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Yamasan BE, Korkmaz S. Binding Activity Classification of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Molecules using Deep Learning Across Multiple Assays. Balkan Med J 2024; 41:186-192. [PMID: 38462979 PMCID: PMC11077922 DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-1-73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has urgently necessitated effective therapeutic solutions, with a focus on rapidly identifying and classifying potential small-molecule drugs. Given traditional methods’ labor-intensive and time-consuming nature, deep learning has emerged as an essential tool for efficiently processing and extracting insights from complex biological data. Aims To utilize deep learning techniques, particularly deep neural networks (DNN) enhanced with the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE), to enhance the classification of binding activities in anti-SARS-CoV-2 molecules across various bioassays. Methods We used 11 bioassay datasets covering various SARS-CoV-2 interactions and inhibitory mechanisms. These assays ranged from spike-ACE2 protein-protein interaction to ACE2 enzymatic activity and 3CL enzymatic activity. To address the prevalent class imbalance in these datasets, the SMOTE technique was employed to generate new samples for the minority class. In our model-building approach, we divided the dataset into 80% training and 20% test sets, reserving 10% of the training set for validation. Our approach involved employing a DNN that integrates ReLU and sigmoid activation functions, incorporates batch normalization, and uses Adam optimization. The hyperparameters and architecture of the DNN were optimized through various tests on layers, minibatch sizes, epoch sizes, and learning rates. A 40% dropout rate was incorporated to mitigate overfitting. For model evaluation, we computed performance metrics, such as balanced accuracy (BACC), precision, recall, F1 score, Matthews’ correlation coefficient (MCC), and area under the curve (AUC). Results The performance of the DNN across 11 bioassay test sets revealed varying outcomes, significantly influenced by the ratios of active-to-inactive compounds. Assays, such as AlphaLISA and CoV-PPE, demonstrated robust performance across various metrics, including BACC, precision, recall, and AUC, when configured with more balanced ratios (1:3 and 1:1, respectively). This suggests the effective identification of active compounds in both cases. In contrast, assays with higher imbalance ratios, such as 3CL (1:38) and cytopathic effect (1:15), demonstrated higher recall but lower precision, highlighting challenges in accurately identifying active compounds among numerous inactive compounds. However, even in these challenging settings, the model achieved favorable BACC and recall scores. Overall, the DNN model generally performed well, as indicated by the BACC, MCC, and AUC values, especially when considering the degree of dataset imbalance in each assay. Conclusion This study demonstrates the significant impact of deep learning, particularly DNN models enhanced with SMOTE, in improving the identification of active compounds in bioassay datasets for COVID-19 drug discovery, outperforming traditional machine learning models. Furthermore, this study highlights the efficacy of advanced computational techniques in addressing high-throughput screening data imbalances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilge Eren Yamasan
- Department of Biophysics, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Edirne, Türkiye
| | - Selçuk Korkmaz
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Edirne, Türkiye
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Wolszczak-Biedrzycka B, Dorf J, Matowicka-Karna J, Wojewódzka-Żeleźniakowicz M, Żukowski P, Zalewska A, Maciejczyk M. Significance of nitrosative stress and glycoxidation products in the diagnosis of COVID-19. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9198. [PMID: 38649417 PMCID: PMC11035544 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59876-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Nitrosative stress promotes protein glycoxidation, and both processes can occur during an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess selected nitrosative stress parameters and protein glycoxidation products in COVID-19 patients and convalescents relative to healthy subjects, including in reference to the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. The diagnostic utility of nitrosative stress and protein glycoxidation biomarkers was also evaluated in COVID-19 patients. The study involved 218 patients with COVID-19, 69 convalescents, and 48 healthy subjects. Nitrosative stress parameters (NO, S-nitrosothiols, nitrotyrosine) and protein glycoxidation products (tryptophan, kynurenine, N-formylkynurenine, dityrosine, AGEs) were measured in the blood plasma or serum with the use of colorimetric/fluorometric methods. The levels of NO (p = 0.0480), S-nitrosothiols (p = 0.0004), nitrotyrosine (p = 0.0175), kynurenine (p < 0.0001), N-formylkynurenine (p < 0.0001), dityrosine (p < 0.0001), and AGEs (p < 0.0001) were significantly higher, whereas tryptophan fluorescence was significantly (p < 0.0001) lower in COVID-19 patients than in the control group. Significant differences in the analyzed parameters were observed in different stages of COVID-19. In turn, the concentrations of kynurenine (p < 0.0001), N-formylkynurenine (p < 0.0001), dityrosine (p < 0.0001), and AGEs (p < 0.0001) were significantly higher, whereas tryptophan levels were significantly (p < 0.0001) lower in convalescents than in healthy controls. The ROC analysis revealed that protein glycoxidation products can be useful for diagnosing infections with the SARS-CoV-2 virus because they differentiate COVID-19 patients (KN: sensitivity-91.20%, specificity-92.00%; NFK: sensitivity-92.37%, specificity-92.00%; AGEs: sensitivity-99,02%, specificity-100%) and convalescents (KN: sensitivity-82.22%, specificity-84.00%; NFK: sensitivity-82,86%, specificity-86,00%; DT: sensitivity-100%, specificity-100%; AGE: sensitivity-100%, specificity-100%) from healthy subjects with high sensitivity and specificity. Nitrosative stress and protein glycoxidation are intensified both during and after an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The levels of redox biomarkers fluctuate in different stages of the disease. Circulating biomarkers of nitrosative stress/protein glycoxidation have potential diagnostic utility in both COVID-19 patients and convalescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanka Wolszczak-Biedrzycka
- Department of Psychology and Sociology of Health and Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-900, Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Justyna Dorf
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-089, Białystok, Poland
| | - Joanna Matowicka-Karna
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-089, Białystok, Poland
| | | | - Piotr Żukowski
- Department of Restorative Dentistry, Croydon University Hospital, 530 London Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR7 7YE, UK
| | - Anna Zalewska
- Independent Laboratory of Experimental Dentistry, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-089, Białystok, Poland
| | - Mateusz Maciejczyk
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Ergonomics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-089, Białystok, Poland
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3
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Selvavinayagam ST, Suvaithenamudhan S, Yong YK, Hemashree K, Rajeshkumar M, Kumaresan A, Arthydevi P, Kannan M, Gopalan N, Vignesh R, Murugesan A, Sivasankaran MP, Sankar S, Cheedarla N, Anshad AR, Govindaraj S, Zhang Y, Tan HY, Larsson M, Saravanan S, Balakrishnan P, Kulanthaivel L, Singh K, Joseph N, Velu V, Byrareddy SN, Shankar EM, Raju S. Genomic surveillance of omicron B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 and its variants between December 2021 and March 2023 in Tamil Nadu, India-A state-wide prospective longitudinal study. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29456. [PMID: 38329187 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
A state-wide prospective longitudinal investigation of the genomic surveillance of the omicron B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 variant and its sublineages in Tamil Nadu, India, was conducted between December 2021 and March 2023. The study aimed to elucidate their mutational patterns and their genetic interrelationship in the Indian population. The study identified several unique mutations at different time-points, which likely could attribute to the changing disease characteristics, transmission, and pathogenicity attributes of omicron variants. The study found that the omicron variant is highly competent in its mutating potentials, and that it continues to evolve in the general population, likely escaping from natural as well as vaccine-induced immune responses. Our findings suggest that continuous surveillance of viral variants at the global scenario is warranted to undertake intervention measures against potentially precarious SARS-CoV-2 variants and their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivaprakasam T Selvavinayagam
- State Public Health Laboratory, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, DMS Campus, Teynampet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Suvaiyarasan Suvaithenamudhan
- Infection and Inflammation, Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, (Deemed to be University), Pondicherry, India
| | - Yean K Yong
- Laboratory Centre, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Kelip-kelip! Center of Excellence for Light Enabling Technologies, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kannan Hemashree
- State Public Health Laboratory, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, DMS Campus, Teynampet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Manivannan Rajeshkumar
- State Public Health Laboratory, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, DMS Campus, Teynampet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Anandhazhvar Kumaresan
- State Public Health Laboratory, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, DMS Campus, Teynampet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Parthiban Arthydevi
- State Public Health Laboratory, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, DMS Campus, Teynampet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Meganathan Kannan
- Blood and Vascular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Natarajan Gopalan
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ramachandran Vignesh
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, Royal College of Medicine Perak, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Amudhan Murugesan
- Department of Microbiology, The Government Theni Medical College and Hospital, Theni, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Sathish Sankar
- Department of Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Science, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Narayanaiah Cheedarla
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Abdul R Anshad
- Infection and Inflammation, Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sakthivel Govindaraj
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Kelip-kelip! Center of Excellence for Light Enabling Technologies, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, Malaysia
| | - Hong Y Tan
- Laboratory Centre, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, Malaysia
| | - Marie Larsson
- Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Shanmugam Saravanan
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Pachamuthu Balakrishnan
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Langeswaran Kulanthaivel
- Department of Biomedical Science, Science Campus, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kamalendra Singh
- Bond Life Sciences Center, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Narcisse Joseph
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Vijayakumar Velu
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Siddappa N Byrareddy
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Esaki M Shankar
- Infection and Inflammation, Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sivadoss Raju
- State Public Health Laboratory, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, DMS Campus, Teynampet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Wu A, Shi K, Wang J, Zhang R, Wang Y. Targeting SARS-CoV-2 entry processes: The promising potential and future of host-targeted small-molecule inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 263:115923. [PMID: 37981443 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has had a huge impact on global health. To respond to rapidly mutating viruses and to prepare for the next pandemic, there is an urgent need to develop small molecule therapies that target critical stages of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. Inhibiting the entry process of the virus can effectively control viral infection and play a role in prevention and treatment. Host factors involved in this process, such as ACE2, TMPRSS2, ADAM17, furin, PIKfyve, TPC2, CTSL, AAK1, V-ATPase, HSPG, and NRP1, have been found to be potentially good targets with stability. Through further exploration of the cell entry process of SARS-CoV-2, small-molecule drugs targeting these host factors have been developed. This review focuses on the structural functions of potential host cell targets during the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells. The research progress, chemical structure, structure-activity relationship, and clinical value of small-molecule inhibitors against COVID-19 are reviewed to provide a reference for the development of small-molecule drugs against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijia Wu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Kunyu Shi
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu, 610212, China
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, 38163, Tennessee, United States
| | - Ruofei Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yuxi Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu, 610212, China.
