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Yang H, Sun M, Qiu H, Xu H, Deng Z, Gu H, Wang N, Du L, Shi F, Zhou J, He F. Nanobody peptide conjugate: a novel CD163 based broad neutralizing strategy against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:388. [PMID: 38956618 PMCID: PMC11218349 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02662-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a prevalent swine pathogen, which has caused adverse impact on the global swine industry for almost 30 years. However, due to the immune suppression caused by the virus and the genetic diversity in PRRSV, no virus-targeting broad neutralizing strategy has been successfully developed yet. Antiviral peptide and nanobody have attracted extensive attention with the ease in production and the efficacy in practice. In this study, four new fusion proteins named nanobody peptide conjugates (NPCs) were developed by combining PRRSV specific non-neutralizing nanobodies with CD163-derived peptides targeting the receptor binding domain (RBD) of PRRSV proteins. RESULTS Four NPCs were successfully constructed using two nanobodies against PRRSV N and nsp9 individually, recombining with two antiviral peptides 4H7 or 8H2 from porcine CD163 respectively. All four NPCs demonstrated specific capability of binding to PRRSV and broad inhibitory effect against various lineages of PRRSV in a dose-dependent manner. NPCs interfere with the binding of the RBD of PRRSV proteins to CD163 in the PRRSV pre-attachment stage by CD163 epitope peptides in the assistance of Nb components. NPCs also suppress viral replication during the stage of post-attachment, and the inhibitory effects depend on the antiviral functions of Nb parts in NPCs, including the interference in long viral RNA synthesis, NF-κB and IFN-β activation. Moreover, an interaction was predicted between aa K31 and T32 sites of neutralizing domain 4H7 of NPC-N/nsp9-4H7 and the motif 171NLRLTG176 of PRRSV GP2a. The motif 28SSS30 of neutralizing domain 8H2 of NPC-N/nsp9-8H2 could also form hydrogens to bind with the motif 152NAFLP156 of PRRSV GP3. The study provides valuable insights into the structural characteristics and potential functional implications of the RBD of PRRSV proteins. Finally, as indicated in a mouse model, NPC intranasally inoculated in vivo for 12-24 h sustains the significant neutralizing activity against PRRSV. These findings inspire the potential of NPC as a preventive measure to reduce the transmission risk in the host population against respiratory infectious agents like PRRSV. CONCLUSION The aim of the current study was to develop a peptide based bioactive compound to neutralize various PRRSV strains. The new antiviral NPC (nanobody peptide conjugate) consists of a specific nanobody targeting the viral protein and a neutralizing CD163 epitope peptide for virus blocking and provides significant antiviral activity. The study will greatly promote the antiviral drug R&D against PRRSV and enlighten a new strategy against other viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haotian Yang
- MOA Key Laboratory of Animal Virology, Zhejiang University Center for Veterinary Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Xinchang Joint Innovation Centre (TianMu Laboratory), Gaochuang Hi-Tech Park, Xinchang, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Meiqi Sun
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Xinchang Joint Innovation Centre (TianMu Laboratory), Gaochuang Hi-Tech Park, Xinchang, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - He Qiu
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Xinchang Joint Innovation Centre (TianMu Laboratory), Gaochuang Hi-Tech Park, Xinchang, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Huiling Xu
- ZJU-Xinchang Joint Innovation Centre (TianMu Laboratory), Gaochuang Hi-Tech Park, Xinchang, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Zhuofan Deng
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Xinchang Joint Innovation Centre (TianMu Laboratory), Gaochuang Hi-Tech Park, Xinchang, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Han Gu
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Xinchang Joint Innovation Centre (TianMu Laboratory), Gaochuang Hi-Tech Park, Xinchang, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Nan Wang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Xinchang Joint Innovation Centre (TianMu Laboratory), Gaochuang Hi-Tech Park, Xinchang, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Liuyang Du
- MOA Key Laboratory of Animal Virology, Zhejiang University Center for Veterinary Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fushan Shi
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiyong Zhou
- MOA Key Laboratory of Animal Virology, Zhejiang University Center for Veterinary Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fang He
- MOA Key Laboratory of Animal Virology, Zhejiang University Center for Veterinary Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- ZJU-Xinchang Joint Innovation Centre (TianMu Laboratory), Gaochuang Hi-Tech Park, Xinchang, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
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2
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Lee JH, Kim JW, Lee HE, Song JY, Cho AH, Hwang JH, Heo K, Lee S. A dual-targeting approach using a human bispecific antibody against the receptor-binding domain of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. Virus Res 2024; 345:199383. [PMID: 38697296 PMCID: PMC11074968 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has posed a significant global health concern due to its severe respiratory illness and high fatality rate. Currently, despite the potential for resurgence, there are no specific treatments for MERS-CoV, and only supportive care is available. Our study aimed to address this therapeutic gap by developing a potent neutralizing bispecific antibody (bsAb) against MERS-CoV. Initially, we isolated four human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically target the MERS-CoV receptor-binding domain (RBD) using phage display technology and an established human antibody library. Among these four selected mAbs, our intensive in vitro functional analyses showed that the MERS-CoV RBD-specific mAb K111.3 exhibited the most potent neutralizing activity against MERS-CoV pseudoviral infection and the molecular interaction between MERS-CoV RBD and human dipeptidyl peptidase 4. Consequently, we engineered a novel bsAb, K207.C, by utilizing K111.3 as the IgG base and fusing it with the single-chain variable fragment of its non-competing pair, K111.1. This engineered bsAb showed significantly enhanced neutralization potential against MERS-CoV compared to its parental mAb. These findings suggest that K207.C may serve as a potential candidate for effective MERS-CoV neutralization, further highlighting the promise of the bsAb dual-targeting approach in MERS-CoV neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyun Lee
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Woong Kim
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Eon Lee
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Young Song
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Ah Hyun Cho
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Hyeon Hwang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyun Heo
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Antibody Research Institute, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Sukmook Lee
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; Antibody Research Institute, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Yang Y, Li F, Du L. Therapeutic nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenic human coronaviruses. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:304. [PMID: 38822339 PMCID: PMC11140877 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02573-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies, single-domain antibodies derived from variable domain of camelid or shark heavy-chain antibodies, have unique properties with small size, strong binding affinity, easy construction in versatile formats, high neutralizing activity, protective efficacy, and manufactural capacity on a large-scale. Nanobodies have been arisen as an effective research tool for development of nanobiotechnologies with a variety of applications. Three highly pathogenic coronaviruses (CoVs), SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, have caused serious outbreaks or a global pandemic, and continue to post a threat to public health worldwide. The viral spike (S) protein and its cognate receptor-binding domain (RBD), which initiate viral entry and play a critical role in virus pathogenesis, are important therapeutic targets. This review describes pathogenic human CoVs, including viral structures and proteins, and S protein-mediated viral entry process. It also summarizes recent advances in development of nanobodies targeting these CoVs, focusing on those targeting the S protein and RBD. Finally, we discuss potential strategies to improve the efficacy of nanobodies against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and other CoVs with pandemic potential. It will provide important information for rational design and evaluation of therapeutic agents against emerging and reemerging pathogens.
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MESH Headings
- Single-Domain Antibodies/immunology
- Single-Domain Antibodies/pharmacology
- Single-Domain Antibodies/therapeutic use
- Single-Domain Antibodies/chemistry
- Humans
- SARS-CoV-2/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/chemistry
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/metabolism
- Animals
- COVID-19/virology
- COVID-19/immunology
- COVID-19/therapy
- Coronavirus Infections/drug therapy
- Coronavirus Infections/immunology
- Coronavirus Infections/virology
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus/immunology
- Virus Internalization/drug effects
- Pandemics
- Betacoronavirus/immunology
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- Antibodies, Viral/therapeutic use
- Pneumonia, Viral/drug therapy
- Pneumonia, Viral/virology
- Pneumonia, Viral/immunology
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus/immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Coronavirus Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Lanying Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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4
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Pandia S, Mahapatra A, Chakraborty H. A Coronin 1-Derived Peptide Inhibits Membrane Fusion by Modulating Membrane Organization and Dynamics. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4986-4995. [PMID: 38739415 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Membrane fusion is considered the first step in the entry of enveloped viruses into the host cell. Several targeted strategies have been implemented to block viral entry by limiting the fusion protein to form a six-helix bundle, which is a prerequisite for fusion. Nonetheless, the development of broad-spectrum fusion inhibitors is essential to combat emerging and re-emerging viral infections. TG-23, a coronin 1, a tryptophan-aspartate-rich phagosomal protein-derived peptide, demonstrated inhibition of fusion between small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) by modulating the membrane's physical properties. However, its inhibitory efficacy reduces with an increasing concentration of membrane cholesterol. The present work aims to develop a fusion inhibitor whose efficacy would be unaltered in the presence of membrane cholesterol. A stretch of the tryptophan-aspartic acid-containing peptide with a similar secondary structure and hydrophobicity profile of TG-23 from coronin 1 was synthesized, and its ability to inhibit SUV-SUV fusion with varying concentrations of membrane cholesterol was evaluated. Our results demonstrate that the GG-21 peptide inhibits fusion irrespective of the cholesterol content of the membrane. We have further evaluated the peptide-induced change in the membrane organization and dynamics utilizing arrays of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements and correlated these results with their effect on fusion. Interestingly, GG-21 displays inhibitory efficacy in a wide variety of lipid compositions despite having a secondary structure and physical properties similar to those of TG-23. Overall, our results advocate that the secondary structure and physical properties of the peptide may not be sufficient to predict its inhibitory efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swaratmika Pandia
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla 768 019, Odisha, India
| | - Amita Mahapatra
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Jatni, Khurda, Bhubaneswar 752050, Odisha, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Hirak Chakraborty
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla 768 019, Odisha, India
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5
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Xiao Y, Wang L, Li SX, Fang SS, Luo F, Chen SL, Zou X, Ye L, Hou W. Conditional reprogrammed human limbal epithelial cell model for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug screening. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30044. [PMID: 38698981 PMCID: PMC11064458 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
To minimize the global pandemic COVID-19 spread, understanding the possible transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 and discovery of novel antiviral drugs are necessary. We describe here that the virus can infect ocular surface limbal epithelial, but not other regions. Limbal supports wild type and mutant SARS-CoV-2 entry and replication depending on ACE2, TMPRSS2 and possibly other receptors, resulting in slight CPE and arising IL-6 secretion, which symbolizes conjunctivitis in clinical symptoms. With this limbal model, we have screened two natural product libraries and discovered several unreported drugs. Our data reveal important commonalities between COVID-19 and ocular infection with SARS-CoV-2, and establish an ideal cell model for drug screening and mechanism research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xiao
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518057, Guangdong Province, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen 518040, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shi-xu Li
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen 518040, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shi-song Fang
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Fan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Institute of Medical Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Shu-liang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Institute of Medical Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xuan Zou
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Lin Ye
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Shenzhen 518040, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wei Hou
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518057, Guangdong Province, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Institute of Medical Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
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6
