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Wang G, Venegas FA, Rueda AM, Weerasinghe NW, Uggowitzer KA, Thibodeaux CJ, Moitessier N, Mittermaier AK. A naturally occurring G11S mutation in the 3C-like protease from the SARS-CoV-2 virus dramatically weakens the dimer interface. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4857. [PMID: 38058248 PMCID: PMC10731504 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The 3C-like protease (3CLpro ) is crucial to the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, and is the target of several successful drugs including Paxlovid and Xocova. Nevertheless, the emergence of viral resistance underlines the need for alternative drug strategies. 3CLpro only functions as a homodimer, making the protein-protein interface an attractive drug target. Dimerization is partly mediated by a conserved glycine at position 11. However, some naturally occurring SARS-CoV-2 sequences contain a serine at this position, potentially disrupting the dimer. We have used concentration-dependent activity assays and mass spectrometry to show that indeed the G11S mutation reduces the stability of the dimer by 600-fold. This helps to set a quantitative benchmark for the minimum potency required of any future protein-protein interaction inhibitors targeting 3CLpro and raises interesting questions regarding how coronaviruses bearing such weakly dimerizing 3CLpro enzymes are capable of replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyu Wang
- Department of ChemistryMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | | | - Andres M. Rueda
- Department of ChemistryMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
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Kieslich B, Weiße RH, Brendler J, Ricken A, Schöneberg T, Sträter N. The dimerized pentraxin-like domain of the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor 112 (ADGRG4) suggests function in sensing mechanical forces. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105356. [PMID: 37863265 PMCID: PMC10687090 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105356] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) feature large extracellular regions with modular domains that often resemble protein classes of various function. The pentraxin (PTX) domain, which is predicted by sequence homology within the extracellular region of four different aGPCR members, is well known to form pentamers and other oligomers. Oligomerization of GPCRs is frequently reported and mainly driven by interactions of the seven-transmembrane region and N or C termini. While the functional importance of dimers is well-established for some class C GPCRs, relatively little is known about aGPCR multimerization. Here, we showcase the example of ADGRG4, an orphan aGPCR that possesses a PTX-like domain at its very N-terminal tip, followed by an extremely long stalk containing serine-threonine repeats. Using X-ray crystallography and biophysical methods, we determined the structure of this unusual PTX-like domain and provide experimental evidence for a homodimer equilibrium of this domain which is Ca2+-independent and driven by intermolecular contacts that differ vastly from the known soluble PTXs. The formation of this dimer seems to be conserved in mammalian ADGRG4 indicating functional relevance. Our data alongside of theoretical considerations lead to the hypothesis that ADGRG4 acts as an in vivo sensor for shear forces in enterochromaffin and Paneth cells of the small intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Kieslich
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany; Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Renato H Weiße
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jana Brendler
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Albert Ricken
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Torsten Schöneberg
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Norbert Sträter
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
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3
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Pojtanadithee P, Hengphasatporn K, Suroengrit A, Boonyasuppayakorn S, Wilasluck P, Deetanya P, Wangkanont K, Sukanadi IP, Chavasiri W, Wolschann P, Langer T, Shigeta Y, Maitarad P, Sanachai K, Rungrotmongkol T. Identification of Promising Sulfonamide Chalcones as Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL pro through Structure-Based Virtual Screening and Experimental Approaches. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5244-5258. [PMID: 37581276 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00663] [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: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
3CLpro is a viable target for developing antiviral therapies against the coronavirus. With the urgent need to find new possible inhibitors, a structure-based virtual screening approach was developed. This study recognized 75 pharmacologically bioactive compounds from our in-house library of 1052 natural product-based compounds that satisfied drug-likeness criteria and exhibited good bioavailability and membrane permeability. Among these compounds, three promising sulfonamide chalcones were identified by combined theoretical and experimental approaches, with SWC423 being the most suitable representative compound due to its competitive inhibition and low cytotoxicity in Vero E6 cells (EC50 = 0.89 ± 0.32 μM; CC50 = 25.54 ± 1.38 μM; SI = 28.70). The binding and stability of SWC423 in the 3CLpro active site were investigated through all-atom molecular dynamics simulation and fragment molecular orbital calculation, indicating its potential as a 3CLpro inhibitor for further SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic research. These findings suggested that inhibiting 3CLpro with a sulfonamide chalcone such as SWC423 may pave the effective way for developing COVID-19 treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyatida Pojtanadithee
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kowit Hengphasatporn
- Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Aphinya Suroengrit
- Center of Excellence in Applied Medical Virology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Siwaporn Boonyasuppayakorn
- Center of Excellence in Applied Medical Virology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Patcharin Wilasluck
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomics of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Crop, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Peerapon Deetanya
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomics of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Crop, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kittikhun Wangkanont
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomics of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Crop, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - I Putu Sukanadi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Warinthorn Chavasiri
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Peter Wolschann
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Thierry Langer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Yasuteru Shigeta
- Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Phornphimon Maitarad
- Research Center of Nano Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China
| | - Kamonpan Sanachai
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Thanyada Rungrotmongkol
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Structural and Computational Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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Paciaroni A, Libera V, Ripanti F, Orecchini A, Petrillo C, Francisci D, Schiaroli E, Sabbatini S, Gidari A, Bianconi E, Macchiarulo A, Hussain R, Silvestrini L, Moretti P, Belhaj N, Vercelli M, Roque Y, Mariani P, Comez L, Spinozzi F. Stabilization of the Dimeric State of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease by GC376 and Nirmatrelvir. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076062. [PMID: 37047038 PMCID: PMC10093836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro or 3CLpro) is an enzyme that is evolutionarily conserved among different genera of coronaviruses. As it is essential for processing and maturing viral polyproteins, Mpro has been identified as a promising target for the development of broad-spectrum drugs against coronaviruses. Like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, the mature and active form of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is a dimer composed of identical subunits, each with a single active site. Individual monomers, however, have very low or no catalytic activity. As such, inhibition of Mpro can be achieved by molecules that target the substrate binding pocket to block catalytic activity or target the dimerization process. In this study, we investigated GC376, a transition-state analog inhibitor of the main protease of feline infectious peritonitis coronavirus, and Nirmatrelvir (NMV), an oral, bioavailable SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor with pan-human coronavirus antiviral activity. Our results show that both GC376 and NMV are capable of strongly binding to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and altering the monomer-dimer equilibrium by stabilizing the dimeric state. This behavior is proposed to be related to a structured hydrogen-bond network established at the Mpro active site, where hydrogen bonds between Ser1' and Glu166/Phe140 are formed in addition to those achieved by the latter residues with GC376 or NMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Paciaroni
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Valeria Libera
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali-IOM, National Research Council-CNR, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Ripanti
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Orecchini
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Caterina Petrillo
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Daniela Francisci
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06129 Perugia, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Schiaroli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06129 Perugia, Italy
| | - Samuele Sabbatini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Medical Microbiology Section, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06129 Perugia, Italy
| | - Anna Gidari
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06129 Perugia, Italy
| | - Elisa Bianconi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Antonio Macchiarulo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Rohanah Hussain
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Lucia Silvestrini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Paolo Moretti
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Norhan Belhaj
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Matteo Vercelli
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Yessica Roque
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Paolo Mariani
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Lucia Comez
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali-IOM, National Research Council-CNR, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesco Spinozzi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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5
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Sawangchan P, Alexandrino Júnior F, Alencar ÉN, Egito EST, Kirsch LE. The role of aggregation and ionization in the chemical instability of Amphotericin B in aqueous methanol. Int J Pharm 2023; 632:122586. [PMID: 36623739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.122586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Amphotericin B (AmB) is a potent antimicrobial agent used in clinical practice. Nevertheless, the mechanism of its aqueous instability remains not yet fully understood, especially the role that its aggregation state plays in this process. Therefore, the current study used an aqueous methanol media to evaluate the AmB instability as a function of pH-, organic solvent- and concentration-dependent ionization and aggregation. To reach this goal, the aggregation status and instability were determined using UV-vis spectroscopy, LC-MS and HPLC. Moreover, not only the hydrolytic degradation products were identified by UV-vis spectroscopy and LC-MS, but also, the degradation rate constants were estimated by nonlinear regression. The results indicated that monomeric AmB was the predominant species under pH conditions, wherein the substrate was cationic (pH < 4) or anionic (pH > 9). On the other hand, aggregated AmB form was the predominant species for the zwitterionic substrate (at methanol concentration < 30 %(v/v)). Anionic substrate degraded by specific base-catalyzed lactone hydrolysis. Oxidation accounted for the loss of zwitterionic substrate. Aggregated zwitterionic AmB exhibited lower stability than monomeric zwitterionic AmB under neutral pH conditions. These studies are a step forward in comprehending the degradation kinetics of AmB in aqueous medium. In fact, along with our previous research on AmB instability in oils, it leads to a better understanding of the AmB stability in complex systems with an oil-water interface, such as disperse lipid systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phawanan Sawangchan
- The Division of Pharmaceutics and Translation Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Francisco Alexandrino Júnior
- The Division of Pharmaceutics and Translation Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology (PPGNanoFarma), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Éverton N Alencar
- The Division of Pharmaceutics and Translation Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology (PPGNanoFarma), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Eryvaldo S T Egito
- The Division of Pharmaceutics and Translation Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology (PPGNanoFarma), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil.