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5
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Tripp RA, Martin DE. Screening Drugs for Broad-Spectrum, Host-Directed Antiviral Activity: Lessons from the Development of Probenecid for COVID-19. Viruses 2023; 15:2254. [PMID: 38005930 PMCID: PMC10675723 DOI: 10.3390/v15112254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In the early stages of drug discovery, researchers develop assays that are compatible with high throughput screening (HTS) and structure activity relationship (SAR) measurements. These assays are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of new and known molecular entities, typically targeting specific features within the virus. Drugs that inhibit virus replication by inhibiting a host gene or pathway are often missed because the goal is to identify active antiviral agents against known viral targets. Screening efforts should be sufficiently robust to identify all potential targets regardless of the antiviral mechanism to avoid misleading conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph A. Tripp
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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6
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Shen H, Yang H. Binding of synthetic nanobodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain: the importance of salt bridges. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:24129-24142. [PMID: 37655617 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02628k] [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: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
In this study, five different SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) models were created based on the crystal structures of RBD complexes with two synthetic nanobodies (Sb16 and Sb45). Microsecond all-atom MD simulations revealed that Sb16 and Sb45 substantially stabilized the flexible RBD loop (residues GLU471-SER494) due to the salt bridges and hydrogen bonding interactions between RBD and the synthetic nanobodies. However, the calculation of binding free energy displayed that Sb45 had a higher binding affinity to RBD than Sb16, in agreement with the experimental result. This is because Sb45 has stronger electrostatic attraction to RBD as compared to Sb16. In particular, the salt bridge GLU484-ARG33 in Sb45-RBD is stronger than the GLU484-LYS32 in Sb16-RBD. Furthermore, by comparing the binding affinity of Sb16 for two RBD mutants (E484K and K417N), we found that E484K mutation substantially reduced the binding affinity to Sb16, and K417N mutation had no significant effect, qualitatively in agreement with experimental studies. According to the binding free energy calculation, the strong electrostatic repulsion between LYS32 and LYS484 caused by E484K mutation destroys the salt bridge between LYS32 and GLU484 in the RBD wild type (WT). In contrast, the binding of the K417N mutant to Sb16 effectively maintains the salt bridge between LYS32 and GLU484. Therefore, our research suggests that the salt bridges between RBD and synthetic nanobodies are crucial for binding synthetic nanobodies to RBD, and a SARS-CoV-2 variant can escape neutralization from nanobodies by creating electrostatic repulsion between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hujun Shen
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Computational Nano-Material Science, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang, 550018, China.
| | - Hengxiu Yang
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Computational Nano-Material Science, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang, 550018, China.
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7
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Pashameah RA, Soltane R, Sayed AM. Discovery of raffinose sulfate as a potential SARS CoV-2 inhibitor via blocking its binding with angiotensin converting enzyme 2. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 248:125818. [PMID: 37473891 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125818] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to characterize the possible binding sites on the SARS CoV-2 RBD-ACE2 complex and to highlight sulfated oligosaccharides as potential anti-SARS CoV-2 via inducing RBD-ACE2 complex destabilization and dissociation. By combining pharmacophore-based and structural-based virtual screening approaches we were able to discover raffinose sulfate (RS) as a potential antiviral sulfated oligosaccharide against two SARS CoV-2 variants (i.e., wild type and Omicron) (IC50 = 4.45 ± 0.28 μM and 4.65 ± 0.32 μM, respectively). Upon MD simulation, RS was able to establish stable binding at the RBD-ACE2 interface inducing a rapid dissociation. Accordingly, and by using bio-layer interferometry (BLI) assays, RS was able to significantly weaken the affinity between RBD (of both variants) and ACE2. Additionally, we found that RS has a poor cellular permeability indicating that its interaction with the RBD-ACE2 complex may be the main mechanism by which it mediates its antiviral activity against SARS CoV-2. Despite its proposed interaction with the RBD-ACE2 complex, RS did not show any inhibitory activity against ACE2 catalytic activity. In light of these findings, the RS scaffold can be further developed into a novel anti-SARS CoV-2 drug with improved activity and tolerability in comparison with other sulfated polysaccharides e.g., heparin and heparan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Adel Pashameah
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Raya Soltane
- Department of Basic Sciences, Adham University College, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ahmed M Sayed
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nahda University, 62513 Beni-Suef, Egypt.
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Haritha M, Suresh CH. Quantum chemical studies on the binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 S-protein: human ACE2 interface complex. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:7354-7364. [PMID: 36099187 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2120537] [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: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
A two-layer ONIOM(B3LYP/6-31G*:PM7) method is used to model the binding of several drug/drug-like molecules (L) at the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein: human ACE2 protein interface cavity. The selected molecules include a set of thirty-five ligands from the study of Smith and Smith which showed a high docking score in the range of -7.0 to -7.7 kcal/mol and another set of seven repurposing drugs, viz. favipiravir, remdesivir, EIDD, galidesivir, triazavirin, ruxolitinib, and baricitinib. The ONIOM model of the cavity (M) showed a highly polarized electron distribution along its top-to-bottom direction while Ls with lengths in the range 1.0 - 1.5 nm fitted well inside the cavity in a head-to-tail fashion to yield ML complexes. The ligands showed a large variation in the ONIOM-level binding energy (Eb), in the range -2.7 to -85.4 kcal/mol. The Eb of ML complexes better than -40.0 kcal/mol is observed for myricetin, fidarestat, protirelin, m-digallic acid, glucogallin, benserazide hydrochlorideseradie, remdesivir, tazobactum, sapropterin, nitrofurantoin, quinonoid, pyruvic acid calcium isoniazid, and aspartame, and among them the highest Eb -85.4 kcal/mol is observed for myricetin. A hydroxy substitution is suggested for the phenyl ring of aspartame to improve its binding behavior at the cavity, and the resulting ligand 43 showed the best Eb -84.5 kcal/mol. The ONIOM-level study is found to be effective for the interpretation of the noncovalent interactions resulting from residues such as arginine, histidine, tyrosine, lysine, carboxylate, and amide moieties in the active site and suggests rational design strategies for COVID-19 drug development.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mambatta Haritha
- Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Cherumuttathu H Suresh
- Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Mahnam K, Rajaee SM. A theoretical survey to find potential natural compound for inhibition of binding the RBD domain to ACE2 receptor based on plant antivirals. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:14540-14565. [PMID: 36974837 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2183033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The spike protein of coronavirus is crucial in binding and arrival of the virus to the human cell via binding to the human ACE2 receptor. In this study, at first 25 antiviral phytochemicals were docked into the RBD domain of spike protein, and then all complexes and free RBD domains were separately subjected to molecular dynamics simulation for 100 ns and MM/PBSA binding free energy calculation. In this phase, four ligands were chosen as hit compounds and a natural compound database (NPASS) was screened based on high similarity with these ligands, and 367 ligands were found. Then the same previous procedure was repeated for these ligands and ADME properties were investigated. Finally, virtual screening and 4400 ns MD simulation and MM/PBSA calculation revealed that new ligands including NPC67959, NPC157855, NPC248793, and NPC216361 can inhibit the RBD domain of spike protein and we propose them as potential drugs for experimental studies.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Mahnam
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
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Alhadrami HA, Sayed AM, Hassan HM, Rateb ME. Aloin A inhibits SARS CoV-2 replication by targeting its binding with ACE2 - Evidence from modeling-supported molecular dynamics simulation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:11647-11656. [PMID: 36755429 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2175262] [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: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
The current study aimed to expand on the recently published results and assess the inhibitory efficacy of aloin A against SARS CoV-2. In vitro testing of aloin A against SARS CoV-2 proteases (i.e., MPro and PLPro) showed weak to moderate activity (IC50 = 68.56 ± 1.13 µM and 24.77 ± 1.57 µM, respectively). However, aloin A was able to inhibit the replication of SARS CoV-2 in Vero E6 cells efficiently with an IC50 of 0.095 ± 0.022 µM. Depending on the reported poor permeability of aloin A alongside its insignificant protease inhibitory activities presented in this study, we ran a number of extensive virtual screenings and physics-based simulations to determine the compound's potential mode of action. As a result, RBD-ACE2 was identified as a key target for aloin A. Results from 600 ns-long molecular dynamics (MD) simulation experiments pointed to aloin A's role as an RBD-ACE2 destabilizer. Therefore, the results of this work may pave the way for further development of this scaffold and the eventual production of innovative anti-SARS CoV-2 medicines with several mechanisms of action.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hani A Alhadrami
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed M Sayed
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nahda University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Hossam M Hassan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nahda University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Mostafa E Rateb
- School of Computing, Engineering & Physical Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland
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11
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Xing X, lv Q, Sun C, Song J, Chen Z, Jiang Y, Wang Y, Jiang Y, Wang Z. One-step preparation of PEG segment-functionalized polystyrene microspheres and their application as latex in LOCI. NEW J CHEM 2023. [DOI: 10.1039/d2nj05630e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
PEG segment-functionalized polystyrene microspheres were prepared by one-step copolymerization of amphiphilic macromolecular monomers, and further used as the latex for photosensitive polymer microspheres in luminescent oxygen channeling assay (LOCI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Xing
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China
| | - Qingyu lv
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, P. R. China
| | - Chunyu Sun
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China
| | - Jia Song
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China
| | - Zhixin Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China
| | - Yong Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China
| | - Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, P. R. China
| | - Yongqiang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, P. R. China
| | - Zhifei Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China
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12
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Yang Z, Cai X, Ye Q, Zhao Y, Li X, Zhang S, Zhang L. High-Throughput Screening for the Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 with Essential Dynamic Behavior. Curr Drug Targets 2023; 24:532-545. [PMID: 36876836 DOI: 10.2174/1389450124666230306141725] [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: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Global health security has been challenged by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Due to the lengthy process of generating vaccinations, it is vital to reposition currently available drugs in order to relieve anti-epidemic tensions and accelerate the development of therapies for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the public threat caused by SARS-CoV-2. High throughput screening techniques have established their roles in the evaluation of already available medications and the search for novel potential agents with desirable chemical space and more cost-effectiveness. Here, we present the architectural aspects of highthroughput screening for SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors, especially three generations of virtual screening methodologies with structural dynamics: ligand-based screening, receptor-based screening, and machine learning (ML)-based scoring functions (SFs). By outlining the benefits and drawbacks, we hope that researchers will be motivated to adopt these methods in the development of novel anti- SARS-CoV-2 agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
| | - Xinhui Cai
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
| | - Qiushi Ye
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
| | - Yizhen Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
| | - Xuhua Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
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13
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Mahnam K, Ghobadi Z. Finding a prospective dual-target drug for the treatment of coronavirus disease by theoretical study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:12621-12641. [PMID: 34514953 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1973910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Spike protein of coronavirus is a key protein in binding and entrance of virus to the human cell via binding to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) domain of S1 subunit to peptidase domain region of ACE2 receptor. In this study, the possible effect of 24 antiviral drugs on the RBD domain of spike protein was investigated via docking and molecular dynamics simulation for finding a dual-target drug. At first, all drugs were docked to the RBD domain of spike protein, and then all complexes and free RBD domains were separately used for molecular dynamics simulation for 50 ns via amber18 software. The simulation results showed that 10 ligands from 28 ligands were separated from the RBD domain, and among 18 remained ligands, baloxavir marboxil, and danoprevir drugs, besides endonuclease activity and protease inhibitory, can bind to key residues of the RBD domain. Then these drugs have a dual target and should be more effective than current drugs, and experimental studies should be done on baloxavir marboxil and danoprevir as more potential drugs for coronavirus disease Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Mahnam
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.,Nanotechnology Research Center, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Zahra Ghobadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
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14
