
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
| | - Anna E. Oh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
| | - Jinwoo Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
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8
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Functional Peptides from SARS-CoV-2 Binding with Cell Membrane: From Molecular Dynamics Simulations to Cell Demonstration. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111738. [PMID: 35681433 PMCID: PMC9179371 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111738] [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: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein, we have verified the interaction between the functional peptides from the SARS-CoV-2 and cell membrane, and we further proved that peptides exhibit little membrane disruption. The specific amino acids (Lys, Ile, Glu, Asn, Gln, etc.) with charge or hydrophobic residues play a significant role during the functional-peptide binding to membrane. The findings could provide the hints related to viral infection and also might pave the way for development of new materials based on peptides with membrane-binding activity, which would enable functional peptides further as peptide adjuvants, in order to help deliver the cancer drug into tumor cells for the efficient tumor therapy.
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9
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Joardar A, Pattnaik GP, Chakraborty H. Mechanism of Membrane Fusion: Interplay of Lipid and Peptide. J Membr Biol 2022; 255:211-224. [PMID: 35435451 PMCID: PMC9014786 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-022-00233-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Membrane fusion is an essential process for the survival of eukaryotes and the entry of enveloped viruses into host cells. A proper understanding of the mechanism of membrane fusion would provide us a handle to manipulate several biological pathways, and design efficient vaccines against emerging and re-emerging viral infections. Although fusion proteins take the central stage in catalyzing the process, role of lipid composition is also of paramount importance. Lipid composition modulates membrane organization and dynamics and impacts the lipid–protein (peptide) interaction. Moreover, the intrinsic curvature of lipids has strong impact on the formation of stalk and hemifusion diaphragm. Detection of transiently stable intermediates remains the bottleneck in the understanding of fusion mechanism. In order to circumvent this challenge, analytical methods can be employed to determine the kinetic parameters from ensemble average measurements of observables, such as lipid mixing, content mixing, and content leakage. The current review aims to present an analytical method that would aid our understanding of the fusion mechanism, provides a better insight into the role of lipid shape, and discusses the interplay of lipid and peptide in membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Joardar
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha, 768019, India
| | | | - Hirak Chakraborty
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha, 768019, India.
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10
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Santamaria A, Batchu KC, Matsarskaia O, Prévost SF, Russo D, Natali F, Seydel T, Hoffmann I, Laux V, Haertlein M, Darwish TA, Russell RA, Corucci G, Fragneto G, Maestro A, Zaccai NR. Strikingly Different Roles of SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Peptides Uncovered by Neutron Scattering. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:2968-2979. [PMID: 35157798 PMCID: PMC8862744 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c09856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), a potentially lethal respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in the end of 2019 and has since spread aggressively across the globe. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cellular infection by coronaviruses is therefore of utmost importance. A critical stage in infection is the fusion between viral and host membranes. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the role of selected SARS-CoV-2 Spike fusion peptides, and the influence of calcium and cholesterol, in this fusion process. Structural information from specular neutron reflectometry and small angle neutron scattering, complemented by dynamics information from quasi-elastic and spin-echo neutron spectroscopy, revealed strikingly different functions encoded in the Spike fusion domain. Calcium drives the N-terminal of the Spike fusion domain to fully cross the host plasma membrane. Removing calcium, however, reorients the peptide back to the lipid leaflet closest to the virus, leading to significant changes in lipid fluidity and rigidity. In conjunction with other regions of the fusion domain, which are also positioned to bridge and dehydrate viral and host membranes, the molecular events leading to cell entry by SARS-CoV-2 are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Santamaria
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
- Departamento
de Química Física, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Daniela Russo
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
- CNR-IOM
& INSIDE@ILL, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Francesca Natali
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
- CNR-IOM
& INSIDE@ILL, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Tilo Seydel
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | | | | | | | - Tamim A. Darwish
- National
Deuteration Facility, ANSTO-Sidney, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Robert A. Russell
- National
Deuteration Facility, ANSTO-Sidney, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Giacomo Corucci
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
- École
Doctorale de Physique, Université
Grenoble Alpes, 38400 Saint-Martin-d’Héres, France
| | - Giovanna Fragneto
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
- École
Doctorale de Physique, Université
Grenoble Alpes, 38400 Saint-Martin-d’Héres, France
| | - Armando Maestro
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 38042 Grenoble, France
- Centro
de Física de Materiales (CSIC, UPV/EHU) − Materials
Physics Center MPC, Paseo
Manuel de Lardizabal 5, E-20018 San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE
− Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi 5, E-48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Nathan R. Zaccai
- Cambridge
Institute for Medical Research, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB22 7QQ, United Kingdom
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11
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Joardar A, Pattnaik GP, Chakraborty H. Effect of Phosphatidylethanolamine and Oleic Acid on Membrane Fusion: Phosphatidylethanolamine Circumvents the Classical Stalk Model. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:13192-13202. [PMID: 34839659 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Membrane fusion is one of the most important processes for the survival of eukaryotic cells and entry of enveloped viruses to the host cells. Lipid composition plays a crucial role in the process by modulating the organization and dynamics of the membrane, as well as the structure and conformation of membrane proteins. Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), a lipid molecule with intrinsic negative curvature, promotes membrane fusion by stabilizing the non-lamellar intermediate structures in the fusion process. Conversely, oleic acid (OA), with intrinsic positive curvature, inhibits membrane fusion. The current study aimed to investigate polyethylene glycol-mediated lipid mixing, content mixing, content leakage, and depth-dependent membrane organization and dynamics, using arrays of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques, to determine the causative role of PE and OA in membrane fusion. The results demonstrated that the presence of 30 mol % PE in the membrane promotes membrane fusion through a mechanism that circumvents the classical stalk model. On the contrary, membranes containing OA showed reduced rate and extent of fusion, despite following the same mechanism. Collectively, our findings in terms of membrane organization and dynamics indicated a plausible role of PE and OA in membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Joardar