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Cao N, Cai Y, Huang X, Jiang H, Huang Z, Xing L, Lu L, Jiang S, Xu W. Inhibition of influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 infection or co-infection by griffithsin and griffithsin-based bivalent entry inhibitor. mBio 2024; 15:e0074124. [PMID: 38587427 PMCID: PMC11077956 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00741-24] [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: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Outbreaks of acute respiratory viral diseases, such as influenza and COVID-19 caused by influenza A virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2, pose a serious threat to global public health, economic security, and social stability. This calls for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals to prevent or treat infection or co-infection of IAV and SARS-CoV-2. Hemagglutinin (HA) on IAV and spike (S) protein on SARS-CoV-2, which contain various types of glycans, play crucial roles in mediating viral entry into host cells. Therefore, they are key targets for the development of carbohydrate-binding protein-based antivirals. This study demonstrated that griffithsin (GRFT) and the GRFT-based bivalent entry inhibitor GL25E (GRFT-L25-EK1) showed broad-spectrum antiviral effects against IAV infection in vitro by binding to HA in a carbohydrate-dependent manner and effectively protected mice from lethal IAV infection. Although both GRFT and GL25E could inhibit infection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants, GL25E proved to be significantly more effective than GRFT and EK1 alone. Furthermore, GL25E effectively inhibited in vitro co-infection of IAV and SARS-CoV-2 and demonstrated good druggability, including favorable safety and stability profiles. These findings suggest that GL25E is a promising candidate for further development as a broad-spectrum antiviral drug for the prevention and treatment of infection or co-infection from IAV and SARS-CoV-2.IMPORTANCEInfluenza and COVID-19 are highly contagious respiratory illnesses caused by the influenza A virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2, respectively. IAV and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection exacerbates damage to lung tissue and leads to more severe clinical symptoms, thus calling for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals for combating IAV and SARS-CoV-2 infection or co-infection. Here we found that griffithsin (GRFT), a carbohydrate-binding protein, and GL25E, a recombinant protein consisting of GRFT, a 25 amino acid linker, and EK1, a broad-spectrum coronavirus inhibitor, could effectively inhibit IAV and SARS-CoV-2 infection and co-infection by targeting glycans on HA of IAV and spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2. GL25E is more effective than GRFT because GL25E can also interact with the HR1 domain in SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Furthermore, GL25E possesses favorable safety and stability profiles, suggesting that it is a promising candidate for development as a drug to prevent and treat IAV and SARS-CoV-2 infection or co-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najing Cao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanxing Cai
- Guiyang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanxiao Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziqi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixiao Xing
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Infection, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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7
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Stewart J, Shawon J, Ali MA, Williams B, Shahinuzzaman ADA, Rupa SA, Al-Adhami T, Jia R, Bourque C, Faddis R, Stone K, Sufian MA, Islam R, McShan AC, Rahman KM, Halim MA. Antiviral peptides inhibiting the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 investigated by computational screening and in vitro protease assay. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3553. [PMID: 38031661 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) plays an important role in viral replication and transcription and received great attention as a vital target for drug/peptide development. Therapeutic agents such as small-molecule drugs or peptides that interact with the Cys-His present in the catalytic site of Mpro are an efficient way to inhibit the protease. Although several emergency-approved vaccines showed good efficacy and drastically dropped the infection rate, evolving variants are still infecting and killing millions of people globally. While a small-molecule drug (Paxlovid) received emergency approval, small-molecule drugs have low target specificity and higher toxicity. Besides small-molecule drugs, peptide therapeutics are thus gaining increasing popularity as they are easy to synthesize and highly selective and have limited side effects. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic value of 67 peptides targeting Mpro using molecular docking. Subsequently, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were implemented on eight protein-peptide complexes to obtain molecular-level information on the interaction between these peptides and the Mpro active site, which revealed that temporin L, indolicidin, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) GP1 are the best candidates in terms of stability, interaction, and structural compactness. These peptides were synthesized using the solid-phase peptide synthesis protocol, purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and authenticated by mass spectrometry (MS). The in vitro fluorometric Mpro activity assay was used to validate the computational results, where temporin L and indolicidin were observed to be very active against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro with IC50 values of 38.80 and 87.23 μM, respectively. A liquid chromatography-MS (LC-MS) assay was developed, and the IC50 value of temporin L was measured at 23.8 μM. The solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure of temporin L was determined in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles and was compared to previous temporin structures. This combined investigation provides critical insights and assists us to further develop peptide inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro through structural guided investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Stewart
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Jakaria Shawon
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ackas Ali
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Blaise Williams
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - A D A Shahinuzzaman
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Division, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Taha Al-Adhami
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ruoqing Jia
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Cole Bourque
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Ryan Faddis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Kaylee Stone
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Md Abu Sufian
- School of Pharmacy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rajib Islam
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Andrew C McShan
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Khondaker Miraz Rahman
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mohammad A Halim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
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8
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Biswas S, Mita MA, Afrose S, Hasan MR, Shimu MSS, Zaman S, Saleh MA. An in silico approach to develop potential therapies against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Heliyon 2024; 10:e25837. [PMID: 38379969 PMCID: PMC10877303 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
A deadly respiratory disease Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is caused by a perilous virus known as MERS-CoV, which has a severe impact on human health. Currently, there is no approved vaccine, prophylaxis, or antiviral therapeutics for preventing MERS-CoV infection. Due to its inexorable and integral role in the maturation and replication of the MERS-CoV virus, the 3C-like protease is unavoidly a viable therapeutic target. In this study, 2369 phytoconstituents were enlisted from Japanese medicinal plants, and these compounds were screened against 3C-like protease to identify feasible inhibitors. The best three compounds were identified as Kihadanin B, Robustaflavone, and 3-beta-O- (trans-p-Coumaroyl) maslinic acid, with binding energies of -9.8, -9.4, and -9.2 kcal/mol, respectively. The top three potential candidates interacted with several active site residues in the targeted protein, including Cys145, Met168, Glu169, Ala171, and Gln192. The best three compounds were assessed by in silico technique to determine their drug-likeness properties, and they exhibited the least harmful features and the greatest drug-like qualities. Various descriptors, such as solvent-accessible surface area, root-mean-square fluctuation, root-mean-square deviation, hydrogen bond, and radius of gyration, validated the stability and firmness of the protein-ligand complexes throughout the 100ns molecular dynamics simulation. Moreover, the top three compounds exhibited better binding energy along with better stability and firmness than the inhibitor (Nafamostat), which was further confirmed by the binding free energy calculation. Therefore, this computational investigation could aid in the development of efficient therapeutics for life-threatening MERS-CoV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvro Biswas
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Mohasana Akter Mita
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Shamima Afrose
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Robiul Hasan
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | | | - Shahriar Zaman
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Abu Saleh
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
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9
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Bi W, Tang K, Chen G, Xie Y, Polizzi NF, DeGrado WF, Yuan S, Dang B. An enhanced broad-spectrum peptide inhibits Omicron variants in vivo. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101418. [PMID: 38340726 PMCID: PMC10897629 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The continual emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) poses a major challenge to vaccines and antiviral therapeutics due to their extensive evasion of immunity. Aiming to develop potent and broad-spectrum anticoronavirus inhibitors, we generated A1-(GGGGS)7-HR2m (A1L35HR2m) by introducing an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-derived peptide A1 to the N terminus of the viral HR2-derived peptide HR2m through a long flexible linker, which showed significantly improved antiviral activity. Further cholesterol (Chol) modification at the C terminus of A1L35HR2m greatly enhanced the inhibitory activities against SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, SARS-CoV, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pseudoviruses, with IC50 values ranging from 0.16 to 5.53 nM. A1L35HR2m-Chol also potently inhibits spike-protein-mediated cell-cell fusion and the replication of authentic Omicron BA.2.12.1, BA.5, and EG.5.1. Importantly, A1L35HR2m-Chol distributed widely in respiratory tract tissue and had a long half-life (>10 h) in vivo. Intranasal administration of A1L35HR2m-Chol to K18-hACE2 transgenic mice potently inhibited Omicron BA.5 and EG.5.1 infection both prophylactically and therapeutically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Bi
- Research Center for Industries of the Future and Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang, China; Frontier Biotechnology Laboratory, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310030, China.
| | - Kaiming Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guilin Chen
- Research Center for Industries of the Future and Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yubin Xie
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nicholas F Polizzi
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - William F DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Shuofeng Yuan
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Bobo Dang
- Research Center for Industries of the Future and Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310030, China.
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10
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Wang F, Yang G, Yan L. Crystal Structures of Fusion Cores from CCoV-HuPn-2018 and SADS-CoV. Viruses 2024; 16:272. [PMID: 38400047 PMCID: PMC10893436 DOI: 10.3390/v16020272] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cross-species spillover to humans of coronaviruses (CoVs) from wildlife animal reservoirs poses marked and global threats to human and animal health. Recently, sporadic infection of canine coronavirus-human pneumonia-2018 (CCoV-HuPn-2018) in hospitalized patients with pneumonia genetically related to canine and feline coronavirus were identified. In addition, swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) had the capability of broad tropism to cultured cells including from humans. Together, the transmission of Alphacoronaviruses that originated in wildlife to humans via intermediate hosts was responsible for the high-impact emerging zoonosis. Entry of CoV is mainly mediated by Spike and formation of a typical six helix bundle (6-HB) structure in the postfusion state of Spike is pivotal. Here, we present the complete fusion core structures of CCoV-HuPn-2018 and SADS-CoV from Alphacoronavirus at 2.10 and 2.59 Å, respectively. The overall structure of the CCoV-HuPn-2018 fusion core is similar to Alphacoronavirus like HCoV-229E, while SADS-CoV is analogous to Betacoronavirus like SARS-CoV-2. Collectively, we provide a structural basis for the development of pan-CoV small molecules and polypeptides based on the HR1-HR2 complex, concerning CCoV-HuPn-2018 and SADS-CoV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulian Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China;
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Guang Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China;
| | - Lei Yan
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China;
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11
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Yang J, Song Y, Jin W, Xia K, Burnett GC, Qiao W, Bates JT, Pomin VH, Wang C, Qiao M, Linhardt RJ, Dordick JS, Zhang F. Sulfated Glycans Inhibit the Interaction of MERS-CoV Receptor Binding Domain with Heparin. Viruses 2024; 16:237. [PMID: 38400013 PMCID: PMC10892611 DOI: 10.3390/v16020237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic virus with high contagion and mortality rates. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are ubiquitously expressed on the surface of mammalian cells. Owing to its high negatively charged property, heparan sulfate (HS) on the surface of host cells is used by many viruses as cofactor to facilitate viral attachment and initiate cellular entry. Therefore, inhibition of the interaction between viruses and HS could be a promising target to inhibit viral infection. In the current study, the interaction between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of MERS-CoV and heparin was exploited to assess the inhibitory activity of various sulfated glycans such as glycosaminoglycans, marine-sourced glycans (sulfated fucans, fucosylated chondroitin sulfates, fucoidans, and rhamnan sulfate), pentosan polysulfate, and mucopolysaccharide using Surface Plasmon Resonance. We believe this study provides valuable insights for the development of sulfated glycan-based inhibitors as potential antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyuan Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (J.Y.); (W.Q.); (M.Q.)
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
| | - Yuefan Song
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
| | - Weihua Jin
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China;
| | - Ke Xia
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
| | - Grace C. Burnett
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA; (G.C.B.); (J.T.B.)
| | - Wanjin Qiao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (J.Y.); (W.Q.); (M.Q.)
| | - John T. Bates
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA; (G.C.B.); (J.T.B.)
| | - Vitor H. Pomin
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677, USA;
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
| | - Mingqiang Qiao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (J.Y.); (W.Q.); (M.Q.)
| | - Robert J. Linhardt
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (Y.S.); (K.X.); (C.W.); (R.J.L.)
- Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Dordick
- Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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12
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Sevinc Ozdemir N, Belyaev D, Castro MN, Balakin S, Opitz J, Wihadmadyatami H, Anggraeni R, Yucel D, Kenar H, Beshchasna N, Ana ID, Hasirci V. Advances in In Vitro Blood-Air Barrier Models and the Use of Nanoparticles in COVID-19 Research. TISSUE ENGINEERING. PART B, REVIEWS 2024; 30:82-96. [PMID: 37597193 DOI: 10.1089/ten.teb.2023.0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory infections caused by coronaviruses (CoVs) have become a major public health concern in the past two decades as revealed by the emergence of SARS-CoV in 2002, MERS-CoV in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. The most severe clinical phenotypes commonly arise from exacerbation of immune response following the infection of alveolar epithelial cells localized at the pulmonary blood-air barrier. Preclinical rodent models do not adequately represent the essential genetic properties of the barrier, thus necessitating the use of humanized transgenic models. However, existing monolayer cell culture models have so far been unable to mimic the complex lung microenvironment. In this respect, air-liquid interface models, tissue engineered models, and organ-on-a-chip systems, which aim to better imitate the infection site microenvironment and microphysiology, are being developed to replace the commonly used monolayer cell culture models, and their use is becoming more widespread every day. On the contrary, studies on the development of nanoparticles (NPs) that mimic respiratory viruses, and those NPs used in therapy are progressing rapidly. The first part of this review describes in vitro models that mimic the blood-air barrier, the tissue interface that plays a central role in COVID-19 progression. In the second part of the review, NPs mimicking the virus and/or designed to carry therapeutic agents are explained and exemplified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neval Sevinc Ozdemir
- Acibadem University (ACU) Biomaterials A&R Center, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, ACU Graduate School of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
- ACU Department of Pharmaceutical Basic Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Dmitry Belyaev
- Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Maria-Reiche Straße 2, Dresden, Germany
| | - Manuel Nieto Castro
- Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Maria-Reiche Straße 2, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sascha Balakin
- Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Maria-Reiche Straße 2, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joerg Opitz
- Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Maria-Reiche Straße 2, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hevi Wihadmadyatami
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Research Collaboration Center for Biomedical Scaffolds, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Rahmi Anggraeni
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Research Collaboration Center for Biomedical Scaffolds, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Deniz Yucel
- Acibadem University (ACU) Biomaterials A&R Center, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey
- ACU Graduate Department of Biomaterials, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Histology and Embryology, ACU School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Halime Kenar
- Acibadem University (ACU) Biomaterials A&R Center, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey
- ACU Graduate Department of Biomaterials, Istanbul, Turkey
- ACU Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Natalia Beshchasna
- Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Maria-Reiche Straße 2, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ika Dewi Ana
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Research Collaboration Center for Biomedical Scaffolds, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Department of Dental Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Vasif Hasirci
- Acibadem University (ACU) Biomaterials A&R Center, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey
- ACU Graduate Department of Biomaterials, Istanbul, Turkey
- ACU Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey
- BIOMATEN, METU Ctr. of Excellence in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Ankara, Turkey
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13
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Bird GH, Patten JJ, Zavadoski W, Barucci N, Godes M, Moyer BM, Owen CD, DaSilva-Jardine P, Neuberg DS, Bowen RA, Davey RA, Walensky LD. A stapled lipopeptide platform for preventing and treating highly pathogenic viruses of pandemic potential. Nat Commun 2024; 15:274. [PMID: 38177138 PMCID: PMC10766962 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44361-1] [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: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The continued emergence of highly pathogenic viruses, which either thwart immune- and small molecule-based therapies or lack interventions entirely, mandates alternative approaches, particularly for prompt and facile pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis. Many highly pathogenic viruses, including coronaviruses, employ the six-helix bundle heptad repeat membrane fusion mechanism to achieve infection. Although heptad-repeat-2 decoys can inhibit viral entry by blocking six-helix bundle assembly, the biophysical and pharmacologic liabilities of peptides have hindered their clinical development. Here, we develop a chemically stapled lipopeptide inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 as proof-of-concept for the platform. We show that our lead compound blocks infection by a spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 variants, exhibits mucosal persistence upon nasal administration, demonstrates enhanced stability compared to prior analogs, and mitigates infection in hamsters. We further demonstrate that our stapled lipopeptide platform yields nanomolar inhibitors of respiratory syncytial, Ebola, and Nipah viruses by targeting heptad-repeat-1 domains, which exhibit strikingly low mutation rates, enabling on-demand therapeutic intervention to combat viral outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory H Bird
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - J J Patten
- Department of Microbiology, National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | | | | | - Marina Godes
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Benjamin M Moyer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Callum D Owen
- Department of Microbiology, National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | | | - Donna S Neuberg
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Richard A Bowen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Robert A Davey
- Department of Microbiology, National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Loren D Walensky
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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14
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Li J, Li Q, Xia S, Tu J, Zheng L, Wang Q, Jiang S, Wang C. Design of MERS-CoV entry inhibitory short peptides based on helix-stabilizing strategies. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 97:129569. [PMID: 38008340 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Interaction between Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) spike (S) protein heptad repeat-1 domain (HR1) and heptad repeat-2 domain (HR2) is critical for the MERS-CoV fusion process. This interaction is mediated by the α-helical region from HR2 and the hydrophobic groove in a central HR1 trimeric coiled coil. We sought to develop a short peptidomimetic to act as a MERS-CoV fusion inhibitor by reproducing the key recognition features of HR2 helix. This was achieved by the use of helix-stabilizing strategies, including substitution with unnatural helix-favoring amino acids, introduction of ion pair interactions, and conjugation of palmitic acid. The resulting 23-mer lipopeptide, termed AEEA-C16, inhibits MERS-CoV S protein-mediated cell-cell fusion at a low micromolar level comparable to that of the 36-mer HR2 peptide HR2P-M2. Collectively, our studies provide new insights into developing short peptide-based antiviral agents to treat MERS-CoV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichun Li
- College of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, 26 Yuxiang Street, Shijiazhuang 050018, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiahuang Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Longbo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-based Drug Design & Discovery of the Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 131 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Beijing 100850, China.
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15
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Chaudhury S, Kaur P, Gupta D, Anand P, Chaudhary M, Tiwari S, Mittal A, Gupta J, Kaur S, Singh VD, Dhawan D, Singh P, Sahu SK. Therapeutic Management with Repurposing Approaches: A Mystery During COVID-19 Outbreak. Curr Mol Med 2024; 24:712-733. [PMID: 37312440 DOI: 10.2174/1566524023666230613141746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitous pandemic that emerged due to COVID-19 affected the whole planet. People all over the globe became vulnerable to the unpredictable emergence of coronavirus. The sudden emergence of respiratory disease in coronavirus infected several patients. This affected human life drastically, from mild symptoms to severe illness, leading to mortality. COVID-19 is an exceptionally communicable disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. According to a genomic study, the viral spike RBD interactions with the host ACE2 protein from several coronavirus strains and the interaction between RBD and ACE2 highlighted the potential change in affinity from the virus causing the COVID-19 outbreak to a progenitor type of SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2, which could be the principal reservoir, is phylogenetically related to the SARS-like bat virus. Other research works reported that intermediary hosts for the transmission of viruses to humans could include cats, bats, snakes, pigs, ferrets, orangutans, and monkeys. Even with the arrival of vaccines and individuals getting vaccinated and treated with FDAapproved repurposed drugs like Remdesivir, the first and foremost steps aimed towards the possible control and minimization of community transmission of the virus include social distancing, self-realization, and self-health care. In this review paper, we discussed and summarized various approaches and methodologies adopted and proposed by researchers all over the globe to help with the management of this zoonotic outbreak by following repurposed approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumik Chaudhury
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Paranjeet Kaur
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Deepali Gupta
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Palak Anand
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Manish Chaudhary
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Siddhita Tiwari
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Amit Mittal
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Desh Bhagat University, Amloh Road, Mandi Gobindgarh, 147301, Punjab, India
| | - Jeena Gupta
- School of Bioscience, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Sukhmeen Kaur
- Department of Opthalmology, Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, 144001, Punjab, India
| | - Varsh Deep Singh
- American University of Barbados, Wildey, St. Michael, BB11100, Barbados
| | - Dakshita Dhawan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Princejyot Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Sanjeev Kumar Sahu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
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16
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Xia S, Wang L, Jiao F, Yu X, Xu W, Huang Z, Li X, Wang Q, Zhu Y, Man Q, Jiang S, Lu L. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants exhibit distinct fusogenicity, but similar sensitivity, to pan-CoV fusion inhibitors. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2178241. [PMID: 36748716 PMCID: PMC9970205 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2178241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Continuous emergence of the Omicron variant, along with its subvariants, has caused an increasing number of infections, reinfections, and vaccine-breakthrough infections, seriously threatening human health. Recently, several new Omicron subvariants, such as BA.5, BA.2.75, BA.4.6, and BF.7, bearing distinct mutation profiles in their spike (S) proteins, have significantly increased their capacity to evade vaccine-induced immunity and have shown enhanced infectivity and transmissibility, quickly becoming dominant sublineages. In this study, we found the S proteins of these Omicron subvariants to have 2- to 4-fold more efficient membrane fusion kinetics than that of the original Omicron variant (BA.1), indicating that these novel Omicron subvariants might possess increased pathogenicity. We also identified that peptide-based pan-CoV fusion inhibitors, EK1 and EK1C4, showed equal efficacy against membrane fusion mediated by S proteins of the noted Omicron subvariants and infection by their pseudoviruses. Additionally, either immune sera induced by wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 RBD-based vaccine or BA.2 convalescent sera showed potent synergism with EK1 against both WT SARS-CoV-2 and various Omicron subvariants, further suggesting that EK1-based fusion inhibitors are promising candidates for development as clinical antiviral agents against the currently circulating Omicron subvariants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China,Shuai Xia Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lijue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fanke Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xueying Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ziqi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xicheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yun Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiuhong Man
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China,Qiuhong Man Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China,Shibo Jiang Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Lu Lu Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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17
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Sadhu S, Dandotiya J, Dalal R, Khatri R, Mykytyn AZ, Batra A, Kaur M, Chandwaskar R, Singh V, Kamboj A, Srivastava M, Mani S, Asthana S, Samal S, Rizvi ZA, Salunke DB, Haagmans BL, Awasthi A. Fangchinoline inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV entry. Antiviral Res 2023; 220:105743. [PMID: 37949319 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, lead to mild to severe respiratory illness and resulted in 6.9 million deaths worldwide. Although vaccines are effective in preventing COVID-19, they may not be sufficient to protect immunocompromised individuals from this respiratory illness. Moreover, novel emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 pose a risk of new COVID-19 waves. Therefore, identification of effective antivirals is critical in controlling SARS and other coronaviruses, such as MERS-CoV. We show that Fangchinoline (Fcn), a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, inhibits replication of SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV in a range of in vitro assays, by blocking entry. Therapeutic use of Fcn inhibited viral loads in the lungs, and suppressed associated airway inflammation in hACE2. Tg mice and Syrian hamster infected with SARS-CoV-2. Combination of Fcn with remdesivir (RDV) or an anti-leprosy drug, Clofazimine, exhibited synergistic antiviral activity. Compared to Fcn, its synthetic derivative, MK-04-003, more effectively inhibited SARS-CoV-2 and its variants B.1.617.2 and BA.5 in mice. Taken together these data demonstrate that Fcn is a pan beta coronavirus inhibitor, which possibly can be used to combat novel emerging coronavirus diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanth Sadhu
- Center for Immunobiology and Immunotherapy, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India; Immunology-Core Lab, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Jyotsna Dandotiya
- Center for Immunobiology and Immunotherapy, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Rajdeep Dalal
- Center for Immunobiology and Immunotherapy, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Ritika Khatri
- Infection and Immunology Center, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Anna Z Mykytyn
- Viroscience Department, Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Netherlands
| | - Aashima Batra
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India; National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Antimicrobials, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Manpreet Kaur
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India; National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Antimicrobials, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | | | - Virendra Singh
- Center for Immunobiology and Immunotherapy, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Aarzoo Kamboj
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India; National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Antimicrobials, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Mitul Srivastava
- Computational Biophysics and CADD Group, Computational and Mathematical Biology Center (CMBC), Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Shailendra Mani
- Infection and Immunology Center, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Shailendra Asthana
- Computational Biophysics and CADD Group, Computational and Mathematical Biology Center (CMBC), Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Sweety Samal
- Infection and Immunology Center, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Zaigham Abbas Rizvi
- Center for Immunobiology and Immunotherapy, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India; Immunology-Core Lab, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Deepak B Salunke
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India; National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Antimicrobials, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Bart L Haagmans
- Viroscience Department, Erasmus University Medical Center, Netherlands
| | - Amit Awasthi
- Center for Immunobiology and Immunotherapy, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India; Immunology-Core Lab, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestone, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India.