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Faris S, Jin W, Gibson J, Murray A, Smith N, He P, Zhang F, Linhardt R, Wang C. Small-molecule compound from AlphaScreen disrupts tau-glycan interface. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1083225. [PMID: 36589242 PMCID: PMC9798536 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1083225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by intracellular abnormal tau deposits in the brain. Tau aggregates can propagate from one neuron to another in a prion-like manner, mediated by the interaction between tau and cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. We developed an AlphaScreen assay, with His-tagged tau and biotinylated heparin, to represent the tau-HS interface to target the tau-glycan interface. Using our AlphaScreen assay, with a Z-factor of 0.65, we screened ∼300 compounds and discovered a small-molecule compound (herein referred to as A9), which can disrupt the tau-heparin interaction with micromolar efficacy. A9 also effectively inhibited heparin-induced tau aggregation in Thioflavin T fluorescence assays and attenuated tau internalization by H4 neuroglioma cells. These results strongly suggest that A9 can disrupt the tau-glycan interface in both in vitro molecular and cellular environments. We further determined that A9 interacts with heparin rather than tau and does so with micromolar binding affinity as shown by nuclear magnetic resonance and surface plasmon resonance experiments. A9 binds to heparin in a manner that blocks the sites where tau binds to heparin on the cell surface. These results demonstrate our AlphaScreen method as an effective method for targeting the tau-glycan interface in drug discovery and A9 as a promising lead compound for tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Faris
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Weihua Jin
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - James Gibson
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Anqesha Murray
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Nathan Smith
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Peng He
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Robert Linhardt
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
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15
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Sammons R, Bohanon AL, Kowtha A, Dejong A, Cho EJ, Kaoud TS, Dalby KN. High-Throughput Assay for Identifying Diverse Antagonists of the Binding Interaction between the ACE2 Receptor and the Dynamic Spike Proteins of SARS-CoV-2. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:2259-2270. [PMID: 36315931 PMCID: PMC9673917 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00297] [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: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus strain that started a worldwide pandemic in early 2020, attaches to human cells by binding its spike (S) glycoprotein to a host receptor protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Blocking the interaction between the S protein and ACE2 has emerged as an important strategy for preventing viral infection. We systematically developed and optimized an AlphaLISA assay to investigate binding events between ACE2 and the ectodomain of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein (S-614G: residues 1-1208 with a D614G mutation). Using S-614G permits discovering potential allosteric inhibitors that stabilize the S protein in a conformation that impedes its access to ACE2. Over 30,000 small molecules were screened in a high-throughput format for activity against S-614G and ACE2 binding using the AlphaLISA assay. A viral entry assay was used to validate hits using lentiviral particles pseudotyped with the full-length S protein of the Wuhan-1 strain. Two compounds identified in the screen, oleic acid and suramin, blocked the attachment of S-614G to ACE2 and S protein-driven cell entry into Calu-3 and ACE2-overexpressing HEK293T cells. Oleic acid inhibits S-614G binding to ACE2 far more potently than to the receptor-binding domain (RBD, residues 319-541 of SARS-CoV-2 S), potentially indicating a noncompetitive mechanism. The results indicate that using the full-length ectodomain of the S protein can be important for identifying allosteric inhibitors of ACE2 binding. The approach reported here represents a rapidly adaptable format for discovering receptor-binding inhibitors to S-proteins of future coronavirus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel
M. Sammons
- Targeted
Therapeutic Drug Discovery and Development Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Amanda L. Bohanon
- Department
of Molecular Biosciences, The University
of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Anvith Kowtha
- Division
of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Audrey Dejong
- Division
of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Eun Jeong Cho
- Targeted
Therapeutic Drug Discovery and Development Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Tamer S. Kaoud
- Targeted
Therapeutic Drug Discovery and Development Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Division
of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Kevin N. Dalby
- Targeted
Therapeutic Drug Discovery and Development Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Division
of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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16
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Hampton JT, Lalonde TJ, Tharp JM, Kurra Y, Alugubelli YR, Roundy CM, Hamer GL, Xu S, Liu WR. Novel Regioselective Approach to Cyclize Phage-Displayed Peptides in Combination with Epitope-Directed Selection to Identify a Potent Neutralizing Macrocyclic Peptide for SARS-CoV-2. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:2911-2922. [PMID: 36174018 PMCID: PMC9528030 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Using the regioselective cyanobenzothiazole condensation reaction with an N-terminal cysteine and the chloroacetamide reaction with an internal cysteine, a phage-displayed macrocyclic 12-mer peptide library was constructed and subsequently validated. Using this library in combination with iterative selections against two epitopes from the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike protein, macrocyclic peptides that strongly inhibit the interaction between the Spike RBD and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the human host receptor of SARS-CoV-2, were identified. The two epitopes were used instead of the Spike RBD to avoid selection of nonproductive macrocyclic peptides that bind RBD but do not directly inhibit its interactions with ACE2. Antiviral tests against SARS-CoV-2 showed that one macrocyclic peptide is highly potent against viral reproduction in Vero E6 cells with an EC50 value of 3.1 μM. The AlphaLISA-detected IC50 value for this macrocyclic peptide was 0.3 μM. The current study demonstrates that two kinetically controlled reactions toward N-terminal and internal cysteines, respectively, are highly effective in the construction of phage-displayed macrocyclic peptides, and the selection based on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike epitopes is a promising methodology in the identification of peptidyl antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Trae Hampton
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Tyler J. Lalonde
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jeffery M. Tharp
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yadagiri Kurra
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yugendar R. Alugubelli
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Gabriel L. Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Shiqing Xu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Wenshe Ray Liu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology and Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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17
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Ortuso F, Mercatelli D, Guzzi PH, Giorgi FM. Structural genetics of circulating variants affecting the SARS-CoV-2 spike/human ACE2 complex. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:6545-6555. [PMID: 33583326 PMCID: PMC7885719 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1886175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 entry in human cells is mediated by the interaction between the viral Spike protein and the human ACE2 receptor. This mechanism evolved from the ancestor bat coronavirus and is currently one of the main targets for antiviral strategies. However, there currently exist several Spike protein variants in the SARS-CoV-2 population as the result of mutations, and it is unclear if these variants may exert a specific effect on the affinity with ACE2 which, in turn, is also characterized by multiple alleles in the human population. In the current study, the GBPM analysis, originally developed for highlighting host-guest interaction features, has been applied to define the key amino acids responsible for the Spike/ACE2 molecular recognition, using four different crystallographic structures. Then, we intersected these structural results with the current mutational status, based on more than 295,000 sequenced cases, in the SARS-CoV-2 population. We identified several Spike mutations interacting with ACE2 and mutated in at least 20 distinct patients: S477N, N439K, N501Y, Y453F, E484K, K417N, S477I and G476S. Among these, mutation N501Y in particular is one of the events characterizing SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7, which has recently risen in frequency in Europe. We also identified five ACE2 rare variants that may affect interaction with Spike and susceptibility to infection: S19P, E37K, M82I, E329G and G352V.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ortuso
- Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
- Net4Science srl, c/o University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Daniele Mercatelli
- Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences, University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Pietro Hiram Guzzi
- Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences, University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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18
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Galisova A, Zahradnik J, Allouche-Arnon H, Morandi MI, Abou Karam P, Fisler M, Avinoam O, Regev-Rudzki N, Schreiber G, Bar-Shir A. Genetically Engineered MRI-Trackable Extracellular Vesicles as SARS-CoV-2 Mimetics for Mapping ACE2 Binding In Vivo. ACS NANO 2022; 16:12276-12289. [PMID: 35921522 PMCID: PMC9364977 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c03119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The elucidation of viral-receptor interactions and an understanding of virus-spreading mechanisms are of great importance, particularly in the era of a pandemic. Indeed, advances in computational chemistry, synthetic biology, and protein engineering have allowed precise prediction and characterization of such interactions. Nevertheless, the hazards of the infectiousness of viruses, their rapid mutagenesis, and the need to study viral-receptor interactions in a complex in vivo setup call for further developments. Here, we show the development of biocompatible genetically engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) that display the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 on their surface as coronavirus mimetics (EVsRBD). Loading EVsRBD with iron oxide nanoparticles makes them MRI-visible and, thus, allows mapping of the binding of RBD to ACE2 receptors noninvasively in live subjects. Moreover, we show that EVsRBD can be modified to display mutants of the RBD of SARS-CoV-2, allowing rapid screening of currently raised or predicted variants of the virus. The proposed platform thus shows relevance and cruciality in the examination of quickly evolving pathogenic viruses in an adjustable, fast, and safe manner. Relying on MRI for visualization, the presented approach could be considered in the future to map ligand-receptor binding events in deep tissues, which are not accessible to luminescence-based imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Galisova
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Jiri Zahradnik
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Hyla Allouche-Arnon
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Mattia I. Morandi
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Paula Abou Karam
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Michal Fisler
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Ori Avinoam
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Neta Regev-Rudzki
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Gideon Schreiber
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Amnon Bar-Shir
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science and Department of
Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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19
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Fuzo CA, Martins RB, Fraga-Silva TFC, Amstalden MK, Canassa De Leo T, Souza JP, Lima TM, Faccioli LH, Okamoto DN, Juliano MA, França SC, Juliano L, Bonato VLD, Arruda E, Dias-Baruffi M. Celastrol: A lead compound that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication, the activity of viral and human cysteine proteases, and virus-induced IL-6 secretion. Drug Dev Res 2022; 83:1623-1640. [PMID: 35989498 PMCID: PMC9539158 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The global emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has caused substantial human casualties. Clinical manifestations of this disease vary from asymptomatic to lethal, and the symptomatic form can be associated with cytokine storm and hyperinflammation. In face of the urgent demand for effective drugs to treat COVID‐19, we have searched for candidate compounds using in silico approach followed by experimental validation. Here we identified celastrol, a pentacyclic triterpene isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, as one of the best compounds out of 39 drug candidates. Celastrol reverted the gene expression signature from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2)‐infected cells and irreversibly inhibited the recombinant forms of the viral and human cysteine proteases involved in virus invasion, such as Mpro (main protease), PLpro (papain‐like protease), and recombinant human cathepsin L. Celastrol suppressed SARS‐CoV‐2 replication in human and monkey cell lines and decreased interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) secretion in the SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected human cell line. Celastrol acted in a concentration‐dependent manner, with undetectable signs of cytotoxicity, and inhibited in vitro replication of the parental and SARS‐CoV‐2 variant. Therefore, celastrol is a promising lead compound to develop new drug candidates to face COVID‐19 due to its ability to suppress SARS‐CoV‐2 replication and IL‐6 production in infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Fuzo
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo B Martins
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais F C Fraga-Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Martin K Amstalden
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais Canassa De Leo
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliano P Souza
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais M Lima
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucia H Faccioli
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Débora Noma Okamoto
- Departamento de Biofísica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Aparecida Juliano
- Departamento de Biofísica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Suzelei C França
- Unidade de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luiz Juliano
- Departamento de Biofísica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vania L D Bonato
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eurico Arruda
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Dias-Baruffi
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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20
