1
|
Yaghi RM, Andrews CL, Wylie DC, Iverson BL. High-Resolution Substrate Specificity Profiling of SARS-CoV-2 M pro; Comparison to SARS-CoV M pro. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:1474-1483. [PMID: 38865301 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 Mpro protease from COVID-19 cleaves the pp1a and pp2b polyproteins at 11 sites during viral maturation and is the target of Nirmatrelvir, one of the two components of the frontline treatment sold as Paxlovid. We used the YESS 2.0 platform, combining protease and substrate expression in the yeast endoplasmic reticulum with fluorescence-activated cell sorting and next-generation sequencing, to carry out the high-resolution substrate specificity profiling of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro as well as the related SARS-CoV Mpro from SARS 2003. Even at such a high level of resolution, the substrate specificity profiles of both enzymes are essentially identical. The population of cleaved substrates isolated in our sorts is so deep, the relative catalytic efficiencies of the different cleavage sites on the SARS-CoV-2 polyproteins pp1a and pp2b are qualitatively predicted. These results not only demonstrated the precise and reproducible nature of the YESS 2.0/NGS approach to protease substrate specificity profiling but also should be useful in the design of next generation SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors, and by analogy, SARS-CoV Mpro inhibitors as well.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rasha M Yaghi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States of America
| | - Collin L Andrews
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States of America
| | - Dennis C Wylie
- Center of Biomedical Research Support, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States of America
| | - Brent L Iverson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dampalla CS, Kim Y, Zabiegala A, Howard DJ, Nguyen HN, Madden TK, Thurman HA, Cooper A, Liu L, Battaile KP, Lovell S, Chang KO, Groutas WC. Structure-Guided Design of Potent Coronavirus Inhibitors with a 2-Pyrrolidone Scaffold: Biochemical, Crystallographic, and Virological Studies. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38953866 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Zoonotic coronaviruses are known to produce severe infections in humans and have been the cause of significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 was the largest and latest contributor of fatal cases, even though MERS-CoV has the highest case-fatality ratio among zoonotic coronaviruses. These infections pose a high risk to public health worldwide warranting efforts for the expeditious discovery of antivirals. Hence, we hereby describe a novel series of inhibitors of coronavirus 3CLpro embodying an N-substituted 2-pyrrolidone scaffold envisaged to exploit favorable interactions with the S3-S4 subsites and connected to an invariant Leu-Gln P2-P1 recognition element. Several inhibitors showed nanomolar antiviral activity in enzyme and cell-based assays, with no significant cytotoxicity. High-resolution crystal structures of inhibitors bound to the 3CLpro were determined to probe and identify the molecular determinants associated with binding, to inform the structure-guided optimization of the inhibitors, and to confirm the mechanism of action of the inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chamandi S Dampalla
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260, United States
| | - Yunjeong Kim
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - Alexandria Zabiegala
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - Dennis J Howard
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260, United States
| | - Harry Nhat Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260, United States
| | - Trent K Madden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260, United States
| | - Hayden A Thurman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260, United States
| | - Anne Cooper
- Protein Structure and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Lijun Liu
- Protein Structure and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Kevin P Battaile
- NYX, New York Structural Biology Center, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Scott Lovell
- Protein Structure and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Kyeong-Ok Chang
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - William C Groutas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Khachatryan H, Matevosyan M, Harutyunyan V, Gevorgyan S, Shavina A, Tirosyan I, Gabrielyan Y, Ayvazyan M, Bozdaganyan M, Fakhar Z, Gharaghani S, Zakaryan H. Computational evaluation and benchmark study of 342 crystallographic holo-structures of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro enzyme. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14255. [PMID: 38902397 PMCID: PMC11189913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65228-5] [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: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a global health crisis with millions of confirmed cases and related deaths. The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for viral replication and presents an attractive target for drug development. Despite the approval of some drugs, the search for effective treatments continues. In this study, we systematically evaluated 342 holo-crystal structures of Mpro to identify optimal conformations for structure-based virtual screening (SBVS). Our analysis revealed limited structural flexibility among the structures. Three docking programs, AutoDock Vina, rDock, and Glide were employed to assess the efficiency of virtual screening, revealing diverse performances across selected Mpro structures. We found that the structures 5RHE, 7DDC, and 7DPU (PDB Ids) consistently displayed the lowest EF, AUC, and BEDROCK scores. Furthermore, these structures demonstrated the worst pose prediction results in all docking programs. Two structural differences contribute to variations in docking performance: the absence of the S1 subsite in 7DDC and 7DPU, and the presence of a subpocket in the S2 subsite of 7DDC, 7DPU, and 5RHE. These findings underscore the importance of selecting appropriate Mpro conformations for SBVS, providing valuable insights for advancing drug discovery efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hamlet Khachatryan
- Denovo Sciences Inc, 0060, Yerevan, Armenia.
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
| | - Mher Matevosyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Vardan Harutyunyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Smbat Gevorgyan
- Denovo Sciences Inc, 0060, Yerevan, Armenia
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Anastasiya Shavina
- Denovo Sciences Inc, 0060, Yerevan, Armenia
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Irina Tirosyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Yeva Gabrielyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Marusya Ayvazyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | | | - Zeynab Fakhar
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Drug Design (LBD), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sajjad Gharaghani
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Drug Design (LBD), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hovakim Zakaryan
- Denovo Sciences Inc, 0060, Yerevan, Armenia.
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kenward C, Vuckovic M, Paetzel M, Strynadka NCJ. Kinetic comparison of all eleven viral polyprotein cleavage site processing events by SARS-CoV-2 main protease using a linked protein FRET platform. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107367. [PMID: 38750796 PMCID: PMC11209022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) remains an essential therapeutic target for COVID-19 post infection intervention given its critical role in processing the majority of viral proteins encoded by the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Upon viral entry, the +ssRNA genome is translated into two long polyproteins (pp1a or the frameshift-dependent pp1ab) containing all the nonstructural proteins (nsps) required by the virus for immune modulation, replication, and ultimately, virion assembly. Included among these nsps is the cysteine protease Mpro (nsp5) which self-excises from the polyprotein, dimerizes, then sequentially cleaves 11 of the 15 cut-site junctions found between each nsp within the polyprotein. Many structures of Mpro (often bound to various small molecule inhibitors or peptides) have been detailed recently, including structures of Mpro bound to each of the polyprotein cleavage sequences, showing that Mpro can accommodate a wide range of targets within its active site. However, to date, kinetic characterization of the interaction of Mpro with each of its native cleavage sequences remains incomplete. Here, we present a robust and cost-effective FRET based system that benefits from a more consistent presentation of the substrate that is also closer in organization to the native polyprotein environment compared to previously reported FRET systems that use chemically modified peptides. Using this system, we were able to show that while each site maintains a similar Michaelis constant, the catalytic efficiency of Mpro varies greatly between cut-site sequences, suggesting a clear preference for the order of nsp processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calem Kenward
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marija Vuckovic
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mark Paetzel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Natalie C J Strynadka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Nazir MS, Ahmad M, Aslam S, Rafiq A, Al-Hussain SA, Zaki MEA. A Comprehensive Update of Anti-COVID-19 Activity of Heterocyclic Compounds. Drug Des Devel Ther 2024; 18:1547-1571. [PMID: 38737333 PMCID: PMC11088867 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s450499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is one of the most considerable health problems across the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the major causative agent of COVID-19. The severe symptoms of this deadly disease include shortness of breath, fever, cough, loss of smell, and a broad spectrum of other health issues such as diarrhea, pneumonia, bronchitis, septic shock, and multiple organ failure. Currently, there are no medications available for coronavirus patients, except symptom-relieving drugs. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 requires the development of effective drugs and specific treatments. Heterocycles are important constituents of more than 85% of the physiologically active pharmaceutical drugs on the market now. Several FDA-approved drugs have been reported including molnupiravir, remdesivir, ritonavir, oseltamivir, favipiravir, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine for the cure of COVID-19. In this study, we discuss potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 heterocyclic compounds that have been synthesized over the past few years. These compounds included; indole, piperidine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, pyrrole, piperazine, quinazoline, oxazole, quinoline, isoxazole, thiazole, quinoxaline, pyrazole, azafluorene, imidazole, thiadiazole, triazole, coumarin, chromene, and benzodioxole. Both in vitro and in silico studies were performed to determine the potential of these heterocyclic compounds in the fight against various SARS-CoV-2 proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Matloob Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sana Aslam
- Department of Chemistry, Government College Women University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Rafiq
- Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sami A Al-Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Magdi E A Zaki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
M L SP, Kumari S, Martinek TA, M ES. De novo design of potential peptide analogs against the main protease of Omicron variant using in silico studies. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:14006-14017. [PMID: 38683190 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp01199f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 and its variants are crossing the immunity barrier induced through vaccination. Recent Omicron sub-variants are highly transmissible and have a low mortality rate. Despite the low severity of Omicron variants, these new variants are known to cause acute post-infectious syndromes. Nowadays, novel strategies to develop new potential inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 and other Omicron variants have gained prominence. For viral replication and survival the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 plays a vital role. Peptide-like inhibitors that mimic the substrate peptide have already proved to be effective in inhibiting the Mpro of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our systematic canonical amino acid point mutation analysis on the native peptide has revealed various ways to improve the native peptide of the main protease. Multi mutation analysis has led us to identify and design potent peptide-analog inhibitors that act against the Mpro of the Omicron sub-variants. Our in-depth analysis of all-atom molecular dynamics studies has paved the way to characterize the atomistic behavior of Mpro in Omicron variants. Our goal is to develop potent peptide-analogs that could be therapeutically effective against Omicron and its sub-variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stanly Paul M L
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, University of Szeged, Eotvos u. 6, G-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Sonia Kumari
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector-67, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali 160062, India.