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18
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Song A, Phandthong R, Talbot P. Endocytosis inhibitors block SARS-CoV-2 pseudoparticle infection of mink lung epithelium. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1258975. [PMID: 38033586 PMCID: PMC10682793 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1258975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Both spill over and spill back of SARS-CoV-2 virus have been reported on mink farms in Europe and the United States. Zoonosis is a public health concern as dangerous mutated forms of the virus could be introduced into the human population through spillback. Methods The purpose of our study was to determine the SARS-CoV-2 entry mechanism using the mink lung epithelial cell line (Mv1Lu) and to block entry with drug inhibitors. Results Mv1Lu cells were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 viral pseudoparticle infection, validating them as a suitable disease model for COVID-19. Inhibitors of TMPRSS2 and of endocytosis, two pathways of viral entry, were tested to identify those that blocked infection. TMPRSS2 inhibitors had minimal impact, which can be explained by the apparent lack of activity of this enzyme in the mink and its localization within the cell, not on the cell surface. Discussion Dyngo4a, a small molecule endocytosis inhibitor, significantly reduced infection, supporting the conclusion that the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into Mv1Lu cells occurs primarily through endocytosis. The small molecule inhibitors that were effective in this study could potentially be used therapeutically to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in mink populations. This study will facilitate the development of therapeutics to prevent zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants to other animals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Song
- Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Rattapol Phandthong
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Prue Talbot
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
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19
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Wu L, Zheng A, Tang Y, Chai Y, Chen J, Cheng L, Hu Y, Qu J, Lei W, Liu WJ, Wu G, Zeng S, Yang H, Wang Q, Gao GF. A pan-coronavirus peptide inhibitor prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice by intranasal delivery. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:2201-2213. [PMID: 37574525 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2410-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoVs) have brought serious threats to humans, particularly severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which continually evolves into multiple variants. These variants, especially Omicron, reportedly escape therapeutic antibodies and vaccines, indicating an urgent need for new antivirals with pan-SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory activity. We previously reported that a peptide fusion inhibitor, P3, targeting heptad repeated-1 (HR1) of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, could inhibit viral infections. Here, we further designed multiple derivatives of the P3 based on structural analysis and found that one derivative, the P315V3, showed the most efficient antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants and several other sarbecoviruses, as well as other human-CoVs (HCoVs). P315V3 also exhibited effective prophylactic efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants in mice via intranasal administration. These results suggest that P315V3, which is in Phase II clinical trial, is promising for further development as a nasal pan-SARS-CoV-2 or pan-CoVs inhibitor to prevent or treat CoV diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Anqi Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yangming Tang
- Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518109, China
| | - Yan Chai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jiantao Chen
- Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518109, China
| | - Lin Cheng
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518112, China
| | - Yu Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Jing Qu
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Wenwen Lei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - William Jun Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Guizhen Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Shaogui Zeng
- Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518109, China
| | - Hang Yang
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan, 430299, China.
| | - Qihui Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - George Fu Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), Beijing, 102206, China.
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20
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Xue S, Xu W, Wang L, Xu L, Calcul L, Teng P, Lu L, Jiang S, Cai J. Rational Design of Sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides as Highly Potent HIV-1 Fusion Inhibitors with Broad-Spectrum Activity. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13319-13331. [PMID: 37706450 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The HIV-1 epidemic has significant social and economic implications for public health. Developing new antivirus drugs to eradicate drug resistance is still urgently needed. Herein, we demonstrated that sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides could be designed to mimic MTSC22EK, one potent HIV fusion inhibitor derived from CHR. The best two sequences revealed comparable activity to MTSC22EK in an authentic HIV-1 infection assay and exhibited broad-spectrum anti-HIV-1 activity to many HIV-1 clinical isolates. Furthermore, sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides show remarkable resistance to proteolysis and favorable permeability in PAMPA-GIT and PAMPA-BBB assays, suggesting that both sequences could control HIV-1 within the central nervous system and possess promising oral bioavailability. Mechanistic investigations suggest that these sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides function by mimicking the CHR of gp41 and tightly bind with NHR, thereby inhibiting the formation of the 6-HB structure necessary for HIV-1 fusion. Overall, our results suggest that sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides represent a new generation of anti-HIV-1 fusion inhibitors. Moreover, this design strategy could be adopted to modulate many of the PPIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songyi Xue
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Ling Xu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Laurent Calcul
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Peng Teng
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jianfeng Cai
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
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21
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Ali H, Naseem A, Siddiqui ZI. SARS-CoV-2 Syncytium under the Radar: Molecular Insights of the Spike-Induced Syncytia and Potential Strategies to Limit SARS-CoV-2 Replication. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6079. [PMID: 37763019 PMCID: PMC10531702 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12186079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection induces non-physiological syncytia when its spike fusogenic protein on the surface of the host cells interacts with the ACE2 receptor on adjacent cells. Spike-induced syncytia are beneficial for virus replication, transmission, and immune evasion, and contribute to the progression of COVID-19. In this review, we highlight the properties of viral fusion proteins, mainly the SARS-CoV-2 spike, and the involvement of the host factors in the fusion process. We also highlight the possible use of anti-fusogenic factors as an antiviral for the development of therapeutics against newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and how the fusogenic property of the spike could be exploited for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hashim Ali
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Asma Naseem
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1DZ, UK
| | - Zaheenul Islam Siddiqui
- Diabetes and Obesity Research Center, NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, New York, NY 11501, USA
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22
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Chen S, Liao Y, Zhao J, Bin Y, Zheng C. PACVP: Prediction of Anti-Coronavirus Peptides Using a Stacking Learning Strategy With Effective Feature Representation. IEEE/ACM TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 20:3106-3116. [PMID: 37022025 DOI: 10.1109/tcbb.2023.3238370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Due to the global outbreak of COVID-19 and its variants, antiviral peptides with anti-coronavirus activity (ACVPs) represent a promising new drug candidate for the treatment of coronavirus infection. At present, several computational tools have been developed to identify ACVPs, but the overall prediction performance is still not enough to meet the actual therapeutic application. In this study, we constructed an efficient and reliable prediction model PACVP (Prediction of Anti-CoronaVirus Peptides) for identifying ACVPs based on effective feature representation and a two-layer stacking learning framework. In the first layer, we use nine feature encoding methods with different feature representation angles to characterize the rich sequence information and fuse them into a feature matrix. Secondly, data normalization and unbalanced data processing are carried out. Next, 12 baseline models are constructed by combining three feature selection methods and four machine learning classification algorithms. In the second layer, we input the optimal probability features into the logistic regression algorithm (LR) to train the final model PACVP. The experiments show that PACVP achieves favorable prediction performance on independent test dataset, with ACC of 0.9208 and AUC of 0.9465. We hope that PACVP will become a useful method for identifying, annotating and characterizing novel ACVPs.
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23
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Hua L, Wang D, Wang K, Wang Y, Gu J, Zhang Q, You Q, Wang L. Design of Tracers in Fluorescence Polarization Assay for Extensive Application in Small Molecule Drug Discovery. J Med Chem 2023; 66:10934-10958. [PMID: 37561645 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Development of fluorescence polarization (FP) assays, especially in a competitive manner, is a potent and mature tool for measuring the binding affinities of small molecules. This approach is suitable for high-throughput screening (HTS) for initial ligands and is also applicable for further study of the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of candidate compounds for drug discovery. Buffer and tracer, especially rational design of the tracer, play a vital role in an FP assay system. In this perspective, we provided different kinds of approaches for tracer design based on successful cases in recent years. We classified these tracers by different types of ligands in tracers, including peptide, nucleic acid, natural product, and small molecule. To make this technology accessible for more targets, we briefly described the basic theory and workflow, followed by highlighting the design and application of typical FP tracers from a perspective of medicinal chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Danni Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Keran Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yuxuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jinying Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qiuyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qidong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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24
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Su X, Huang Z, Xu W, Wang Q, Xing L, Lu L, Jiang S, Xia S. IgG Fc-Binding Peptide-Conjugated Pan-CoV Fusion Inhibitor Exhibits Extended In Vivo Half-Life and Synergistic Antiviral Effect When Combined with Neutralizing Antibodies. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1283. [PMID: 37759683 PMCID: PMC10526447 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The peptide-based pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitor EK1 is in phase III clinical trials, and it has, thus far, shown good clinical application prospects against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. To further improve its in vivo long-acting property, we herein developed an Fc-binding strategy by conjugating EK1 with human immunoglobulin G Fc-binding peptide (IBP), which can exploit the long half-life advantage of IgG in vivo. The newly engineered peptide IBP-EK1 showed potent and broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, including various Omicron sublineages and other human coronaviruses (HCoVs) with low cytotoxicity. In mouse models, IBP-EK1 possessed potent prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy against lethal HCoV-OC43 challenge, and it showed good safety profile and low immunogenicity. More importantly, IBP-EK1 exhibited a significantly extended in vivo half-life in rhesus monkeys of up to 37.7 h, which is about 20-fold longer than that reported for EK1. Strikingly, IBP-EK1 displayed strong in vitro or ex vivo synergistic anti-HCoV effect when combined with monoclonal neutralizing antibodies, including REGN10933 or S309, suggesting that IBP-conjugated EK1 can be further developed as a long-acting, broad-spectrum anti-HCoV agent, either alone or in combination with neutralizing antibodies, to combat the current COVID-19 pandemic or future outbreaks caused by emerging and re-emerging highly pathogenic HCoVs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.S.); (Z.H.); (W.X.); (Q.W.); (L.X.); (L.L.)
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.S.); (Z.H.); (W.X.); (Q.W.); (L.X.); (L.L.)