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Fu Y, da Fonseca Rezende e Mello J, Fleming BD, Renn A, Chen CZ, Hu X, Xu M, Gorshkov K, Hanson Q, Zheng W, Lee EM, Perera L, Petrovich R, Pradhan M, Eastman RT, Itkin Z, Stanley TB, Hsu A, Dandey V, Sharma K, Gillette W, Taylor T, Ramakrishnan N, Perkins S, Esposito D, Oh E, Susumu K, Wolak M, Ferrer M, Hall MD, Borgnia MJ, Simeonov A. A humanized nanobody phage display library yields potent binders of SARS CoV-2 spike. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272364. [PMID: 35947606 PMCID: PMC9365158 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein have shown a great preventative/therapeutic potential. Here, we report a rapid and efficient strategy for the development and design of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing humanized nanobody constructs with sub-nanomolar affinities and nanomolar potencies. CryoEM-based structural analysis of the nanobodies in complex with spike revealed two distinct binding modes. The most potent nanobody, RBD-1-2G(NCATS-BL8125), tolerates the N501Y RBD mutation and remains capable of neutralizing the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant. Molecular dynamics simulations provide a structural basis for understanding the neutralization process of nanobodies exclusively focused on the spike-ACE2 interface with and without the N501Y mutation on RBD. A primary human airway air-lung interface (ALI) ex vivo model showed that RBD-1-2G-Fc antibody treatment was effective at reducing viral burden following WA1 and B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 infections. Therefore, this presented strategy will serve as a tool to mitigate the threat of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Fu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Juliana da Fonseca Rezende e Mello
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Bryan D. Fleming
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Alex Renn
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Catherine Z. Chen
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xin Hu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Miao Xu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kirill Gorshkov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Quinlin Hanson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Wei Zheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Emily M. Lee
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lalith Perera
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Robert Petrovich
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Manisha Pradhan
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Richard T. Eastman
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Zina Itkin
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas B. Stanley
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Allen Hsu
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Venkata Dandey
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kedar Sharma
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - William Gillette
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Troy Taylor
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nitya Ramakrishnan
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shelley Perkins
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dominic Esposito
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Eunkeu Oh
- Optical Sciences Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Kimihiro Susumu
- Optical Sciences Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- Jacobs Corporation, Hanover, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mason Wolak
- Optical Sciences Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Marc Ferrer
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Matthew D. Hall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mario J. Borgnia
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
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21
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Hochuli J, Jain S, Melo-Filho C, Sessions ZL, Bobrowski T, Choe J, Zheng J, Eastman R, Talley DC, Rai G, Simeonov A, Tropsha A, Muratov EN, Baljinnyam B, Zakharov AV. Allosteric Binders of ACE2 Are Promising Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Agents. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:468-478. [PMID: 35821746 PMCID: PMC9236207 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous health, economic, and social consequences. Vaccines have been successful in reducing rates of infection and hospitalization, but there is still a need for acute treatment of the disease. We investigate whether compounds that bind the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein can decrease SARS-CoV-2 replication without impacting ACE2's natural enzymatic function. Initial screening of a diversity library resulted in hit compounds active in an ACE2-binding assay, which showed little inhibition of ACE2 enzymatic activity (116 actives, success rate ∼4%), suggesting they were allosteric binders. Subsequent application of in silico techniques boosted success rates to ∼14% and resulted in 73 novel confirmed ACE2 binders with K d values as low as 6 nM. A subsequent SARS-CoV-2 assay revealed that five of these compounds inhibit the viral life cycle in human cells. Further effort is required to completely elucidate the antiviral mechanism of these ACE2-binders, but they present a valuable starting point for both the development of acute treatments for COVID-19 and research into the host-directed therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua
E. Hochuli
- Molecular
Modeling Laboratory, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Curriculum
in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Sankalp Jain
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Cleber Melo-Filho
- Molecular
Modeling Laboratory, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Zoe L. Sessions
- Molecular
Modeling Laboratory, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Tesia Bobrowski
- Molecular
Modeling Laboratory, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jun Choe
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Johnny Zheng
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Richard Eastman
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Daniel C. Talley
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ganesha Rai
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Alexander Tropsha
- Molecular
Modeling Laboratory, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Eugene N. Muratov
- Molecular
Modeling Laboratory, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Bolormaa Baljinnyam
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Alexey V. Zakharov
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
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22
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Gorshkov K, Morales Vasquez D, Chiem K, Ye C, Nguyen Tran B, Carlos de la Torre J, Moran T, Chen CZ, Martinez-Sobrido L, Zheng W. SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein TR-FRET Assay Amenable to High Throughput Screening. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:8-19. [PMID: 35036857 PMCID: PMC8751018 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Drug
development for specific antiviral agents against coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still an unmet medical need as the pandemic
continues to spread globally. Although huge efforts for drug repurposing
and compound screens have been put forth, only a few compounds are
in late-stage clinical trials. New approaches and assays are needed
to accelerate COVID-19 drug discovery and development. Here, we report
a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based assay
that detects the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
nucleocapsid protein (NP) produced in infected cells. It uses two
specific anti-NP monoclonal antibodies conjugated to donor and acceptor
fluorophores that produce a robust ratiometric signal for high throughput
screening of large compound collections. Using this assay, we measured
a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for remdesivir
of 9.3 μM against infection with SARS-CoV-2 USA/WA1/2020 (WA-1).
The assay also detected SARS-CoV-2 South African (Beta, β),
Brazilian/Japanese P.1 (Gamma, γ), and Californian (Epsilon,
ε) variants of concern (VoC). Therefore, this homogeneous SARS-CoV-2
NP detection assay can be used for accelerating lead compound discovery
for drug development and for evaluating drug efficacy against emerging
SARS-CoV-2 VoC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill Gorshkov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Desarey Morales Vasquez
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, 8715 West Military Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78227, United States
| | - Kevin Chiem
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, 8715 West Military Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78227, United States
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, 8715 West Military Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78227, United States
| | - Bruce Nguyen Tran
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Juan Carlos de la Torre
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, IMM6, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Thomas Moran
- Icahn School of Medicine, Mt. Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Catherine Z Chen
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Luis Martinez-Sobrido
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, 8715 West Military Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78227, United States
| | - Wei Zheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
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23
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Advances in Targeting ACE2 for Developing COVID-19 Therapeutics. Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:1734-1749. [PMID: 36261668 PMCID: PMC9581451 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-03094-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has accounted for over 6.3 million lives resulting in the demand to develop novel therapeutic approaches to target and treat SARS-CoV-2. Improved understanding of viral entry and infection mechanisms has led to identifying different target receptors to mitigate infection in the host. Researchers have been working on identifying and targeting potential therapeutic target receptors utilizing different candidate drugs. Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) has been known to perform critical functions in maintaining healthy cardiorespiratory function. However, ACE2 also functions as the binding site for the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, allowing the virus to enter the cells and ensue infection. Therefore, drugs targeting ACE2 receptors can be considered as therapeutic candidates. Strategies targeting the level of ACE2 expression have been investigated and compared to other potential therapeutic targets, such as TMPRSS2, RdRp, and DPP4. This mini review discusses the key therapeutic approaches that target the ACE2 receptor, which is critical to the cellular entry and propagation of the novel SARS-CoV-2. In addition, we summarize the main advantages of ACE2 targeting against alternative approaches for the treatment of COVID-19.
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24
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Jukič M, Kores K, Janežič D, Bren U. Repurposing of Drugs for SARS-CoV-2 Using Inverse Docking Fingerprints. Front Chem 2021; 9:757826. [PMID: 35028304 PMCID: PMC8748264 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.757826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that belongs to the Coronaviridae family. This group of viruses commonly causes colds but possesses a tremendous pathogenic potential. In humans, an outbreak of SARS caused by the SARS-CoV virus was first reported in 2003, followed by 2012 when the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) led to an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Moreover, COVID-19 represents a serious socioeconomic and global health problem that has already claimed more than four million lives. To date, there are only a handful of therapeutic options to combat this disease, and only a single direct-acting antiviral, the conditionally approved remdesivir. Since there is an urgent need for active drugs against SARS-CoV-2, the strategy of drug repurposing represents one of the fastest ways to achieve this goal. An in silico drug repurposing study using two methods was conducted. A structure-based virtual screening of the FDA-approved drug database on SARS-CoV-2 main protease was performed, and the 11 highest-scoring compounds with known 3CLpro activity were identified while the methodology was used to report further 11 potential and completely novel 3CLpro inhibitors. Then, inverse molecular docking was performed on the entire viral protein database as well as on the Coronaviridae family protein subset to examine the hit compounds in detail. Instead of target fishing, inverse docking fingerprints were generated for each hit compound as well as for the five most frequently reported and direct-acting repurposed drugs that served as controls. In this way, the target-hitting space was examined and compared and we can support the further biological evaluation of all 11 newly reported hits on SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro as well as recommend further in-depth studies on antihelminthic class member compounds. The authors acknowledge the general usefulness of this approach for a full-fledged inverse docking fingerprint screening in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Jukič
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Kores
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Dušanka Janežič
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Urban Bren
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
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25
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Ma LL, Liu HM, Liu XM, Yuan XY, Xu C, Wang F, Lin JZ, Xu RC, Zhang DK. Screening S protein - ACE2 blockers from natural products: Strategies and advances in the discovery of potential inhibitors of COVID-19. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 226:113857. [PMID: 34628234 PMCID: PMC8489279 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which poses a major threat to human life and health. Given its continued development, limiting the spread of COVID-19 in the population remains a challenging task. Currently, multiple therapies are being tried around the world to deal with SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a variety of studies have shown that natural products have a significant effect on COVID-19 patients. The combination of SARS-CoV-2 S protein with Angiotensin converting enzyme II(ACE2) of host cell to promote membrane fusion is an initial critical step for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, screening natural products that inhibit the binding of SARS-CoV-2 S protein and ACE2 also provides a feasible strategy for the treatment of COVID-19. Establishment of high throughput screening model is an important basis and key technology for screening S protein-ACE2 blockers. Based on this, the molecular structures of SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 and their processes in the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and host cell infection were firstly reviewed in this paper, with emphasis on the methods and techniques of screening S protein-ACE2 blockers, including Virtual Screening (VS), Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Biochromatography, Biotin-avidin with Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay and Gene Chip Technology. Furthermore, the technical principle, advantages and disadvantages and application scope were further elaborated. Combined with the application of the above screening technologies in S protein-ACE2 blockers, a variety of natural products, such as flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, alkaloids, were summarized, which could be used as S protein-ACE2 blockers, in order to provide ideas for the efficient discovery of S protein-ACE2 blockers from natural sources and contribute to the development of broad-spectrum anti coronavirus drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le-le Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, PR China
| | - Hui-Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, PR China
| | - Xue-Mei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, PR China
| | - Xiao-Yu Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, PR China
| | - Chao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, PR China
| | - Fang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Preparation of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Central Laboratory, Nanchang, 330000, PR China
| | - Jun-Zhi Lin
- TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610072, PR China.
