1
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Hasan M, He Z, Jia M, Leung ACF, Natarajan K, Xu W, Yap S, Zhou F, Chen S, Su H, Zhu K, Su H. Dynamic expedition of leading mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2407-2417. [PMID: 38882678 PMCID: PMC11176665 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.037] [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: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The continuous evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused the recent pandemic, has generated countless new variants with varying fitness. Mutations of the spike glycoprotein play a particularly vital role in shaping its evolutionary trajectory, as they have the capability to alter its infectivity and antigenicity. We present a time-resolved statistical method, Dynamic Expedition of Leading Mutations (deLemus), to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. The proposed L -index of the deLemus method is effective in quantifying the mutation strength of each amino acid site and outlining evolutionarily significant sites, allowing the comprehensive characterization of the evolutionary mutation pattern of the spike glycoprotein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Hasan
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhouyi He
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengqi Jia
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Alvin C F Leung
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Wentao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shanqi Yap
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shihong Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hailei Su
- Bengbu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 4339 Huai-shang Road, Anhui 233080, China
| | - Kaicheng Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haibin Su
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
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2
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Park ES, Kuroda Y, Uda A, Kaku Y, Okutani A, Hotta A, Tatemoto K, Ishijima K, Inoue Y, Harada M, Ami Y, Shirakura M, Watanabe S, Suzuki Y, Harada T, Ainai A, Shiwa N, Sakai Y, Iwata-Yoshikawa N, Nagata N, Suzuki T, Hasegawa H, Maeda K. The comparison of pathogenicity among SARS-CoV-2 variants in domestic cats. Sci Rep 2024; 14:21815. [PMID: 39294189 PMCID: PMC11410826 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71791-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected or isolated from domestic cats. It is unclear whether cats play an important role in the SARS-CoV-2 transmission cycle. In this study, we examined the susceptibility of cats to SARS-CoV-2, including wild type and variants, by animal experiments. Cats inoculated with wild type, gamma, and delta variants secreted a large amount of SARS-CoV-2 for 1 week after the inoculation from nasal, oropharyngeal, and rectal routes. Only 100 TCID50 of virus could infect cats and replicate well without severe clinical symptoms. In addition, one cat inoculated with wild type showed persistent virus secretion in feces for over 28 days post-inoculation (dpi). The titer of virus-neutralizing (VN) antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 increased from 11 dpi, reaching a peak at 14 dpi. However, the omicron variant could not replicate well in cat tissues and induced a lower titer of VN antibodies. It is concluded that cats were highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not to the Omicron Variant, which caused the attenuated pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Sil Park
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yudai Kuroda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Akihiko Uda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kaku
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Akiko Okutani
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Akitoyo Hotta
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
- Research Center for Biosafety, Laboratory Animal, and Pathogen Bank, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Kango Tatemoto
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Keita Ishijima
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yusuke Inoue
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Michiko Harada
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
- Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
| | - Yasushi Ami
- Research Center for Biosafety, Laboratory Animal, and Pathogen Bank, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Masayuki Shirakura
- Research Center for Influenza and Respiratory Viruses, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, 208-0011, Japan
| | - Shinji Watanabe
- Research Center for Influenza and Respiratory Viruses, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, 208-0011, Japan
| | - Yasushi Suzuki
- Research Center for Influenza and Respiratory Viruses, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, 208-0011, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Harada
- Research Center for Biosafety, Laboratory Animal, and Pathogen Bank, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Akira Ainai
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Nozomi Shiwa
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yusuke Sakai
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Naoko Iwata-Yoshikawa
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Noriyo Nagata
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Tadaki Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Hideki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Influenza and Respiratory Viruses, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, 208-0011, Japan
| | - Ken Maeda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
- Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan.
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3
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Cui W, Duan Y, Gao Y, Wang W, Yang H. Structural review of SARS-CoV-2 antiviral targets. Structure 2024; 32:1301-1321. [PMID: 39241763 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), represents the most disastrous infectious disease pandemic of the past century. As a member of the Betacoronavirus genus, the SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes a total of 29 proteins. The spike protein, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and proteases play crucial roles in the virus replication process and are promising targets for drug development. In recent years, structural studies of these viral proteins and of their complexes with antibodies and inhibitors have provided valuable insights into their functions and laid a solid foundation for drug development. In this review, we summarize the structural features of these proteins and discuss recent progress in research regarding therapeutic development, highlighting mechanistically representative molecules and those that have already been approved or are under clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Cui
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yinkai Duan
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201203, China.