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Hamdy ME, El Deeb AH, Hagag NM, Shahein MA, Alaidi O, Hussein HA. Interspecies transmission of SARS CoV-2 with special emphasis on viral mutations and ACE-2 receptor homology roles. Int J Vet Sci Med 2023; 11:55-86. [PMID: 37441062 PMCID: PMC10334861 DOI: 10.1080/23144599.2023.2222981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 outbreak was first reported in 2019, Wuhan, China. The spillover of the disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), to a wide range of pet, zoo, wild, and farm animals has emphasized potential zoonotic and reverse zoonotic viral transmission. Furthermore, it has evoked inquiries about susceptibility of different animal species to SARS-CoV-2 infection and role of these animals as viral reservoirs. Therefore, studying susceptible and non-susceptible hosts for SARS-CoV-2 infection could give a better understanding for the virus and will help in preventing further outbreaks. Here, we review structural aspects of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the effect of the different mutations observed in the spike protein, and the impact of ACE2 receptor variations in different animal hosts on inter-species transmission. Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 spillover chain was reviewed. Combination of SARS-CoV-2 high mutation rate and homology of cellular ACE2 receptors enable the virus to transcend species barriers and facilitate its transmission between humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mervat E. Hamdy
- Genome Research Unit, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ayman H. El Deeb
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, King Salman International University, South Sinai, Egypt
| | - Naglaa M. Hagag
- Genome Research Unit, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - Momtaz A. Shahein
- Department of Virology, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - Osama Alaidi
- Biocomplexity for Research and Consulting Co., Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hussein A. Hussein
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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26
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Su R, Zeng J, Marcink TC, Porotto M, Moscona A, O’Shaughnessy B. Host Cell Membrane Capture by the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Fusion Intermediate. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:1213-1228. [PMID: 37396856 PMCID: PMC10255576 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Cell entry by SARS-CoV-2 is accomplished by the S2 subunit of the spike S protein on the virion surface by capture of the host cell membrane and fusion with the viral envelope. Capture and fusion require the prefusion S2 to transit to its potent fusogenic form, the fusion intermediate (FI). However, the FI structure is unknown, detailed computational models of the FI are unavailable, and the mechanisms and timing of membrane capture and fusion are not established. Here, we constructed a full-length model of the SARS-CoV-2 FI by extrapolating from known SARS-CoV-2 pre- and postfusion structures. In atomistic and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations the FI was remarkably flexible and executed giant bending and extensional fluctuations due to three hinges in the C-terminal base. The simulated configurations and their giant fluctuations are quantitatively consistent with SARS-CoV-2 FI configurations measured recently using cryo-electron tomography. Simulations suggested a host cell membrane capture time of ∼2 ms. Isolated fusion peptide simulations identified an N-terminal helix that directed and maintained binding to the membrane but grossly underestimated the binding time, showing that the fusion peptide environment is radically altered when attached to its host fusion protein. The large configurational fluctuations of the FI generated a substantial exploration volume that aided capture of the target membrane, and may set the waiting time for fluctuation-triggered refolding of the FI that draws the viral envelope and host cell membrane together for fusion. These results describe the FI as machinery that uses massive configurational fluctuations for efficient membrane capture and suggest novel potential drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Su
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Jin Zeng
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Tara C. Marcink
- Department
of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos
College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Center
for Host−Pathogen Interaction, Columbia
University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Matteo Porotto
- Department
of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos
College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Center
for Host−Pathogen Interaction, Columbia
University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Department
of Experimental Medicine, University of
Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Anne Moscona
- Department
of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos
College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Center
for Host−Pathogen Interaction, Columbia
University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Department
of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia
University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Department
of Physiology, Columbia University Vagelos
College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Ben O’Shaughnessy
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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27
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Li G, Hilgenfeld R, Whitley R, De Clercq E. Therapeutic strategies for COVID-19: progress and lessons learned. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:449-475. [PMID: 37076602 PMCID: PMC10113999 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00672-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 146.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has stimulated tremendous efforts to develop therapeutic strategies that target severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and/or human proteins to control viral infection, encompassing hundreds of potential drugs and thousands of patients in clinical trials. So far, a few small-molecule antiviral drugs (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, remdesivir and molnupiravir) and 11 monoclonal antibodies have been marketed for the treatment of COVID-19, mostly requiring administration within 10 days of symptom onset. In addition, hospitalized patients with severe or critical COVID-19 may benefit from treatment with previously approved immunomodulatory drugs, including glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone, cytokine antagonists such as tocilizumab and Janus kinase inhibitors such as baricitinib. Here, we summarize progress with COVID-19 drug discovery, based on accumulated findings since the pandemic began and a comprehensive list of clinical and preclinical inhibitors with anti-coronavirus activities. We also discuss the lessons learned from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases with regard to drug repurposing strategies, pan-coronavirus drug targets, in vitro assays and animal models, and platform trial design for the development of therapeutics to tackle COVID-19, long COVID and pathogenic coronaviruses in future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangdi Li
- Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University; Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, China.
| | - Rolf Hilgenfeld
- Institute of Molecular Medicine & German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
| | - Richard Whitley
- Department of Paediatrics, Microbiology, Medicine and Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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28
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Lu Y, Shen F, He W, Li A, Li M, Feng X, Zheng Y, Pang W. HR121 targeting HR2 domain in S2 subunit of spike protein can serve as a broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor via intranasal administration. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023:S2211-3835(23)00192-2. [PMID: 37360013 PMCID: PMC10219671 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuously emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants pose a great challenge to the efficacy of current drugs, this necessitates the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. In the previous study, we designed a recombinant protein, heptad repeat (HR) 121, as a variant-proof vaccine. Here, we found it can act as a fusion inhibitor and demonstrated broadly neutralizing activities against SARS-CoV-2 and its main variants. Structure analysis suggested that HR121 targets the HR2 domain in SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) 2 subunit to block virus-cell fusion. Functional experiments demonstrated that HR121 can bind HR2 at serological-pH and endosomal-pH, highlighting its inhibition capacity when SARS-CoV-2 enters via either cellular membrane fusion or endosomal route. Importantly, HR121 can effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron variant pseudoviruses entering the cells, as well as block authentic SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron BA.2 replications in human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells. After intranasal administration to Syrian golden hamsters, it can protect hamsters from SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron BA.2 infection. Together, our results suggest that HR121 is a potent drug candidate with broadly neutralizing activities against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Lu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fan Shen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenqiang He
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Anqi Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Minghua Li
- Kunming National High-level Biosafety Research Center for Non-human Primates, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
| | - Xiaoli Feng
- Kunming National High-level Biosafety Research Center for Non-human Primates, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
| | - Yongtang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Pang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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29
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Guo L, Lin S, Chen Z, Cao Y, He B, Lu G. Targetable elements in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit for the design of pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors and vaccines. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:197. [PMID: 37164987 PMCID: PMC10170451 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused devastating impacts on the public health and the global economy. Rapid viral antigenic evolution has led to the continual generation of new variants. Of special note is the recently expanding Omicron subvariants that are capable of immune evasion from most of the existing neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). This has posed new challenges for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Therefore, exploring broad-spectrum antiviral agents to combat the emerging variants is imperative. In sharp contrast to the massive accumulation of mutations within the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), the S2 fusion subunit has remained highly conserved among variants. Hence, S2-based therapeutics may provide effective cross-protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we summarize the most recently developed broad-spectrum fusion inhibitors (e.g., nAbs, peptides, proteins, and small-molecule compounds) and candidate vaccines targeting the conserved elements in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit. The main focus includes all the targetable S2 elements, namely, the fusion peptide, stem helix, and heptad repeats 1 and 2 (HR1-HR2) bundle. Moreover, we provide a detailed summary of the characteristics and action-mechanisms for each class of cross-reactive fusion inhibitors, which should guide and promote future design of S2-based inhibitors and vaccines against new coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyan Guo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Sheng Lin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Zimin Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- Disaster Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Bin He
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
| | - Guangwen Lu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
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30
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Curreli F, Chau K, Tran TT, Nicolau I, Ahmed S, Das P, Hillyer CD, Premenko-Lanier M, Debnath AK. Discovery of Highly Potent Small Molecule Pan-Coronavirus Fusion Inhibitors. Viruses 2023; 15:v15041001. [PMID: 37112982 PMCID: PMC10141620 DOI: 10.3390/v15041001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19, caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and its highly transmissible variants, led to massive human suffering, death, and economic devastation worldwide. Recently, antibody-evasive SARS-CoV-2 subvariants, BQ and XBB, have been reported. Therefore, the continued development of novel drugs with pan-coronavirus inhibition is critical to treat and prevent infection of COVID-19 and any new pandemics that may emerge. We report the discovery of several highly potent small-molecule inhibitors. One of which, NBCoV63, showed low nM potency against SARS-CoV-2 (IC50: 55 nM), SARS-CoV-1 (IC50: 59 nM), and MERS-CoV (IC50: 75 nM) in pseudovirus-based assays with excellent selectivity indices (SI > 900), suggesting its pan-coronavirus inhibition. NBCoV63 showed equally effective antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2 mutant (D614G) and several variants of concerns (VOCs) such as B.1.617.2 (Delta), B.1.1.529/BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 (Omicron), and K417T/E484K/N501Y (Gamma). NBCoV63 also showed similar efficacy profiles to Remdesivir against authentic SARS-CoV-2 (Hong Kong strain) and two of its variants (Delta and Omicron), SARS-CoV-1, and MERS-CoV by plaque reduction in Calu-3 cells. Additionally, we show that NBCoV63 inhibits virus-mediated cell-to-cell fusion in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) data of NBCoV63 demonstrated drug-like properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Curreli
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kent Chau
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Thanh-Thuy Tran
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Isabella Nicolau
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shahad Ahmed
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pujita Das
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christopher D Hillyer
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mary Premenko-Lanier
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
- Department of Basic Science, Samuel Merritt University, 3100 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
| | - Asim K Debnath
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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31
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Pozzi C, Vanet A, Francesconi V, Tagliazucchi L, Tassone G, Venturelli A, Spyrakis F, Mazzorana M, Costi MP, Tonelli M. Antitarget, Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Leads, Drugs, and the Drug Discovery-Genetics Alliance Perspective. J Med Chem 2023; 66:3664-3702. [PMID: 36857133 PMCID: PMC10005815 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
The most advanced antiviral molecules addressing major SARS-CoV-2 targets (Main protease, Spike protein, and RNA polymerase), compared with proteins of other human pathogenic coronaviruses, may have a short-lasting clinical efficacy. Accumulating knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the target structural basis, its mutational progression, and the related biological significance to virus replication allows envisaging the development of better-targeted therapies in the context of COVID-19 epidemic and future coronavirus outbreaks. The identification of evolutionary patterns based solely on sequence information analysis for those targets can provide meaningful insights into the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions and adaptation, leading to drug resistance phenomena. Herein, we will explore how the study of observed and predicted mutations may offer valuable suggestions for the application of the so-called "synthetic lethal" strategy to SARS-CoV-2 Main protease and Spike protein. The synergy between genetics evidence and drug discovery may prioritize the development of novel long-lasting antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy,
University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena,
Italy
| | - Anne Vanet
- Université Paris Cité,
CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris,
France
| | - Valeria Francesconi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of
Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Tagliazucchi
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
- Doctorate School in Clinical and Experimental Medicine
(CEM), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287,
41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giusy Tassone
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy,
University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena,
Italy
| | - Alberto Venturelli
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
| | - Francesca Spyrakis
- Department of Drug Science and Technology,
University of Turin, Via Giuria 9, 10125 Turin,
Italy
| | - Marco Mazzorana
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE,
U.K.