| | - Run-Chun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, PR China.
| | - Ding-Kun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, PR China.
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26
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Antibody Response of BNT162b2 and CoronaVac Platforms in Recovered Individuals Previously Infected by COVID-19 against SARS-CoV-2 Wild Type and Delta Variant. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9121442. [PMID: 34960189 PMCID: PMC8705363 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9121442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccinating recovered patients previously infected by COVID-19 with mRNA vaccines to boost their immune response against wild-type viruses (WT), we aimed to investigate whether vaccine platform and time of vaccination affect immunogenicity against the SARS-CoV-2 WT and Delta variant (DV). Convalescent patients infected by COVID-19 were recruited and received one booster dose of the BNT162b2 (PC-B) or CoronaVac (PC-C) vaccines, while SARS-CoV-2 naïve subjects received two doses of the BNT162b2 (CN-B) or CoronaVac (CN-C) vaccines. The neutralizing antibody in sera against the WT and DV was determined with live virus neutralization assay (vMN). The vMN geometric mean titre (GMT) against WT in recovered individuals previously infected by COVID-19 reduced significantly from 60.0 (95% confidence interval (CI), 46.5-77.4) to 33.9 (95% CI, 26.3-43.7) at 6 months post recovery. In the PC-B group, the BNT162b2 vaccine enhanced antibody response against WT and DV, with 22.3-fold and 20.4-fold increases, respectively. The PC-C group also showed 1.8-fold and 2.2-fold increases for WT and DV, respectively, after receiving the CoronaVac vaccine. There was a 10.6-fold increase in GMT in the CN-B group and a 1.3-fold increase in the CN-C group against DV after full vaccination. In both the PC-B and PC-C groups, there was no difference between GMT against WT and DV after vaccination. Subjects in the CN-B and CN-C groups showed inferior GMT against DV compared with GMT against WT after vaccination. In this study, one booster shot effectively enhanced the pre-existing neutralizing activity against WT and DV in recovered subjects.
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27
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Fu Y, Mello JDFRE, Fleming BD, Renn A, Chen CZ, Hu X, Xu M, Gorshkov K, Hanson Q, Zheng W, Lee EM, Perera L, Petrovich R, Pradhan M, Eastman RT, Itkin Z, Stanley T, Hsu A, Dandey V, Gillette W, Taylor T, Ramakrishnan N, Perkins S, Esposito D, Oh E, Susumu K, Wolak M, Ferrer M, Hall MD, Borgnia MJ, Simeonov A. The humanized nanobody RBD-1-2G tolerates the spike N501Y mutation to neutralize SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 34729560 DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.22.465476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein have shown a great preventative/therapeutic potential. Here, we report a rapid and efficient strategy for the development and design of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing humanized nanobody constructs with sub-nanomolar affinities and nanomolar potencies. CryoEM-based structural analysis of the nanobodies in complex with spike revealed two distinct binding modes. The most potent nanobody, RBD-1-2G(NCATS-BL8125), tolerates the N501Y RBD mutation and remains capable of neutralizing the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant. Molecular dynamics simulations provide a structural basis for understanding the neutralization process of nanobodies exclusively focused on the spike-ACE2 interface with and without the N501Y mutation on RBD. A primary human airway air-lung interface (ALI) ex vivo model showed that RBD-1-2G-Fc antibody treatment was effective at reducing viral burden following WA1 and B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 infections. Therefore, this presented strategy will serve as a tool to mitigate the threat of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. One-Sentence Summary A cost-effective, high-throughput, adaptable pipeline capable of identifying effective humanized nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2.
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28
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Xiong J, Xiang Y, Huang Z, Liu X, Wang M, Ge G, Chen H, Xu J, Zheng M, Chen L. Structure-Based Virtual Screening and Identification of Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and ACE2 Interaction. Front Chem 2021; 9:740702. [PMID: 34646813 PMCID: PMC8504695 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.740702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence and rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 have caused a worldwide public health crisis. Designing small molecule inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD/ACE2 interaction is considered as a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2. But to date, only a few compounds have been reported as SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD/ACE2 interaction inhibitors. In this study, we described the virtual screening and experimental validation of two novel inhibitors (DC-RA016 and DC-RA052) against SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD/ACE2 interaction. The NanoBiT assays and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays demonstrated their capabilities of blocking SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD/ACE2 interaction and directly binding to both S-RBD and ACE2. Moreover, the pseudovirus assay revealed that these two compounds possessed significant antiviral activity (about 50% inhibition rate at maximum non-cytotoxic concentration). These results indicate that the compounds DC-RA016 and DC-RA052 are promising inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD/ACE2 interaction and deserve to be further developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,College of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yusen Xiang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziming Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,College of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,College of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengge Wang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangbo Ge
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongzhuan Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianrong Xu
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyue Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,College of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lili Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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29
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Dragelj J, Mroginski MA, Ebrahimi KH. Hidden in Plain Sight: Natural Products of Commensal Microbiota as an Environmental Selection Pressure for the Rise of New Variants of SARS-CoV-2. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2946-2950. [PMID: 34265150 PMCID: PMC8427076 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, little attention has been paid to the interplay between the interaction of virus and commensal microbiota. Here, we used molecular docking and dynamics simulations to study the interaction of some of the known metabolites and natural products (NPs) produced by commensal microbiota with the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. The results predict that NPs of commensal microbiota such as bile acids and non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs), of which some are siderophores, bind to the wild-type RBD and interfere with its binding to the ACE2 receptor. N501Y mutation, which is present in many of the emerging variants of the virus, abolishes the predicted binding pocket of bile acids and NRPs. Based on these findings, available experimental data showing that bile acids reduce the binding affinity of wild-type RBD to the ACE2 receptor, and the data suggesting that the respiratory tract microbiota affect viral infection we put forward the following proposal: mutations such as N501Y enable the RBD to bind to the ACE2 receptor more effectively in the presence of NPs produced by the respiratory tract bacteria thereby, increasing the infectivity rate of the virus. We hope our data stimulate future works to better understand the interactions of NPs produced by commensal microbiota with respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovan Dragelj
- Institute of ChemistryTechnische Universität BerlinStraße des 17. Juni 13510623BerlinGermany
| | - Maria Andrea Mroginski
- Institute of ChemistryTechnische Universität BerlinStraße des 17. Juni 13510623BerlinGermany
| | - Kourosh H. Ebrahimi
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of OxfordMansfield RoadOxfordOX1 3TAUK
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30
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Jain S, Talley DC, Baljinnyam B, Choe J, Hanson Q, Zhu W, Xu M, Chen CZ, Zheng W, Hu X, Shen M, Rai G, Hall MD, Simeonov A, Zakharov AV. Hybrid In Silico Approach Reveals Novel Inhibitors of Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Variants. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:1675-1688. [PMID: 34608449 PMCID: PMC8482323 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) has been actively generating SARS-CoV-2 high-throughput screening data and disseminates it through the OpenData Portal (https://opendata.ncats.nih.gov/covid19/). Here, we provide a hybrid approach that utilizes NCATS screening data from the SARS-CoV-2 cytopathic effect reduction assay to build predictive models, using both machine learning and pharmacophore-based modeling. Optimized models were used to perform two iterative rounds of virtual screening to predict small molecules active against SARS-CoV-2. Experimental testing with live virus provided 100 (∼16% of predicted hits) active compounds (efficacy > 30%, IC50 ≤ 15 μM). Systematic clustering analysis of active compounds revealed three promising chemotypes which have not been previously identified as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further investigation resulted in the identification of allosteric binders to host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; these compounds were then shown to inhibit the entry of pseudoparticles bearing spike protein of wild-type SARS-CoV-2, as well as South African B.1.351 and UK B.1.1.7 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sankalp Jain
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Daniel C. Talley
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Bolormaa Baljinnyam
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Jun Choe
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Quinlin Hanson
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Wei Zhu
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Miao Xu
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Catherine Z. Chen
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Wei Zheng
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Xin Hu
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Min Shen
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ganesha Rai
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Matthew D. Hall
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Alexey V. Zakharov
- National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences (NCATS), National
Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
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31
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Lecot S, Chevolot Y, Phaner-Goutorbe M, Yeromonahos C. Curious Binding Energy Increase between the Receptor-Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Adsorbed on a Silane Monolayer from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:11078-11090. [PMID: 34570497 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c06050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak since December 2019, antigenic tests are widely used, for diagnosis purposes, to detect the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in nasopharyngeal fluid through its interactions with specific antibodies. However, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is subject to rapid mutations yielding more and more variants that might lose their affinity toward the currently used antibodies. The virus entry into the host cell involves interactions between the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain. Consequently, ACE2 could be a target with limited mutation escaping possibilities. However, as the enzyme has not evolved to recognize the virus, its affinity with the spike protein receptor-binding domain is lower than that with specific antibodies. The present molecular dynamics simulations study suggests that the adsorption of the ACE2 on specific silane monolayers could increase its affinity toward the spike protein receptor-binding domain. Indeed, silane monolayers, combining silane molecules with short alkyl chains and positively charged head groups and silane molecules without charged head groups, could adsorb the ACE2 while maintaining its bioactivity (orientation compatible with the spike protein trapping, low conformational changes) and increasing its interactions with the spike protein receptor-binding domain (number of hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions) to lead to an increase by 20% both in the binding free energy and in the enzyme /receptor-binding domain rupture force. This work could help develop biosensing tools efficient toward any variants of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solène Lecot
- Ecole Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CPE Lyon, INL, UMR5270, Université de Lyon, Ecully 69130, France
| | - Yann Chevolot
- Ecole Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CPE Lyon, INL, UMR5270, Université de Lyon, Ecully 69130, France
| | - Magali Phaner-Goutorbe
- Ecole Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CPE Lyon, INL, UMR5270, Université de Lyon, Ecully 69130, France
| | - Christelle Yeromonahos
- Ecole Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CPE Lyon, INL, UMR5270, Université de Lyon, Ecully 69130, France
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32
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Xu T, Zheng W, Huang R. High-throughput screening assays for SARS-CoV-2 drug development: Current status and future directions. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:2439-2444. [PMID: 34048893 PMCID: PMC8146264 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In response to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a panel of assays has been developed and applied to screen collections of approved and investigational drugs for anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) activity in a quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) format. In this review, we applied data-driven approaches to evaluate the ability of each assay to identify potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 leads. Multitarget assays were found to show advantages in terms of accuracy and efficiency over single-target assays, whereas target-specific assays were more suitable for investigating compound mechanisms of action. Moreover, strict filtering with counter screens might be more detrimental than beneficial in identifying true positives. Thus, developing novel HTS assays acting simultaneously against multiple targets in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle will benefit anti-COVID-19 drug discovery.