| | - Lee E Kirsch
- The Division of Pharmaceutics and Translation Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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6
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Byrnes J, Chopra K, Rolband LA, Danai L, Chodankar S, Yang L, Afonin KA. Structural Characterization of Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles Using SAXS and SAXS-Driven MD. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2709:65-94. [PMID: 37572273 PMCID: PMC10484297 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3417-2_4] [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] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Structural characterization of nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) in solution is critical for validation of correct assembly and for quantifying the size, shape, and flexibility of the construct. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a well-established method to obtain structural information of particles in solution. Here, we present a procedure for the preparation of NANPs for SAXS. This procedure outlines the steps for a successful SAXS experiment and the use of SAXS-driven molecular dynamics to generate an ensemble of structures that best explain the data observed in solution. We use an RNA NANP as an example, so the reader can prepare the sample for data collection, analyze the results, and perform SAXS-driven MD on similar NANPs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lewis A Rolband
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Leyla Danai
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | | | - Lin Yang
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
| | - Kirill A Afonin
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
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7
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Bello M, Hasan MK. Elucidation of the inhibitory activity of plant-derived SARS-CoV inhibitors and their potential as SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:9992-10004. [PMID: 34121618 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1938234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Several drugs are now being tested as possible therapies due to the necessity of treating SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although approved vaccines bring much hope, a vaccination program covering the entire global population will take a very long time, making the development of effective antiviral drugs an effective solution for the immediate treatment of this dangerous infection. Previous studies found that three natural compounds, namely, tannic acid, 3-isotheaflavin-3-gallate and theaflavin-3,3-digallate, are effective proteinase (3CLpro) inhibitors of SARS-CoV (IC50 <10 µM). Based on this information and due to the high sequence identity between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro, these three compounds could be candidate inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. This paper explores the structural and energetic features that guided the molecular recognition of these three compounds for dimeric SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV 3CLpro, the functional state of this enzyme, using docking and MD simulations with the molecular mechanics-generalized-born surface area (MMGBSA) approach. Energetic analysis demonstrated that the three compounds reached good affinities in both systems in the following order: tannic acid > 3-isotheaflavin-3-gallate > theaflavin-3,3-digallate. This tendency is in line with that experimentally reported between these ligands and SARS-CoV 3CLpro. Therefore, tannic acid may have clinical usefulness against COVID-19 by acting as a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martiniano Bello
- Laboratorio de Modelado Molecular, Bioinformática y Diseño de Fármacos de la Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, México
| | - Md Kamrul Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tejgaon College, National University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
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8
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Fagnani L, Nazzicone L, Bellio P, Franceschini N, Tondi D, Verri A, Petricca S, Iorio R, Amicosante G, Perilli M, Celenza G. Protocetraric and Salazinic Acids as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL Protease: Biochemical, Cytotoxic, and Computational Characterization of Depsidones as Slow-Binding Inactivators. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060714. [PMID: 35745633 PMCID: PMC9227325 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The study investigated the inhibitory activity of protocetraric and salazinic acids against SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. The kinetic parameters were determined by microtiter plate-reading fluorimeter using a fluorogenic substrate. The cytotoxic activity was tested on murine Sertoli TM4 cells. In silico analysis was performed to ascertain the nature of the binding with the 3CLpro. The compounds are slow-binding inactivators of 3CLpro with a Ki of 3.95 μM and 3.77 μM for protocetraric and salazinic acid, respectively, and inhibitory efficiency kinact/Ki at about 3 × 10−5 s−1µM−1. The mechanism of inhibition shows that both compounds act as competitive inhibitors with the formation of a stable covalent adduct. The viability assay on epithelial cells revealed that none of them shows cytotoxicity up to 80 μM, which is well below the Ki values. By molecular modelling, we predicted that the catalytic Cys145 makes a nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl carbon of the cyclic ester common to both inhibitors, forming a stably acyl-enzyme complex. The computational and kinetic analyses confirm the formation of a stable acyl-enzyme complex with 3CLpro. The results obtained enrich the knowledge of the already numerous biological activities exhibited by lichen secondary metabolites, paving the way for developing promising scaffolds for the design of cysteine enzyme inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza Fagnani
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
| | - Lisaurora Nazzicone
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
| | - Pierangelo Bellio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
- Correspondence: (P.B.); (D.T.)
| | - Nicola Franceschini
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
| | - Donatella Tondi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy;
- Correspondence: (P.B.); (D.T.)
| | - Andrea Verri
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy;
| | - Sabrina Petricca
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
| | - Roberto Iorio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
| | - Gianfranco Amicosante
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
| | - Mariagrazia Perilli
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
| | - Giuseppe Celenza
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (L.F.); (L.N.); (N.F.); (S.P.); (R.I.); (G.A.); (M.P.); (G.C.)
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9
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Zhu J, Zhang H, Lin Q, Lyu J, Lu L, Chen H, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Chen K. Progress on SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro Inhibitors: Inspiration from SARS-CoV 3CLpro Peptidomimetics and Small-Molecule Anti-Inflammatory Compounds. Drug Des Devel Ther 2022; 16:1067-1082. [PMID: 35450403 PMCID: PMC9015912 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s359009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) currently poses a threat to human health. 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro) plays an important role in the viral life cycle. Hence, it is considered an attractive antiviral target protein. Whole-genome sequencing showed that the sequence homology between SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and SARS-CoV 3CLpro is 96.08%, with high similarity in the substrate-binding region. Thus, assessing peptidomimetic inhibitors of SARS-CoV 3CLpro could accelerate the development of peptidomimetic inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Accordingly, we herein discuss progress on SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro peptidomimetic inhibitors. Inflammation plays a major role in the pathophysiological process of COVID-19. Small-molecule compounds targeting 3CLpro with both antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects are also briefly discussed in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Zhu
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qinghong Lin
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingting Lyu
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Lu
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hanxi Chen
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuning Zhang
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Keda Chen
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Keda Chen, Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8615068129828, Email ; Yanjun Zhang, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613858115856, Fax +86057188280783, Email
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10
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Nashed NT, Aniana A, Ghirlando R, Chiliveri SC, Louis JM. Modulation of the monomer-dimer equilibrium and catalytic activity of SARS-CoV-2 main protease by a transition-state analog inhibitor. Commun Biol 2022; 5:160. [PMID: 35233052 PMCID: PMC8888643 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03084-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of dimer formation for the onset of catalytic activity of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (MProWT) was assessed using a predominantly monomeric mutant (MProM). Rates of MProWT and MProM catalyzed hydrolyses display substrate saturation kinetics and second-order dependency on the protein concentration. The addition of the prodrug GC376, an inhibitor of MProWT, to MProM leads to an increase in the dimer population and catalytic activity with increasing inhibitor concentration. The activity reaches a maximum corresponding to a dimer population in which one active site is occupied by the inhibitor and the other is available for catalytic activity. This phase is followed by a decrease in catalytic activity due to the inhibitor competing with the substrate. Detailed kinetics and equilibrium analyses are presented and a modified Michaelis-Menten equation accounts for the results. These observations provide conclusive evidence that dimer formation is coupled to catalytic activity represented by two equivalent active sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashaat T Nashed
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Annie Aniana
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sai Chaitanya Chiliveri
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John M Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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11
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The impact of calcitriol and estradiol on the SARS-CoV-2 biological activity: a molecular modeling approach. Sci Rep 2022; 12:717. [PMID: 35027633 PMCID: PMC8758694 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04778-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is currently a big concern around the world. Recent reports show that the disease severity and mortality of COVID-19 infected patients may vary from gender to gender with a very high risk of death for seniors. In addition, some steroid structures have been reported to affect coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, function and activity. The entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells depends on the binding of coronavirus spike protein to angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). Viral main protease is essential for the replication of SARS-CoV-2. It was hypothesized that steroid molecules (e.g., estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, prednisone and calcitriol) could occupy the active site of the protease and could alter the interaction of spike protein with ACE2. Computational data showed that estradiol interacted more strongly with the main protease active site. In the presence of calcitriol, the binding energy of the spike protein to ACE2 was increased, and transferring Apo to Locked S conformer of spike trimer was facilitated. Together, the interaction between spike protein and ACE2 can be disrupted by calcitriol. Potential use of estradiol and calcitriol to reduce virus invasion and replication needs clinical investigation.
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12
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Abstract
Background: Conserved domains within SARS coronavirus 2 nonstructural proteins represent key targets for the design of novel inhibitors. Methods: The authors aimed to identify potential SARS coronavirus 2 NSP5 inhibitors using the ZINC database along with structure-based virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation. Results: Of 13,840 compounds, 353 with robust docking scores were initially chosen, of which ten hit compounds were selected as candidates for detailed analyses. Three compounds were selected as coronavirus NSP5 inhibitors after passing absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity study; root and mean square deviation; and radius of gyration calculations. Conclusion: ZINC000049899562, ZINC000169336666 and ZINC000095542577 are potential NSP5 protease inhibitors that warrant further experimental studies.