| | - Tamás A Martinek
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 8, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Biomimetic Systems Research Group, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 8, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Elizabeth Sobhia M
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector-67, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali 160062, India.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Shurtleff VW, Layton ME, Parish CA, Perkins JJ, Schreier JD, Wang Y, Adam GC, Alvarez N, Bahmanjah S, Bahnck-Teets CM, Boyce CW, Burlein C, Cabalu TD, Campbell BT, Carroll SS, Chang W, de Lera Ruiz M, Dolgov E, Fay JF, Fox NG, Goh SL, Hartingh TJ, Hurzy DM, Kelly MJ, Klein DJ, Klingler FM, Krishnamurthy H, Kudalkar S, Mayhood TW, McKenna PM, Murray EM, Nahas D, Nawrat CC, Park S, Qian D, Roecker AJ, Sharma V, Shipe WD, Su J, Taggart RV, Truong Q, Wu Y, Zhou X, Zhuang N, Perlin DS, Olsen DB, Howe JA, McCauley JA. Invention of MK-7845, a SARS-CoV-2 3CL Protease Inhibitor Employing a Novel Difluorinated Glutamine Mimic. J Med Chem 2024; 67:3935-3958. [PMID: 38365209 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
As SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate, antiviral treatments are needed to complement vaccines. The virus's main protease, 3CLPro, is an attractive drug target in part because it recognizes a unique cleavage site, which features a glutamine residue at the P1 position and is not utilized by human proteases. Herein, we report the invention of MK-7845, a novel reversible covalent 3CLPro inhibitor. While most covalent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro reported to date contain an amide as a Gln mimic at P1, MK-7845 bears a difluorobutyl substituent at this position. SAR analysis and X-ray crystallographic studies indicate that this group interacts with His163, the same residue that forms a hydrogen bond with the amide substituents typically found at P1. In addition to promising in vivo efficacy and an acceptable projected human dose with unboosted pharmacokinetics, MK-7845 exhibits favorable properties for both solubility and absorption that may be attributable to the unusual difluorobutyl substituent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark E Layton
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Craig A Parish
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - James J Perkins
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - John D Schreier
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Yunyi Wang
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Gregory C Adam
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Nadine Alvarez
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Tamara D Cabalu
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Brian T Campbell
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Steven S Carroll
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Wonsuk Chang
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | | | - Enriko Dolgov
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - John F Fay
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Nicholas G Fox
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Shih Lin Goh
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | | | - Danielle M Hurzy
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Michael J Kelly
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Daniel J Klein
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | | | | | - Shalley Kudalkar
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Todd W Mayhood
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Philip M McKenna
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Edward M Murray
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Debbie Nahas
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | | | - Steven Park
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | | | | | - Vijeta Sharma
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - William D Shipe
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Jing Su
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Robert V Taggart
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Quang Truong
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Yin Wu
- Viva Biotech Ltd., Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhou
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | | | - David S Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - David B Olsen
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - John A Howe
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - John A McCauley
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chan HTH, Brewitz L, Lukacik P, Strain-Damerell C, Walsh MA, Schofield CJ, Duarte F. Studies on the selectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease reveal the importance of the P2' proline of the viral polyprotein. RSC Chem Biol 2024; 5:117-130. [PMID: 38333195 PMCID: PMC10849127 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00128h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) is an antiviral drug target that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the viral polyproteins pp1a/1ab, so releasing the non-structural proteins (nsps) 1-3 that are essential for the coronavirus lifecycle. The LXGG↓X motif in pp1a/1ab is crucial for recognition and cleavage by PLpro. We describe molecular dynamics, docking, and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations to investigate how oligopeptide substrates derived from the viral polyprotein bind to PLpro. The results reveal how the substrate sequence affects the efficiency of PLpro-catalyzed hydrolysis. In particular, a proline at the P2' position promotes catalysis, as validated by residue substitutions and mass spectrometry-based analyses. Analysis of PLpro catalyzed hydrolysis of LXGG motif-containing oligopeptides derived from human proteins suggests that factors beyond the LXGG motif and the presence of a proline residue at P2' contribute to catalytic efficiency, possibly reflecting the promiscuity of PLpro. The results will help in identifying PLpro substrates and guiding inhibitor design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H T Henry Chan
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Lennart Brewitz
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Petra Lukacik
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0DE UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0FA UK
| | - Claire Strain-Damerell
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0DE UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0FA UK
| | - Martin A Walsh
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0DE UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0FA UK
| | - Christopher J Schofield
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Fernanda Duarte
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Huang CY, Metz A, Lange R, Artico N, Potot C, Hazemann J, Müller M, Dos Santos M, Chambovey A, Ritz D, Eris D, Meyer S, Bourquin G, Sharpe M, Mac Sweeney A. Fragment-based screening targeting an open form of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease binding pocket. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:123-136. [PMID: 38289714 PMCID: PMC10836397 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324000329] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
To identify starting points for therapeutics targeting SARS-CoV-2, the Paul Scherrer Institute and Idorsia decided to collaboratively perform an X-ray crystallographic fragment screen against its main protease. Fragment-based screening was carried out using crystals with a pronounced open conformation of the substrate-binding pocket. Of 631 soaked fragments, a total of 29 hits bound either in the active site (24 hits), a remote binding pocket (three hits) or at crystal-packing interfaces (two hits). Notably, two fragments with a pose that was sterically incompatible with a more occluded crystal form were identified. Two isatin-based electrophilic fragments bound covalently to the catalytic cysteine residue. The structures also revealed a surprisingly strong influence of the crystal form on the binding pose of three published fragments used as positive controls, with implications for fragment screening by crystallography.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chia Ying Huang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Metz
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Roland Lange
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Nadia Artico
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Céline Potot
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | - Manon Müller
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Daniel Ritz
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Deniz Eris
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Solange Meyer
- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | - May Sharpe
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Mustali J, Yasuda I, Hirano Y, Yasuoka K, Gautieri A, Arai N. Unsupervised deep learning for molecular dynamics simulations: a novel analysis of protein-ligand interactions in SARS-CoV-2 M pro. RSC Adv 2023; 13:34249-34261. [PMID: 38019981 PMCID: PMC10663885 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra06375e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which are central to drug discovery, offer detailed insights into protein-ligand interactions. However, analyzing large MD datasets remains a challenge. Current machine-learning solutions are predominantly supervised and have data labelling and standardisation issues. In this study, we adopted an unsupervised deep-learning framework, previously benchmarked for rigid proteins, to study the more flexible SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). We ran MD simulations of Mpro with various ligands and refined the data by focusing on binding-site residues and time frames in stable protein conformations. The optimal descriptor chosen was the distance between the residues and the center of the binding pocket. Using this approach, a local dynamic ensemble was generated and fed into our neural network to compute Wasserstein distances across system pairs, revealing ligand-induced conformational differences in Mpro. Dimensionality reduction yielded an embedding map that correlated ligand-induced dynamics and binding affinity. Notably, the high-affinity compounds showed pronounced effects on the protein's conformations. We also identified the key residues that contributed to these differences. Our findings emphasize the potential of combining unsupervised deep learning with MD simulations to extract valuable information and accelerate drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mustali
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano Italy
| | - Ikki Yasuda
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University Japan
| | | | - Kenji Yasuoka
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University Japan
| | - Alfonso Gautieri
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano Italy
| | - Noriyoshi Arai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Aniana A, Nashed NT, Ghirlando R, Coates L, Kneller DW, Kovalevsky A, Louis JM. Insights into the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 main protease autocatalytic maturation from model precursors. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1159. [PMID: 37957287 PMCID: PMC10643566 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05469-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A critical step for SARS-CoV-2 assembly and maturation involves the autoactivation of the main protease (MProWT) from precursor polyproteins. Upon expression, a model precursor of MProWT mediates its own release at its termini rapidly to yield a mature dimer. A construct with an E290A mutation within MPro exhibits time dependent autoprocessing of the accumulated precursor at the N-terminal nsp4/nsp5 site followed by the C-terminal nsp5/nsp6 cleavage. In contrast, a precursor containing E290A and R298A mutations (MProM) displays cleavage only at the nsp4/nsp5 site to yield an intermediate monomeric product, which is cleaved at the nsp5/nsp6 site only by MProWT. MProM and the catalytic domain (MPro1-199) fused to the truncated nsp4 region also show time-dependent conversion in vitro to produce MProM and MPro1-199, respectively. The reactions follow first-order kinetics indicating that the nsp4/nsp5 cleavage occurs via an intramolecular mechanism. These results support a mechanism involving an N-terminal intramolecular cleavage leading to an increase in the dimer population and followed by an intermolecular cleavage at the C-terminus. Thus, targeting the predominantly monomeric MPro precursor for inhibition may lead to the identification of potent drugs for treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annie Aniana
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
| | - Nashaat T Nashed
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
| | - Leighton Coates
- Second Target Station, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Daniel W Kneller
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
- New England Biolabs, 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938-2723, USA
| | - Andrey Kovalevsky
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
| | - John M Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Mahmud S, Morehead A, Cheng J. Accurate prediction of protein tertiary structural changes induced by single-site mutations with equivariant graph neural networks. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560758. [PMID: 37873289 PMCID: PMC10592624 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Predicting the change of protein tertiary structure caused by singlesite mutations is important for studying protein structure, function, and interaction. Even though computational protein structure prediction methods such as AlphaFold can predict the overall tertiary structures of most proteins rather accurately, they are not sensitive enough to accurately predict the structural changes induced by single-site amino acid mutations on proteins. Specialized mutation prediction methods mostly focus on predicting the overall stability or function changes caused by mutations without attempting to predict the exact mutation-induced structural changes, limiting their use in protein mutation study. In this work, we develop the first deep learning method based on equivariant graph neural networks (EGNN) to directly predict the tertiary structural changes caused by single-site mutations and the tertiary structure of any protein mutant from the structure of its wild-type counterpart. The results show that it performs substantially better in predicting the tertiary structures of protein mutants than the widely used protein structure prediction method AlphaFold.