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4
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Wang H, Xiao D, Zhou H, Chen S, Xiao G, Hu J, Quan H, Luo M, Zhang S. Visceral Adiposity and Neutralizing Antibody Expression: An Adult-Based Cross-Sectional Study. J Inflamm Res 2024; 17:5633-5643. [PMID: 39219813 PMCID: PMC11363935 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s477526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Visceral adiposity is a significant risk factor for severe COVID-19. However, the impact of the Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) on the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines remains poorly understood. This study aims to explore the impact of CVAI on the production of neutralizing antibodies (NAb) in inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the potential mechanism, thereby optimizing vaccination guidance. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 206 health workers (completed two SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on February 8th and March 10th, 2021, respectively) were recruited. All baseline anthropometric parameters of the participants were collected, and venous blood samples were obtained 6 weeks later to measure peripheral innate immune cells, inflammatory cytokines, and NAb titers against SARS-CoV-2. CVAI were calculated according to the formula and divided participants into two groups depending on CVAI median. Results The median NAb titer among healthcare workers was 12.94 AU/mL, with an efficacy of 87.86% for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. NAb titers were lower in the CVAI dysfunction group than in the CVAI reference group (median: 11.40 AU/mL vs 15.57 AU/mL), the hsCRP levels (median: 0.50 mg/L vs 0.30 mg/L) and peripheral monocyte count (mean: 0.47 × 109/L vs 0.42 × 109/L) in the CVAI dysfunction group were higher than in the CVAI reference group. Additionally, CVAI showed positive correlations with hsCRP, monocytes, lymphocytes, and B-lymphocytes, and a negative correlation with NAb titers. Conclusion CVAI may inhibit SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody expression through inducing immune dysfunction and chronic inflammation. Thus, more attention should be paid to the vaccination for high CVAI population to improve the effectiveness of vaccination, which could provide more robust support for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Wang
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dan Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College (Nuclear Industry 416 Hospital), Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shu Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guangjun Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Juan Hu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Quan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College (Nuclear Industry 416 Hospital), Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Miao Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the People’s Hospital of Yubei District of Chongqing, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shaocheng Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College (Nuclear Industry 416 Hospital), Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Bosch A, Guzman HV, Pérez R. Adsorption-Driven Deformation and Footprints of the RBD Proteins in SARS-CoV-2 Variants on Biological and Inanimate Surfaces. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:5977-5990. [PMID: 39083670 PMCID: PMC11323246 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Respiratory viruses, carried through airborne microdroplets, frequently adhere to surfaces, including plastics and metals. However, our understanding of the interactions between viruses and materials remains limited, particularly in scenarios involving polarizable surfaces. Here, we investigate the role of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein mutations on the adsorption of SARS-CoV-2 to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces employing molecular simulations. To contextualize our findings, we contrast the interactions on inanimate surfaces with those on native biological interfaces, specifically the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. Notably, we identify a 2-fold increase in structural deformations for the protein's receptor binding motif (RBM) onto inanimate surfaces, indicative of enhanced shock-absorbing mechanisms. Furthermore, the distribution of adsorbed amino acids (landing footprints) on the inanimate surface reveals a distinct regional asymmetry relative to the biological interface, with roughly half of the adsorbed amino acids arranged in opposite sites. In spite of the H-bonds formed at the hydrophilic substrate, the simulations consistently show a higher number of contacts and interfacial area with the hydrophobic surface, where the wild-type RBD adsorbs more strongly than the Delta or Omicron RBDs. In contrast, the adsorption of Delta and Omicron to hydrophilic surfaces was characterized by a distinctive hopping-pattern. The novel shock-absorbing mechanisms identified in the virus adsorption on inanimate surfaces show the embedded high-deformation capacity of the RBD without losing its secondary structure, which could lead to current experimental strategies in the design of virucidal surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio
M. Bosch
- Departamento
de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Horacio V. Guzman
- Departamento
de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Department
of Theoretical Physics, Jožef Stefan
Institute, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rubén Pérez
- Departamento
de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Condensed
Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
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6
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Deng S, Xu Z, Wang M, Hu J, Liu Z, Zhu F, Zheng P, Kombe Kombe AJ, Zhang H, Wu S, Jin T. Structural insights into immune escape at killer T cell epitope by SARS-CoV-2 Spike Y453F variants. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107563. [PMID: 39002680 PMCID: PMC11342781 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107563] [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: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cell immunity, mediated by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and T cell receptor (TCR), plays a critical role in conferring immune memory and protection against viral pathogens. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants poses a serious challenge to the efficacy of current vaccines. Whereas numerous SARS-CoV-2 mutations associated with immune escape from CD8+ T cells have been documented, the molecular effects of most mutations on epitope-specific TCR recognition remain largely unexplored. Here, we studied an HLA-A24-restricted NYN epitope (Spike448-456) that elicits broad CD8+ T cell responses in COVID-19 patients characterized by a common TCR repertoire. Four natural mutations, N450K, L452Q, L452R, and Y453F, arose within the NYN epitope and have been transmitted in certain viral lineages. Our findings indicate that these mutations have minimal impact on the epitope's presentation by cell surface HLA, yet they diminish the affinities of their respective peptide-HLA complexes (pHLAs) for NYN peptide-specific TCRs, particularly L452R and Y453F. Furthermore, we determined the crystal structure of HLA-A24 loaded with the Y453F peptide (NYNYLFRLF), and subsequently a ternary structure of the public TCRNYN-I complexed to the original NYN-HLA-A24 (NYNYLYRLF). Our structural analysis unveiled that despite competent presentation by HLA, the mutant Y453F peptide failed to establish a stable TCR-pHLA ternary complex due to reduced peptide: TCR contacts. This study supports the idea that cellular immunity restriction is an important driving force behind viral evolution.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/chemistry
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/genetics
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/genetics
- SARS-CoV-2/immunology
- Immune Evasion
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- COVID-19/immunology
- COVID-19/virology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/chemistry
- Mutation
- Crystallography, X-Ray