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13
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Yuce M, Cicek E, Inan T, Dag AB, Kurkcuoglu O, Sungur FA. Repurposing of FDA-approved drugs against active site and potential allosteric drug-binding sites of COVID-19 main protease. Proteins 2021; 89:1425-1441. [PMID: 34169568 PMCID: PMC8441840 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) still has serious negative effects on health, social life, and economics. Recently, vaccines from various companies have been urgently approved to control SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, any specific antiviral drug has not been confirmed so far for regular treatment. An important target is the main protease (Mpro ), which plays a major role in replication of the virus. In this study, Gaussian and residue network models are employed to reveal two distinct potential allosteric sites on Mpro that can be evaluated as drug targets besides the active site. Then, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs are docked to three distinct sites with flexible docking using AutoDock Vina to identify potential drug candidates. Fourteen best molecule hits for the active site of Mpro are determined. Six of these also exhibit high docking scores for the potential allosteric regions. Full-atom molecular dynamics simulations with MM-GBSA method indicate that compounds docked to active and potential allosteric sites form stable interactions with high binding free energy (∆Gbind ) values. ∆Gbind values reach -52.06 kcal/mol for the active site, -51.08 kcal/mol for the potential allosteric site 1, and - 42.93 kcal/mol for the potential allosteric site 2. Energy decomposition calculations per residue elucidate key binding residues stabilizing the ligands that can further serve to design pharmacophores. This systematic and efficient computational analysis successfully determines ivermectine, diosmin, and selinexor currently subjected to clinical trials, and further proposes bromocriptine, elbasvir as Mpro inhibitor candidates to be evaluated against SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Yuce
- Department of Chemical EngineeringIstanbul Technical UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Erdem Cicek
- Computational Science and Engineering DivisionInformatics Institute, Istanbul Technical UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Tugce Inan
- Department of Chemical EngineeringIstanbul Technical UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Aslihan Basak Dag
- Department of Molecular Biology and GeneticsIstanbul Technical UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Ozge Kurkcuoglu
- Department of Chemical EngineeringIstanbul Technical UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Fethiye Aylin Sungur
- Computational Science and Engineering DivisionInformatics Institute, Istanbul Technical UniversityIstanbulTurkey
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14
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Characterization of the non-covalent interaction between the PF-07321332 inhibitor and the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. J Mol Graph Model 2021; 110:108042. [PMID: 34653812 PMCID: PMC8491126 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2021.108042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We have studied the non-covalent interaction between PF-07321332 and SARS-CoV-2 main protease at the atomic level using a computational approach based on extensive molecular dynamics simulations with explicit solvent. PF-07321332, whose chemical structure has been recently disclosed, is a promising oral antiviral clinical candidate with well-established anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vitro. The drug, currently in phase III clinical trials in combination with ritonavir, relies on the electrophilic attack of a nitrile warhead to the catalytic cysteine of the protease. Nonbonded interaction between the inhibitor and the residues of the binding pocket, as well as with water molecules on the protein surface, have been characterized using two different force fields and the two possible protonation states of the main protease catalytic dyad HIS41-CYS145. When the catalytic dyad is in the neutral state, the non-covalent binding is likely to be stronger. Molecular dynamics simulations seems to lend support for an inhibitory mechanism in two steps: a first non-covalent addition with the dyad in neutral form and then the formation of the thiolate-imidazolium ion pair and the ligand relocation for finalising the electrophilic attack.
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15
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Zimmerman MI, Porter JR, Ward MD, Singh S, Vithani N, Meller A, Mallimadugula UL, Kuhn CE, Borowsky JH, Wiewiora RP, Hurley MFD, Harbison AM, Fogarty CA, Coffland JE, Fadda E, Voelz VA, Chodera JD, Bowman GR. SARS-CoV-2 simulations go exascale to predict dramatic spike opening and cryptic pockets across the proteome. Nat Chem 2021; 13:651-659. [PMID: 34031561 PMCID: PMC8249329 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00707-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has intricate mechanisms for initiating infection, immune evasion/suppression and replication that depend on the structure and dynamics of its constituent proteins. Many protein structures have been solved, but far less is known about their relevant conformational changes. To address this challenge, over a million citizen scientists banded together through the Folding@home distributed computing project to create the first exascale computer and simulate 0.1 seconds of the viral proteome. Our adaptive sampling simulations predict dramatic opening of the apo spike complex, far beyond that seen experimentally, explaining and predicting the existence of 'cryptic' epitopes. Different spike variants modulate the probabilities of open versus closed structures, balancing receptor binding and immune evasion. We also discover dramatic conformational changes across the proteome, which reveal over 50 'cryptic' pockets that expand targeting options for the design of antivirals. All data and models are freely available online, providing a quantitative structural atlas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell I Zimmerman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Justin R Porter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael D Ward
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sukrit Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Neha Vithani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Artur Meller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Upasana L Mallimadugula
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Catherine E Kuhn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jonathan H Borowsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rafal P Wiewiora
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, New York, USA
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, NY, New York, USA
| | | | - Aoife M Harbison
- Department of Chemistry and Hamilton Institute, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Carl A Fogarty
- Department of Chemistry and Hamilton Institute, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | | | - Elisa Fadda
- Department of Chemistry and Hamilton Institute, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Vincent A Voelz
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John D Chodera
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, NY, New York, USA
| | - Gregory R Bowman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
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16
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The dimer-monomer equilibrium of SARS-CoV-2 main protease is affected by small molecule inhibitors. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9283. [PMID: 33927258 PMCID: PMC8085067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88630-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The maturation of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is the etiological agent at the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, requires a main protease Mpro to cleave the virus-encoded polyproteins. Despite a wealth of experimental information already available, there is wide disagreement about the Mpro monomer-dimer equilibrium dissociation constant. Since the functional unit of Mpro is a homodimer, the detailed knowledge of the thermodynamics of this equilibrium is a key piece of information for possible therapeutic intervention, with small molecules interfering with dimerization being potential broad-spectrum antiviral drug leads. In the present study, we exploit Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) to investigate the structural features of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in solution as a function of protein concentration and temperature. A detailed thermodynamic picture of the monomer-dimer equilibrium is derived, together with the temperature-dependent value of the dissociation constant. SAXS is also used to study how the Mpro dissociation process is affected by small inhibitors selected by virtual screening. We find that these inhibitors affect dimerization and enzymatic activity to a different extent and sometimes in an opposite way, likely due to the different molecular mechanisms underlying the two processes. The Mpro residues that emerge as key to optimize both dissociation and enzymatic activity inhibition are discussed.
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17
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Behnam MAM. Protein structural heterogeneity: A hypothesis for the basis of proteolytic recognition by the main protease of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Biochimie 2021; 182:177-184. [PMID: 33484784 PMCID: PMC7817518 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 is a key enzyme in viral replication and a promising target for the development of antiviral therapeutics. The understanding of this protein is based on a number of observations derived from earlier x-ray structures, which mostly consider substrates or ligands as the main reason behind modulation of the active site. This lead to the concept of substrate-induced subsite cooperativity as an initial attempt to explain the dual binding specificity of this enzyme in recognizing the cleavage sequences at its N- and C-termini, which are important processing steps in obtaining the mature protease. The presented hypothesis proposes that structural heterogeneity is a property of the enzyme, independent of the presence of a substrate or ligand. Indeed, the analysis of Mpro structures of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 reveals a conformational diversity for the catalytically competent state in ligand-free structures. Variation in the binding site appears to result from flexibility at residues lining the S1 subpocket and segments incorporating methionine 49 and glutamine 189. The structural evidence introduces “structure-based recognition” as a new paradigm in substrate proteolysis by Mpro. In this concept, the binding space in subpockets of the enzyme varies in a non-cooperative manner, causing distinct conformations, which recognize and process different cleavage sites, as the N- and C-termini. Insights into the recognition basis of the protease provide explanation to the ordered processing of cleavage sites. The hypothesis expands the conformational space of the enzyme and consequently opportunities for drug development and repurposing efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira A M Behnam
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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18
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Xiong M, Su H, Zhao W, Xie H, Shao Q, Xu Y. What coronavirus 3C-like protease tells us: From structure, substrate selectivity, to inhibitor design. Med Res Rev 2021; 41:1965-1998. [PMID: 33460213 PMCID: PMC8014231 DOI: 10.1002/med.21783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of a variety of coronaviruses (CoVs) in the last decades has posed huge threats to human health. Especially, the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to more than 70 million infections and over 1.6 million of deaths worldwide in the past few months. None of the efficacious antiviral agents against human CoVs have been approved yet. 3C-like protease (3CLpro ) is an attractive target for antiviral intervention due to its essential role in processing polyproteins translated from viral RNA, and its conserved structural feature and substrate specificity among CoVs in spite of the sequence variation. This review focuses on all available crystal structures of 12 CoV 3CLpro s and their inhibitors, and intends to provide a comprehensive understanding of this protease from multiple aspects including its structural features, substrate specificity, inhibitor binding modes, and more importantly, to recapitulate the similarity and diversity among different CoV 3CLpro s and the structure-activity relationship of various types of inhibitors. Such an attempt could gain a deep insight into the inhibition mechanisms and drive future structure-based drug discovery targeting 3CLpro s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muya Xiong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haixia Su
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Shao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yechun Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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19