| | - Maria P. Costi
- Department of Life Science, University of
Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena,
Italy
| | - Michele Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of
Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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32
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Li SY, Shen YX, Xiang XL, Li YX, Li NL, Wang AD, Cui M, Han XF, Huang Y, Xia J. The conserved L1089 in the S2 subunit of avian infectious bronchitis virus determines viral kidney tropism by disrupting virus-cell fusion. Vet Microbiol 2023; 277:109619. [PMID: 36525909 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The virulence of avian gamma-coronavirus infectious bronchitis viruses (IBV) for the kidney has led to high mortality in dominant-genotype isolations, but the key sites of viral protein that determine kidney tropism are still not fully clear. In this study, the amino acid sequences of the S2 subunit of IBVs with opposing adaptivity to chicken embryonic kidney cells (CEKs) were aligned to identify putative sites associated with differences in viral adaptability. The S2 gene and the putative sites of the non-adapted CN strain were introduced into the CEKs-adapted SczyC30 strain to rescue seven mutants. Analysis of growth characteristics showed that the replacement of the entire S2 subunit and the L1089I substitution in the S2 subunit entirely abolished the proliferation of recombinant IBV in CEKs as well as in primary chicken oviduct epithelial cells. Pathogenicity assays also support the decisive role of this L1089 for viral nephrotropism, and this non-nephrotropic L1089I substitution significantly attenuates pathogenicity. Analysis of the putative cause of proliferation inhibition in CEKs suggests that the L1089I substitution affects neither virus attachment nor endocytosis, but instead fails to form double-membrane vesicles to initiate the viral replication and translation. Position 1089 of the IBV S2 subunit is conservative and predicted to lie in heptad repeat 2 domains. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the L1089I substitution alters the nephrotropism of parent strain by affecting virus-cell fusion. These findings provide crucial insights into the adaptive mechanisms of IBV and have applications in the development of vaccines and drugs against IB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Yun Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - Yu-Xi Shen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - Xue-Lian Xiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - Yong-Xin Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - Nian-Ling Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - An-Dong Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - Min Cui
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - Xin-Feng Han
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - Yong Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
| | - Jing Xia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China.
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33
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Tang M, Zhang X, Huang Y, Cheng W, Qu J, Gui S, Li L, Li S. Peptide-based inhibitors hold great promise as the broad-spectrum agents against coronavirus. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1093646. [PMID: 36741878 PMCID: PMC9893414 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1093646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the recent SARS-CoV-2 are lethal coronaviruses (CoVs) that have caused dreadful epidemic or pandemic in a large region or globally. Infections of human respiratory systems and other important organs by these pathogenic viruses often results in high rates of morbidity and mortality. Efficient anti-viral drugs are needed. Herein, we firstly take SARS-CoV-2 as an example to present the molecular mechanism of CoV infection cycle, including the receptor binding, viral entry, intracellular replication, virion assembly, and release. Then according to their mode of action, we provide a summary of anti-viral peptides that have been reported in peer-reviewed publications. Even though CoVs can rapidly evolve to gain resistance to the conventional small molecule drugs, peptide-based inhibitors targeting various steps of CoV lifecycle remain a promising approach. Peptides can be continuously modified to improve their antiviral efficacy and spectrum along with the emergence of new viral variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Tang
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China,Department of Otolaryngology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China,School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanhong Huang
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China,School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenxiang Cheng
- Center for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Qu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuiqing Gui
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China,*Correspondence: Shuiqing Gui, ✉
| | - Liang Li
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China,Liang Li, ✉
| | - Shuo Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China,Shuo Li, ✉
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Lan Q, Wang L, Jiao F, Lu L, Xia S, Jiang S. Pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors to combat COVID-19 and other emerging coronavirus infectious diseases. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28143. [PMID: 36098460 PMCID: PMC9539121 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the currently ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has posed a serious threat to global public health. Recently, several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) have emerged and caused numerous cases of reinfection in convalescent COVID-19 patients, as well as breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals. This calls for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2 and its VOCs. Pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors, targeting the conserved heptad repeat 1 (HR1) in spike protein S2 subunit, can broadly and potently inhibit infection of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, as well as other human coronaviruses. In this review, we summarized the most recent development of pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors, such as EK1, EK1C4, and EKL1C, and highlighted their potential application in combating current COVID-19 infection and reinfection, as well as future emerging coronavirus infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoshuai Lan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Lijue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Fanke Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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Singh I, Singh S, Ojha KK, Yadav NS. Designing Self-Inhibitory fusion peptide analogous to viral spike protein against novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:11357-11372. [PMID: 34379031 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1960192] [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: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is declared pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is a key component playing a pivotal role in facilitating viral fusion as well as release of genome into the host cell. Till date there is no clinically approved vaccine or drug available against Covid-19. We designed four hydrophobic inhibitory peptides (ITPs) based on WWIHS (Wimley and White interfacial hydrophobicity scale) score, targeting the HR1 domain of spike protein. Two inhibitory peptides out of four have a strong affinity to the hydrophobic surface of HR1 domain in pre-fusion spike protein. The MD simulation result showed the strong accommodation of ITPs with HR1 domain surface. These self-inhibitory peptides mimic the function of HR2 by binding to HR1 domain, thus inhibiting the formation of HR1-HR2 post-fusion complex, which is a key structure for virus-host tropism.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Singh
- School of Biotechnology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Shalini Singh
- School of Biochemical Engineering Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Krishna Kumar Ojha
- Department of Bioinformatics, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, India
| | - Neetu Singh Yadav
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India
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Lancemaside A from Codonopsis lanceolata: Studies on Antiviral Activity and Mechanism of Action against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants of Concern. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0120122. [PMID: 36374087 PMCID: PMC9765103 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01201-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several plant-derived natural products with anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity have been evaluated for the potential to serve as chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of COVID-19. Codonopsis lanceolata (CL) has long been used as a medicinal herb in East Asian countries to treat inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system but its antiviral activity has not been investigated so far. Here, we showed that CL extract and its active compound lancemaside A (LA) displayed potent inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection using a pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 entry assay system. We demonstrated that this inhibitory effect of LA was due to the alteration of membrane cholesterol and blockade of the membrane fusion between SARS-CoV-2 and host cells by filipin staining and cell-based membrane fusion assays. Our findings also showed that LA, as a membrane fusion blocker, could impede the endosomal entry pathway of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs), including Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529), in Vero cells with similar of IC50 values ranging from 2.23 to 3.37 μM as well as the TMPRSS2-mediated viral entry pathway in A549 cells overexpressing ACE2 and TMPRSS2 with IC50 value of 3.92 μM. We further demonstrated that LA could prevent the formation of multinucleated syncytia arising from SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated membrane fusion. Altogether, the findings reported here suggested that LA could be a broad-spectrum anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic agent by targeting the fusion of viral envelope with the host cell membrane.
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Alipoor R, Ranjbar R. Small-molecule metabolites in SARS-CoV-2 treatment: a comprehensive review. Biol Chem 2022; 404:569-584. [PMID: 36490203 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2022-0323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has quickly spread all over the world. In this respect, traditional medicinal chemistry, repurposing, and computational approaches have been exploited to develop novel medicines for treating this condition. The effectiveness of chemicals and testing methods in the identification of new promising therapies, and the extent of preparedness for future pandemics, have been further highly advantaged by recent breakthroughs in introducing noble small compounds for clinical testing purposes. Currently, numerous studies are developing small-molecule (SM) therapeutic products for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication, as well as managing the disease-related outcomes. Transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2)-inhibiting medicinal products can thus prevent the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 into the cells, and constrain its spreading along with the morbidity and mortality due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly when co-administered with inhibitors such as chloroquine (CQ) and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). The present review demonstrates that the clinical-stage therapeutic agents, targeting additional viral proteins, might improve the effectiveness of COVID-19 treatment if applied as an adjuvant therapy side-by-side with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Alipoor
- Student Research Committee , Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences , Bandar Abbas , Iran
| | - Reza Ranjbar
- Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute , Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
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Zhao H, Meng X, Peng Z, Lam H, Zhang C, Zhou X, Chan JFW, Kao RYT, To KKW, Yuen KY. Fusion-inhibition peptide broadly inhibits influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2, including Delta and Omicron variants. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:926-937. [PMID: 35259078 PMCID: PMC8973381 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2051753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pandemic influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 vaiants have posed major global threats to public health. Broad-spectrum antivirals blocking viral entry can be an effective strategy for combating these viruses. Here, we demonstrate a frog-defensin-derived basic peptide (FBP), which broadly inhibits the influenza virus by binding to haemagglutinin so as to block low pH-induced HA-mediated fusion and antagonizes endosomal acidification to inhibit the influenza virus. Moreover, FBP can bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike to block spike-mediated cell–cell fusion in 293T/ACE2 cells endocytosis. Omicron spike shows a weak cell–cell fusion mediated by TMPRSS2 in Calu3 cells, making the Omicron variant sensitive to endosomal inhibitors. In vivo studies show that FBP broadly inhibits the A(H1N1)pdm09 virus in mice and SARS-CoV-2 (HKU001a and Delta)in hamsters. Notably, FBP shows significant inhibition of Omicron variant replication even though it has a high number of mutations in spike. In conclusion, these results suggest that virus-targeting FBP with a high barrier to drug resistance can be an effective entry-fusion inhibitor against influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinjie Meng
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Peng
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Hoiyan Lam
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuyuan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinxin Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Province, China
| | - Richard Yi Tsun Kao
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Kelvin Kai-Wang To
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Province, China
| | - Kwok-Yung Yuen
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Province, China
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Yang K, Wang C, Kreutzberger AJB, Ojha R, Kuivanen S, Couoh-Cardel S, Muratcioglu S, Eisen TJ, White KI, Held RG, Subramanian S, Marcus K, Pfuetzner RA, Esquivies L, Doyle CA, Kuriyan J, Vapalahti O, Balistreri G, Kirchhausen T, Brunger AT. Nanomolar inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection by an unmodified peptide targeting the prehairpin intermediate of the spike protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2210990119. [PMID: 36122200 PMCID: PMC9546559 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2210990119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) challenge currently available coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies through epitope change on the receptor binding domain of the viral spike glycoprotein. Hence, there is a specific urgent need for alternative antivirals that target processes less likely to be affected by mutation, such as the membrane fusion step of viral entry into the host cell. One such antiviral class includes peptide inhibitors, which block formation of the so-called heptad repeat 1 and 2 (HR1HR2) six-helix bundle of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and thus interfere with viral membrane fusion. We performed structural studies of the HR1HR2 bundle, revealing an extended, well-folded N-terminal region of HR2 that interacts with the HR1 triple helix. Based on this structure, we designed an extended HR2 peptide that achieves single-digit nanomolar inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in cell-based and virus-based assays without the need for modifications such as lipidation or chemical stapling. The peptide also strongly inhibits all major SARS-CoV-2 variants to date. This extended peptide is ∼100-fold more potent than all previously published short, unmodified HR2 peptides, and it has a very long inhibition lifetime after washout in virus infection assays, suggesting that it targets a prehairpin intermediate of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Together, these results suggest that regions outside the HR2 helical region may offer new opportunities for potent peptide-derived therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, and even more distantly related viruses, and provide further support for the prehairpin intermediate of the S protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailu Yang
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Chuchu Wang
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Alex J. B. Kreutzberger
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ravi Ojha
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Suvi Kuivanen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Sergio Couoh-Cardel