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Deng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R. China
| | - Zhihao Xu
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Meihua Wang
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jing Hu
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhuan Liu
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Fang Zhu
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Peiyi Zheng
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Arnaud John Kombe Kombe
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | | | - Songquan Wu
- College of Medicine, Lishui University, Lishui, China
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R. China; Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China; College of Medicine, Lishui University, Lishui, China; Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, China; Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China; Clinical Research Hospital of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Hefei), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
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7
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Díaz-Salinas MA, Jain A, Durham ND, Munro JB. Single-molecule imaging reveals allosteric stimulation of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain by host sialic acid. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk4920. [PMID: 39018397 PMCID: PMC466946 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk4920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Conformational dynamics of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein (S) mediate exposure of the binding site for the cellular receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The N-terminal domain (NTD) of S binds terminal sialic acid (SA) moieties on the cell surface, but the functional role of this interaction in virus entry is unknown. Here, we report that NTD-SA interaction enhances both S-mediated virus attachment and ACE2 binding. Through single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer imaging of individual S trimers, we demonstrate that SA binding to the NTD allosterically shifts the S conformational equilibrium, favoring enhanced exposure of the ACE2-binding site. Antibodies that target the NTD block SA binding, which contributes to their mechanism of neutralization. These findings inform on mechanisms of S activation at the cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Díaz-Salinas
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Aastha Jain
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Natasha D. Durham
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - James B. Munro
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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8
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P, Verkhivker G. Exploring conformational landscapes and binding mechanisms of convergent evolution for the SARS-CoV-2 spike Omicron variant complexes with the ACE2 receptor using AlphaFold2-based structural ensembles and molecular dynamics simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:17720-17744. [PMID: 38869513 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp01372g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we combined AlphaFold-based approaches for atomistic modeling of multiple protein states and microsecond molecular simulations to accurately characterize conformational ensembles evolution and binding mechanisms of convergent evolution for the SARS-CoV-2 spike Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.75, BA.3, BA.4/BA.5 and BQ.1.1. We employed and validated several different adaptations of the AlphaFold methodology for modeling of conformational ensembles including the introduced randomized full sequence scanning for manipulation of sequence variations to systematically explore conformational dynamics of Omicron spike protein complexes with the ACE2 receptor. Microsecond atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and thermodynamic stability of the Omicron variant complexes. By integrating the predictions of conformational ensembles from different AlphaFold adaptations and applying statistical confidence metrics we can expand characterization of the conformational ensembles and identify functional protein conformations that determine the equilibrium dynamics for the Omicron spike complexes with the ACE2. Conformational ensembles of the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes obtained using AlphaFold-based approaches for modeling protein states and MD simulations are employed for accurate comparative prediction of the binding energetics revealing an excellent agreement with the experimental data. In particular, the results demonstrated that AlphaFold-generated extended conformational ensembles can produce accurate binding energies for the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes. The results of this study suggested complementarities and potential synergies between AlphaFold predictions of protein conformational ensembles and MD simulations showing that integrating information from both methods can potentially yield a more adequate characterization of the conformational landscapes for the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes. This study provides insights in the interplay between conformational dynamics and binding, showing that evolution of Omicron variants through acquisition of convergent mutational sites may leverage conformational adaptability and dynamic couplings between key binding energy hotspots to optimize ACE2 binding affinity and enable immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishank Raisinghani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75275, USA
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75275, USA
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
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9
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Tang X, Liu Y, Wang J, Long T, Yee Mok BW, Huang Y, Peng Z, Jia Q, Liu C, So PK, Pui-Kam Tse S, Hei Ng C, Liu S, Sun F, Tang S, Yao ZP, Chen H, Guo Y. Identifications of novel host cell factors that interact with the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107390. [PMID: 38777146 PMCID: PMC11237930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107390] [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: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is facilitated by the interaction between the receptor-binding domain of its spike protein (CoV2-RBD) and host cell receptor, ACE2, promoting viral membrane fusion. The virus also uses endocytic pathways for entry, but the mediating host factors remain largely unknown. It is also unknown whether mutations in the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 variants promote interactions with additional host factors to promote viral entry. Here, we used the GST pull-down approach to identify novel surface-located host factors that bind to CoV2-RBD. One of these factors, SH3BP4, regulates internalization of CoV2-RBD in an ACE2-independent but integrin- and clathrin-dependent manner and mediates SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry, suggesting that SH3BP4 promotes viral entry via the endocytic route. Many of the identified factors, including SH3BP4, ADAM9, and TMEM2, show stronger affinity to CoV2-RBD than to RBD of the less infective SARS-CoV, suggesting SARS-CoV-2-specific utilization. We also found factors preferentially binding to the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, potentially enhancing its entry. These data identify the repertoire of host cell surface factors that function in the events leading to the entry of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Tang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Metabolic Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China; Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jinhui Wang
- Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Teng Long
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics Limited, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bobo Wing Yee Mok
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics Limited, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ziqing Peng
- Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qinyu Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Research Institute for Future Food, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chengxi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Research Institute for Future Food, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Pui-Kin So
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Research Institute for Future Food, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sirius Pui-Kam Tse
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Research Institute for Future Food, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Cheuk Hei Ng
- Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shiyi Liu
- Thrust of Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shaojun Tang
- Thrust of Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhong-Ping Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Research Institute for Future Food, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Honglin Chen
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics Limited, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yusong Guo
- Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
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10
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P, Verkhivker G. AlphaFold2 Predictions of Conformational Ensembles and Atomistic Simulations of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike XBB Lineages Reveal Epistatic Couplings between Convergent Mutational Hotspots that Control ACE2 Affinity. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4696-4715. [PMID: 38696745 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c01341] [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: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we combined AlphaFold-based atomistic structural modeling, microsecond molecular simulations, mutational profiling, and network analysis to characterize binding mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with the host receptor ACE2 for a series of Omicron XBB variants including XBB.1.5, XBB.1.5+L455F, XBB.1.5+F456L, and XBB.1.5+L455F+F456L. AlphaFold-based structural and dynamic modeling of SARS-CoV-2 Spike XBB lineages can accurately predict the experimental structures and characterize conformational ensembles of the spike protein complexes with the ACE2. Microsecond molecular dynamics simulations identified important differences in the conformational landscapes and equilibrium ensembles of the XBB variants, suggesting that combining AlphaFold predictions of multiple conformations with molecular dynamics simulations can provide a complementary approach for the characterization of functional protein states and binding mechanisms. Using the ensemble-based mutational profiling of protein residues and physics-based rigorous calculations of binding affinities, we identified binding energy hotspots and characterized the molecular basis underlying epistatic couplings between convergent mutational hotspots. Consistent with the experiments, the results revealed the mediating role of the Q493 hotspot in the synchronization of epistatic couplings between L455F and F456L mutations, providing a quantitative insight into the energetic determinants underlying binding differences between XBB lineages. We also proposed a network-based perturbation approach for mutational profiling of allosteric communications and uncovered the important relationships between allosteric centers mediating long-range communication and binding hotspots of epistatic couplings. The results of this study support a mechanism in which the binding mechanisms of the XBB variants may be determined by epistatic effects between convergent evolutionary hotspots that control ACE2 binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishank Raisinghani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
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11
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Ketaren NE, Mast FD, Fridy PC, Olivier JP, Sanyal T, Sali A, Chait BT, Rout MP, Aitchison JD. Nanobody repertoire generated against the spike protein of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 remains efficacious against the rapidly evolving virus. eLife 2024; 12:RP89423. [PMID: 38712823 PMCID: PMC11076045 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
To date, all major modes of monoclonal antibody therapy targeting SARS-CoV-2 have lost significant efficacy against the latest circulating variants. As SARS-CoV-2 omicron sublineages account for over 90% of COVID-19 infections, evasion of immune responses generated by vaccination or exposure to previous variants poses a significant challenge. A compelling new therapeutic strategy against SARS-CoV-2 is that of single-domain antibodies, termed nanobodies, which address certain limitations of monoclonal antibodies. Here, we demonstrate that our high-affinity nanobody repertoire, generated against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (Mast et al., 2021), remains effective against variants of concern, including omicron BA.4/BA.5; a subset is predicted to counter resistance in emerging XBB and BQ.1.1 sublineages. Furthermore, we reveal the synergistic potential of nanobody cocktails in neutralizing emerging variants. Our study highlights the power of nanobody technology as a versatile therapeutic and diagnostic tool to combat rapidly evolving infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia E Ketaren
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Fred D Mast
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Peter C Fridy
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jean Paul Olivier
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Tanmoy Sanyal
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Byers Hall, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Andrej Sali
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Byers Hall, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Brian T Chait
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Michael P Rout
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - John D Aitchison
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
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12
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Peng C, Lv X, Zhang Z, Lin J, Li D. The Recognition Pathway of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain to Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2. Molecules 2024; 29:1875. [PMID: 38675695 PMCID: PMC11054751 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29081875] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has spread around the world. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is a critical component that directly interacts with host ACE2. Here, we simulate the ACE2 recognition processes of RBD of the WT, Delta, and OmicronBA.2 variants using our recently developed supervised Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (Su-GaMD) approach. We show that RBD recognizes ACE2 through three contact regions (regions I, II, and III), which aligns well with the anchor-locker mechanism. The higher binding free energy in State d of the RBDOmicronBA.2-ACE2 system correlates well with the increased infectivity of OmicronBA.2 in comparison with other variants. For RBDDelta, the T478K mutation affects the first step of recognition, while the L452R mutation, through its nearby Y449, affects the RBDDelta-ACE2 binding in the last step of recognition. For RBDOmicronBA.2, the E484A mutation affects the first step of recognition, the Q493R, N501Y, and Y505H mutations affect the binding free energy in the last step of recognition, mutations in the contact regions affect the recognition directly, and other mutations indirectly affect recognition through dynamic correlations with the contact regions. These results provide theoretical insights for RBD-ACE2 recognition and may facilitate drug design against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, 38 Tongyan Road, Tianjin 300350, China; (C.P.); (X.L.)
| | - Xinyue Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, 38 Tongyan Road, Tianjin 300350, China; (C.P.); (X.L.)
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Xiongan Institute of Innovation, Xiong’an New Area 070001, China;
| | - Jianping Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, 38 Tongyan Road, Tianjin 300350, China; (C.P.); (X.L.)
| | - Dongmei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, 38 Tongyan Road, Tianjin 300350, China; (C.P.); (X.L.)