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha 768 019, India
| | | | - Hirak Chakraborty
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha 768 019, India
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12
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Basso LGM, Zeraik AE, Felizatti AP, Costa-Filho AJ. Membranotropic and biological activities of the membrane fusion peptides from SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein: The importance of the complete internal fusion peptide domain. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183697. [PMID: 34274319 PMCID: PMC8280623 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fusion peptides (FP) are prominent hydrophobic segments of viral fusion proteins that play critical roles in viral entry. FPs interact with and insert into the host lipid membranes, triggering conformational changes in the viral protein that leads to the viral-cell fusion. Multiple membrane-active domains from the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV) spike protein have been reported to act as the functional fusion peptide such as the peptide sequence located between the S1/S2 and S2' cleavage sites (FP1), the S2'-adjacent fusion peptide domain (FP2), and the internal FP sequence (cIFP). Using a combined biophysical approach, we demonstrated that the α-helical coiled-coil-forming internal cIFP displayed the highest membrane fusion and permeabilizing activities along with membrane ordering effect in phosphatidylcholine (PC)/phosphatidylglycerol (PG) unilamellar vesicles compared to the other two N-proximal fusion peptide counterparts. While the FP1 sequence displayed intermediate membranotropic activities, the well-conserved FP2 peptide was substantially less effective in promoting fusion, leakage, and membrane ordering in PC/PG model membranes. Furthermore, Ca2+ did not enhance the FP2-induced lipid mixing activity in PC/phosphatidylserine/cholesterol lipid membranes, despite its strong erythrocyte membrane perturbation. Nonetheless, we found that the three putative SARS-CoV membrane-active fusion peptide sequences here studied altered the physical properties of model and erythrocyte membranes to different extents. The importance of the distinct membranotropic and biological activities of all SARS-CoV fusion peptide domains and the pronounced effect of the internal fusion peptide sequence to the whole spike-mediated membrane fusion process are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Guilherme Mansor Basso
- Laboratório de Ciências Físicas, Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, 28013-602 Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil; Laboratório de Biofísica Molecular, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Ana Eliza Zeraik
- Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, 28013-602 Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil; Grupo de Biofísica e Biologia Estrutural "Sérgio Mascarenhas", Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Trabalhador São-carlense, 400, Centro, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Felizatti
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luiz, Km 235, Monjolinho, 13565905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil; Grupo de Biofísica e Biologia Estrutural "Sérgio Mascarenhas", Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Trabalhador São-carlense, 400, Centro, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Antonio José Costa-Filho
- Laboratório de Biofísica Molecular, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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Chiliveri SC, Louis JM, Ghirlando R, Bax A. Transient lipid-bound states of spike protein heptad repeats provide insights into SARS-CoV-2 membrane fusion. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabk2226. [PMID: 34623907 PMCID: PMC8500521 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk2226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Entry of SARS-CoV-2 into a host cell is mediated by spike, a class I viral fusion protein responsible for merging the viral and host cell membranes. Recent studies have revealed atomic-resolution models for both the postfusion 6-helix bundle (6HB) and the prefusion state of spike. However, a mechanistic understanding of the molecular basis for the intervening structural transition, important for the design of fusion inhibitors, has remained elusive. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and other biophysical methods, we demonstrate the presence of α-helical, membrane-bound, intermediate states of spike’s heptad repeat (HR1 and HR2) domains that are embedded at the lipid-water interface while in a slow dynamic equilibrium with the postfusion 6HB state. These results support a model where the HR domains lower the large energy barrier associated with membrane fusion by destabilizing the host and viral membranes, while 6HB formation actively drives their fusion by forcing physical proximity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Chaitanya Chiliveri
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Corresponding author. (S.C.C.); (A.B.)
| | - John M. Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Corresponding author. (S.C.C.); (A.B.)
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Wang J, Maschietto F, Guberman-Pfeffer MJ, Reiss K, Allen B, Xiong Y, Lolis E, Batista VS. Computational insights into the membrane fusion mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 at the cellular level. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5019-5028. [PMID: 34540146 PMCID: PMC8442599 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The membrane fusion mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 offers an attractive target for the development of small molecule antiviral inhibitors. Fusion involves an initial binding of the crown-like trimeric spike glycoproteins of SARS-CoV-2 to the receptor angiotensin II-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the permissive host cellular membrane and a prefusion to post-fusion conversion of the spike trimer. During this conversion, the fusion peptides of the spike trimer are inserted into the host membrane to bring together the host and viral membranes for membrane fusion in highly choreographic events. However, geometric constraints due to interactions with the membranes remain poorly understood. In this study, we build structural models of super-complexes of spike trimer/ACE2 dimers based on the molecular structures of the ACE2/neutral amino acid transporter B(0)AT heterodimer. We determine the conformational constraints due to the membrane geometry on the enzymatic activity of ACE2 and on the viral fusion process. Furthermore, we find that binding three ACE2 dimers per spike trimer is essential to open the central pore as necessary for triggering productive membrane fusion through an elongation of the central stalk. The reported findings thus provide valuable insights for targeting the membrane fusion mechanism for drug design at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimin Wang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, United States
| | - Federica Maschietto
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511-8499, United States
| | | | - Krystle Reiss
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511-8499, United States
| | - Brandon Allen
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511-8499, United States
| | - Yong Xiong
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8114, United States
| | - Elias Lolis
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, United States
| | - Victor S. Batista
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511-8499, United States
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