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Serena Muratcioglu
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Timothy J. Eisen
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - K. Ian White
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Richard G. Held
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Subu Subramanian
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Kendra Marcus
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Richard A. Pfuetzner
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Luis Esquivies
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Catherine A. Doyle
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - John Kuriyan
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
- Helsinki University Hospital Diagnostic Center, Clinical Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | | | - Tom Kirchhausen
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Axel T. Brunger
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
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40
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Zhou H, Møhlenberg M, Thakor JC, Tuli HS, Wang P, Assaraf YG, Dhama K, Jiang S. Sensitivity to Vaccines, Therapeutic Antibodies, and Viral Entry Inhibitors and Advances To Counter the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant. Clin Microbiol Rev 2022; 35:e0001422. [PMID: 35862736 PMCID: PMC9491202 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00014-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) keeps evolving and mutating into newer variants over time, which gain higher transmissibility, disease severity, and spread in communities at a faster rate, resulting in multiple waves of surge in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. A highly mutated and transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has recently emerged, driving the extremely high peak of infections in almost all continents at an unprecedented speed and scale. The Omicron variant evades the protection rendered by vaccine-induced antibodies and natural infection, as well as overpowers the antibody-based immunotherapies, raising the concerns of current effectiveness of available vaccines and monoclonal antibody-based therapies. This review outlines the most recent advancements in studying the virology and biology of the Omicron variant, highlighting its increased resistance to current antibody-based therapeutics and its immune escape against vaccines. However, the Omicron variant is highly sensitive to viral fusion inhibitors targeting the HR1 motif in the spike protein, enzyme inhibitors, involving the endosomal fusion pathway, and ACE2-based entry inhibitors. Omicron variant-associated infectivity and entry mechanisms of Omicron variant are essentially distinct from previous characterized variants. Innate sensing and immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 and T cell immunity to the virus provide new perspectives of vaccine and drug development. These findings are important for understanding SARS-CoV-2 viral biology and advances in developing vaccines, antibody-based therapies, and more effective strategies to mitigate the transmission of the Omicron variant or the next SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Michelle Møhlenberg
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jigarji C. Thakor
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Hardeep Singh Tuli
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India
| | - Pengfei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yehuda G. Assaraf
- The Fred Wyszkowski Cancer Research Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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41
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da Silva SJR, do Nascimento JCF, Germano Mendes RP, Guarines KM, Targino Alves da Silva C, da Silva PG, de Magalhães JJF, Vigar JRJ, Silva-Júnior A, Kohl A, Pardee K, Pena L. Two Years into the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1758-1814. [PMID: 35940589 PMCID: PMC9380879 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmissible and virulent human-infecting coronavirus that emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, causing a respiratory disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has massively impacted global public health and caused widespread disruption to daily life. The crisis caused by COVID-19 has mobilized scientists and public health authorities across the world to rapidly improve our knowledge about this devastating disease, shedding light on its management and control, and spawned the development of new countermeasures. Here we provide an overview of the state of the art of knowledge gained in the last 2 years about the virus and COVID-19, including its origin and natural reservoir hosts, viral etiology, epidemiology, modes of transmission, clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, emerging variants, and vaccines, highlighting important differences from previously known highly pathogenic coronaviruses. We also discuss selected key discoveries from each topic and underline the gaps of knowledge for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severino Jefferson Ribeiro da Silva
- Laboratory of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Jessica Catarine Frutuoso do Nascimento
- Laboratory of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Renata Pessôa Germano Mendes
- Laboratory of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Klarissa Miranda Guarines
- Laboratory of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Caroline Targino Alves da Silva
- Laboratory of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Poliana Gomes da Silva
- Laboratory of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Jurandy Júnior Ferraz de Magalhães
- Laboratory of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.,Department of Virology, Pernambuco State Central Laboratory (LACEN/PE), 52171-011 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.,University of Pernambuco (UPE), Serra Talhada Campus, 56909-335 Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil.,Public Health Laboratory of the XI Regional Health, 56912-160 Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Justin R J Vigar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Abelardo Silva-Júnior
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), 57072-900 Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Alain Kohl
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow G61 1QH, United Kingdom
| | - Keith Pardee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, Canada.,Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Lindomar Pena
- Laboratory of Virology and Experimental Therapy (LAVITE), Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
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Gentile D, Coco A, Patamia V, Zagni C, Floresta G, Rescifina A. Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 HR1 with Small Molecules as Inhibitors of the Fusion Process. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231710067. [PMID: 36077465 PMCID: PMC9456533 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231710067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid and global propagation of the novel human coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has produced an immediate urgency to discover promising targets for the treatment of this virus. In this paper, we studied the spike protein S2 domain of SARS-CoV-2 as it is the most conserved component and controls the crucial fusion process of SARS-CoV-2 as a target for different databases of small organic compounds. Our in silico methodology, based on pharmacophore modeling, docking simulation and molecular dynamics simulations, was first validated with ADS-J1, a potent small-molecule HIV fusion inhibitor that has already proved effective in binding the HR1 domain and inhibiting the fusion core of SARS-CoV-1. It then focused on finding novel small molecules and new peptides as fusion inhibitors. Our methodology identified several small molecules and peptides as potential inhibitors of the fusion process. Among these, NF 023 hydrate (MolPort-006-822-583) is one of the best-scored compounds. Other compounds of interest are ZINC00097961973, Salvianolic acid, Thalassiolin A and marine_160925_88_2. Two interesting active peptides were also identified: AP00094 (Temporin A) and AVP1227 (GBVA5). The inhibition of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is a valid target to inhibit the virus entry in human cells. The discussed compounds reported in this paper led to encouraging results for future in vitro tests against SARS-CoV-2.
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Zhong J, Guo Y, Lu S, Song K, Wang Y, Feng L, Zheng Z, Zhang Q, Wei J, Sang P, Shi Y, Cai J, Chen G, Liu CY, Yang X, Zhang J. Rational design of a sensitivity-enhanced tracer for discovering efficient APC-Asef inhibitors. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4961. [PMID: 36002443 PMCID: PMC9402538 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32612-6] [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: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)–Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 4 (Asef) protein–protein interaction (PPI) is essential for colorectal cancer metastasis, making it a promising drug target. Herein, we obtain a sensitivity-enhanced tracer (tracer 7) with a high binding affinity (Kd = 0.078 μM) and wide signal dynamic range (span = 251 mp). By using tracer 7 in fluorescence-polarization assays for APC–Asef inhibitor screening, we discover a best-in-class inhibitor, MAI-516, with an IC50 of 0.041 ± 0.004 μM and a conjugated transcriptional transactivating sequence for generating cell-permeable MAIT-516. MAIT-516 inhibits CRC cell migration by specifically hindering the APC–Asef PPI. Furthermore, MAIT-516 exhibits no cytotoxic effects on normal intestinal epithelial cell and colorectal cancer cell growth. Overall, we develop a sensitivity-enhanced tracer for fluorescence polarization assays, which is used for the precise quantification of high-activity APC–Asef inhibitors, thereby providing insight into PPI drug development. The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)–Asef protein interaction is essential for colorectal cancer metastasis. Here, the authors present the rational design of a sensitivity-enhanced tracer for fluorescence polarization assays, enabling them to discover more efficient APC–Asef interaction inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuegui Guo
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kun Song
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Feng
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Zheng
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiufen Zhang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiacheng Wei
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Sang
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Yan Shi
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jianfeng Cai
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Guoqiang Chen
- Research Unit of Stress and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen-Ying Liu
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiuyan Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
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Katowa B, Kalonda A, Mubemba B, Matoba J, Shempela DM, Sikalima J, Kabungo B, Changula K, Chitanga S, Kasonde M, Kapona O, Kapata N, Musonda K, Monze M, Tembo J, Bates M, Zumla A, Sutcliffe CG, Kajihara M, Yamagishi J, Takada A, Sawa H, Chilengi R, Mukonka V, Muleya W, Simulundu E. Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the Southern Province of Zambia: Detection and Characterization of Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron Variants of Concern. Viruses 2022; 14:v14091865. [PMID: 36146671 PMCID: PMC9504048 DOI: 10.3390/v14091865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) have significantly impacted the global epidemiology of the pandemic. From December 2020 to April 2022, we conducted genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the Southern Province of Zambia, a region that shares international borders with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe and is a major tourist destination. Genetic analysis of 40 SARS-CoV-2 whole genomes revealed the circulation of Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Delta (AY.116), and multiple Omicron subvariants with the BA.1 subvariant being predominant. Whereas Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants were associated with the second, third, and fourth pandemic waves, respectively, the Alpha variant was not associated with any wave in the country. Phylogenetic analysis showed evidence of local transmission and possible multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in Zambia from different European and African countries. Across the 40 genomes analysed, a total of 292 mutations were observed, including 182 missense mutations, 66 synonymous mutations, 23 deletions, 9 insertions, 1 stop codon, and 11 mutations in the non-coding region. This study stresses the need for the continued monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in Zambia, particularly in strategically positioned regions such as the Southern Province which could be at increased risk of introduction of novel VOCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Katowa
- Macha Research Trust, Choma 20100, Zambia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Annie Kalonda
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Benjamin Mubemba
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, Kitwe 50100, Zambia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola 50100, Zambia
| | | | | | - Jay Sikalima
- Churches Health Association of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Boniface Kabungo
- Southern Provincial Health Office, Ministry of Health, Choma 20100, Zambia
| | - Katendi Changula
- Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Simbarashe Chitanga
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Department of Preclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek Private Bag 13301, Namibia
- School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Mpanga Kasonde
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Otridah Kapona
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Nathan Kapata
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Kunda Musonda
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Mwaka Monze
- Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - John Tembo
- HerpeZ Infection Research and Training, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Matthew Bates
- HerpeZ Infection Research and Training, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 7TS, UK
| | - Alimuddin Zumla
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, University College London, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Catherine G. Sutcliffe
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Masahiro Kajihara
- Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Ayato Takada
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, N18 W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Sawa
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, N18 W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- Division of International Research Promotion, Hokkaido University International Institute for Zoonosis Control, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- Global Virus Network, 725 W Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Roma Chilengi
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Republic of Zambia State House, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Victor Mukonka
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Walter Muleya
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Edgar Simulundu
- Macha Research Trust, Choma 20100, Zambia
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Correspondence:
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45
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Dacon C, Tucker C, Peng L, Lee CCD, Lin TH, Yuan M, Cong Y, Wang L, Purser L, Williams JK, Pyo CW, Kosik I, Hu Z, Zhao M, Mohan D, Cooper AJR, Peterson M, Skinner J, Dixit S, Kollins E, Huzella L, Perry D, Byrum R, Lembirik S, Drawbaugh D, Eaton B, Zhang Y, Yang ES, Chen M, Leung K, Weinberg RS, Pegu A, Geraghty DE, Davidson E, Douagi I, Moir S, Yewdell JW, Schmaljohn C, Crompton PD, Holbrook MR, Nemazee D, Mascola JR, Wilson IA, Tan J. Broadly neutralizing antibodies target the coronavirus fusion peptide. Science 2022; 377:728-735. [PMID: 35857439 PMCID: PMC9348754 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq3773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The potential for future coronavirus outbreaks highlights the need to broadly target this group of pathogens. We used an epitope-agnostic approach to identify six monoclonal antibodies that bind to spike proteins from all seven human-infecting coronaviruses. All six antibodies target the conserved fusion peptide region adjacent to the S2' cleavage site. COV44-62 and COV44-79 broadly neutralize alpha- and betacoronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron subvariants BA.2 and BA.4/5, albeit with lower potency than receptor binding domain-specific antibodies. In crystal structures of COV44-62 and COV44-79 antigen-binding fragments with the SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide, the fusion peptide epitope adopts a helical structure and includes the arginine residue at the S2' cleavage site. COV44-79 limited disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 in a Syrian hamster model. These findings highlight the fusion peptide as a candidate epitope for next-generation coronavirus vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherrelle Dacon