Collapse
|
13
|
Wralstad EC, Sayers J, Raines RT. Bayesian Inference Elucidates the Catalytic Competency of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease 3CL pro. Anal Chem 2023; 95:14981-14989. [PMID: 37750823 PMCID: PMC10662973 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The main protease of SARS-CoV-2, 3CLpro, is a dimeric enzyme that is indispensable to viral replication and presents an attractive opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Previous reports regarding the key properties of 3CLpro and its highly similar SARS-CoV homologue conflict dramatically. Values of the dimeric Kd and enzymic kcat/KM differ by 106- and 103-fold, respectively. Establishing a confident benchmark of the intrinsic capabilities of this enzyme is essential for combating the current pandemic as well as potential future outbreaks. Here, we use enzymatic methods to characterize the dimerization and catalytic efficiency of the authentic protease from SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, we use the rigor of Bayesian inference in a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis of progress curves to circumvent the limitations of traditional Michaelis-Menten initial rate analysis. We report that SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro forms a dimer at pH 7.5 that has Kd = 16 ± 4 nM and is capable of catalysis with kcat = 9.9 ± 1.5 s-1, KM = 0.23 ± 0.01 mM, and kcat/KM = (4.3 ± 0.7) × 104 M-1 s-1. We also find that enzymatic activity decreases substantially in solutions of high ionic strength, largely as a consequence of impaired dimerization. We conclude that 3CLpro is a more capable catalyst than appreciated previously, which has important implications for the design of antiviral therapeutic agents that target 3CLpro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evans C Wralstad
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jessica Sayers
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ronald T Raines
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Xu L, Chen R, Liu J, Patterson TA, Hong H. Analyzing 3D structures of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease reveals structural features of ligand binding for COVID-19 drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103727. [PMID: 37516343 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease has an essential role in viral replication and has become a major target for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) drug development. Various inhibitors have been discovered or designed to bind to the main protease. The availability of more than 550 3D structures of the main protease provides a wealth of structural details on the main protease in both ligand-free and ligand-bound states. Therefore, we examined these structures to ascertain the structural features for the role of the main protease in the cleavage of polyproteins, the alternative conformations during main protease maturation, and ligand interactions in the main protease. The structural features unearthed could promote the development of COVID-19 drugs targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Xu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Ru Chen
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Tucker A Patterson
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Huixiao Hong
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Gammeltoft KA, Zhou Y, Ryberg LA, Pham LV, Binderup A, Hernandez CRD, Offersgaard A, Fahnøe U, Peters GHJ, Ramirez S, Bukh J, Gottwein JM. Substitutions in SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Selected by Protease Inhibitor Boceprevir Confer Resistance to Nirmatrelvir. Viruses 2023; 15:1970. [PMID: 37766376 PMCID: PMC10536901 DOI: 10.3390/v15091970] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir, which targets the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), is the first-in-line drug for prevention and treatment of severe COVID-19, and additional Mpro inhibitors are in development. However, the risk of resistance development threatens the future efficacy of such direct-acting antivirals. To gain knowledge on viral correlates of resistance to Mpro inhibitors, we selected resistant SARS-CoV-2 under treatment with the nirmatrelvir-related protease inhibitor boceprevir. SARS-CoV-2 selected during five escape experiments in VeroE6 cells showed cross-resistance to nirmatrelvir with up to 7.3-fold increased half-maximal effective concentration compared to original SARS-CoV-2, determined in concentration-response experiments. Sequence analysis revealed that escape viruses harbored Mpro substitutions L50F and A173V. For reverse genetic studies, these substitutions were introduced into a cell-culture-infectious SARS-CoV-2 clone. Infectivity titration and analysis of genetic stability of cell-culture-derived engineered SARS-CoV-2 mutants showed that L50F rescued the fitness cost conferred by A173V. In the concentration-response experiments, A173V was the main driver of resistance to boceprevir and nirmatrelvir. Structural analysis of Mpro suggested that A173V can cause resistance by making boceprevir and nirmatrelvir binding less favorable. This study contributes to a comprehensive overview of the resistance profile of the first-in-line COVID-19 treatment nirmatrelvir and can thus inform population monitoring and contribute to pandemic preparedness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Anbro Gammeltoft
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yuyong Zhou
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Line Abildgaard Ryberg
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Long V. Pham
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alekxander Binderup
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos Rene Duarte Hernandez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Offersgaard
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Fahnøe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Judith Margarete Gottwein
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark; (K.A.G.); (Y.Z.); (L.A.R.); (L.V.P.); (A.B.); (C.R.D.H.); (A.O.); (U.F.); (S.R.); (J.B.)
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
D′Oliviera A, Dai X, Mottaghinia S, Geissler EP, Etienne L, Zhang Y, Mugridge JS. Recognition and Cleavage of Human tRNA Methyltransferase TRMT1 by the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.20.529306. [PMID: 36865253 PMCID: PMC9980103 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.20.529306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is critical for the production of functional viral proteins during infection and, like many viral proteases, can also target host proteins to subvert their cellular functions. Here, we show that the human tRNA methyltransferase TRMT1 can be recognized and cleaved by SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. TRMT1 installs the N2,N2-dimethylguanosine (m2,2G) modification on mammalian tRNAs, which promotes global protein synthesis and cellular redox homeostasis. We find that Mpro can cleave endogenous TRMT1 in human cell lysate, resulting in removal of the TRMT1 zinc finger domain required for tRNA modification activity in cells. Evolutionary analysis shows that the TRMT1 cleavage site is highly conserved in mammals, except in Muroidea, where TRMT1 may be resistant to cleavage. In primates, regions outside the cleavage site with rapid evolution could indicate adaptation to ancient viral pathogens. We determined the structure of a TRMT1 peptide in complex with Mpro, revealing a substrate binding conformation distinct from the majority of available Mpro-peptide complexes. Kinetic parameters for peptide cleavage showed that the TRMT1(526-536) sequence is cleaved with comparable efficiency to the Mpro-targeted nsp8/9 viral cleavage site. Mutagenesis studies and molecular dynamics simulations together indicate that kinetic discrimination occurs during a later step of Mpro-mediated proteolysis that follows substrate binding. Our results provide new information about the structural basis for Mpro substrate recognition and cleavage that could help inform future therapeutic design and raise the possibility that proteolysis of human TRMT1 during SARS-CoV-2 infection suppresses protein translation and oxidative stress response to impact viral pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angel D′Oliviera
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
| | - Xuhang Dai
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Saba Mottaghinia
- CIRI (Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - Evan P. Geissler
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
| | - Lucie Etienne
- CIRI (Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie), Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - Yingkai Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY 10003
- Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry at New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Jeffrey S. Mugridge
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wang J, Zhang M, Ding Y, Lin Y, Xue Y, Wang X, Wang X. Coronaviral Main Protease Induces LPCAT3 Cleavage and Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress. Viruses 2023; 15:1696. [PMID: 37632038 PMCID: PMC10457833 DOI: 10.3390/v15081696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic coronaviruses infect mammals and birds, causing pulmonary and gastrointestinal infections. Some animal coronaviruses, such as the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), lead to severe diarrhea and animal deaths. Gastrointestinal symptoms were also found in COVID-19 and SARS patients. However, the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal symptoms in coronavirus diseases remains elusive. In this study, the main protease-induced LPCAT3 cleavage was monitored by exogenous gene expression and protease inhibitors, and the related regulation of gene expression was confirmed by qRT-PCR and gene knockdown. Interestingly, LPCAT3 plays an important role in lipid absorption in the intestines. The Mpro of coronaviruses causing diarrhea, such as PEDV and MERS-CoV, but not the Mpro of HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1, which could induce LPCAT3 cleavage. Mutagenesis analysis and inhibitor experiments indicated that LPCAT3 cleavage was independent of the catalytic activity of Mpro. Moreover, LPCAT3 cleavage in cells boosted CHOP and GRP78 expression, which were biomarkers of ER stress. Since LPCAT3 is critical for lipid absorption in the intestines and malabsorption may lead to diarrhea in coronavirus diseases, Mpro-induced LPCAT3 cleavage might trigger gastrointestinal symptoms during coronavirus infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.W.); (M.Z.); (Y.D.); (Y.L.)