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Deeks HM, Walters RK, Barnoud J, Glowacki DR, Mulholland AJ. Interactive Molecular Dynamics in Virtual Reality Is an Effective Tool for Flexible Substrate and Inhibitor Docking to the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:5803-5814. [PMID: 33174415 PMCID: PMC7671099 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is one focus of drug development efforts for COVID-19. Here, we show that interactive molecular dynamics in virtual reality (iMD-VR) is a useful and effective tool for creating Mpro complexes. We make these tools and models freely available. iMD-VR provides an immersive environment in which users can interact with MD simulations and so build protein complexes in a physically rigorous and flexible way. Recently, we have demonstrated that iMD-VR is an effective method for interactive, flexible docking of small molecule drugs into their protein targets (Deeks et al. PLoS One 2020, 15, e0228461). Here, we apply this approach to both an Mpro inhibitor and an oligopeptide substrate, using experimentally determined crystal structures. For the oligopeptide, we test against a crystallographic structure of the original SARS Mpro. Docking with iMD-VR gives models in agreement with experimentally observed (crystal) structures. The docked structures are also tested in MD simulations and found to be stable. Different protocols for iMD-VR docking are explored, e.g., with and without restraints on protein backbone, and we provide recommendations for its use. We find that it is important for the user to focus on forming binding interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, and not to rely on using simple metrics (such as RMSD), in order to create realistic, stable complexes. We also test the use of apo (uncomplexed) crystal structures for docking and find that they can give good results. This is because of the flexibility and dynamic response allowed by the physically rigorous, atomically detailed simulation approach of iMD-VR. We make our models (and interactive simulations) freely available. The software framework that we use, Narupa, is open source, and uses commodity VR hardware, so these tools are readily accessible to the wider research community working on Mpro (and other COVID-19 targets). These should be widely useful in drug development, in education applications, e.g., on viral enzyme structure and function, and in scientific communication more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M. Deeks
- Intangible Realities Laboratory,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, Merchant
Venturers Building, University of Bristol,
Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB, United
Kingdom
| | - Rebecca K. Walters
- Intangible Realities Laboratory,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, Merchant
Venturers Building, University of Bristol,
Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB, United
Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Barnoud
- Intangible Realities Laboratory,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
| | - David R. Glowacki
- Intangible Realities Laboratory,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, Merchant
Venturers Building, University of Bristol,
Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB, United
Kingdom
| | - Adrian J. Mulholland
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
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20
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Gahlawat A, Kumar N, Kumar R, Sandhu H, Singh IP, Singh S, Sjöstedt A, Garg P. Structure-Based Virtual Screening to Discover Potential Lead Molecules for the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:5781-5793. [PMID: 32687345 PMCID: PMC7409927 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 disease is caused by a new strain of the coronavirus family (SARS-CoV-2), and it has affected at present millions of people all over the world. The indispensable role of the main protease (Mpro) in viral replication and gene expression makes this enzyme an attractive drug target. Therefore, inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro as a proposition to halt virus ingression is being pursued by scientists globally. Here we carried out a study with two objectives: the first being to perform comparative protein sequence and 3D structural analysis to understand the effect of 12 point mutations on the active site. Among these, two mutations, viz., Ser46 and Phe134, were found to cause a significant change at the active sites of SARS-CoV-2. The Ser46 mutation present at the entrance of the S5 subpocket of SARS-CoV-2 increases the contribution of other two hydrophilic residues, while the Phe134 mutation, present in the catalytic cysteine loop, can cause an increase in catalytic efficiency of Mpro by facilitating fast proton transfer from the Cys145 to His41 residue. It was observed that active site remained conserved among Mpro of both SARS-CoVs, except at the entrance of the S5 subpocket, suggesting sustenance of substrate specificity. The second objective was to screen the inhibitory effects of three different data sets (natural products, coronaviruses main protease inhibitors, and FDA-approved drugs) using a structure-based virtual screening approach. A total of 73 hits had a combo score >2.0. Eight different structural scaffold classes were identified, such as one/two tetrahydropyran ring(s), dipeptide/tripeptide/oligopeptide, large (approximately 20 atoms) cyclic peptide, and miscellaneous. The screened hits showed key interactions with subpockets of the active site. Further, molecular dynamics studies of selected screened compounds confirmed their perfect fitting into the subpockets of the active site. This study suggests promising structures that can fit into the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro active site and also offers direction for further lead optimization and rational drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Gahlawat
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Navneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Rajender Kumar
- Department of Clinical Microbiology
and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS),
Umeå University, SE-90185
Umeå, Sweden
| | - Hardeep Sandhu
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Inder Pal Singh
- Department of Natural Products,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Saranjit Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Anders Sjöstedt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology
and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS),
Umeå University, SE-90185
Umeå, Sweden
| | - Prabha Garg
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
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21
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El‐Baba TJ, Lutomski CA, Kantsadi AL, Malla TR, John T, Mikhailov V, Bolla JR, Schofield CJ, Zitzmann N, Vakonakis I, Robinson CV. Allosteric Inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease: Insights from Mass Spectrometry Based Assays*. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:23544-23548. [PMID: 32841477 PMCID: PMC7461284 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202010316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro ) cleaves along the two viral polypeptides to release non-structural proteins required for viral replication. MPro is an attractive target for antiviral therapies to combat the coronavirus-2019 disease. Here, we used native mass spectrometry to characterize the functional unit of Mpro . Analysis of the monomer/dimer equilibria reveals a dissociation constant of Kd =0.14±0.03 μM, indicating MPro has a strong preference to dimerize in solution. We characterized substrate turnover rates by following temporal changes in the enzyme-substrate complexes, and screened small molecules, that bind distant from the active site, for their ability to modulate activity. These compounds, including one proposed to disrupt the dimer, slow the rate of substrate processing by ≈35 %. This information, together with analysis of the x-ray crystal structures, provides a starting point for the development of more potent molecules that allosterically regulate MPro activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarick J. El‐Baba
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry LaboratoryUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks Rd.OX1 3QZOxfordUK
| | - Corinne A. Lutomski
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry LaboratoryUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks Rd.OX1 3QZOxfordUK
| | | | - Tika R. Malla
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RdOX1 3TAOxfordUK
| | - Tobias John
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RdOX1 3TAOxfordUK
| | - Victor Mikhailov
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RdOX1 3TAOxfordUK
| | - Jani R. Bolla
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry LaboratoryUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks Rd.OX1 3QZOxfordUK
| | | | - Nicole Zitzmann
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks Rd.OX1 3QUOxfordUK
| | - Ioannis Vakonakis
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks Rd.OX1 3QUOxfordUK
| | - Carol V. Robinson
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry LaboratoryUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks Rd.OX1 3QZOxfordUK
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22
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Bello M. Prediction of potential inhibitors of the dimeric SARS-CoV2 main proteinase through the MM/GBSA approach. J Mol Graph Model 2020; 101:107762. [PMID: 33022569 PMCID: PMC7511853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2020.107762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Since the emergence of SARS-CoV2, to date, no effective antiviral drug has been approved to treat the disease, and no vaccine against SARS-CoV2 is available. Under this scenario, the combination of two HIV-1 protease inhibitors, lopinavir and ritonavir, has attracted attention since they have been previously employed against the SARS-CoV main proteinase (Mpro) and exhibited some signs of effectiveness. Recently, the 3D structure of SARS-CoV2 Mpro was constructed based on the monomeric SARS-CoV Mpro and employed to identify potential approved small inhibitors against SARS-CoV2 Mpro, allowing the selection of 15 drugs among 1903 approved drugs to be employed. In this study, we performed docking of these 15 approved drugs against the recently solved X-ray crystallography structure of SARS-CoV2 Mpro in the monomeric and dimeric states; the latter is the functional state that was determined in a biological context, and these were submitted to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations coupled with the molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) approach to obtain insight into the inhibitory activity of these compounds. Similar studies were performed with lopinavir and ritonavir coupled to monomeric and dimeric SARS-CoV Mpro and SARS-CoV2 Mpro to compare the inhibitory differences. Our study provides the structural and energetic basis of the inhibitory properties of lopinavir and ritonavir on SARS-CoV Mpro and SARS-CoV2 Mpro, allowing us to identify two FDA-approved drugs that can be used against SARS-CoV2 Mpro. This study also demonstrated that drug discovery requires the dimeric state to obtain good results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martiniano Bello
- Laboratorio de Modelado Molecular, Bioinformática y Diseño de Fármacos de La Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México. Plan de San Luis Y Diaz Mirón S/N, Col. Casco de Santo Tomas, México City, CP, 11340, Mexico.
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23
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Bello M, Martínez-Muñoz A, Balbuena-Rebolledo I. Identification of saquinavir as a potent inhibitor of dimeric SARS-CoV2 main protease through MM/GBSA. J Mol Model 2020; 26:340. [PMID: 33184722 PMCID: PMC7661016 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-020-04600-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Among targets selected for studies aimed at identifying potential inhibitors against COVID-19, SARS-CoV2 main proteinase (Mpro) is highlighted. Mpro is indispensable for virus replication and is a promising target of potential inhibitors of COVID-19. Recently, monomeric SARS-CoV2 Mpro, drug repurposing, and docking methods have facilitated the identification of several potential inhibitors. Results were refined through the assessment of dimeric SARS-CoV2 Mpro, which represents the functional state of enzyme. Docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) studies indicated that dimeric Mpro most significantly impacts binding affinity tendency compared with the monomeric state, which suggests that dimeric state is most useful when performing studies aimed at identifying drugs targeting Mpro. In this study, we extend previous research by performing docking and MD simulation studies coupled with an MM/GBSA approach to assess binding of dimeric SARS-CoV2 Mpro to 12 FDA-approved drugs (darunavir, indinavir, saquinavir, tipranavir, diosmin, hesperidin, rutin, raltegravir, velpatasvir, ledipasvir, rosuvastatin, and bortezomib), which were identified as the best candidates for the treatment of COVID-19 in some previous dockings studies involving monomeric SARS-CoV2 Mpro. This analysis identified saquinavir as a potent inhibitor of dimeric SARS-CoV2 Mpro; therefore, the compound may have clinical utility against COVID-19. Graphical abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Martiniano Bello
- Laboratorio de Modelado Molecular, Bioinformática y Diseño de Fármacos de la Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, Plan de San Luis Y Diaz Mirón S/N, Col. Casco de Santo Tomas, 11340, México City, Mexico.
| | - Alberto Martínez-Muñoz
- Laboratorio de Modelado Molecular, Bioinformática y Diseño de Fármacos de la Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, Plan de San Luis Y Diaz Mirón S/N, Col. Casco de Santo Tomas, 11340, México City, Mexico
| | - Irving Balbuena-Rebolledo
- Laboratorio de Modelado Molecular, Bioinformática y Diseño de Fármacos de la Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, Plan de San Luis Y Diaz Mirón S/N, Col. Casco de Santo Tomas, 11340, México City, Mexico
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24
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Wan H, Aravamuthan V, Pearlstein RA. Probing the Dynamic Structure-Function and Structure-Free Energy Relationships of the Coronavirus Main Protease with Biodynamics Theory. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:1111-1143. [PMID: 33330838 PMCID: PMC7671103 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The
SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is of major interest
as an antiviral drug target. Structure-based virtual screening efforts,
fueled by a growing list of apo and inhibitor-bound SARS-CoV/CoV-2
Mpro crystal structures, are underway in many laboratories.