- Antibody Biology Unit, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Courtney Tucker
- Antibody Biology Unit, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Linghang Peng
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Chang-Chun D. Lee
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ting-Hui Lin
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Meng Yuan
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yu Cong
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Lingshu Wang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lauren Purser
- Antibody Biology Unit, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | | | - Chul-Woo Pyo
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ivan Kosik
- Cellular Biology Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Zhe Hu
- Cellular Biology Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ming Zhao
- Protein Chemistry Section, Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Divya Mohan
- Antibody Biology Unit, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Andrew J. R. Cooper
- Antibody Biology Unit, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Mary Peterson
- Malaria Infection Biology and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Jeff Skinner
- Malaria Infection Biology and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Saurabh Dixit
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Erin Kollins
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Louis Huzella
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Donna Perry
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Russell Byrum
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Sanae Lembirik
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - David Drawbaugh
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Brett Eaton
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Eun Sung Yang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Man Chen
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kwanyee Leung
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rona S. Weinberg
- New York Blood Center, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Amarendra Pegu
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel E. Geraghty
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Iyadh Douagi
- Flow Cytometry Section, Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Susan Moir
- B Cell Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jonathan W. Yewdell
- Cellular Biology Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Connie Schmaljohn
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Peter D. Crompton
- Malaria Infection Biology and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Michael R. Holbrook
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - David Nemazee
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - John R. Mascola
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ian A. Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Joshua Tan
- Antibody Biology Unit, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
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46
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Yang K, Wang C, Kreutzberger AJB, Ojha R, Kuivanen S, Couoh-Cardel S, Muratcioglu S, Eisen TJ, White KI, Held RG, Subramanian S, Marcus K, Pfuetzner RA, Esquivies L, Doyle CA, Kuriyan J, Vapalahti O, Balistreri G, Kirchhausen T, Brunger AT. Nanomolar inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection by an unmodified peptide targeting the pre-hairpin intermediate of the spike protein. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.08.11.503553. [PMID: 35982670 PMCID: PMC9387137 DOI: 10.1101/2022.08.11.503553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) challenge currently available COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies through epitope change on the receptor binding domain of the viral spike glycoprotein. Hence, there is a specific urgent need for alternative antivirals that target processes less likely to be affected by mutation, such as the membrane fusion step of viral entry into the host cell. One such antiviral class includes peptide inhibitors which block formation of the so-called HR1HR2 six-helix bundle of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and thus interfere with viral membrane fusion. Here we performed structural studies of the HR1HR2 bundle, revealing an extended, well-folded N-terminal region of HR2 that interacts with the HR1 triple helix. Based on this structure, we designed an extended HR2 peptide that achieves single-digit nanomolar inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in cell-based fusion, VSV-SARS-CoV-2 chimera, and authentic SARS-CoV-2 infection assays without the need for modifications such as lipidation or chemical stapling. The peptide also strongly inhibits all major SARS-CoV-2 variants to date. This extended peptide is ~100-fold more potent than all previously published short, unmodified HR2 peptides, and it has a very long inhibition lifetime after washout in virus infection assays, suggesting that it targets a pre-hairpin intermediate of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Together, these results suggest that regions outside the HR2 helical region may offer new opportunities for potent peptide-derived therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, and even more distantly related viruses, and provide further support for the pre-hairpin intermediate of the S protein. Significance Statement SARS-CoV-2 infection requires fusion of viral and host membranes, mediated by the viral spike glycoprotein (S). Due to the importance of viral membrane fusion, S has been a popular target for developing vaccines and therapeutics. We discovered a simple peptide that inhibits infection by all major variants of SARS-CoV-2 with nanomolar efficacies. In marked contrast, widely used shorter peptides that lack a key N-terminal extension are about 100 x less potent than this peptide. Our results suggest that a simple peptide with a suitable sequence can be a potent and cost-effective therapeutic against COVID-19 and they provide new insights at the virus entry mechanism.
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47
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Weskamm LM, Fathi A, Raadsen MP, Mykytyn AZ, Koch T, Spohn M, Friedrich M, Haagmans BL, Becker S, Sutter G, Dahlke C, Addo MM. Persistence of MERS-CoV-spike-specific B cells and antibodies after late third immunization with the MVA-MERS-S vaccine. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100685. [PMID: 35858586 PMCID: PMC9295383 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a respiratory disease caused by MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV). In follow up to a phase 1 trial, we perform a longitudinal analysis of immune responses following immunization with the modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine MVA-MERS-S encoding the MERS-CoV-spike protein. Three homologous immunizations were administered on days 0 and 28 with a late booster vaccination at 12 ± 4 months. Antibody isotypes, subclasses, and neutralization capacity as well as T and B cell responses were monitored over a period of 3 years using standard and bead-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 50% plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT50), enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot), and flow cytometry. The late booster immunization significantly increases the frequency and persistence of spike-specific B cells, binding immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and neutralizing antibodies but not T cell responses. Our data highlight the potential of a late boost to enhance long-term antibody and B cell immunity against MERS-CoV. Our findings on the MVA-MERS-S vaccine may be of relevance for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie M Weskamm
- Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany.
| | - Anahita Fathi
- Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany; First Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Matthijs P Raadsen
- Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anna Z Mykytyn
- Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Till Koch
- Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany; First Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Spohn
- Research Institute Children's Cancer Centre Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Bioinformatics Core Unit, Hamburg University Medical Centre, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Monika Friedrich
- Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany
| | - Bart L Haagmans
- Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stephan Becker
- German Centre for Infection Research, Gießen-Marburg-Langen, Germany; Institute for Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gerd Sutter
- German Centre for Infection Research, München, Germany; Division of Virology, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Dahlke
- Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany.
| | - Marylyn M Addo
- Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany; First Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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48
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Kurata H, Tsukiyama S, Manavalan B. iACVP: markedly enhanced identification of anti-coronavirus peptides using a dataset-specific word2vec model. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6623727. [PMID: 35772910 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused several million deaths worldwide. Development of anti-coronavirus drugs is thus urgent. Unlike conventional non-peptide drugs, antiviral peptide drugs are highly specific, easy to synthesize and modify, and not highly susceptible to drug resistance. To reduce the time and expense involved in screening thousands of peptides and assaying their antiviral activity, computational predictors for identifying anti-coronavirus peptides (ACVPs) are needed. However, few experimentally verified ACVP samples are available, even though a relatively large number of antiviral peptides (AVPs) have been discovered. In this study, we attempted to predict ACVPs using an AVP dataset and a small collection of ACVPs. Using conventional features, a binary profile and a word-embedding word2vec (W2V), we systematically explored five different machine learning methods: Transformer, Convolutional Neural Network, bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory, Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine. Via exhaustive searches, we found that the RF classifier with W2V consistently achieved better performance on different datasets. The two main controlling factors were: (i) the dataset-specific W2V dictionary was generated from the training and independent test datasets instead of the widely used general UniProt proteome and (ii) a systematic search was conducted and determined the optimal k-mer value in W2V, which provides greater discrimination between positive and negative samples. Therefore, our proposed method, named iACVP, consistently provides better prediction performance compared with existing state-of-the-art methods. To assist experimentalists in identifying putative ACVPs, we implemented our model as a web server accessible via the following link: http://kurata35.bio.kyutech.ac.jp/iACVP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Kurata
- Department of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 680-4 Kawazu, Iizuka, Fukuoka 820-8502, Japan
| | - Sho Tsukiyama
- Department of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 680-4 Kawazu, Iizuka, Fukuoka 820-8502, Japan
| | - Balachandran Manavalan
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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49
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Lin X, Guo L, Lin S, Chen Z, Yang F, Yang J, Wang L, Wen A, Duan Y, Zhang X, Dai Y, Yin K, Yuan X, Yu C, He B, Cao Y, Dong H, Li J, Zhao Q, Lu G. An engineered 5-helix bundle derived from SARS-CoV-2 S2 pre-binds sarbecoviral spike at both serological- and endosomal-pH to inhibit virus entry. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:1920-1935. [PMID: 35757908 PMCID: PMC9359175 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2095308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and related sarbecoviruses enter host cells by receptor-recognition and membrane-fusion. An indispensable step in fusion is the formation of 6-helix bundle by viral spike heptad repeats 1 and 2 (HR1 and HR2). Here, we report the construction of 5-helix bundle (5HB) proteins for virus infection inhibition. The optimal construct inhibits SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry with sub-micromolar IC50. Unlike HR2-based peptides that cannot bind spike in the pre-fusion conformation, 5HB features with the capability of binding to pre-fusion spike. Furthermore, 5HB binds viral HR2 at both serological- and endosomal-pH, highlighting its entry-inhibition capacity when SARS-CoV-2 enters via either cell membrane fusion or endosomal route. Finally, we show that 5HB could neutralize S-mediated entry of the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variants and a wide spectrum of sarbecoviruses. These data provide proof-of-concept evidence that 5HB might be developed for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging sarbecovirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Lin
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Liyan Guo
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Sheng Lin
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Zimin Chen
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Fanli Yang
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Jing Yang
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Lingling Wang
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Ao Wen
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yanping Duan
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xindan Zhang
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yushan Dai
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Keqing Yin
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xin Yuan
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Chongzhang Yu
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Bin He
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yu Cao
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,Disaster Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Haohao Dong
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610106 China
| | - Qi Zhao
- College of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610106 China
| | - Guangwen Lu
- West China Hospital Emergency Department (WCHED), State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
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50
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Novel Engineered SARS-CoV-2 HR1 Trimer Exhibits Improved Potency and Broad-Spectrum Activity against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants. J Virol 2022; 96:e0068122. [PMID: 35735997 PMCID: PMC9278106 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00681-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has substantially increased the risk to global public health. Multiple vaccines and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) have been authorized for preventing and treating SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the emergence and spread of the viral variants may limit the effectiveness of these vaccines and antibodies. Fusion inhibitors targeting the HR1 domain of the viral S protein have been shown to broadly inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. In theory, peptide inhibitors targeting the HR2 domain of the S protein should also be able to inhibit viral infection. However, previously reported HR1-derived peptide inhibitors targeting the HR2 domain exhibit poor inhibitory activities. Here, we engineered a novel HR1 trimer (HR1MFd) by conjugating the trimerization motif foldon to the C terminus of the HR1-derived peptide. HR1MFd showed significantly improved inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV. Mechanistically, HR1MFd possesses markedly increased α-helicity, thermostability, higher HR2 domain binding affinity, and better inhibition of S protein-mediated cell-cell fusion compared to the HR1 peptide. Therefore, HR1MFd lays the foundation to develop HR1-based fusion inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE Peptides derived from the SARS-CoV-2 HR1 region are generally poor inhibitors. Here, we constructed a trimeric peptide HR1MFd by fusing the trimerization motif foldon to the C terminus of the HR1 peptide. HR1MFd was highly effective in blocking transductions by SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV pseudoviruses. In comparison with HR1M, HR1MFd adopted a much higher helical conformation, better thermostability, increased affinity to the viral HR2 domain, and better inhibition of S protein-mediated cell-cell fusion. Overall, HR1MFd provides the information to develop effective HR1-derived peptides as fusion inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
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