| | - Meifang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.W.); (M.Z.); (Y.D.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education and One Health Institute, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yanli Ding
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.W.); (M.Z.); (Y.D.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yuxi Lin
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.W.); (M.Z.); (Y.D.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yan Xue
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China;
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College, Qingdao 266100, China;
| | - Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.W.); (M.Z.); (Y.D.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education and One Health Institute, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Song Li’ Academician Workstation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Sanya 572000, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ou J, Lewandowski EM, Hu Y, Lipinski AA, Aljasser A, Colon-Ascanio M, Morgan RT, Jacobs LMC, Zhang X, Bikowitz MJ, Langlais PR, Tan H, Wang J, Chen Y, Choy JS. A yeast-based system to study SARS-CoV-2 Mpro structure and to identify nirmatrelvir resistant mutations. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011592. [PMID: 37651467 PMCID: PMC10499260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is a major therapeutic target. The Mpro inhibitor, nirmatrelvir, is the antiviral component of Paxlovid, an orally available treatment for COVID-19. As Mpro inhibitor use increases, drug resistant mutations will likely emerge. We have established a non-pathogenic system, in which yeast growth serves as an approximation for Mpro activity, enabling rapid identification of mutants with altered enzymatic activity and drug sensitivity. The E166 residue is known to be a potential hot spot for drug resistance and yeast assays identified substitutions which conferred strong nirmatrelvir resistance and others that compromised activity. On the other hand, N142A and the P132H mutation, carried by the Omicron variant, caused little to no change in drug response and activity. Standard enzymatic assays confirmed the yeast results. In turn, we solved the structures of Mpro E166R, and Mpro E166N, providing insights into how arginine may drive drug resistance while asparagine leads to reduced activity. The work presented here will help characterize novel resistant variants of Mpro that may arise as Mpro antivirals become more widely used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ou
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, The Catholic University of America, Washington, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Eric M. Lewandowski
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Yanmei Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Austin A. Lipinski
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Ali Aljasser
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, The Catholic University of America, Washington, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Mariliz Colon-Ascanio
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, The Catholic University of America, Washington, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Ryan T. Morgan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Lian M. C. Jacobs
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
- Drug Discovery Department, Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Xiujun Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Melissa J. Bikowitz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Paul R. Langlais
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Haozhou Tan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - John S. Choy
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, The Catholic University of America, Washington, Washington DC, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Varela K, Arman HD, Berger MS, Sponsel VM, Lin CHA, Yoshimoto FK. Inhibition of Cysteine Proteases via Thiol-Michael Addition Explains the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 and Bioactive Properties of Arteannuin B. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2023; 86:1654-1666. [PMID: 37458412 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c01146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Artemisia annua is the plant that produces artemisinin, an endoperoxide-containing sesquiterpenoid used for the treatment of malaria. A. annua extracts, which contain other bioactive compounds, have been used to treat other diseases, including cancer and COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. In this study, a methyl ester derivative of arteannuin B was isolated when A. annua leaves were extracted with a 1:1 mixture of methanol and dichloromethane. This methyl ester was thought to be formed from the reaction between arteannuin B and the extracting solvent, which was supported by the fact that arteannuin B underwent 1,2-addition when it was dissolved in deuteromethanol. In contrast, in the presence of N-acetylcysteine methyl ester, a 1,4-addition (thiol-Michael reaction) occurred. Arteannuin B hindered the activity of the SARS CoV-2 main protease (nonstructural protein 5, NSP5), a cysteine protease, through time-dependent inhibition. The active site cysteine residue of NSP5 (cysteine-145) formed a covalent bond with arteannuin B as determined by mass spectrometry. In order to determine whether cysteine adduction by arteannuin B can inhibit the development of cancer cells, similar experiments were performed with caspase-8, the cysteine protease enzyme overexpressed in glioblastoma. Time-dependent inhibition and cysteine adduction assays suggested arteannuin B inhibits caspase-8 and adducts to the active site cysteine residue (cysteine-360), respectively. Overall, these results enhance our understanding of how A. annua possesses antiviral and cytotoxic activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Varela
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | - Hadi D Arman
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | - Mitchel S Berger
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94122, United States
| | - Valerie M Sponsel
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | - Chin-Hsing Annie Lin
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | - Francis K Yoshimoto
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lin X, Sha Z, Trimpert J, Kunec D, Jiang C, Xiong Y, Xu B, Zhu Z, Xue W, Wu H. The NSP4 T492I mutation increases SARS-CoV-2 infectivity by altering non-structural protein cleavage. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:1170-1184.e7. [PMID: 37402373 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.06.002] [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: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
The historically dominant SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and the currently dominant Omicron variants carry a T492I substitution within the non-structural protein 4 (NSP4). Based on in silico analyses, we hypothesized that the T492I mutation increases viral transmissibility and adaptability, which we confirmed with competition experiments in hamster and human airway tissue culture models. Furthermore, we showed that the T492I mutation increases the replication capacity and infectiveness of the virus and improves its ability to evade host immune responses. Mechanistically, the T492I mutation increases the cleavage efficiency of the viral main protease NSP5 by enhancing enzyme-substrate binding, which increases production of nearly all non-structural proteins processed by NSP5. Importantly, the T492I mutation suppresses viral-RNA-associated chemokine production in monocytic macrophages, which may contribute to the attenuated pathogenicity of Omicron variants. Our results highlight the importance of NSP4 adaptation in the evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyuan Lin
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, No.55 Daxuecheng South Road, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China; Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Zhou Sha
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, No.55 Daxuecheng South Road, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Jakob Trimpert
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dusan Kunec
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 7, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Chen Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, No.55 Daxuecheng South Road, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Yan Xiong
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, No.55 Daxuecheng South Road, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Binbin Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, No.55 Daxuecheng South Road, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Zhenglin Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, No.55 Daxuecheng South Road, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China.
| | - Weiwei Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, No.55 Daxuecheng South Road, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China.
| | - Haibo Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, No.55 Daxuecheng South Road, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Chan HT, Oliveira ASF, Schofield CJ, Mulholland AJ, Duarte F. Dynamical Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations Identify Allosteric Sites and Positions Associated with Drug Resistance in the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. JACS AU 2023; 3:1767-1774. [PMID: 37384148 PMCID: PMC10262681 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) plays an essential role in the coronavirus lifecycle by catalyzing hydrolysis of the viral polyproteins at specific sites. Mpro is the target of drugs, such as nirmatrelvir, though resistant mutants have emerged that threaten drug efficacy. Despite its importance, questions remain on the mechanism of how Mpro binds its substrates. Here, we apply dynamical nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (D-NEMD) simulations to evaluate structural and dynamical responses of Mpro to the presence and absence of a substrate. The results highlight communication between the Mpro dimer subunits and identify networks, including some far from the active site, that link the active site with a known allosteric inhibition site, or which are associated with nirmatrelvir resistance. They imply that some mutations enable resistance by altering the allosteric behavior of Mpro. More generally, the results show the utility of the D-NEMD technique for identifying functionally relevant allosteric sites and networks including those relevant to resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H. T.
Henry Chan
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - A. Sofia F. Oliveira
- Centre
for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
- School
of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Christopher J. Schofield
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Adrian J. Mulholland
- Centre
for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Fernanda Duarte
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Kovalevsky A, Aniana A, Coates L, Bonnesen PV, Nashed NT, Louis JM. Contribution of the catalytic dyad of SARS-CoV-2 main protease to binding covalent and noncovalent inhibitors. J Biol Chem 2023:104886. [PMID: 37271339 PMCID: PMC10238122 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104886] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of mutations of the catalytic dyad residues of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (MProWT) on the thermodynamics of binding of covalent inhibitors comprising nitrile [nirmatrelvir (NMV), NBH2], aldehyde (GC373) and ketone (BBH1) warheads to MPro is examined together with room temperature X-ray crystallography. When lacking the nucleophilic C145, NMV binding is ∼400-fold weaker corresponding to 3.5 kcal/mol and 13.3 °C decreases in free energy (ΔG) and thermal stability (Tm), respectively, relative to MProWT. The H41A mutation results in a 20-fold increase in the dissociation constant (Kd), and 1.7 kcal/mol and 1.4 °C decreases in ΔG and Tm, respectively. Increasing the pH from 7.2 to 8.2 enhances NMV binding to MProH41A, whereas no significant change is observed in binding to MProWT. Structures of the four inhibitor complexes with MPro1-304/C145A show that the active site geometries of the complexes are nearly identical to that of MProWT with the nucleophilic sulfur of C145 positioned to react with the nitrile or the carbonyl carbon. These results support a two-step mechanism for the formation of the covalent complex involving an initial non-covalent binding followed by a nucleophilic attack by the thiolate anion of C145 on the warhead carbon. Noncovalent inhibitor ensitrelvir (ESV) exhibits a binding affinity to MProWT that is similar to NMV but differs in its thermodynamic signature from NMV. The binding of ESV to MProC145A also results in a significant, but smaller, increase in Kd and decrease in ΔG and Tm, relative to NMV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Kovalevsky
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
| | - Annie Aniana
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Leighton Coates
- Second Target Station, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Peter V Bonnesen
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Nashaat T Nashed