However, little is known about the dynamic enzyme mechanism, which
is needed to inform both assay development and structure-based inhibitor
design. Here, we apply biodynamics theory to characterize the structural
dynamics of substrate-induced Mpro activation under nonequilibrium conditions. The catalytic cycle
is governed by concerted dynamic structural
rearrangements of domain 3 and the m-shaped loop (residues 132–147)
on which Cys145 (comprising the thiolate nucleophile and half of the
oxyanion hole) and Gly143 (comprising the second half of the oxyanion
hole) reside. In particular, we observed the following: (1) Domain
3 undergoes dynamic rigid-body rotation about the domain 2–3
linker, alternately visiting two primary conformational states (denoted
as M1pro ↔
M2pro); (2)
The Gly143-containing crest of the m-shaped loop undergoes up and
down translations caused by conformational changes within the rising
stem of the loop (Lys137–Asn142) in response to domain 3 rotation
and dimerization (denoted as M1/downpro ↔ 2·M2/uppro) (noting that the Cys145-containing
crest is fixed in the up position). We propose that substrates associate
to the M1/downpro state, which promotes the M2/downpro state, dimerization (denoted as 2·M2/uppro–substrate),
and catalysis. Here, we explore the state transitions of Mpro under nonequilibrium conditions, the mechanisms by which they are
powered, and the implications thereof for efficacious inhibition under in vivo conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Wan
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Computer-Aided Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Vibhas Aravamuthan
- Vibhas Aravamuthan - NIBR Informatics, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Robert A Pearlstein
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Computer-Aided Drug Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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25
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Macchiagodena M, Pagliai M, Karrenbrock M, Guarnieri G, Iannone F, Procacci P. Virtual Double-System Single-Box: A Nonequilibrium Alchemical Technique for Absolute Binding Free Energy Calculations: Application to Ligands of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:7160-7172. [PMID: 33090785 PMCID: PMC8015232 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In the context of drug-receptor binding affinity calculations using molecular dynamics techniques, we implemented a combination of Hamiltonian replica exchange (HREM) and a novel nonequilibrium alchemical methodology, called virtual double-system single-box, with increased accuracy, precision, and efficiency with respect to the standard nonequilibrium approaches. The method has been applied for the determination of absolute binding free energies of 16 newly designed noncovalent ligands of the main protease (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2. The core structures of 3CLpro ligands were previously identified using a multimodal structure-based ligand design in combination with docking techniques. The calculated binding free energies for four additional ligands with known activity (either for SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 main protease) are also reported. The nature of binding in the 3CLpro active site and the involved residues besides the CYS-HYS catalytic dyad have been thoroughly characterized by enhanced sampling simulations of the bound state. We have identified several noncongeneric compounds with predicted low micromolar activity for 3CLpro inhibition, which may constitute possible lead compounds for the development of antiviral agents in Covid-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Macchiagodena
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Marco Pagliai
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Maurice Karrenbrock
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Guido Guarnieri
- ENEA, Portici Research Centre, DTE-ICT-HPC P.le E. Fermi, 1, I-80055 Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Francesco Iannone
- ENEA, Portici Research Centre, DTE-ICT-HPC P.le E. Fermi, 1, I-80055 Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Piero Procacci
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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26
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El‐Baba TJ, Lutomski CA, Kantsadi AL, Malla TR, John T, Mikhailov V, Bolla JR, Schofield CJ, Zitzmann N, Vakonakis I, Robinson CV. Allosteric Inhibition of the SARS‐CoV‐2 Main Protease: Insights from Mass Spectrometry Based Assays**. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202010316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tarick J. El‐Baba
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory University of Oxford South Parks Rd. OX1 3QZ Oxford UK
| | - Corinne A. Lutomski
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory University of Oxford South Parks Rd. OX1 3QZ Oxford UK
| | | | - Tika R. Malla
- Chemistry Research Laboratory University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Rd OX1 3TA Oxford UK
| | - Tobias John
- Chemistry Research Laboratory University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Rd OX1 3TA Oxford UK
| | - Victor Mikhailov
- Chemistry Research Laboratory University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Rd OX1 3TA Oxford UK
| | - Jani R. Bolla
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory University of Oxford South Parks Rd. OX1 3QZ Oxford UK
| | | | - Nicole Zitzmann
- Department of Biochemistry University of Oxford South Parks Rd. OX1 3QU Oxford UK
| | - Ioannis Vakonakis
- Department of Biochemistry University of Oxford South Parks Rd. OX1 3QU Oxford UK
| | - Carol V. Robinson
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory University of Oxford South Parks Rd. OX1 3QZ Oxford UK
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27
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Zimmerman MI, Porter JR, Ward MD, Singh S, Vithani N, Meller A, Mallimadugula UL, Kuhn CE, Borowsky JH, Wiewiora RP, Hurley MFD, Harbison AM, Fogarty CA, Coffland JE, Fadda E, Voelz VA, Chodera JD, Bowman GR. SARS-CoV-2 Simulations Go Exascale to Capture Spike Opening and Reveal Cryptic Pockets Across the Proteome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020:2020.06.27.175430. [PMID: 32637963 PMCID: PMC7337393 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.27.175430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has intricate mechanisms for initiating infection, immune evasion/suppression, and replication, which depend on the structure and dynamics of its constituent proteins. Many protein structures have been solved, but far less is known about their relevant conformational changes. To address this challenge, over a million citizen scientists banded together through the Folding@home distributed computing project to create the first exascale computer and simulate an unprecedented 0.1 seconds of the viral proteome. Our simulations capture dramatic opening of the apo Spike complex, far beyond that seen experimentally, which explains and successfully predicts the existence of 'cryptic' epitopes. Different Spike homologues modulate the probabilities of open versus closed structures, balancing receptor binding and immune evasion. We also observe dramatic conformational changes across the proteome, which reveal over 50 'cryptic' pockets that expand targeting options for the design of antivirals. All data and models are freely available online, providing a quantitative structural atlas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell I. Zimmerman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Justin R. Porter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Michael D. Ward
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Sukrit Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Neha Vithani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Artur Meller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Upasana L. Mallimadugula
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Catherine E. Kuhn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Jonathan H. Borowsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Rafal P. Wiewiora
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, United States
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Matthew F. D. Hurley
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Aoife M Harbison
- Department of Chemistry and Hamilton Institute, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland
| | - Carl A Fogarty
- Department of Chemistry and Hamilton Institute, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland
| | | | - Elisa Fadda
- Department of Chemistry and Hamilton Institute, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland
| | - Vincent A. Voelz
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - John D. Chodera
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Gregory R. Bowman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
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28
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Goyal B, Goyal D. Targeting the Dimerization of the Main Protease of Coronaviruses: A Potential Broad-Spectrum Therapeutic Strategy. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2020; 22:297-305. [PMID: 32402186 PMCID: PMC7252589 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.0c00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A new coronavirus (CoV) caused a pandemic named COVID-19, which has become a global health care emergency in the present time. The virus is referred to as SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2) and has a genome similar (∼82%) to that of the previously known SARS-CoV (SARS coronavirus). An attractive therapeutic target for CoVs is the main protease (Mpro) or 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (3CLpro), as this enzyme plays a key role in polyprotein processing and is active in a dimeric form. Further, Mpro is highly conserved among various CoVs, and a mutation in Mpro is often lethal to the virus. Thus, drugs targeting the Mpro enzyme significantly reduce the risk of mutation-mediated drug resistance and display broad-spectrum antiviral activity. The combinatorial design of peptide-based inhibitors targeting the dimerization of SARS-CoV Mpro represents a potential therapeutic strategy. In this regard, we have compiled the literature reports highlighting the effect of mutations and N-terminal deletion of residues of SARS-CoV Mpro on its dimerization and, thus, catalytic activity. We believe that the present review will stimulate research in this less explored yet quite significant area. The effect of the COVID-19 epidemic and the possibility of future CoV outbreaks strongly emphasize the urgent need for the design and development of potent antiviral agents against CoV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhupesh Goyal
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology,
Patiala-147004, Punjab, India
| | - Deepti Goyal
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Basic and Applied
Sciences, Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh
Sahib-140406, Punjab, India
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29
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Macchiagodena M, Pagliai M, Procacci P. Identification of potential binders of the main protease 3CL pro of the COVID-19 via structure-based ligand design and molecular modeling. Chem Phys Lett 2020; 750:137489. [PMID: 32313296 PMCID: PMC7165110 DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2020.137489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
We have applied a computational strategy, using a combination of virtual screening, docking and molecular dynamics techniques, aimed at identifying possible lead compounds for the non-covalent inhibition of the main protease 3CLpro of the SARS-CoV2 Coronavirus. Based on the X-ray structure (PDB code: 6LU7), ligands were generated using a multimodal structure-based design and then docked to the monomer in the active state. Docking calculations show that ligand-binding is strikingly similar in SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV2 main proteases. The most potent docked ligands are found to share a common binding pattern with aromatic moieties connected by rotatable bonds in a pseudo-linear arrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Macchiagodena
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019 Italy
| | - Marco Pagliai
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019 Italy
| | - Piero Procacci
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019 Italy
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30
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Structure of Main Protease from Human Coronavirus NL63: Insights for Wide Spectrum Anti-Coronavirus Drug Design. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22677. [PMID: 26948040 PMCID: PMC4780191 DOI: 10.1038/srep22677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
First identified in The Netherlands in 2004, human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) was found to cause worldwide infections. Patients infected by HCoV-NL63 are typically young children with upper and lower respiratory tract infection, presenting with symptoms including croup, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective antiviral therapy to contain HCoV-NL63 infection. CoV genomes encode an integral viral component, main protease (M(pro)), which is essential for viral replication through proteolytic processing of RNA replicase machinery. Due to the sequence and structural conservation among all CoVs, M(pro) has been recognized as an attractive molecular target for rational anti-CoV drug design. Here we present the crystal structure of HCoV-NL63 M(pro) in complex with a Michael acceptor inhibitor N3. Structural analysis, consistent with biochemical inhibition results, reveals the molecular mechanism of enzyme inhibition at the highly conservative substrate-recognition pocket. We show such molecular target remains unchanged across 30 clinical isolates of HCoV-NL63 strains. Through comparative study with M(pro)s from other human CoVs (including the deadly SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) and their related zoonotic CoVs, our structure of HCoV-NL63 M(pro) provides critical insight into rational development of wide spectrum antiviral therapeutics to treat infections caused by human CoVs.