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13
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Verkhivker G. Ensemble-Based Mutational Profiling and Network Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Omicron XBB Lineages for Interactions with the ACE2 Receptor and Antibodies: Cooperation of Binding Hotspots in Mediating Epistatic Couplings Underlies Binding Mechanism and Immune Escape. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4281. [PMID: 38673865 PMCID: PMC11049863 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084281] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we performed a computational study of binding mechanisms for the SARS-CoV-2 spike Omicron XBB lineages with the host cell receptor ACE2 and a panel of diverse class one antibodies. The central objective of this investigation was to examine the molecular factors underlying epistatic couplings among convergent evolution hotspots that enable optimal balancing of ACE2 binding and antibody evasion for Omicron variants BA.1, BA2, BA.3, BA.4/BA.5, BQ.1.1, XBB.1, XBB.1.5, and XBB.1.5 + L455F/F456L. By combining evolutionary analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and ensemble-based mutational scanning of spike protein residues in complexes with ACE2, we identified structural stability and binding affinity hotspots that are consistent with the results of biochemical studies. In agreement with the results of deep mutational scanning experiments, our quantitative analysis correctly reproduced strong and variant-specific epistatic effects in the XBB.1.5 and BA.2 variants. It was shown that Y453W and F456L mutations can enhance ACE2 binding when coupled with Q493 in XBB.1.5, while these mutations become destabilized when coupled with the R493 position in the BA.2 variant. The results provided a molecular rationale of the epistatic mechanism in Omicron variants, showing a central role of the Q493/R493 hotspot in modulating epistatic couplings between convergent mutational sites L455F and F456L in XBB lineages. The results of mutational scanning and binding analysis of the Omicron XBB spike variants with ACE2 receptors and a panel of class one antibodies provide a quantitative rationale for the experimental evidence that epistatic interactions of the physically proximal binding hotspots Y501, R498, Q493, L455F, and F456L can determine strong ACE2 binding, while convergent mutational sites F456L and F486P are instrumental in mediating broad antibody resistance. The study supports a mechanism in which the impact on ACE2 binding affinity is mediated through a small group of universal binding hotspots, while the effect of immune evasion could be more variant-dependent and modulated by convergent mutational sites in the conformationally adaptable spike regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishank Raisinghani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (N.R.); (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (N.R.); (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (N.R.); (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (N.R.); (M.A.); (G.G.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
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14
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P, Verkhivker G. Predicting Functional Conformational Ensembles and Binding Mechanisms of Convergent Evolution for SARS-CoV-2 Spike Omicron Variants Using AlphaFold2 Sequence Scanning Adaptations and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.02.587850. [PMID: 38617283 PMCID: PMC11014522 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.02.587850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we combined AlphaFold-based approaches for atomistic modeling of multiple protein states and microsecond molecular simulations to accurately characterize conformational ensembles and binding mechanisms of convergent evolution for the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.75, BA.3, BA.4/BA.5 and BQ.1.1. We employed and validated several different adaptations of the AlphaFold methodology for modeling of conformational ensembles including the introduced randomized full sequence scanning for manipulation of sequence variations to systematically explore conformational dynamics of Omicron Spike protein complexes with the ACE2 receptor. Microsecond atomistic molecular dynamic simulations provide a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and thermodynamic stability of the Omicron variant complexes. By integrating the predictions of conformational ensembles from different AlphaFold adaptations and applying statistical confidence metrics we can expand characterization of the conformational ensembles and identify functional protein conformations that determine the equilibrium dynamics for the Omicron Spike complexes with the ACE2. Conformational ensembles of the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes obtained using AlphaFold-based approaches for modeling protein states and molecular dynamics simulations are employed for accurate comparative prediction of the binding energetics revealing an excellent agreement with the experimental data. In particular, the results demonstrated that AlphaFold-generated extended conformational ensembles can produce accurate binding energies for the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes. The results of this study suggested complementarities and potential synergies between AlphaFold predictions of protein conformational ensembles and molecular dynamics simulations showing that integrating information from both methods can potentially yield a more adequate characterization of the conformational landscapes for the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes. This study provides insights in the interplay between conformational dynamics and binding, showing that evolution of Omicron variants through acquisition of convergent mutational sites may leverage conformational adaptability and dynamic couplings between key binding energy hotspots to optimize ACE2 binding affinity and enable immune evasion.
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15
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Sila T, Surasombatpattana S, Rajborirug S, Laochareonsuk W, Choochuen P, Kongkamol C, Ingviya T, Prompat N, Mahasirimongkol S, Sangkhathat S, Aiewsakun P. SARS-CoV-2 variant with the spike protein mutation F306L in the southern border provinces of Thailand. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7729. [PMID: 38565881 PMCID: PMC10987673 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56646-6] [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: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The southernmost part of Thailand is a unique and culturally diverse region that has been greatly affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. To gain insights into this situation, we analyzed 1942 whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 obtained from the five southernmost provinces of Thailand between April 2021 and March 2022, together with those publicly available in the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data database. Our analysis revealed evidence for transboundary transmissions of the virus in and out of the five southernmost provinces during the study period, from both domestic and international sources. The most prevalent viral variant in our sequence dataset was the Delta B.1.617.2.85 variant, also known as the Delta AY.85 variant, with many samples carrying a non-synonymous mutation F306L in their spike protein. Protein-protein docking and binding interface analyses suggested that the mutation may enhance the binding between the spike protein and host cell receptor protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, and we found that the mutation was significantly associated with an increased fatality rate. This mutation has also been observed in other SARS-CoV-2 variants, suggesting that it is of particular interest and should be monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanit Sila
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Smonrapat Surasombatpattana
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Songyos Rajborirug
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Wison Laochareonsuk
- Division of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Pongsakorn Choochuen
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Chanon Kongkamol
- Department of Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Thammasin Ingviya
- Department of Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Napat Prompat
- Faculty of Medical Technology, Medical of Technology Service Center, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Surakameth Mahasirimongkol
- Department of Medical Sciences, Genetics Center, Medical Life Sciences Institute, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, 11000, Thailand
| | - Surasak Sangkhathat
- Division of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand.