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - John M Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Choudhary P, Singh T, Amod A, Singh S. Evaluation of phytoconstituents of Tinospora cordifolia against K417N and N501Y mutant spike glycoprotein and main protease of SARS-CoV-2- an in silico study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:4106-4123. [PMID: 35467486 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2062787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused appalling conditions over the globe, which is currently faced by the entire human population. One of the primary reasons behind the uncontrollable situation is the lack of specific therapeutics. In such conditions, drug repurposing of available drugs (viz. Chloroquine, Lopinavir, etc.) has been proposed, but various clinical and preclinical investigations indicated the toxicity and adverse side effects of these drugs. This study explores the inhibition potency of phytochemicals from Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy) against SARS CoV-2 drugable targets (spike glycoprotein and Mpro proteins) using molecular docking and MD simulation studies. ADMET, virtual screening, MD simulation, postsimulation analysis (RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, PCA, FES) and MM-PBSA calculations were carried out to predict the inhibition efficacy of the phytochemicals against SARS CoV-2 targets. Tinospora compounds showed better binding affinity than the corresponding reference. Their binding affinity ranges from -9.63 to -5.68 kcal/mole with spike protein and -10.27 to -7.25 kcal/mole with main protease. Further 100 ns exhaustive simulation studies and MM-PBSA calculations supported favorable and stable binding of them. This work identifies Nine Tinospora compounds as potential inhibitors. Among those, 7-desacetoxy-6,7-dehydrogedunin was found to inhibit both spike (7NEG) and Mpro (7MGS and 6LU7) proteins, and Columbin was found to inhibit selected spike targets (7NEG and 7NX7). In all the analyses, these compounds performed well and confirms the stable binding. Hence the identified compounds, advocated as potential inhibitors can be taken for further in vitro and in vivo experimental validation to determine their anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Princy Choudhary
- Applied Science Department, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Tanu Singh
- Applied Science Department, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ayush Amod
- Applied Science Department, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sangeeta Singh
- Applied Science Department, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Beia ZC, Yu H, Wang H, Li Q, Wang B, Zhang D, Xu L, Zhao L, Dong S, Song Y. Orthogonal dual reporter-based gain-of-signal assay for probing SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease activity in living cells: inhibitor identification and mutation investigation. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2211688. [PMID: 37144395 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2211688] [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: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The main protease (3-chymotrypsin-like protease, 3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 has become a focus of anti-coronavirus research. Despite efforts, drug development targeting 3CLpro has been hampered by limitations in the currently available activity assays. Additionally, the emergence of 3CLpro mutations in circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants has raised concerns about potential resistance. Both emphasize the need for a more reliable, sensitive, and facile 3CLpro assay. Here, we report an orthogonal dual reporter-based gain-of-signal assay for measuring 3CLpro activity in living cells. It builds on the finding that 3CLpro induces cytotoxicity and reporter expression suppression, which can be rescued by its inhibitor or mutation. This assay circumvents most limitations in previously reported assays, especially false positives caused by nonspecific compounds and signal interference from test compounds. It is also convenient and robust for high throughput screening of compounds and comparing the drug susceptibilities of mutants. Using this assay, we screened 1789 compounds, including natural products and protease inhibitors, with 45 compounds that have been reported to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro among them. Except for the approved drug PF-07321332, only five of these inhibit 3CLpro in our assays: GC376; PF-00835231; S-217622; Boceprevir; and Z-FA-FMK. The susceptibilities of seven 3CLpro mutants prevalent in circulating variants to PF-07321332, S-217622, and GC376 were also assessed. Three mutants were identified as being less susceptible to PF-07321322 (P132H) and S-217622 (G15S, T21I). This assay should greatly facilitate the development of novel 3CLpro-targeted drugs and the monitoring of the susceptibility of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants to 3CLpro inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhu-Chun Beia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Huanhuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
- The Affiliated AnNing First Hospital, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Qingyun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
- Clinical laboratory, No.985 hospital, Joint Support Unit, Chinese People's Liberation Army, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Baogang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Dongna Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Likun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Liangliang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Shuwei Dong
- The Affiliated AnNing First Hospital, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yabin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Dampalla CS, Miller MJ, Kim Y, Zabiegala A, Nguyen HN, Madden TK, Thurman HA, Machen AJ, Cooper A, Liu L, Battaile KP, Lovell S, Chang KO, Groutas WC. Structure-guided design of direct-acting antivirals that exploit the gem-dimethyl effect and potently inhibit 3CL proteases of severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Eur J Med Chem 2023; 254:115376. [PMID: 37080108 PMCID: PMC10105399 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The high morbidity and mortality associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the etiological agent of COVID-19, has had a major impact on global public health. Significant progress has been made in the development of an array of vaccines and biologics, however, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and breakthrough infections are an ongoing major concern. Furthermore, there is an existing paucity of small-molecule host and virus-directed therapeutics and prophylactics that can be used to counter the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and any emerging and re-emerging coronaviruses. We describe herein our efforts to address this urgent need by focusing on the structure-guided design of potent broad-spectrum inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease (3CLpro or Main protease), an enzyme essential for viral replication. The inhibitors exploit the directional effects associated with the presence of a gem-dimethyl group that allow the inhibitors to optimally interact with the S4 subsite of the enzyme. Several compounds were found to potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV 3CL proteases in biochemical and cell-based assays. Specifically, the EC50 values of aldehyde 1c and its corresponding bisulfite adduct 1d against SARS-CoV-2 were found to be 12 and 10 nM, respectively, and their CC50 values were >50 μM. Furthermore, deuteration of these compounds yielded compounds 2c/2d with EC50 values 11 and 12 nM, respectively. Replacement of the aldehyde warhead with a nitrile (CN) or an α-ketoamide warhead or its corresponding bisulfite adduct yielded compounds 1g, 1eand1f with EC50 values 60, 50 and 70 nM, respectively. High-resolution cocrystal structures have identified the structural determinants associated with the binding of the inhibitors to the active site of the enzyme and, furthermore, have illuminated the mechanism of action of the inhibitors. Overall, the high Safety Index (SI) (SI=CC50/EC50) displayed by these compounds suggests that they are well-suited to conducting further preclinical studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chamandi S Dampalla
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA
| | - Matthew J Miller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA
| | - Yunjeong Kim
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Alexandria Zabiegala
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Harry Nhat Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA
| | - Trent K Madden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA
| | - Hayden A Thurman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA
| | - Alexandra J Machen
- Protein Structure and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66047, USA
| | - Anne Cooper
- Protein Structure and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66047, USA
| | - Lijun Liu
- Protein Structure and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66047, USA
| | | | - Scott Lovell
- Protein Structure and X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66047, USA
| | - Kyeong-Ok Chang
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.
| | - William C Groutas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Narwal M, Armache JP, Edwards TJ, Murakami KS. SARS-CoV-2 polyprotein substrate regulates the stepwise M pro cleavage reaction. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104697. [PMID: 37044215 PMCID: PMC10084705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104697] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The processing of the Coronavirus polyproteins pp1a and pp1ab by the main protease Mpro to produce mature proteins is a crucial event in virus replication and a promising target for antiviral drug development. Mpro cleaves polyproteins in a defined order, but how Mpro and/or the polyproteins determine the order of cleavage remains enigmatic due to a lack of structural information about polyprotein-bound Mpro. Here, we present the cryo-EM structures of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in an apo form and in complex with the nsp7-10 region of the pp1a polyprotein. The complex structure shows that Mpro interacts with only the recognition site residues between nsp9 and nsp10, without any association with the rest of the polyprotein. Comparison between the apo form and polyprotein-bound structures of Mpro highlights the flexible nature of the active site region of Mpro, which allows it to accommodate 10 recognition sites found in the polyprotein. These observations suggest that the role of Mpro in selecting a preferred cleavage site is limited and underscore the roles of the structure, conformation and/or dynamics of the polyproteins in determining the sequence of polyprotein cleavage by Mpro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manju Narwal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jean-Paul Armache
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Structural Biology, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Thomas J Edwards
- National Cryo-EM Facility, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Katsuhiko S Murakami
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Structural Biology, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Sawang N, Phongphanphanee S, Wong-ekkabut J, Sutthibutpong T. Biophysical Interpretation of Evolutionary Consequences on the SARS-CoV2 Main Protease through Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Network Topology Analysis. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:2331-2343. [PMID: 36913683 PMCID: PMC10022058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c08312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we present a combined analysis procedure between atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and network topology to obtain more understanding on the evolutionary consequences on protein stability and substrate binding of the main protease enzyme of SARS-CoV2. Communicability matrices of the protein residue networks (PRNs) were extracted from MD trajectories of both Mpro enzymes in complex with the nsp8/9 peptide substrate to compare the local communicability within both proteases that would affect the enzyme function, along with biophysical details on global protein conformation, flexibility, and contribution of amino acid side chains to both intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. The analysis displayed the significance of the mutated residue 46 with the highest communicability gain to the binding pocket closure. Interestingly, the mutated residue 134 with the highest communicability loss corresponded to a local structural disruption of the adjacent peptide loop. The enhanced flexibility of the disrupted loop connecting to the catalytic residue Cys145 introduced an extra binding mode that brought the substrate in proximity and could facilitate the reaction. This understanding might provide further help in the drug development strategy against SARS-CoV2 and prove the capability of the combined techniques of MD simulations and network topology analysis as a "reverse" protein engineering tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuttawat Sawang
- Theoretical
and Computational Physics Group, Department of Physics, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi
(KMUTT), 126 Pracha-Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thrung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Center
of Excellence in Theoretical and Computational Science (TaCS-CoE),
Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s
University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), 126 Pracha Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
| | - Saree Phongphanphanee
- Computational
Biomodelling Laboratory for Agricultural Science and Technology (CBLAST),
Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Thailand
Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP Center), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Department
of Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Jirasak Wong-ekkabut
- Computational
Biomodelling Laboratory for Agricultural Science and Technology (CBLAST),
Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Thailand
Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP Center), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Department
of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart
University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Thana Sutthibutpong
- Theoretical
and Computational Physics Group, Department of Physics, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi
(KMUTT), 126 Pracha-Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thrung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Center
of Excellence in Theoretical and Computational Science (TaCS-CoE),
Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s
University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), 126 Pracha Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Computational
Biomodelling Laboratory for Agricultural Science and Technology (CBLAST),
Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Joshi RP, Schultz KJ, Wilson JW, Kruel A, Varikoti RA, Kombala CJ, Kneller DW, Galanie S, Phillips G, Zhang Q, Coates L, Parvathareddy J, Surendranathan S, Kong Y, Clyde A, Ramanathan A, Jonsson CB, Brandvold KR, Zhou M, Head MS, Kovalevsky A, Kumar N. AI-Accelerated Design of Targeted Covalent Inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1438-1453. [PMID: 36808989 PMCID: PMC9969887 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Direct-acting antivirals for the treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus are needed to complement vaccination efforts. Given the ongoing emergence of new variants, automated experimentation, and active learning based fast workflows for antiviral lead discovery remain critical to our ability to address the pandemic's evolution in a timely manner. While several such pipelines have been introduced to discover candidates with noncovalent interactions with the main protease (Mpro), here we developed a closed-loop artificial intelligence pipeline to design electrophilic warhead-based covalent candidates. This work introduces a deep learning-assisted automated computational workflow to introduce linkers and an electrophilic "warhead" to design covalent candidates and incorporates cutting-edge experimental techniques for validation. Using this process, promising candidates in the library were screened, and several potential hits were identified and tested experimentally using native mass spectrometry and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based screening assays. We identified four chloroacetamide-based covalent inhibitors of Mpro with micromolar affinities (KI of 5.27 μM) using our pipeline. Experimentally resolved binding modes for each compound were determined using room-temperature X-ray crystallography, which is consistent with the predicted poses. The induced conformational changes based on molecular dynamics simulations further suggest that the dynamics may be an important factor to further improve selectivity, thereby effectively lowering KI and reducing toxicity. These results demonstrate the utility of our modular and data-driven approach for potent and selective covalent inhibitor discovery and provide a platform to apply it to other emerging targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajendra P. Joshi
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
99352, United States
| | - Katherine J. Schultz
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
99352, United States
| | - Jesse William Wilson
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
99352, United States
| | - Agustin Kruel
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
99352, United States
| | - Rohith Anand Varikoti
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
99352, United States
| | - Chathuri J. Kombala
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Department of
Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Washington State University,
Spokane, Washington 99202, United States
| | - Daniel W. Kneller
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United
States
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
| | - Stephanie Galanie
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United
States
- Department of Process Research and Development,
Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New
Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Gwyndalyn Phillips
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United
States
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
| | - Qiu Zhang
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United
States
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
| | - Leighton Coates
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
- Second Target Station, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United
States
| | - Jyothi Parvathareddy
- Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, The
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38105,
United States
| | - Surekha Surendranathan
- Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, The
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38105,
United States
| | - Ying Kong
- Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, The
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38105,
United States
| | - Austin Clyde
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
- Data Science and Learning Division,
Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439,
United States
| | - Arvind Ramanathan
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
- Data Science and Learning Division,
Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439,
United States
| | - Colleen B. Jonsson
- Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, The
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38105,
United States
- Institute for the Study of Host-Pathogen Systems,
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis,
Tennessee 38103, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and
Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center,
Memphis, Tennessee 38103, United States
| | - Kristoffer R. Brandvold
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
99352, United States
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Department of
Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Washington State University,
Spokane, Washington 99202, United States
| | - Mowei Zhou
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
99352, United States
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
| | - Martha S. Head
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
- Joint Institute for Biological Sciences,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831,
United States
- Center for Research Acceleration by Digital
Innovation, Amgen Research, Thousand Oaks, California 91320,
United States
| | - Andrey Kovalevsky
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United
States
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
| | - Neeraj Kumar
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington
99352, United States
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory,
US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia
20585, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Potlitz F, Link A, Schulig L. Advances in the discovery of new chemotypes through ultra-large library docking. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:303-313. [PMID: 36714919 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2171984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The size and complexity of virtual screening libraries in drug discovery have skyrocketed in recent years, reaching up to multiple billions of accessible compounds. However, virtual screening of such ultra-large libraries poses several challenges associated with preparing the libraries, sampling, and pre-selection of suitable compounds. The utilization of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted screening approaches, such as deep learning, poses a promising countermeasure to deal with this rapidly expanding chemical space. For example, various AI-driven methods were recently successfully used to identify novel small molecule inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). AREAS COVERED This review focuses on presenting various kinds of virtual screening methods suitable for dealing with ultra-large libraries. Challenges associated with these computational methodologies are discussed, and recent advances are highlighted in the example of the discovery of novel Mpro inhibitors targeting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. EXPERT OPINION With the rapid expansion of the virtual chemical space, the methodologies for docking and screening such quantities of molecules need to keep pace. Employment of AI-driven screening compounds has already been shown to be effective in a range from a few thousand to multiple billion compounds, furthered by de novo generation of drug-like molecules without human interference.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Potlitz
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Andreas Link
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lukas Schulig
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Moritsugu K, Ekimoto T, Ikeguchi M, Kidera A. Binding and Unbinding Pathways of Peptide Substrates on the SARS-CoV-2 3CL Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:240-250. [PMID: 36539353 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Based on many crystal structures of ligand complexes, much study has been devoted to understanding the molecular recognition of SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease (3CLpro), a potent drug target for COVID-19. In this research, to extend this present static view, we examined the kinetic process of binding/unbinding of an eight-residue substrate peptide to/from 3CLpro by evaluating the path ensemble with the weighted ensemble simulation. The path ensemble showed the mechanism of how a highly flexible peptide folded into the bound form. At the early stage, the dominant motion was the diffusion on the protein surface showing a broad distribution, whose center was led into the cleft of the chymotrypsin fold. We observed a definite sequential formation of the hydrogen bonds at the later stage occurring in the cleft, initiated between Glu166 (3CLpro) and P3_Val (peptide), followed by binding to the oxyanion hole and completed by the sequence-specific recognition at P1_Gln.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kei Moritsugu
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehirocho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa230-0045, Japan.,Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2 Gakuencho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka599-8570, Japan
| | - Toru Ekimoto
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehirocho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa230-0045, Japan
| | - Mitsunori Ikeguchi
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehirocho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa230-0045, Japan
| | - Akinori Kidera
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehirocho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa230-0045, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Bulut H. Drug development targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Glob Health Med 2022; 4:296-300. [PMID: 36589216 PMCID: PMC9773221 DOI: 10.35772/ghm.2022.01066] [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: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants are responsible for the devastating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with more than 6.5 million deaths since 2019. Although a number of vaccines significantly reduced the mortality rate, a large number of the world population is yet being infected with highly contagious omicron variants/subvarints. Additional therapeutic interventions are needed to reduce hospitalization and curb the ongoing pandemic. The activity of the SARS-CoV-2 enzyme; chymotrypsin-like main protease (Mpro) is essential for the cleavage of viral nonstructural polypeptides into individual functional proteins and therefore Mpro is an attractive drug target. The aim of this review is to summarize recent progress toward the development of therapeutic drugs against Mpro protease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haydar Bulut
- Address correspondence to:Haydar Bulut, The Experimental Retrovirology Section, HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Zhou Y, Gammeltoft KA, Ryberg LA, Pham LV, Tjørnelund HD, Binderup A, Duarte Hernandez CR, Fernandez-Antunez C, Offersgaard A, Fahnøe U, Peters GHJ, Ramirez S, Bukh J, Gottwein JM. Nirmatrelvir-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants with high fitness in an infectious cell culture system. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd7197. [PMID: 36542720 PMCID: PMC9770952 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add7197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The oral protease inhibitor nirmatrelvir is of key importance for prevention of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To facilitate resistance monitoring, we studied severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) escape from nirmatrelvir in cell culture. Resistant variants harbored combinations of substitutions in the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Reverse genetics revealed that E166V and L50F + E166V conferred high resistance in infectious culture, replicon, and Mpro systems. While L50F, E166V, and L50F + E166V decreased replication and Mpro activity, L50F and L50F + E166V variants had high fitness in the infectious system. Naturally occurring L50F compensated for fitness cost of E166V and promoted viral escape. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that E166V and L50F + E166V weakened nirmatrelvir-Mpro binding. Polymerase inhibitor remdesivir and monoclonal antibody bebtelovimab retained activity against nirmatrelvir-resistant variants, and combination with nirmatrelvir enhanced treatment efficacy compared to individual compounds. These findings have implications for monitoring and ensuring treatments with efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging sarbecoviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuyong Zhou
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karen Anbro Gammeltoft
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Line Abildgaard Ryberg
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Long V. Pham
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Alekxander Binderup
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos Rene Duarte Hernandez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlota Fernandez-Antunez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Offersgaard
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Fahnøe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Judith Margarete Gottwein
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zhou Y, Gammeltoft KA, Ryberg LA, Pham LV, Tjørnelund HD, Binderup A, Duarte Hernandez CR, Fernandez-Antunez C, Offersgaard A, Fahnøe U, Peters GHJ, Ramirez S, Bukh J, Gottwein JM. Nirmatrelvir-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants with high fitness in an infectious cell culture system. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd7197. [PMID: 36542720 DOI: 10.1101/2022.06.06.494921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The oral protease inhibitor nirmatrelvir is of key importance for prevention of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To facilitate resistance monitoring, we studied severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) escape from nirmatrelvir in cell culture. Resistant variants harbored combinations of substitutions in the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Reverse genetics revealed that E166V and L50F + E166V conferred high resistance in infectious culture, replicon, and Mpro systems. While L50F, E166V, and L50F + E166V decreased replication and Mpro activity, L50F and L50F + E166V variants had high fitness in the infectious system. Naturally occurring L50F compensated for fitness cost of E166V and promoted viral escape. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that E166V and L50F + E166V weakened nirmatrelvir-Mpro binding. Polymerase inhibitor remdesivir and monoclonal antibody bebtelovimab retained activity against nirmatrelvir-resistant variants, and combination with nirmatrelvir enhanced treatment efficacy compared to individual compounds. These findings have implications for monitoring and ensuring treatments with efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging sarbecoviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuyong Zhou