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31
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Conformational Flexibility of a Short Loop near the Active Site of the SARS-3CLpro is Essential to Maintain Catalytic Activity. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20918. [PMID: 26879383 PMCID: PMC4754693 DOI: 10.1038/srep20918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS 3C-like proteinase (SARS-3CLpro), which is the main proteinase of the SARS coronavirus, is essential to the virus life cycle. This enzyme has been shown to be active as a dimer in which only one protomer is active. However, it remains unknown how the dimer structure maintains an active monomer conformation. It has been observed that the Ser139-Leu141 loop forms a short 3(10)-helix that disrupts the catalytic machinery in the inactive monomer structure. We have tried to disrupt this helical conformation by mutating L141 to T in the stable inactive monomer G11A/R298A/Q299A. The resulting tetra-mutant G11A/L141T/R298A/Q299A is indeed enzymatically active as a monomer. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the L141T mutation disrupts the 3(10)-helix and helps to stabilize the active conformation. The coil-3(10)-helix conformational transition of the Ser139-Leu141 loop serves as an enzyme activity switch. Our study therefore indicates that the dimer structure can stabilize the active conformation but is not a required structure in the evolution of the active enzyme, which can also arise through simple mutations.
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32
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Banerjee A, Herman E, Kottke T, Essen LO. Structure of a Native-like Aureochrome 1a LOV Domain Dimer from Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Structure 2016; 24:171-178. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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33
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Needle D, Lountos GT, Waugh DS. Structures of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus 3C-like protease reveal insights into substrate specificity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 71:1102-11. [PMID: 25945576 PMCID: PMC4427198 DOI: 10.1107/s1399004715003521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) is a highly pathogenic virus that causes severe respiratory illness accompanied by multi‐organ dysfunction, resulting in a case fatality rate of approximately 40%. As found in other coronaviruses, the majority of the positive‐stranded RNA MERS‐CoV genome is translated into two polyproteins, one created by a ribosomal frameshift, that are cleaved at three sites by a papain‐like protease and at 11 sites by a 3C‐like protease (3CLpro). Since 3CLpro is essential for viral replication, it is a leading candidate for therapeutic intervention. To accelerate the development of 3CLpro inhibitors, three crystal structures of a catalytically inactive variant (C148A) of the MERS‐CoV 3CLpro enzyme were determined. The aim was to co‐crystallize the inactive enzyme with a peptide substrate. Fortuitously, however, in two of the structures the C‐terminus of one protomer is bound in the active site of a neighboring molecule, providing a snapshot of an enzyme–product complex. In the third structure, two of the three protomers in the asymmetric unit form a homodimer similar to that of SARS‐CoV 3CLpro; however, the third protomer adopts a radically different conformation that is likely to correspond to a crystallographic monomer, indicative of substantial structural plasticity in the enzyme. The results presented here provide a foundation for the structure‐based design of small‐molecule inhibitors of the MERS‐CoV 3CLpro enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Needle
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - George T Lountos
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - David S Waugh
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, USA
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Kuo C, Liang P. Characterization and Inhibition of the Main Protease of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. CHEMBIOENG REVIEWS 2015. [PMCID: PMC7159133 DOI: 10.1002/cben.201400031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chih‐Jung Kuo
- National Chung Hsing University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Po‐Huang Liang
- National Chung Hsing University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Taichung 402, Taiwan
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Lim L, Shi J, Mu Y, Song J. Dynamically-driven enhancement of the catalytic machinery of the SARS 3C-like protease by the S284-T285-I286/A mutations on the extra domain. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101941. [PMID: 25036652 PMCID: PMC4103764 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously we revealed that the extra domain of SARS 3CLpro mediated the catalysis via different mechanisms. While the R298A mutation completely abolished the dimerization, thus resulting in the inactive catalytic machinery, N214A inactivated the enzyme by altering its dynamics without significantly perturbing its structure. Here we studied another mutant with S284-T285-I286 replaced by Ala (STI/A) with a 3.6-fold activity increase and slightly enhanced dimerization. We determined its crystal structure, which still adopts the dimeric structure almost identical to that of the wild-type (WT), except for slightly tighter packing between two extra-domains. We then conducted 100-ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for both STI/A and WT, the longest reported so far for 3CLpro. In the simulations, two STI/A extra domains become further tightly packed, leading to a significant volume reduction of the nano-channel formed by residues from both catalytic and extra domains. The enhanced packing appears to slightly increase the dynamic stability of the N-finger and the first helix residues, which subsequently triggers the redistribution of dynamics over residues directly contacting them. This ultimately enhances the dynamical stability of the residues constituting the catalytic dyad and substrate-binding pockets. Further correlation analysis reveals that a global network of the correlated motions exists in the protease, whose components include all residues identified so far to be critical for the dimerization and catalysis. Most strikingly, the N214A mutation globally decouples this network while the STI/A mutation alters the correlation pattern. Together with previous results, the present study establishes that besides the classic structural allostery, the dynamic allostery also operates in the SARS 3CLpro, which is surprisingly able to relay the perturbations on the extra domain onto the catalytic machinery to manifest opposite catalytic effects. Our results thus imply a promising avenue to design specific inhibitors for 3CL proteases by disrupting their dynamic correlation network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangzhong Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jiahai Shi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yuguang Mu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jianxing Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
- * E-mail:
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Schomburg D, Schomburg I. SARS coronavirus main proteinase 3.4.22.69. CLASS 3.4–6 HYDROLASES, LYASES, ISOMERASES, LIGASES 2013. [PMCID: PMC7123336 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-36260-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
EC number 3.4.22.69 Recommended name SARS coronavirus main proteinase Synonyms 3C-like protease <2,3> [9,16,38,49,51] 3CL protease <2> [14,48] 3cLpro <1,2,3> [7,11,13,16,19,28,38,49,51] C30.004 (Merops-ID) Mpro SARS 3C-like protease <2> [17] SARS 3C-like proteinase <2> [15,18,27] SARS 3CL protease <2> [31] SARS 3CLpro <2> [49] SARS CoV main proteinase <2> [1,2,4,5] SARS CoVMpro <2> [33] SARS Mpro <2> [25] SARS coronavirus 3C-like protease <2> [48] SARS coronavirus 3C-like proteinase <2> [50] SARS coronavirus 3CL protease <2> [20] SARS coronavirus main peptidase <2> [23] SARS coronavirus main protease <2> [25] SARS coronavirus main proteinase <2> [5,33] SARS main protease <2> [12,25] SARS-3CL protease <2> [48] SARS-3CLpro <2> [29,50] SARS-CoV 3C-like peptidaseSARS-CoV 3C-like peptidase<2> [24] SARS-CoV 3C-like protease<1> [19] SARS-CoV 3CL protease <2> [22,30,44,46] SARS-CoV 3CLpro <2> [32,36,38,44,45] SARS-CoV 3CLpro enzyme <2> [11] SARS-CoV Mpro <2> [21,40] SARS-CoV main protease <2> [21,26,43] SARS-coronavirus 3CL protease <2> [8] SARS-coronavirus main protease <2> [47] TGEV Mpro coronavirus 3C-like protease <1> [19] porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus Mpro severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 3C-like protease <2> [41,42] severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus main protease <2> [21] severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus main proteinase <2> [33] CAS registry number 218925-73-6 37353-41-6
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Schomburg
- Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Technical University Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19b, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ida Schomburg
- Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Technical University Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19b, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
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Zhu L, George S, Schmidt MF, Al-Gharabli SI, Rademann J, Hilgenfeld R. Peptide aldehyde inhibitors challenge the substrate specificity of the SARS-coronavirus main protease. Antiviral Res 2011; 92:204-12. [PMID: 21854807 PMCID: PMC7114241 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2011.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2011] [Accepted: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
SARS coronavirus main protease (SARS-CoV M(pro)) is essential for the replication of the virus and regarded as a major antiviral drug target. The enzyme is a cysteine protease, with a catalytic dyad (Cys-145/His-41) in the active site. Aldehyde inhibitors can bind reversibly to the active-site sulfhydryl of SARS-CoV M(pro). Previous studies using peptidic substrates and inhibitors showed that the substrate specificity of SARS-CoV M(pro) requires glutamine in the P1 position and a large hydrophobic residue in the P2 position. We determined four crystal structures of SARS-CoV M(pro) in complex with pentapeptide aldehydes (Ac-ESTLQ-H, Ac-NSFSQ-H, Ac-DSFDQ-H, and Ac-NSTSQ-H). Kinetic data showed that all of these aldehydes exhibit inhibitory activity towards SARS-CoV M(pro), with K(i) values in the μM range. Surprisingly, the X-ray structures revealed that the hydrophobic S2 pocket of the enzyme can accommodate serine and even aspartic-acid side-chains in the P2 positions of the inhibitors. Consequently, we reassessed the substrate specificity of the enzyme by testing the cleavage of 20 different tetradecapeptide substrates with varying amino-acid residues in the P2 position. The cleavage efficiency for the substrate with serine in the P2 position was 160-times lower than that for the original substrate (P2=Leu); furthermore, the substrate with aspartic acid in the P2 position was not cleaved at all. We also determined a crystal structure of SARS-CoV M(pro) in complex with aldehyde Cm-FF-H, which has its P1-phenylalanine residue bound to the relatively hydrophilic S1 pocket of the enzyme and yet exhibits a high inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV M(pro), with K(i)=2.24±0.58 μM. These results show that the stringent substrate specificity of the SARS-CoV M(pro) with respect to the P1 and P2 positions can be overruled by the highly electrophilic character of the aldehyde warhead, thereby constituting a deviation from the dogma that peptidic inhibitors need to correspond to the observed cleavage specificity of the target protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhu
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
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Activation and maturation of SARS-CoV main protease. Protein Cell 2011; 2:282-90. [PMID: 21533772 PMCID: PMC4875205 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-011-1034-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2011] [Accepted: 04/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The worldwide outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 was due to the transmission of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV is essential for the viral life cycle, and is considered to be an attractive target of anti-SARS drug development. As a key enzyme for proteolytic processing of viral polyproteins to produce functional non-structure proteins, Mpro is first auto-cleaved out of polyproteins. The monomeric form of Mpro is enzymatically inactive, and it is activated through homo-dimerization which is strongly affected by extra residues to both ends of the mature enzyme. This review provides a summary of the related literatures on the study of the quaternary structure, activation, and self-maturation of Mpro over the past years.