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand.
| | - Pakorn Aiewsakun
- Pornchai Matangkasombut Center for Microbial Genomics, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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16
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Ju SP, Yang YC, Chen HY. Unraveling the binding mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 variants through molecular simulations. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27193. [PMID: 38495173 PMCID: PMC10940921 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27193] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants like Delta (AY.29) and Omicron (EG.5) poses continued challenges for vaccines and therapeutics. Mutations in the viral spike protein are key in altering infectivity and immune evasion. This study uses computational modeling to investigate the molecular binding mechanisms between spike protein variants and the ACE2 host receptor. Using the MARTNI force field, coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations and nudged elastic band (NEB) calculations explore spike-ACE2 interactions for the wild type, Delta variant, and Omicron variant. The simulations reveal Omicron has the strongest binding affinity at -128.35 ± 10.91 kcal/mol, followed by Delta and wild type. Key mutations in Delta and Omicron, like Q493R and Q498R, optimize electrostatic contacts, enhancing ACE2 interactions. The wild-type spike has the highest transition state energy barrier at 17.87 kcal/mol, while Delta has the lowest barrier at 9.21 kcal/mol. Despite slightly higher dual barriers, Omicron's increased binding energy lowers its overall barrier to rapidly bind ACE2. These findings provide residue-level insights into mutation effects on SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. The computational modeling elucidates mechanisms underlying spike-ACE2 binding kinetics, aiding the development of vaccines and therapies targeting emerging viral strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Pon Ju
- Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
- Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Cheng Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Yin Chen
- Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
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17
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P, Verkhivker G. AlphaFold2-Enabled Atomistic Modeling of Structure, Conformational Ensembles, and Binding Energetics of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 Spike Protein with ACE2 Host Receptor and Antibodies: Compensatory Functional Effects of Binding Hotspots in Modulating Mechanisms of Receptor Binding and Immune Escape. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:1657-1681. [PMID: 38373700 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The latest wave of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants displayed a growth advantage and increased viral fitness through convergent evolution of functional hotspots that work synchronously to balance fitness requirements for productive receptor binding and efficient immune evasion. In this study, we combined AlphaFold2-based structural modeling approaches with atomistic simulations and mutational profiling of binding energetics and stability for prediction and comprehensive analysis of the structure, dynamics, and binding of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 spike variant with ACE2 host receptor and distinct classes of antibodies. We adapted several AlphaFold2 approaches to predict both the structure and conformational ensembles of the Omicron BA.2.86 spike protein in the complex with the host receptor. The results showed that the AlphaFold2-predicted structural ensemble of the BA.2.86 spike protein complex with ACE2 can accurately capture the main conformational states of the Omicron variant. Complementary to AlphaFold2 structural predictions, microsecond molecular dynamics simulations reveal the details of the conformational landscape and produced equilibrium ensembles of the BA.2.86 structures that are used to perform mutational scanning of spike residues and characterize structural stability and binding energy hotspots. The ensemble-based mutational profiling of the receptor binding domain residues in the BA.2 and BA.2.86 spike complexes with ACE2 revealed a group of conserved hydrophobic hotspots and critical variant-specific contributions of the BA.2.86 convergent mutational hotspots R403K, F486P, and R493Q. To examine the immune evasion properties of BA.2.86 in atomistic detail, we performed structure-based mutational profiling of the spike protein binding interfaces with distinct classes of antibodies that displayed significantly reduced neutralization against the BA.2.86 variant. The results revealed the molecular basis of compensatory functional effects of the binding hotspots, showing that BA.2.86 lineage may have evolved to outcompete other Omicron subvariants by improving immune evasion while preserving binding affinity with ACE2 via through a compensatory effect of R493Q and F486P convergent mutational hotspots. This study demonstrated that an integrative approach combining AlphaFold2 predictions with complementary atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and robust ensemble-based mutational profiling of spike residues can enable accurate and comprehensive characterization of structure, dynamics, and binding mechanisms of newly emerging Omicron variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishank Raisinghani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States of America
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States of America
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States of America
| | - Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States of America
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States of America
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States of America
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18
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Seo SE, Kim KH, Ha S, Oh H, Kim J, Kim S, Kim L, Seo M, An JE, Park YM, Lee KG, Kim YK, Kim WK, Hong JJ, Song HS, Kwon OS. Synchronous Diagnosis of Respiratory Viruses Variants via Receptonics Based on Modeling Receptor-Ligand Dynamics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2303079. [PMID: 37487578 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303079] [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] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The transmission and pathogenesis of highly contagious fatal respiratory viruses are increasing, and the need for an on-site diagnostic platform has arisen as an issue worldwide. Furthermore, as the spread of respiratory viruses continues, different variants have become the dominant circulating strains. To prevent virus transmission, the development of highly sensitive and accurate on-site diagnostic assays is urgently needed. Herein, a facile diagnostic device is presented for multi-detection based on the results of detailed receptor-ligand dynamics simulations for the screening of various viral strains. The novel bioreceptor-treated electronics (receptonics) device consists of a multichannel graphene transistor and cell-entry receptors conjugated to N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC). An ultrasensitive multi-detection performance is achieved without the need for sample pretreatment, which will enable rapid diagnosis and prevent the spread of pathogens. This platform can be applied for the diagnosis of variants of concern in clinical respiratory virus samples and primate models. This multi-screening platform can be used to enhance surveillance and discriminate emerging virus variants before they become a severe threat to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Eun Seo
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Ho Kim
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Siyoung Ha
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD, 21853, USA