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33
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Deep learning identifies synergistic drug combinations for treating COVID-19. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2105070118. [PMID: 34526388 PMCID: PMC8488647 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105070118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective treatments for COVID-19 are urgently needed. However, discovering single-agent therapies with activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been challenging. Combination therapies play an important role in antiviral therapies, due to their improved efficacy and reduced toxicity. Recent approaches have applied deep learning to identify synergistic drug combinations for diseases with vast preexisting datasets, but these are not applicable to new diseases with limited combination data, such as COVID-19. Given that drug synergy often occurs through inhibition of discrete biological targets, here we propose a neural network architecture that jointly learns drug-target interaction and drug-drug synergy. The model consists of two parts: a drug-target interaction module and a target-disease association module. This design enables the model to utilize drug-target interaction data and single-agent antiviral activity data, in addition to available drug-drug combination datasets, which may be small in nature. By incorporating additional biological information, our model performs significantly better in synergy prediction accuracy than previous methods with limited drug combination training data. We empirically validated our model predictions and discovered two drug combinations, remdesivir and reserpine as well as remdesivir and IQ-1S, which display strong antiviral SARS-CoV-2 synergy in vitro. Our approach, which was applied here to address the urgent threat of COVID-19, can be readily extended to other diseases for which a dearth of chemical-chemical combination data exists.
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34
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Molecular Dynamics Studies on the Structural Characteristics for the Stability Prediction of SARS-CoV-2. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168714. [PMID: 34445414 PMCID: PMC8395978 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) affects the COVID-19 pandemic in the world. The spike protein of the various proteins encoded in SARS-CoV-2 binds to human ACE2, fuses, and enters human cells in the respiratory system. Spike protein, however, is highly variable, and many variants were identified continuously. In this study, Korean mutants for spike protein (D614G and D614A-C terminal domain, L455F and F456L-RBD, and Q787H-S2 domain) were investigated in patients. Because RBD in spike protein is related to direct interaction with ACE2, almost all researches were focused on the RBD region or ACE2-free whole domain region. The 3D structure for spike protein complexed with ACE2 was recently released. The stability analysis through RBD distance among each spike protein chain and the binding free energy calculation between spike protein and ACE2 were performed using MD simulation depending on mutant types in 1-, 2-, and 3-open-complex forms. D614G mutant of CT2 domain, showing to be the most prevalent in the global pandemic, showed higher stability in all open-complex forms than the wild type and other mutants. We hope this study will provide an insight into the importance of conformational fluctuation in the whole domain, although RBD is involved in the direct interaction with ACE2.
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35
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Malik YS, Kumar P, Ansari MI, Hemida MG, El Zowalaty ME, Abdel-Moneim AS, Ganesh B, Salajegheh S, Natesan S, Sircar S, Safdar M, Vinodhkumar OR, Duarte PM, Patel SK, Klein J, Rahimi P, Dhama K. SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Extrapolation for COVID Diagnosis and Vaccine Development. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:607886. [PMID: 34395515 PMCID: PMC8355592 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.607886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affecting nearly 71.2 million humans in more than 191 countries, with more than 1.6 million mortalities as of 12 December, 2020. The spike glycoprotein (S-protein), anchored onto the virus envelope, is the trimer of S-protein comprised of S1 and S2 domains which interacts with host cell receptors and facilitates virus-cell membrane fusion. The S1 domain comprises of a receptor binding domain (RBD) possessing an N-terminal domain and two subdomains (SD1 and SD2). Certain regions of S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 such as S2 domain and fragment of the RBD remain conserved despite the high selection pressure. These conserved regions of the S-protein are extrapolated as the potential target for developing molecular diagnostic techniques. Further, the S-protein acts as an antigenic target for different serological assay platforms for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Virus-specific IgM and IgG antibodies can be used to detect viral proteins in ELISA and lateral flow immunoassays. The S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 has very high sequence similarity to SARS-CoV-1, and the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-1 cross-react with S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralize its activity. Furthermore, in vitro studies have demonstrated that polyclonal antibodies targeted against the RBD of S-protein of SARS-CoV-1 can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 thus inhibiting its infectivity in permissive cell lines. Research on coronaviral S-proteins paves the way for the development of vaccines that may prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and alleviate the current global coronavirus pandemic. However, specific neutralizing mAbs against SARS-CoV-2 are in clinical development. Therefore, neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 S-protein are promising specific antiviral therapeutics for pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We hereby review the approaches taken by researchers across the world to use spike gene and S-glycoprotein for the development of effective diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics against SARA-CoV-2 infection the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashpal S. Malik
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
- College of Animal Biotechnology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana, India
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Amity Institute of Virology and Immunology, Amity University, Noida, India
| | - Mohd Ikram Ansari
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
- Department of Biosciences, Integral University, Lucknow, India
| | - Maged G. Hemida
- Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh, Egypt
| | - Mohamed E. El Zowalaty
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ahmed S. Abdel-Moneim
- Microbiology Department, College of Medicine, Taif University, Al-Taif, Saudi Arabia
- Virology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Balasubramanian Ganesh
- Laboratory Division, Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Chennai, India
| | - Sina Salajegheh
- Young Researchers and Elites Club, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Shubhankar Sircar
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
| | - Muhammad Safdar
- Department of Breeding and Genetics, Cholistan University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - O. R. Vinodhkumar
- Division of Epidemiology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
| | - Phelipe M. Duarte
- Veterinarian, Professor at the Faculty of Biological and Health Sciences, Universidade de Cuiabá, Primavera do Leste, Brazil
| | - Shailesh K. Patel
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
| | - Jörn Klein
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
| | - Parastoo Rahimi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
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36
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Chitsike L, Duerksen-Hughes P. Keep out! SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors: their role and utility as COVID-19 therapeutics. Virol J 2021; 18:154. [PMID: 34301275 PMCID: PMC8301738 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-021-01624-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has put healthcare infrastructures and our social and economic lives under unprecedented strain. Effective solutions are needed to end the pandemic while significantly lessening its further impact on mortality and social and economic life. Effective and widely-available vaccines have appropriately long been seen as the best way to end the pandemic. Indeed, the current availability of several effective vaccines are already making a significant progress towards achieving that goal. Nevertheless, concerns have risen due to new SARS-CoV-2 variants that harbor mutations against which current vaccines are less effective. Furthermore, some individuals are unwilling or unable to take the vaccine. As health officials across the globe scramble to vaccinate their populations to reach herd immunity, the challenges noted above indicate that COVID-19 therapeutics are still needed to work alongside the vaccines. Here we describe the impact that neutralizing antibodies have had on those with early or mild COVID-19, and what their approval for early management of COVID-19 means for other viral entry inhibitors that have a similar mechanism of action. Importantly, we also highlight studies that show that therapeutic strategies involving various viral entry inhibitors such as multivalent antibodies, recombinant ACE2 and miniproteins can be effective not only for pre-exposure prophylaxis, but also in protecting against SARS-CoV-2 antigenic drift and future zoonotic sarbecoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennox Chitsike
- Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 11021 Campus Street, 101 Alumni Hall, Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA
| | - Penelope Duerksen-Hughes
- Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 11021 Campus Street, 101 Alumni Hall, Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA.
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37
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Binette V, Côté S, Haddad M, Nguyen PT, Bélanger S, Bourgault S, Ramassamy C, Gaudreault R, Mousseau N. Corilagin and 1,3,6-Tri- O-galloy-β-D-glucose: potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:14873-14888. [PMID: 34223589 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp01790j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, first detected in December 2019, is still emerging through virus mutations. Although almost under control in some countries due to effective vaccines that are mitigating the worldwide pandemic, the urgency to develop additional vaccines and therapeutic treatments is imperative. In this work, the natural polyphenols corilagin and 1,3,6-tri-O-galloy-β-d-glucose (TGG) are investigated to determine the structural basis of inhibitor interactions as potential candidates to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 viral entry into target cells. First, the therapeutic potential of the ligands are assessed on the ACE2/wild-type RBD. We first use molecular docking followed by molecular dynamics, to take into account the conformational flexibility that plays a significant role in ligand binding and that cannot be captured using only docking, and then analyze more precisely the affinity of these ligands using MMPBSA binding free energy. We show that both ligands bind to the ACE2/wild-type RBD interface with good affinities which might prevent the ACE2/RBD association. Second, we confirm the potency of these ligands to block the ACE2/RBD association using a combination of surface plasmon resonance and biochemical inhibition assays. These experiments confirm that TGG and, to a lesser extent, corilagin, inhibit the binding of RBD to ACE2. Both experiments and simulations show that the ligands interact preferentially with RBD, while weak binding is observed with ACE2, hence, avoiding potential physiological side-effects induced by the inhibition of ACE2. In addition to the wild-type RBD, we also study numerically three RBD mutations (E484K, N501Y and E484K/N501Y) found in the main SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns. We find that corilagin could be as effective for RBD/E484K but less effective for the RBD/N501Y and RBD/E484K-N501Y mutants, while TGG strongly binds at relevant locations to all three mutants, demonstrating the significant interest of these molecules as potential inhibitors for variants of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Binette
- Départment de physique, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7 Canada.
| | - Sébastien Côté
- Départment de physique, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7 Canada. and Cégep de Saint-Jérôme, 455 Rue Fournier, Saint-Jérôme, QC, J7Z 4V2 Canada
| | - Mohamed Haddad
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7 Canada.
| | - Phuong Trang Nguyen
- Département de Chimie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 2101 Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal, QC, H2X 2J6 Canada.
| | - Sébastien Bélanger
- Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2T8 Canada
| | - Steve Bourgault
- Département de Chimie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 2101 Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal, QC, H2X 2J6 Canada.
| | - Charles Ramassamy
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 boulevard des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7 Canada.
| | - Roger Gaudreault
- Départment de physique, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7 Canada.
| | - Normand Mousseau
- Départment de physique, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7 Canada.