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Shi J, Han N, Lim L, Lua S, Sivaraman J, Wang L, Mu Y, Song J. Dynamically-driven inactivation of the catalytic machinery of the SARS 3C-like protease by the N214A mutation on the extra domain. PLoS Comput Biol 2011; 7:e1001084. [PMID: 21390281 PMCID: PMC3044768 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2010] [Accepted: 01/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite utilizing the same chymotrypsin fold to host the catalytic machinery, coronavirus 3C-like proteases (3CLpro) noticeably differ from picornavirus 3C proteases in acquiring an extra helical domain in evolution. Previously, the extra domain was demonstrated to regulate the catalysis of the SARS-CoV 3CLpro by controlling its dimerization. Here, we studied N214A, another mutant with only a doubled dissociation constant but significantly abolished activity. Unexpectedly, N214A still adopts the dimeric structure almost identical to that of the wild-type (WT) enzyme. Thus, we conducted 30-ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for N214A, WT, and R298A which we previously characterized to be a monomer with the collapsed catalytic machinery. Remarkably, three proteases display distinctive dynamical behaviors. While in WT, the catalytic machinery stably retains in the activated state; in R298A it remains largely collapsed in the inactivated state, thus implying that two states are not only structurally very distinguishable but also dynamically well separated. Surprisingly, in N214A the catalytic dyad becomes dynamically unstable and many residues constituting the catalytic machinery jump to sample the conformations highly resembling those of R298A. Therefore, the N214A mutation appears to trigger the dramatic change of the enzyme dynamics in the context of the dimeric form which ultimately inactivates the catalytic machinery. The present MD simulations represent the longest reported so far for the SARS-CoV 3CLpro, unveiling that its catalysis is critically dependent on the dynamics, which can be amazingly modulated by the extra domain. Consequently, mediating the dynamics may offer a potential avenue to inhibit the SARS-CoV 3CLpro. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is the first emerging infectious disease of the 21st century which has not only caused rapid infection and death, but also triggered a dramatic social crisis. Its 3C-like protease is crucial for reproducing virus and thus represents a top target for drug design. Interestingly, unlike 3C protease such as from picorovirus, the SARS protease evolutionarily acquired a C-terminal extra domain with previously-unknown function. Immediately after SARS outbreak, we revealed that the extra domain was able to regulate the catalysis by controlling the dimerization essential for activity. Here, we studied one mutant with only slightly-weakened dimerization but almost completely abolished activity. We determined its three-dimensional structure but very unexpectedly it is almost identical to that of the wild-type enzyme. Therefore, we initiated 30-ns molecular dynamic simulations for five forms of the enzyme and the results demonstrate that the dynamical changes in this mutant are responsible for its inactivation. Therefore, the extra domain can also control the catalysis by modulating the enzyme dynamics. This is not only of fundamental significance to understanding how enzymes evolve, but also implies a novel avenue for design of anti-SARS molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahai Shi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nanyu Han
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Liangzhong Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shixiong Lua
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - J. Sivaraman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lushan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuguang Mu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- * E-mail: (JS); (YM)
| | - Jianxing Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and National University of Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail: (JS); (YM)
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40
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Okamoto DN, Oliveira LC, Kondo MY, Cezari MH, Szeltner Z, Juhász T, Juliano MA, Polgár L, Juliano L, Gouvea IE. Increase of SARS-CoV 3CL peptidase activity due to macromolecular crowding effects in the milieu composition. Biol Chem 2010; 391:1461-8. [DOI: 10.1515/bc.2010.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The 3C-like peptidase of the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV) is strictly required for viral replication, thus being a potential target for the development of antiviral agents. In contrast to monomeric picornavirus 3C peptidases, SARS-CoV 3CLpro exists in equilibrium between the monomer and dimer forms in solution, and only the dimer is proteolytically active in dilute buffer solutions. In this study, the increase of SARS-CoV 3CLpro peptidase activity in presence of kosmotropic salts and crowding agents is described. The activation followed the Hofmeister series of anions, with two orders of magnitude enhancement in the presence of Na2SO4, whereas the crowding agents polyethylene glycol and bovine serum albumin increased the hydrolytic rate up to 3 times. Kinetic determinations of the monomer dimer dissociation constant (K
d) indicated that activation was a result of a more active dimer, without significant changes in K
d values. The activation was found to be independent of substrate length and was derived from both k
cat increase and K
m decrease. The viral peptidase activation described here could be related to the crowded intracellular environment and indicates a further fine-tuning mechanism for biological control, particularly in the microenvironment of the vesicles that are induced in host cells during positive strand RNA virus infection.
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41
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Tsai MY, Chang WH, Liang JY, Lin LL, Chang GG, Chang HP. Essential covalent linkage between the chymotrypsin-like domain and the extra domain of the SARS-CoV main protease. J Biochem 2010; 148:349-58. [PMID: 20587646 PMCID: PMC7110190 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvq071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main protease of the coronavirus causing severe acute respiratory syndrome performs proteolytic processing of the viral polyproteins. The active form of the enzyme is a homodimer with each subunit consisting of three structural domains. Domains I and II, hosting the complete catalytic machinery, constitute the N-terminal chymotrypsin-like folding scaffold and connect to the extra C-terminal domain III by a long loop. Previously, the domain III-truncated enzyme was demonstrated to fold independently into an intact chymotrypsin-like fold, but it showed no enzyme activity. To further delineate the structure-function relationships of the domain III and the long loop, we generated some truncated and mutated M(pro) forms bearing various combinations of the loop with other structural parts of the enzyme. Their conformational and association properties were investigated in detail. Far-ultraviolet circular dichroism (CD) measurements revealed that these fragments could fold independently. The secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures of these mixtures were monitored by CD, fluorescence spectroscopy and analytical ultracentrifugation. However, no enzyme activity was observed for any mutant or mixtures. These observations indicate that the covalent linkage between the chymotrypsin like and the extra domain is essential for enzymatic activity of the main coronavirus protease and for the integrity of its quaternary structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Ying Tsai
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, 155 Li-Nong St., Section 2, Taipei 112, Taiwan
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Barrila J, Gabelli SB, Bacha U, Amzel LM, Freire E. Mutation of Asn28 disrupts the dimerization and enzymatic activity of SARS 3CL(pro) . Biochemistry 2010; 49:4308-17. [PMID: 20420403 DOI: 10.1021/bi1002585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses are responsible for a significant proportion of annual respiratory and enteric infections in humans and other mammals. The most prominent of these viruses is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) which causes acute respiratory and gastrointestinal infection in humans. The coronavirus main protease, 3CL(pro), is a key target for broad-spectrum antiviral development because of its critical role in viral maturation and high degree of structural conservation among coronaviruses. Dimerization is an indispensable requirement for the function of SARS 3CL(pro) and is regulated through mechanisms involving both direct and long-range interactions in the enzyme. While many of the binding interactions at the dimerization interface have been extensively studied, those that are important for long-range control are not well-understood. Characterization of these dimerization mechanisms is important for the structure-based design of new treatments targeting coronavirus-based infections. Here we report that Asn28, a residue 11 A from the closest residue in the opposing monomer, is essential for the enzymatic activity and dimerization of SARS 3CL(pro). Mutation of this residue to alanine almost completely inactivates the enzyme and results in a 19.2-fold decrease in the dimerization K(d). The crystallographic structure of the N28A mutant determined at 2.35 A resolution reveals the critical role of Asn28 in maintaining the structural integrity of the active site and in orienting key residues involved in binding at the dimer interface and substrate catalysis. These findings provide deeper insight into complex mechanisms regulating the activity and dimerization of SARS 3CL(pro).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Barrila
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
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43
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Xiao H, Briere LAK, Dunn SD, Yada RY. Characterization of the monomer-dimer equilibrium of recombinant histo-aspartic protease from Plasmodium falciparum. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2010; 173:17-24. [PMID: 20435072 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2010.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2010] [Revised: 04/21/2010] [Accepted: 04/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Histo-aspartic protease (HAP) from Plasmodium falciparum is an intriguing aspartic protease due to its unique structure. Our previous study reported the first recombinant expression of soluble HAP, in its truncated form (lys77p-Leu328) (p denotes prosegment), as a thioredoxin (Trx) fusion protein Trx-tHAP. The present study found that the recombinant Trx-tHAP fusion protein aggregated during purification which could be prevented through the addition of 0.2% CHAPS. Trx-tHAP fusion protein was processed into a mature form of tHAP (mtHAP) by both autoactivation, and activation with either enterokinase or plasmepsin II. Using gel filtration chromatography as well as sedimentation velocity and equilibrium ultracentrifugation, it was shown that the recombinant mtHAP exists in a dynamic monomer-dimer equilibrium with an increasing dissociation constant in the presence of CHAPS. Enzymatic activity data indicated that HAP was most active as a monomer. The dominant monomeric form showed a K(m) of 2.0 microM and a turnover number, k(cat), of 0.036s(-1) using the internally quenched fluorescent synthetic peptide substrate EDANS-CO-CH(2)-CH(2)-CO-Ala-Leu-Glu-Arg-Met-Phe-Leu-Ser-Phe-Pro-Dap-(DABCYL)-OH (2837b) at pH 5.2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huogen Xiao
- Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, ON, Canada
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44
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Urscher M, Przyborski JM, Imoto M, Deponte M. Distinct subcellular localization in the cytosol and apicoplast, unexpected dimerization and inhibition ofPlasmodium falciparumglyoxalases. Mol Microbiol 2010; 76:92-103. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07082.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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45