| | - Hanseul Oh
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinyeong Kim
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Soomin Kim
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Lina Kim
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Minah Seo
- Sensor System Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jai Eun An
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo Min Park
- Center for NanoBio Development, National NanoFab Center, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung G Lee
- Center for NanoBio Development, National NanoFab Center, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Kyung Kim
- Department of Clinical Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Keun Kim
- Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology, 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Joo Hong
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Cheongju, 28116, Republic of Korea
- KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Seok Song
- Sensor System Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Oh Seok Kwon
- SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Department of Nano Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
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19
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Lan PD, Nissley DA, O’Brien EP, Nguyen TT, Li MS. Deciphering the free energy landscapes of SARS-CoV-2 wild type and Omicron variant interacting with human ACE2. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:055101. [PMID: 38310477 PMCID: PMC11223169 DOI: 10.1063/5.0188053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the first step in human viral infection. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of interaction between RBD and ACE2 at the molecular level is critical for the prevention of COVID-19, as more variants of concern, such as Omicron, appear. Recently, atomic force microscopy has been applied to characterize the free energy landscape of the RBD-ACE2 complex, including estimation of the distance between the transition state and the bound state, xu. Here, using a coarse-grained model and replica-exchange umbrella sampling, we studied the free energy landscape of both the wild type and Omicron subvariants BA.1 and XBB.1.5 interacting with ACE2. In agreement with experiment, we find that the wild type and Omicron subvariants have similar xu values, but Omicron binds ACE2 more strongly than the wild type, having a lower dissociation constant KD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel A. Nissley
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford Protein Bioinformatics Group, Oxford OX1 2JD, United Kingdom
| | | | - Toan T. Nguyen
- Key Laboratory for Multiscale Simulation of Complex Systems and Department of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Science, Vietnam National University - Hanoi, 334 Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi 11400, Vietnam
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
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20
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Gaur NK, Khakerwala Z, Makde RD. Design of human ACE2 mimic miniprotein binders that interact with RBD of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38315516 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2310789] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
The world of medicine demands from the research community solutions to the emerging problem of SARS-CoV-2 variants and other such potential global pandemics. With advantages of specificity over small molecule drugs and designability over antibodies, miniprotein therapeutics offers a unique solution to the threats of rapidly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Unfortunately, most of the promising miniprotein binders are de novo designed and it is not viable to generate molecules for each new variant. Therefore in this study, we demonstrate a method for design of miniprotein mimics from the interaction interphase of human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is the natural interacting partner for the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) and acts as a recognition molecule for viral entry into the host cells. Starting with ACE2 N-terminal triple helix interaction interphase, we generated more than 70 miniprotein sequences. Employing Rosetta folding and docking scores we selected 10 promising miniprotein candidates amongst which 3 were found to be soluble in lab studies. Further, using molecular mechanics (MM) calculations on molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories we test interaction of miniproteins with RBD from various variants of concern (VOC). Presently, we report two key findings; miniproteins in this study are generated using less than 10 lab testing experiments, yet when tested through in-vitro experiments, they show submicro to nanomolar affinities towards SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Also in simulation studies, when compared with previously developed therapeutics, our miniproteins display remarkable ability to mimic ACE2 interphase; making them an ideal solution to the ever evolving problem of VOCs.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeraj K Gaur
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Zeenat Khakerwala
- Beamline Development and Application Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Maharashtra, Mumbai, India
| | - Ravindra D Makde
- Beamline Development and Application Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
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21
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Ketaren NE, Mast FD, Fridy PC, Olivier JP, Sanyal T, Sali A, Chait BT, Rout MP, Aitchison JD. Nanobody repertoire generated against the spike protein of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 remains efficacious against the rapidly evolving virus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.14.549041. [PMID: 37503298 PMCID: PMC10369967 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.14.549041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
To date, all major modes of monoclonal antibody therapy targeting SARS-CoV-2 have lost significant efficacy against the latest circulating variants. As SARS-CoV-2 omicron sublineages account for over 90% of COVID-19 infections, evasion of immune responses generated by vaccination or exposure to previous variants poses a significant challenge. A compelling new therapeutic strategy against SARS-CoV-2 is that of single domain antibodies, termed nanobodies, which address certain limitations of monoclonal antibodies. Here we demonstrate that our high-affinity nanobody repertoire, generated against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (Mast, Fridy et al. 2021), remains effective against variants of concern, including omicron BA.4/BA.5; a subset is predicted to counter resistance in emerging XBB and BQ.1.1 sublineages. Furthermore, we reveal the synergistic potential of nanobody cocktails in neutralizing emerging variants. Our study highlights the power of nanobody technology as a versatile therapeutic and diagnostic tool to combat rapidly evolving infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia E. Ketaren
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Fred D. Mast
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Peter C. Fridy
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Jean Paul Olivier
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Tanmoy Sanyal
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Byers Hall, 1700 4th Street, Suite 503B, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Andrej Sali
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Byers Hall, 1700 4th Street, Suite 503B, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Brian T. Chait
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Michael P. Rout
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - John D. Aitchison
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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22