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karen Anbro Gammeltoft
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Line Abildgaard Ryberg
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Long V Pham
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Alekxander Binderup
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos Rene Duarte Hernandez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlota Fernandez-Antunez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Offersgaard
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Fahnøe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Judith Margarete Gottwein
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
- CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Madhu P, Davey NE, Ivarsson Y. How viral proteins bind short linear motifs and intrinsically disordered domains. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:EBC20220047. [PMID: 36504386 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2024]
Abstract
Viruses are the obligate intracellular parasites that exploit the host cellular machinery to replicate their genome. During the viral life cycle viruses manipulate the host cell through interactions with host proteins. Many of these protein-protein interactions are mediated through the recognition of host globular domains by short linear motifs (SLiMs), or longer intrinsically disordered domains (IDD), in the disordered regions of viral proteins. However, viruses also employ their own globular domains for binding to SLiMs and IDDs present in host proteins or virus proteins. In this review, we focus on the different strategies adopted by viruses to utilize proteins or protein domains for binding to the disordered regions of human or/and viral ligands. With a set of examples, we describe viral domains that bind human SLiMs. We also provide examples of viral proteins that bind to SLiMs, or IDDs, of viral proteins as a part of complex assembly and regulation of protein functions. The protein-protein interactions are often crucial for viral replication, and may thus offer possibilities for innovative inhibitor design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Madhu
- Department of Chemistry, BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Norman E Davey
- Division of Cancer Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, U.K
| | - Ylva Ivarsson
- Department of Chemistry, BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Yadav R, Courouble VV, Dey SK, Harrison JJE, Timm J, Hopkins JB, Slack RL, Sarafianos SG, Ruiz FX, Griffin PR, Arnold E. Biochemical and structural insights into SARS-CoV-2 polyprotein processing by Mpro. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd2191. [PMID: 36490335 PMCID: PMC9733933 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add2191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, a human coronavirus, is the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its genome is translated into two large polyproteins subsequently cleaved by viral papain-like protease and main protease (Mpro). Polyprotein processing is essential yet incompletely understood. We studied Mpro-mediated processing of the nsp7-11 polyprotein, whose mature products include cofactors of the viral replicase, and identified the order of cleavages. Integrative modeling based on mass spectrometry (including hydrogen-deuterium exchange and cross-linking) and x-ray scattering yielded a nsp7-11 structural ensemble, demonstrating shared secondary structural elements with individual nsps. The pattern of cross-links and HDX footprint of the C145A Mpro and nsp7-11 complex demonstrate preferential binding of the enzyme active site to the polyprotein junction sites and additional transient contacts to help orient the enzyme on its substrate for cleavage. Last, proteolysis assays were used to characterize the effect of inhibitors/binders on Mpro processing/inhibition using the nsp7-11 polyprotein as substrate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Yadav
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Valentine V. Courouble
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
- Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Sanjay K. Dey
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Timm
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Jesse B. Hopkins
- BioCAT, Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ryan L. Slack
- Division of Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stefan G. Sarafianos
- Division of Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Francesc X. Ruiz
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Patrick R. Griffin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
- Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UF Scripps Biomedical Research, University of Florida, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Eddy Arnold
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Akbayrak IY, Caglayan SI, Kurgan L, Uversky VN, Coskuner-Weber O. Insights into the structural properties of SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Curr Res Struct Biol 2022; 4:349-355. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
|
37
|
X-ray crystallographic characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease polyprotein cleavage sites essential for viral processing and maturation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5196. [PMID: 36057636 PMCID: PMC9440467 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32854-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen that causes COVID-19, produces polyproteins 1a and 1ab that contain, respectively, 11 or 16 non-structural proteins (nsp). Nsp5 is the main protease (Mpro) responsible for cleavage at eleven positions along these polyproteins, including at its own N- and C-terminal boundaries, representing essential processing events for viral assembly and maturation. Using C-terminally substituted Mpro chimeras, we have determined X-ray crystallographic structures of Mpro in complex with 10 of its 11 viral cleavage sites, bound at full occupancy intermolecularly in trans, within the active site of either the native enzyme and/or a catalytic mutant (C145A). Capture of both acyl-enzyme intermediate and product-like complex forms of a P2(Leu) substrate in the native active site provides direct comparative characterization of these mechanistic steps as well as further informs the basis for enhanced product release of Mpro’s own unique C-terminal P2(Phe) cleavage site to prevent autoinhibition. We characterize the underlying noncovalent interactions governing binding and specificity for this diverse set of substrates, showing remarkable plasticity for subsites beyond the anchoring P1(Gln)-P2(Leu/Val/Phe), representing together a near complete analysis of a multiprocessing viral protease. Collectively, these crystallographic snapshots provide valuable mechanistic and structural insights for antiviral therapeutic development. The SARS-CoV-2 protease Mpro is essential for viral replication. Here, the authors have determined the structures of Mpro in complex with 10 of the 11 viral cleavage sequences including a covalent acyl-enzyme intermediate, providing mechanistic and structural insights for antiviral development.
Collapse
|
38
|
Ou J, Lewandowski EM, Hu Y, Lipinski AA, Morgan RT, Jacobs LM, Zhang X, Bikowitz MJ, Langlais P, Tan H, Wang J, Chen Y, Choy JS. A yeast-based system to study SARS-CoV-2 Mpro structure and to identify nirmatrelvir resistant mutations. RESEARCH SQUARE 2022:rs.3.rs-1942964. [PMID: 36052369 PMCID: PMC9435405 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1942964/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is a major therapeutic target. The Mpro inhibitor, nirmatrelvir, is the antiviral component of Paxlovid, an orally available treatment for COVID-19. As Mpro inhibitor use increases, drug resistant mutations will likely emerge. We have established a non-pathogenic system, in which yeast growth serves as a proxy for Mpro activity, enabling rapid identification of mutants with altered enzymatic activity and drug sensitivity. The E166 residue is known to be a potential hot spot for drug resistance and yeast assays showed that an E166R substitution conferred strong nirmatrelvir resistance while an E166N mutation compromised activity. On the other hand, N142A and P132H mutations caused little to no change in drug response and activity. Standard enzymatic assays confirmed the yeast results. In turn, we solved the structures of Mpro E166R, and Mpro E166N, providing insights into how arginine may drive drug resistance while asparagine leads to reduced activity. The work presented here will help characterize novel resistant variants of Mpro that may arise as Mpro antivirals become more widely used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ou
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, United States
| | - Eric M. Lewandowski
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Yanmei Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
| | - Austin A. Lipinski
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States
| | - Ryan T. Morgan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Lian M.C. Jacobs
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
- Drug Discovery Department, Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Xiujun Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Melissa J. Bikowitz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Paul Langlais
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States
| | - Haozhou Tan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - John S. Choy
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Ou J, Lewandowski EM, Hu Y, Lipinski AA, Morgan RT, Jacobs LM, Zhang X, Bikowitz MJ, Langlais P, Tan H, Wang J, Chen Y, Choy JS. A yeast-based system to study SARS-CoV-2 M pro structure and to identify nirmatrelvir resistant mutations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.08.06.503039. [PMID: 35982672 PMCID: PMC9387140 DOI: 10.1101/2022.08.06.503039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro ) is a major therapeutic target. The M pro inhibitor, nirmatrelvir, is the antiviral component of Paxlovid, an orally available treatment for COVID-19. As M pro inhibitor use increases, drug resistant mutations will likely emerge. We have established a non-pathogenic system, in which yeast growth serves as a proxy for M pro activity, enabling rapid identification of mutants with altered enzymatic activity and drug sensitivity. The E166 residue is known to be a potential hot spot for drug resistance and yeast assays showed that an E166R substitution conferred strong nirmatrelvir resistance while an E166N mutation compromised activity. On the other hand, N142A and P132H mutations caused little to no change in drug response and activity. Standard enzymatic assays confirmed the yeast results. In turn, we solved the structures of M pro E166R, and M pro E166N, providing insights into how arginine may drive drug resistance while asparagine leads to reduced activity. The work presented here will help characterize novel resistant variants of M pro that may arise as M pro antivirals become more widely used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ou
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, United States
| | - Eric M. Lewandowski
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Yanmei Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
| | - Austin A. Lipinski
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States
| | - Ryan T. Morgan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Lian M.C. Jacobs
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
- Drug Discovery Department, Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Xiujun Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Melissa J. Bikowitz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Paul Langlais
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States
| | - Haozhou Tan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - John S. Choy
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, United States
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Antonopoulou I, Sapountzaki E, Rova U, Christakopoulos P. The Inhibitory Potential of Ferulic Acid Derivatives against the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease: Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics, and ADMET Evaluation. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081787. [PMID: 35892687 PMCID: PMC9329733 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081787] [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: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is an appealing target for the development of antiviral compounds, due to its critical role in the viral life cycle and its high conservation among different coronaviruses and the continuously emerging mutants of SARS-CoV-2. Ferulic acid (FA) is a phytochemical with several health benefits that is abundant in plant biomass and has been used as a basis for the enzymatic or chemical synthesis of derivatives with improved properties, including antiviral activity against a range of viruses. This study tested 54 reported FA derivatives for their inhibitory potential against Mpro by in silico simulations. Molecular docking was performed using Autodock Vina, resulting in comparable or better binding affinities for 14 compounds compared to the known inhibitors N3 and GC376. ADMET analysis showed limited bioavailability but significantly improved the solubility for the enzymatically synthesized hits while better bioavailability and druglikeness properties but higher toxicity were observed for the chemically synthesized ones. MD simulations confirmed the stability of the complexes of the most promising compounds with Mpro, highlighting FA rutinoside and compound e27 as the best candidates from each derivative category.
