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Govednik T, Lainšček D, Kuhar U, Lachish M, Janežič S, Štrbenc M, Krapež U, Jerala R, Atlas D, Manček-Keber M. TXM peptides inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, syncytia formation, and lower inflammatory consequences. Antiviral Res 2024; 222:105806. [PMID: 38211737 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105806] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
After three years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the search and availability of relatively low-cost benchtop therapeutics for people not at high risk for a severe disease are still ongoing. Although vaccines and new SARS-CoV-2 variants reduce the death toll, the long COVID-19 along with neurologic symptoms can develop and persist even after a mild initial infection. Reinfections, which further increase the risk of sequelae in multiple organ systems as well as the risk of death, continue to require caution. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is an important target for both vaccines and therapeutics. The presence of disulfide bonds in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein is essential for its binding to the human ACE2 receptor and cell entry. Here, we demonstrate that thiol-reducing peptides based on the active site of oxidoreductase thioredoxin 1, called thioredoxin mimetic (TXM) peptides, can prevent syncytia formation, SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells, and infection in a mouse model. We also show that TXM peptides inhibit the redox-sensitive HIV pseudotyped viral cell entry. These results support disulfide targeting as a common therapeutic strategy for treating infections caused by viruses using redox-sensitive fusion. Furthermore, TXM peptides exert anti-inflammatory properties by lowering the activation of NF-κB and IRF signaling pathways, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokines in mice. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the TXM peptides, which also cross the blood-brain barrier, in combination with prevention of viral infections, may provide a beneficial clinical strategy to lower viral infections and mitigate severe consequences of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tea Govednik
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Graduate School of Biomedicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Duško Lainšček
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Centre of Excellence EN-FIST, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Urška Kuhar
- Institute for Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marva Lachish
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Sandra Janežič
- National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Malan Štrbenc
- Institute for Preclinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Uroš Krapež
- Institute of Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals and Reptiles, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Roman Jerala
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Centre of Excellence EN-FIST, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Daphne Atlas
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel.
| | - Mateja Manček-Keber
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Centre of Excellence EN-FIST, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Fehér M, Márton Z, Szabó Á, Kocsa J, Kormos V, Hunyady Á, Kovács LÁ, Ujvári B, Berta G, Farkas J, Füredi N, Gaszner T, Pytel B, Reglődi D, Gaszner B. Downregulation of PACAP and the PAC1 Receptor in the Basal Ganglia, Substantia Nigra and Centrally Projecting Edinger-Westphal Nucleus in the Rotenone model of Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11843. [PMID: 37511603 PMCID: PMC10380602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411843] [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: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous in vitro and in vivo models of Parkinson's disease (PD) demonstrate that pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) conveys its strong neuroprotective actions mainly via its specific PAC1 receptor (PAC1R) in models of PD. We recently described the decrease in PAC1R protein content in the basal ganglia of macaques in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model of PD that was partially reversed by levodopa therapy. In this work, we tested whether these observations occur also in the rotenone model of PD in the rat. The rotarod test revealed motor skill deterioration upon rotenone administration, which was reversed by benserazide/levodopa (B/L) treatment. The sucrose preference test suggested increased depression level while the open field test showed increased anxiety in rats rendered parkinsonian, regardless of the received B/L therapy. Reduced dopaminergic cell count in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) diminished the dopaminergic fiber density in the caudate-putamen (CPu) and decreased the peptidergic cell count in the centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp), supporting the efficacy of rotenone treatment. RNAscope in situ hybridization revealed decreased PACAP mRNA (Adcyap1) and PAC1R mRNA (Adcyap1r1) expression in the CPu, globus pallidus, dopaminergic SNpc and peptidergic EWcp of rotenone-treated rats, but no remarkable downregulation occurred in the insular cortex. In the entopeduncular nucleus, only the Adcyap1r1 mRNA was downregulated in parkinsonian animals. B/L therapy attenuated the downregulation of Adcyap1 in the CPu only. Our current results further support the evolutionarily conserved role of the PACAP/PAC1R system in neuroprotection and its recruitment in the development/progression of neurodegenerative states such as PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máté Fehér
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaposi Mór Teaching Hospital, Tallián Gy. u. 20-32, H-7400 Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Zsombor Márton
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ákos Szabó
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - János Kocsa
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Viktória Kormos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Hunyady
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - László Ákos Kovács
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Ujvári
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gergely Berta
- Department of Medical Biology and Central Electron Microscopic Laboratory, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - József Farkas
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Füredi
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Bence Pytel
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dóra Reglődi
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- ELKH-PTE PACAP Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
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