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38
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Phelan T, Dunne J, Conlon N, Cheallaigh CN, Abbott WM, Faba-Rodriguez R, Amanat F, Krammer F, Little MA, Hughes G, Bergin C, Kerr C, Sundaresan S, Long A, McCormack W, Brady G. Dynamic Assay for Profiling Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Their ACE2/Spike RBD Neutralization Capacity. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071371. [PMID: 34372581 PMCID: PMC8309970 DOI: 10.3390/v13071371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Serological assays have been widely employed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to measure antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and to track seroconversion in populations. However, currently available assays do not allow determination of neutralization capacity within the assay protocol. Furthermore, commercial serology assays have a high buy-in cost that is inaccessible for many research groups. We have replicated the serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibody isotypes, developed at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. Additionally, we have modified the protocol to include a neutralization assay with only a minor modification to this protocol. We used this assay to screen local COVID-19 patient sera (n = 91) and pre-COVID-19 control sera (n = 103), and obtained approximate parity with approved commercial anti-nucleoprotein-based assays with these sera. Furthermore, data from our neutralization assay closely aligns with that generated using a spike-based pseudovirus infection model when a subset of patient sera was analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Phelan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
- Correspondence: (T.P.); (G.B.)
| | - Jean Dunne
- Department of Immunology, St. James’s Hospital, D08 NHY1 Dublin, Ireland; (J.D.); (N.C.)
| | - Niall Conlon
- Department of Immunology, St. James’s Hospital, D08 NHY1 Dublin, Ireland; (J.D.); (N.C.)
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Clíona Ní Cheallaigh
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St James’s Hospital, D08 NHY1 Dublin, Ireland
| | - W. Mark Abbott
- Peak Proteins Ltd., Alderley Park, Mereside, Macclesfield SK10 4TG, UK; (W.M.A.); (R.F.-R.)
| | - Raquel Faba-Rodriguez
- Peak Proteins Ltd., Alderley Park, Mereside, Macclesfield SK10 4TG, UK; (W.M.A.); (R.F.-R.)
| | - Fatima Amanat
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-5674, USA; (F.A.); (F.K.)
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-5674, USA; (F.A.); (F.K.)
| | - Mark A. Little
- Trinity Health Kidney Centre, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, St. James’ Hospital Campus, D08 W9RT Dublin, Ireland;
| | - Gerry Hughes
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
- Department of Pharmacy, St James’s Hospital, D08 NHY1 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Colm Bergin
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St James’s Hospital, D08 NHY1 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Colm Kerr
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St James’s Hospital, D08 NHY1 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sudharshana Sundaresan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
| | - Aideen Long
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
| | - William McCormack
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
| | - Gareth Brady
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland; (C.N.C.); (G.H.); (C.B.); (C.K.); (S.S.); (A.L.); (W.M.)
- Trinity Health Kidney Centre, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, St. James’ Hospital Campus, D08 W9RT Dublin, Ireland;
- Correspondence: (T.P.); (G.B.)
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Roth S, Danielli A. Rapid and Sensitive Inhibitor Screening Using Magnetically Modulated Biosensors. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21144814. [PMID: 34300555 PMCID: PMC8309820 DOI: 10.3390/s21144814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitor screening is an important tool for drug development, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most used in vitro inhibitor screening tool is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). However, ELISA-based inhibitor screening is time consuming and has a limited dynamic range. Using fluorescently and magnetically modulated biosensors (MMB), we developed a rapid and sensitive inhibitor screening tool. This study demonstrates its performance by screening small molecules and neutralizing antibodies as potential inhibitors of the interaction between the spike protein 1 (S1) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. The MMB-based assay is highly sensitive, has minimal non-specific binding, and is much faster than the commonly used ELISA (2 h vs. 7–24 h). We anticipate that our method will lead to a remarkable advance in screening for new drug candidates.
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Gorshkov K, Vasquez DM, Chiem K, Ye C, Tran BN, de la Torre JC, Moran T, Chen CZ, Martinez-Sobrido L, Zheng W. A SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein TR-FRET assay amenable to high-throughput screening. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 34268508 PMCID: PMC8282096 DOI: 10.1101/2021.07.03.450938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Drug development for specific antiviral agents against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still an unmet medical need as the pandemic continues to spread globally. Although huge efforts for drug repurposing and compound screens have put forth, only few compounds remain in late stage clinical trials. New approaches and assays are needed to accelerate COVID-19 drug discovery and development. Here we report a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based assay that detects the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid protein (NP) produced in infected cells. It uses two specific anti-NP monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) conjugated to donor and acceptor fluorophores that produces a robust ratiometric signal for high throughput screening of large compound collections. Using this assay, we measured a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for Remdesivir of 9.3 μM against infection with SARS-CoV-2 USA/WA1/2020 (WA-1). The assay also detected SARS-CoV-2 South African (Beta, β), Brazilian/Japanese variant P.1 (Gamma, γ), and Californian (Epsilon, ε), variants of concern or interest (VoC). Therefore, this homogeneous SARS-CoV-2 NP detection assay can be used for accelerating lead compound discovery for drug development and for evaluating drug efficacy against emerging SARS-CoV-2 VoC.
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41
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A single homogeneous assay for simultaneous measurement of bispecific antibody target binding. J Immunol Methods 2021; 496:113099. [PMID: 34224737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2021.113099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are engineered to simultaneously bind two different antigens, and offer promising clinical outcomes for various diseases. The dual binding properties of BsAbs may enable superior efficacies and/or potencies compared to standard monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) or combination mAb therapies. Characterizing BsAb binding properties is critical during biotherapeutic development, where data is leveraged to predict efficacy and potency, assess critical quality attributes and improve antibody design. Traditional single-target, single-readout approaches (e.g., ELISA) have limited usefulness for interpreting complex bispecific binding, and double the benchwork. To address these deficiencies, we developed and implemented a new dual-target/readout binding assay that accurately dissects the affinities of both BsAb binding domains directly and simultaneously. This new assay uses AlphaPlex® technology, which eliminates traditional ELISA wash steps and can be miniaturized for automated workflows. The optimized BsAb AlphaPlex assay demonstrates 99-107% accuracy within a 50-150% linear range, and detected >50% binding degradation from photo- and thermal stress conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first instance of a dual-target/readout BsAb AlphaPlex assay with GMP-suitable linear range, accuracy, specificity, and stability-indicating properties. As a highly customizable and efficient assay, BsAb AlphaPlex may be applicable to numerous bispecific formats and/or co-formulations against a variety of antigens beyond the clinical therapeutic space.
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Cecon E, Burridge M, Cao L, Carter L, Ravichandran R, Dam J, Jockers R. SARS-COV-2 spike binding to ACE2 in living cells monitored by TR-FRET. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 29:74-83.e4. [PMID: 34246414 PMCID: PMC8249686 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Targeting the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human ACE2, its primary cell membrane receptor, is a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent viral entry. Recent in vitro studies revealed that the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein plays a prominent role in ACE2 binding, yet a simple and quantitative assay for monitoring this interaction in a cellular environment is lacking. Here, we developed an RBD-ACE2 binding assay that is based on time-resolved FRET, which reliably monitors the interaction in a physiologically relevant and cellular context. Because it is modular, the assay can monitor the impact of different cellular components, such as heparan sulfate, lipids, and membrane proteins on the RBD-ACE2 interaction and it can be extended to the full-length spike protein. The assay is HTS compatible and can detect small-molecule competitive and allosteric modulators of the RBD-ACE2 interaction with high relevance for SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Cecon
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Matilda Burridge
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Longxing Cao
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Julie Dam
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014 Paris, France.
| | - Ralf Jockers
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, 75014 Paris, France.