Collapse
|
41
|
Shaqra AM, Zvornicanin SN, Huang QYJ, Lockbaum GJ, Knapp M, Tandeske L, Bakan DT, Flynn J, Bolon DNA, Moquin S, Dovala D, Kurt Yilmaz N, Schiffer CA. Defining the substrate envelope of SARS-CoV-2 main protease to predict and avoid drug resistance. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3556. [PMID: 35729165 PMCID: PMC9211792 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31210-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses can evolve and spread rapidly to cause severe disease morbidity and mortality, as exemplified by SARS-CoV-2 variants of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although currently available vaccines remain mostly effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants, additional treatment strategies are needed. Inhibitors that target essential viral enzymes, such as proteases and polymerases, represent key classes of antivirals. However, clinical use of antiviral therapies inevitably leads to emergence of drug resistance. In this study we implemented a strategy to pre-emptively address drug resistance to protease inhibitors targeting the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, an essential enzyme that promotes viral maturation. We solved nine high-resolution cocrystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro bound to substrate peptides and six structures with cleavage products. These structures enabled us to define the substrate envelope of Mpro, map the critical recognition elements, and identify evolutionarily vulnerable sites that may be susceptible to resistance mutations that would compromise binding of the newly developed Mpro inhibitors. Our results suggest strategies for developing robust inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 that will retain longer-lasting efficacy against this evolving viral pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ala M Shaqra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, US
| | - Sarah N Zvornicanin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, US
| | - Qiu Yu J Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, US
| | - Gordon J Lockbaum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, US
| | - Mark Knapp
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - Laura Tandeske
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - David T Bakan
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - Julia Flynn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, US
| | - Daniel N A Bolon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, US
| | - Stephanie Moquin
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - Dustin Dovala
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - Nese Kurt Yilmaz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, US.
| | - Celia A Schiffer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, US.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Flynn JM, Samant N, Schneider-Nachum G, Bakan DT, Yilmaz NK, Schiffer CA, Moquin SA, Dovala D, Bolon DNA. Comprehensive fitness landscape of SARS-CoV-2 M pro reveals insights into viral resistance mechanisms. eLife 2022; 11:77433. [PMID: 35723575 PMCID: PMC9323007 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the continual evolution of new strains of SARS-CoV-2 that are more virulent, transmissible, and able to evade current vaccines, there is an urgent need for effective anti-viral drugs SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is a leading target for drug design due to its conserved and indispensable role in the viral life cycle. Drugs targeting Mpro appear promising but will elicit selection pressure for resistance. To understand resistance potential in Mpro, we performed a comprehensive mutational scan of the protease that analyzed the function of all possible single amino acid changes. We developed three separate high-throughput assays of Mpro function in yeast, based on either the ability of Mpro variants to cleave at a defined cut-site or on the toxicity of their expression to yeast. We used deep sequencing to quantify the functional effects of each variant in each screen. The protein fitness landscapes from all three screens were strongly correlated, indicating that they captured the biophysical properties critical to Mpro function. The fitness landscapes revealed a non-active site location on the surface that is extremely sensitive to mutation making it a favorable location to target with inhibitors. In addition, we found a network of critical amino acids that physically bridge the two active sites of the Mpro dimer. The clinical variants of Mpro were predominantly functional in our screens, indicating that Mpro is under strong selection pressure in the human population. Our results provide predictions of mutations that will be readily accessible to Mpro evolution and that are likely to contribute to drug resistance. This complete mutational guide of Mpro can be used in the design of inhibitors with reduced potential of evolving viral resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Flynn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Neha Samant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Gily Schneider-Nachum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | | | - Nese Kurt Yilmaz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Celia A Schiffer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | | | | | - Daniel N A Bolon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Covalent narlaprevir- and boceprevir-derived hybrid inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2268. [PMID: 35477935 PMCID: PMC9046211 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29915-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants continue to threaten the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, and small-molecule antivirals can provide an important therapeutic treatment option. The viral main protease (Mpro) is critical for virus replication and thus is considered an attractive drug target. We performed the design and characterization of three covalent hybrid inhibitors BBH-1, BBH-2 and NBH-2 created by splicing components of hepatitis C protease inhibitors boceprevir and narlaprevir, and known SARS-CoV-1 protease inhibitors. A joint X-ray/neutron structure of the Mpro/BBH-1 complex demonstrates that a Cys145 thiolate reaction with the inhibitor’s keto-warhead creates a negatively charged oxyanion. Protonation states of the ionizable residues in the Mpro active site adapt to the inhibitor, which appears to be an intrinsic property of Mpro. Structural comparisons of the hybrid inhibitors with PF-07321332 reveal unconventional F···O interactions of PF-07321332 with Mpro which may explain its more favorable enthalpy of binding. BBH-1, BBH-2 and NBH-2 exhibit comparable antiviral properties in vitro relative to PF-07321332, making them good candidates for further design of improved antivirals. Three covalent hybrid inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) have been designed and compared to Pfizer’s nirmatrelvir (PF-07321332), providing atomic and thermodynamic details of their binding to the enzyme, and antiviral potency.
Collapse
|
44
|
Mótyán JA, Mahdi M, Hoffka G, Tőzsér J. Potential Resistance of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro) against Protease Inhibitors: Lessons Learned from HIV-1 Protease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3507. [PMID: 35408866 PMCID: PMC8998604 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been one of the most devastating pandemics of recent times. The lack of potent novel antivirals had led to global health crises; however, emergence and approval of potent inhibitors of the viral main protease (Mpro), such as Pfizer's newly approved nirmatrelvir, offers hope not only in the therapeutic front but also in the context of prophylaxis against the infection. By their nature, RNA viruses including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have inherently high mutation rates, and lessons learnt from previous and currently ongoing pandemics have taught us that these viruses can easily escape selection pressure through mutation of vital target amino acid residues in monotherapeutic settings. In this paper, we review nirmatrelvir and its binding to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and draw a comparison to inhibitors of HIV protease that were rendered obsolete by emergence of resistance mutations, emphasizing potential pitfalls in the design of inhibitors that may be of important relevance to the long-term use of novel inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- János András Mótyán
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.A.M.); (M.M.); (G.H.)
| | - Mohamed Mahdi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.A.M.); (M.M.); (G.H.)
| | - Gyula Hoffka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.A.M.); (M.M.); (G.H.)
- Doctoral School of Molecular Cell and Immune Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - József Tőzsér
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (J.A.M.); (M.M.); (G.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Fornasier E, Macchia ML, Giachin G, Sosic A, Pavan M, Sturlese M, Salata C, Moro S, Gatto B, Bellanda M, Battistutta R. A new inactive conformation of SARS-CoV-2 main protease. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2022; 78:363-378. [PMID: 35234150 PMCID: PMC8900819 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322000948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The SARS‐CoV‐2 main protease (Mpro) has a pivotal role in mediating viral genome replication and transcription of the coronavirus, making it a promising target for drugs against the COVID‐19 pandemic. Here, a crystal structure is presented in which Mpro adopts an inactive state that has never been observed before, called new‐inactive. It is shown that the oxyanion loop, which is involved in substrate recognition and enzymatic activity, adopts a new catalytically incompetent conformation and that many of the key interactions of the active conformation of the enzyme around the active site are lost. Solvation/desolvation energetic contributions play an important role in the transition from the inactive to the active state, with Phe140 moving from an exposed to a buried environment and Asn142 moving from a buried environment to an exposed environment. In new‐inactive Mpro a new cavity is present near the S2′ subsite, and the N‐terminal and C‐terminal tails, as well as the dimeric interface, are perturbed, with partial destabilization of the dimeric assembly. This novel conformation is relevant both for comprehension of the mechanism of action of Mpro within the catalytic cycle and for the successful structure‐based drug design of antiviral drugs.
Collapse
|
46
|
Akbulut E. Investigation of changes in protein stability and substrate affinity of 3CL-protease of SARS-CoV-2 caused by mutations. Genet Mol Biol 2022; 45:e20210404. [PMID: 35499274 PMCID: PMC9059130 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2021-0404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2 is one of the enzymes required for the replication process of the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, changes in protein stability and substrate affinity caused by mutations were investigated to stir the development of potent inhibitors. Sequence data of samples were obtained from the NCBI Virus database. Mutation analyses were performed with RDP4 and MegaX. 3CLpro tertiary models were created using Robetta. Molecular docking for peptidomimetic substrate and inhibitor ligand was done with Autodock v4.2 and Haddock v2.4. Protein stability analysis was performed using mCSM stability and DynaMut2. Twenty-four missense mutations in 3CLpro were identified in this study. Changes in the 3CLpro structure induced by the mutations Met49Thr, Leu167Ser, and Val202Ala resulted in significant levels of instability (-2.029,-2.612,-2.177 kcal.mol-1, respectively). The lowest interaction energy for substrate was -58.7 kcal.mol-1 and -62.6 kcal.mol-1 in wild-type and mutant, respectively. The lowest docking energy for ligand was -6.19 and -9.52 kcal.mol-1 for wild-type and mutant, respectively. This study reports for the first time that mutations cause increased substrate affinity of 3CLpro from SARS-CoV-2. This research provides important data for the development of potent peptidomimetic inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19.
Collapse
|
47
|
Sheik Amamuddy O, Glenister M, Tshabalala T, Tastan Bishop Ö. MDM-TASK-web: MD-TASK and MODE-TASK web server for analyzing protein dynamics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5059-5071. [PMID: 34589183 PMCID: PMC8455658 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The web server, MDM-TASK-web, combines the MD-TASK and MODE-TASK software suites, which are aimed at the coarse-grained analysis of static and all-atom MD-simulated proteins, using a variety of non-conventional approaches, such as dynamic residue network analysis, perturbation-response scanning, dynamic cross-correlation, essential dynamics and normal mode analysis. Altogether, these tools allow for the exploration of protein dynamics at various levels of detail, spanning single residue perturbations and weighted contact network representations, to global residue centrality measurements and the investigation of global protein motion. Typically, following molecular dynamic simulations designed to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic protein perturbations (for instance induced by allosteric and orthosteric ligands, protein binding, temperature, pH and mutations), this selection of tools can be used to further describe protein dynamics. This may lead to the discovery of key residues involved in biological processes, such as drug resistance. The server simplifies the set-up required for running these tools and visualizing their results. Several scripts from the tool suites were updated and new ones were also added and integrated with 2D/3D visualization via the web interface. An embedded work-flow, integrated documentation and visualization tools shorten the number of steps to follow, starting from calculations to result visualization. The Django-powered web server (available at https://mdmtaskweb.rubi.ru.ac.za/) is compatible with all major web browsers. All scripts implemented in the web platform are freely available at https://github.com/RUBi-ZA/MD-TASK/tree/mdm-task-web and https://github.com/RUBi-ZA/MODE-TASK/tree/mdm-task-web.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Sheik Amamuddy
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Michael Glenister
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Thulani Tshabalala
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|