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Jacques DA, Trewhella J. Small-angle scattering for structural biology--expanding the frontier while avoiding the pitfalls. Protein Sci 2010; 19:642-57. [PMID: 20120026 PMCID: PMC2867006 DOI: 10.1002/pro.351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 303] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2009] [Revised: 01/17/2010] [Accepted: 01/19/2010] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the use of small-angle scattering for the study of biological macromolecules in solution. The drive for more complete structural characterization of proteins and their interactions, coupled with the increasing availability of instrumentation and easy-to-use software for data analysis and interpretation, is expanding the utility of the technique beyond the domain of the biophysicist and into the realm of the protein scientist. However, the absence of publication standards and the ease with which 3D models can be calculated against the inherently 1D scattering data means that an understanding of sample quality, data quality, and modeling assumptions is essential to have confidence in the results. This review is intended to provide a road map through the small-angle scattering experiment, while also providing a set of guidelines for the critical evaluation of scattering data. Examples of current best practice are given that also demonstrate the power of the technique to advance our understanding of protein structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jill Trewhella
- School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, The University of SydneySydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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46
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Zhang S, Zhong N, Xue F, Kang X, Ren X, Chen J, Jin C, Lou Z, Xia B. Three-dimensional domain swapping as a mechanism to lock the active conformation in a super-active octamer of SARS-CoV main protease. Protein Cell 2010; 1:371-383. [PMID: 21203949 PMCID: PMC4875095 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-010-0044-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2010] [Accepted: 03/18/2010] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteolytic processing of viral polyproteins is indispensible for the lifecycle of coronaviruses. The main protease (M(pro)) of SARS-CoV is an attractive target for anti-SARS drug development as it is essential for the polyprotein processing. M(pro) is initially produced as part of viral polyproteins and it is matured by autocleavage. Here, we report that, with the addition of an N-terminal extension peptide, M(pro) can form a domain-swapped dimer. After complete removal of the extension peptide from the dimer, the mature M(pro) self-assembles into a novel super-active octamer (AO-M(pro)). The crystal structure of AO-M(pro) adopts a novel fold with four domain-swapped dimers packing into four active units with nearly identical conformation to that of the previously reported M(pro) active dimer, and 3D domain swapping serves as a mechanism to lock the active conformation due to entanglement of polypeptide chains. Compared with the previously well characterized form of M(pro), in equilibrium between inactive monomer and active dimer, the stable AO-M(pro) exhibits much higher proteolytic activity at low concentration. As all eight active sites are bound with inhibitors, the polyvalent nature of the interaction between AO-M(pro) and its polyprotein substrates with multiple cleavage sites, would make AO-M(pro) functionally much more superior than the M(pro) active dimer for polyprotein processing. Thus, during the initial period of SARS-CoV infection, this novel active form AOM(pro) should play a major role in cleaving polyproteins as the protein level is extremely low. The discovery of AOM(pro) provides new insights about the functional mechanism of M(pro) and its maturation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Zhang
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Nan Zhong
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Fei Xue
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Xue Kang
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Xiaobai Ren
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Jiaxuan Chen
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Changwen Jin
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Zhiyong Lou
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Bin Xia
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China ,College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
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Chen S, Jonas F, Shen C, Hilgenfeld R, Higenfeld R. Liberation of SARS-CoV main protease from the viral polyprotein: N-terminal autocleavage does not depend on the mature dimerization mode. Protein Cell 2010; 1:59-74. [PMID: 21203998 PMCID: PMC4875104 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-010-0011-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2009] [Accepted: 11/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) plays a vital role in proteolytic processing of the polyproteins in the replicative cycle of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Dimerization of this enzyme has been shown to be indispensable for transcleavage activity. However, the auto-processing mechanism of Mpro, i.e. its own release from the polyproteins through autocleavage, remains unclear. This study elucidates the relationship between the N-terminal autocleavage activity and the dimerization of “immature” Mpro. Three residues (Arg4, Glu290, and Arg298), which contribute to the active dimer conformation of mature Mpro, are selected for mutational analyses. Surprisingly, all three mutants still perform N-terminal autocleavage, while the dimerization of mature protease and transcleavage activity following auto-processing are completely inhibited by the E290R and R298E mutations and partially so by the R4E mutation. Furthermore, the mature E290R mutant can resume N-terminal autocleavage activity when mixed with the “immature” C145A/E290R double mutant whereas its trans-cleavage activity remains absent. Therefore, the N-terminal auto-processing of Mpro appears to require only two “immature” monomers approaching one another to form an “intermediate” dimer structure and does not strictly depend on the active dimer conformation existing in mature protease. In conclusion, an auto-release model of Mpro from the polyproteins is proposed, which will help understand the auto-processing mechanism and the difference between the autocleavage and trans-cleavage proteolytic activities of SARS-CoV Mpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Chen
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
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Tian X, Lu G, Gao F, Peng H, Feng Y, Ma G, Bartlam M, Tian K, Yan J, Hilgenfeld R, Gao GF. Structure and cleavage specificity of the chymotrypsin-like serine protease (3CLSP/nsp4) of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV). J Mol Biol 2009; 392:977-93. [PMID: 19646449 PMCID: PMC7094510 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.07.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2009] [Revised: 07/19/2009] [Accepted: 07/22/2009] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Biogenesis and replication of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) include the crucial step of replicative polyprotein processing by self-encoded proteases. Whole genome bioinformatics analysis suggests that nonstructural protein 4 (nsp4) is a 3C-like serine protease (3CLSP), responsible for most of the nonstructural protein processing. The gene encoding this protease was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli in order to confirm this prediction. The purified protein was crystallized, and the structure was solved at 1.9 A resolution. In addition, the crystal structure of the Ser118Ala mutant was determined at 2.0 A resolution. The monomeric enzyme folds into three domains, similar to that of the homologous protease of equine arteritis virus, which, like PRRSV, is a member of the family Arteriviridae in the order of Nidovirales. The active site of the PRRSV 3CLSP is located between domains I and II and harbors a canonical catalytic triad comprising Ser118, His39, and Asp64. The structure also shows an atypical oxyanion hole and a partially collapsed S1 specificity pocket. The proteolytic activity of the purified protein was assessed in vitro. Three sites joining nonstructural protein domains in the PRRSV replicative polyprotein are confirmed to be processed by the enzyme. Two of them, the nsp3/nsp4 and nsp11/nsp12 junctions, are shown to be cleaved in trans, while cis cleavage is demonstrated for the nsp4/nsp5 linker. Thus, we provide structural evidence as well as enzymatic proof of the nsp4 protein being a functional 3CLSP. We also show that the enzyme has a strong preference for glutamic acid at the P1 position of the substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinsheng Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Santos JAN, Gouvea IE, Júdice WAS, Izidoro MA, Alves FM, Melo RL, Juliano MA, Skern T, Juliano L. Hydrolytic Properties and Substrate Specificity of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Leader Protease. Biochemistry 2009; 48:7948-58. [DOI: 10.1021/bi9004446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A. N. Santos
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Três de Maio 100, 04044-20 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Iuri E. Gouvea
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Três de Maio 100, 04044-20 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wagner A. S. Júdice
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Três de Maio 100, 04044-20 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mario A. Izidoro
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Três de Maio 100, 04044-20 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabiana M. Alves
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Três de Maio 100, 04044-20 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Robson L. Melo
- Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo-SP 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Maria A. Juliano
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Três de Maio 100, 04044-20 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tim Skern
- Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9/3, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Luiz Juliano
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Três de Maio 100, 04044-20 São Paulo, Brazil
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50
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Hu T, Zhang Y, Li L, Wang K, Chen S, Chen J, Ding J, Jiang H, Shen X. Two adjacent mutations on the dimer interface of SARS coronavirus 3C-like protease cause different conformational changes in crystal structure. Virology 2009; 388:324-34. [PMID: 19409595 PMCID: PMC7103376 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2009.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2009] [Revised: 03/06/2009] [Accepted: 03/30/2009] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The 3C-like protease of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV 3CLpro) is vital for SARS-CoV replication and is a promising drug target. It has been extensively proved that only the dimeric enzyme is active. Here we discovered that two adjacent mutations (Ser139_Ala and Phe140_Ala) on the dimer interface resulted in completely different crystal structures of the enzyme, demonstrating the distinct roles of these two residues in maintaining the active conformation of SARS-CoV 3CLpro. S139A is a monomer that is structurally similar to the two reported monomers G11A and R298A. However, this mutant still retains a small fraction of dimer in solution, which might account for its remaining activity. F140A is a dimer with the most collapsed active pocket discovered so far, well-reflecting the stabilizing role of this residue. Moreover, a plausible dimerization mechanism was also deduced from structural analysis. Our work is expected to provide insight on the dimerization–function relationship of SARS-CoV 3CLpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiancen Hu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lianwei Li
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Kuifeng Wang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Shuai Chen
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianping Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Hualiang Jiang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
- Corresponding authors. Fax: +86 21 50806918.
| | - Xu Shen
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
- Corresponding authors. Fax: +86 21 50806918.
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