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Tsegay KB, Adeyemi CM, Gniffke EP, Sather DN, Walker JK, Smith SEP. A Repurposed Drug Screen Identifies Compounds That Inhibit the Binding of the COVID-19 Spike Protein to ACE2. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:685308. [PMID: 34194331 PMCID: PMC8236845 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.685308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Repurposed drugs that block the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its receptor ACE2 could offer a rapid route to novel COVID-19 treatments or prophylactics. Here, we screened 2,701 compounds from a commercial library of drugs approved by international regulatory agencies for their ability to inhibit the binding of recombinant, trimeric SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to recombinant human ACE2. We identified 56 compounds that inhibited binding in a concentration-dependent manner, measured the IC50 of binding inhibition, and computationally modeled the docking of the best inhibitors to the Spike-ACE2 binding interface. The best candidates were Thiostrepton, Oxytocin, Nilotinib, and Hydroxycamptothecin with IC50's in the 4-9 μM range. These results highlight an effective screening approach to identify compounds capable of disrupting the Spike-ACE2 interaction, as well as identify several potential inhibitors of the Spike-ACE2 interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaleb B. Tsegay
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Christiana M. Adeyemi
- St. Louis University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Edward P. Gniffke
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - D. Noah Sather
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - John K. Walker
- St. Louis University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Henry and Amelia Nasrallah Center for Neuroscience, Saint Louis University St. Louis, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Stephen E. P. Smith
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Bojadzic D, Alcazar O, Chen J, Chuang ST, Capcha JMC, Shehadeh LA, Buchwald P. Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Coronavirus Spike: ACE2 Protein-Protein Interaction as Blockers of Viral Attachment and Entry for SARS-CoV-2. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1519-1534. [PMID: 33979123 PMCID: PMC8130611 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitors of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human ACE2 (hACE2), which acts as a ligand-receptor pair that initiates the viral attachment and cellular entry of this coronavirus causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, are of considerable interest as potential antiviral agents. While blockade of such PPIs with small molecules is more challenging than that with antibodies, small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs) might offer alternatives that are less strain- and mutation-sensitive, suitable for oral or inhaled administration, and more controllable/less immunogenic. Here, we report the identification of SMIs of this PPI by screening our compound library focused around the chemical space of organic dyes. Among promising candidates identified, several dyes (Congo red, direct violet 1, Evans blue) and novel druglike compounds (DRI-C23041, DRI-C91005) inhibited the interaction of hACE2 with the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 as well as SARS-CoV with low micromolar activity in our cell-free ELISA-type assays (IC50's of 0.2-3.0 μM), whereas control compounds, such as sunset yellow FCF, chloroquine, and suramin, showed no activity. Protein thermal shift assays indicated that the SMIs of interest identified here bind SARS-CoV-2-S and not hACE2. While dyes seemed to be promiscuous inhibitors, DRI-C23041 showed some selectivity and inhibited the entry of two different SARS-CoV-2-S expressing pseudoviruses into hACE2-expressing cells in a concentration-dependent manner with low micromolar IC50's (6-7 μM). This provides proof-of-principle evidence for the feasibility of small-molecule inhibition of PPIs critical for SARS-CoV-2 attachment/entry and serves as a first guide in the search for SMI-based alternative antiviral therapies for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by coronaviruses in general and COVID-19 in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damir Bojadzic
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Oscar Alcazar
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Jinshui Chen
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Sung-Ting Chuang
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Jose M. Condor Capcha
- Division of Cardiology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Lina A. Shehadeh
- Division of Cardiology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
- Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Peter Buchwald
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
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45
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KC GB, Bocci G, Verma S, Hassan MM, Holmes J, Yang JJ, Sirimulla S, Oprea TI. A machine learning platform to estimate anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities. NAT MACH INTELL 2021. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-021-00335-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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46
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Chang CK, Lin SM, Satange R, Lin SC, Sun SC, Wu HY, Kehn-Hall K, Hou MH. Targeting protein-protein interaction interfaces in COVID-19 drug discovery. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2246-2255. [PMID: 33936565 PMCID: PMC8064971 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed over 1 million human lives, infected another 50 million individuals and wreaked havoc on the global economy. The crisis has spurred the ongoing development of drugs targeting its etiological agent, the SARS-CoV-2. Targeting relevant protein-protein interaction interfaces (PPIIs) is a viable paradigm for the design of antiviral drugs and enriches the targetable chemical space by providing alternative targets for drug discovery. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the theory, methods and applications of PPII-targeted drug development towards COVID-19 based on recent literature. We will also highlight novel developments, such as the successful use of non-native protein-protein interactions as targets for antiviral drug screening. We hope that this review may serve as an entry point for those interested in applying PPIIs towards COVID-19 drug discovery and speed up drug development against the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Ke Chang
- Taiwan Biobank, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Shan-Meng Lin
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Roshan Satange
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.,Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chao Lin
- Bachelor Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
| | - Sin-Cih Sun
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Yi Wu
- Institute of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Kylene Kehn-Hall
- Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Ming-Hon Hou
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.,Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
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47
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Gupta P, Mohanty D. SMMPPI: a machine learning-based approach for prediction of modulators of protein-protein interactions and its application for identification of novel inhibitors for RBD:hACE2 interactions in SARS-CoV-2. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:6220172. [PMID: 33839740 PMCID: PMC8083326 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Small molecule modulators of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are being pursued as novel anticancer, antiviral and antimicrobial drug candidates. We have utilized a large data set of experimentally validated PPI modulators and developed machine learning classifiers for prediction of new small molecule modulators of PPI. Our analysis reveals that using random forest (RF) classifier, general PPI Modulators independent of PPI family can be predicted with ROC-AUC higher than 0.9, when training and test sets are generated by random split. The performance of the classifier on data sets very different from those used in training has also been estimated by using different state of the art protocols for removing various types of bias in division of data into training and test sets. The family-specific PPIM predictors developed in this work for 11 clinically important PPI families also have prediction accuracies of above 90% in majority of the cases. All these ML-based predictors have been implemented in a freely available software named SMMPPI for prediction of small molecule modulators for clinically relevant PPIs like RBD:hACE2, Bromodomain_Histone, BCL2-Like_BAX/BAK, LEDGF_IN, LFA_ICAM, MDM2-Like_P53, RAS_SOS1, XIAP_Smac, WDR5_MLL1, KEAP1_NRF2 and CD4_gp120. We have identified novel chemical scaffolds as inhibitors for RBD_hACE PPI involved in host cell entry of SARS-CoV-2. Docking studies for some of the compounds reveal that they can inhibit RBD_hACE2 interaction by high affinity binding to interaction hotspots on RBD. Some of these new scaffolds have also been found in SARS-CoV-2 viral growth inhibitors reported recently; however, it is not known if these molecules inhibit the entry phase.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Debasisa Mohanty
- Bioinformatics & Computational Biology research group at NII, New Delhi 110067, India
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48
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Kalra RS, Kumar V, Dhanjal JK, Garg S, Li X, Kaul SC, Sundar D, Wadhwa R. COVID19-inhibitory activity of withanolides involves targeting of the host cell surface receptor ACE2: insights from computational and biochemical assays. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:7885-7898. [PMID: 33797339 PMCID: PMC8022344 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1902858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in China in December 2019 and its spread as worldwide pandemic has been a major global health crisis. Extremely high infection and mortality rate has severely affected all sectors of life and derailed the global economy. While drug and vaccine development have been prioritized and have made significant progression, use of phytochemicals and herbal constituents is deemed as a low-cost, safer and readily available alternative. We investigated therapeutic efficacy of eight withanolides (derived from Ashwagandha) against the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) proteins, a target cell surface receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and report results on the (i) computational analyses including binding affinity and stable interactions with ACE2, occupancy of ACE2 residues in making polar and nonpolar interactions with different withanolides/ligands and (2) in vitro mRNA and protein analyses using human cancer (A549, MCF7 and HSC3) cells. We found that among all withanolides, Withaferin-A, Withanone, Withanoside-IV and Withanoside-V significantly inhibited the ACE2 expression. Analysis of withanolides-rich aqueous extracts derived from Ashwagandha leaves and stem showed a higher ACE2 inhibitory potency of stem-derived extracts. Taken together, we demonstrated the inhibitory potency of Ashwagandha withanolides and its aqueous extracts against ACE2. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajkumar Singh Kalra
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, AIST-INDIA DAILAB, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational & Environmental Research (DAICENTER), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan
| | - Vipul Kumar
- DAILAB, Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India
| | - Jaspreet Kaur Dhanjal
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, AIST-INDIA DAILAB, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational & Environmental Research (DAICENTER), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan
| | - Sukant Garg
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, AIST-INDIA DAILAB, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational & Environmental Research (DAICENTER), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan
| | - Xiaoshuai Li
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, AIST-INDIA DAILAB, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational & Environmental Research (DAICENTER), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan
| | - Sunil C Kaul
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, AIST-INDIA DAILAB, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational & Environmental Research (DAICENTER), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan
| | - Durai Sundar
- DAILAB, Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India
| | - Renu Wadhwa
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, AIST-INDIA DAILAB, DBT-AIST International Center for Translational & Environmental Research (DAICENTER), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan
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49
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McMillan P, Dexhiemer T, Neubig RR, Uhal BD. COVID-19-A Theory of Autoimmunity Against ACE-2 Explained. Front Immunol 2021; 12:582166. [PMID: 33833750 PMCID: PMC8021777 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.582166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-COV-2 has cost many lives worldwide. In dealing with affected patients, the physician is faced with a very unusual pattern of organ damage that is not easily explained on the basis of prior knowledge of viral-induced pathogenesis. It is established that the main receptor for viral entry into tissues is the protein angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 ["ACE-2", (1)]. In a recent publication (2), a theory of autoimmunity against ACE-2, and/or against the ACE-2/SARS-COV-2 spike protein complex or degradation products thereof, was proposed as a possible explanation for the unusual pattern of organ damage seen in COVID-19. In the light of more recent information, this manuscript expands on the earlier proposed theory and offers additional, testable hypotheses that could explain both the pattern and timeline of organ dysfunction most often observed in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip McMillan
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw National Health Service (NHS) Trust, Doncaster, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Dexhiemer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Richard R. Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Nicholas V. Perricone, M.D., Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Bruce D. Uhal
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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50
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Kathiravan MK, Radhakrishnan S, Namasivayam V, Palaniappan S. An Overview of Spike Surface Glycoprotein in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:637550. [PMID: 33898518 PMCID: PMC8058706 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.637550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus originated in December 2019 in Hubei, China. This contagious disease named as COVID-19 resulted in a massive expansion within 6 months by spreading to more than 213 countries. Despite the availability of antiviral drugs for the treatment of various viral infections, it was concluded by the WHO that there is no medicine to treat novel CoV, SARS-CoV-2. It has been confirmed that SARS-COV-2 is the most highly virulent human coronavirus and occupies the third position following SARS and MERS with the highest mortality rate. The genetic assembly of SARS-CoV-2 is segmented into structural and non-structural proteins, of which two-thirds of the viral genome encodes non-structural proteins and the remaining genome encodes structural proteins. The most predominant structural proteins that make up SARS-CoV-2 include spike surface glycoproteins (S), membrane proteins (M), envelope proteins (E), and nucleocapsid proteins (N). This review will focus on one of the four major structural proteins in the CoV assembly, the spike, which is involved in host cell recognition and the fusion process. The monomer disintegrates into S1 and S2 subunits with the S1 domain necessitating binding of the virus to its host cell receptor and the S2 domain mediating the viral fusion. On viral infection by the host, the S protein is further cleaved by the protease enzyme to two major subdomains S1/S2. Spike is proven to be an interesting target for developing vaccines and in particular, the RBD-single chain dimer has shown initial success. The availability of small molecules and peptidic inhibitors for host cell receptors is briefly discussed. The development of new molecules and therapeutic druggable targets for SARS-CoV-2 is of global importance. Attacking the virus employing multiple targets and strategies is the best way to inhibit the virus. This article will appeal to researchers in understanding the structural and biological aspects of the S protein in the field of drug design and discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muthu Kumaradoss Kathiravan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRMIST, Tamil Nadu, India
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Research Lab, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRMIST, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Srimathi Radhakrishnan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRMIST, Tamil Nadu, India
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Research Lab, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRMIST, Tamil Nadu, India
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