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Feng H, Yang L, Yang H, Cheng D, Li M, Song E, Xu T. A cardiotoxicity-eliminated ACE2 variant as a pan-inhibitor against coronavirus cell invasion. Mol Ther 2024; 32:218-226. [PMID: 37974399 PMCID: PMC10787150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Human recombinant ACE2 (hrACE2) has been highly anticipated as a successful COVID-19 treatment; however, its potential to cause cardiac side effects has given rise to many concerns. Here, we developed a cardiotoxicity-eliminated hrACE2 variant, which had four mutation sites within hrACE2 (H345L, H374L, H378L, H505L) and was named as hrACE2-4mu. hrACE2-4mu has a consistent binding affinity with the variant SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins (SPs) and an efficient ability to block SP-induced SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells. In golden hamsters, injection of purified wild-type (WT) hrACE2 rescues the early stages of pneumonia caused by the SPs of the WT, delta, and omicron variants with reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. However, long-term injection of WT hrACE2 induces undesired cardiac fibrosis, as demonstrated by upregulated fibronectin and collagen expression. Our newly developed hrACE2-4mu showed similar protective abilities against a series of coronavirus cell invasions as WT hrACE2, meanwhile it did not cause apparent cardiac side effects. Thus, we generated a cardiotoxicity-eliminated variant of hrACE2 as a pan-inhibitor against coronavirus cell invasion, providing a potential novel strategy for the treatment of COVID-19 and other coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Feng
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Linpu Yang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hang Yang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dongwan Cheng
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Min Li
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou 510005, China
| | - Eli Song
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Tao Xu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou 510005, China; Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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23
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Xie L, Shi S, Cheng L, Xu B, Ma S, Liu J, Wu X, Wang Y, Ye S. Dauricine interferes with SARS-CoV-2 variants infection by blocking the interface between RBD and ACE2. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127344. [PMID: 37848107 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The continued viral evolution results in the emergence of various SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as delta or omicron, that are partially resistant to current vaccines and antiviral medicines, posing an increased risk to global public health and raising the importance of continuous development of antiviral medicines. Inhibitor screening targeting the interactions between the viral spike proteins and their human receptor ACE2 represents a promising approach for drug discovery. Here, we demonstrate that the evolutionary trend of the SARS-CoV-2 variants is associated with increased electrostatic interactions between S proteins and ACE2. Virtual screening based on the ACE2-RBD binding interface identified nine monomers of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Furthermore, live-virus neutralization assays revealed that Dauricine, one of the identified monomers, exhibited an antiviral activity with an IC50 range of 18.2 to 33.3 μM for original strain, Delta, and Omicron strains, respectively. The computational study showed that the polycyclic and methoxy groups of Dauricine adhere to the RBD surface through π-π and electrostatic interactions. The discovery of Dauricine is a successful attempt to target viral entry, which will not only help society to respond quickly to viral variants, but also accelerate variant drug development thereby reducing the pressure on health authorities to respond to outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xie
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Sai Shi
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Lin Cheng
- Institute for Hepatology, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518112, China
| | - Binghong Xu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Sen Ma
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xilin Wu
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Yaxin Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Sheng Ye
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
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24
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P, Verkhivker G. AlphaFold2-Enabled Atomistic Modeling of Epistatic Binding Mechanisms for the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Omicron XBB.1.5, EG.5 and FLip Variants: Convergent Evolution Hotspots Cooperate to Control Stability and Conformational Adaptability in Balancing ACE2 Binding and Antibody Resistance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.11.571185. [PMID: 38168257 PMCID: PMC10760024 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.11.571185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we combined AI-based atomistic structural modeling and microsecond molecular simulations of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike complexes with the host receptor ACE2 for XBB.1.5+L455F, XBB.1.5+F456L(EG.5) and XBB.1.5+L455F/F456L (FLip) lineages to examine the mechanisms underlying the role of convergent evolution hotspots in balancing ACE2 binding and antibody evasion. Using the ensemble-based mutational scanning of the spike protein residues and physics-based rigorous computations of binding affinities, we identified binding energy hotspots and characterized molecular basis underlying epistatic couplings between convergent mutational hotspots. Consistent with the experiments, the results revealed the mediating role of Q493 hotspot in synchronization of epistatic couplings between L455F and F456L mutations providing a quantitative insight into the mechanism underlying differences between XBB lineages. Mutational profiling is combined with network-based model of epistatic couplings showing that the Q493, L455 and F456 sites mediate stable communities at the binding interface with ACE2 and can serve as stable mediators of non-additive couplings. Structure-based mutational analysis of Spike protein binding with the class 1 antibodies quantified the critical role of F456L and F486P mutations in eliciting strong immune evasion response. The results of this analysis support a mechanism in which the emergence of EG.5 and FLip variants may have been dictated by leveraging strong epistatic effects between several convergent revolutionary hotspots that provide synergy between the improved ACE2 binding and broad neutralization resistance. This interpretation is consistent with the notion that functionally balanced substitutions which simultaneously optimize immune evasion and high ACE2 affinity may continue to emerge through lineages with beneficial pair or triplet combinations of RBD mutations involving mediators of epistatic couplings and sites in highly adaptable RBD regions.
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25
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Fokam J, Essomba RG, Njouom R, Okomo MCA, Eyangoh S, Godwe C, Tegomoh B, Otshudiema JO, Nwobegahay J, Ndip L, Akenji B, Takou D, Moctar MMM, Mbah CK, Ndze VN, Maidadi-Foudi M, Kouanfack C, Tonmeu S, Ngono D, Nkengasong J, Ndembi N, Bissek ACZK, Mouangue C, Ndongo CB, Epée E, Mandeng N, Kamso Belinga S, Ayouba A, Fernandez N, Tongo M, Colizzi V, Halle-Ekane GE, Perno CF, Ndjolo A, Ndongmo CB, Shang J, Esso L, de-Tulio O, Diagne MM, Boum Y, Mballa GAE, Njock LR. Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 reveals highest severity and mortality of delta over other variants: evidence from Cameroon. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21654. [PMID: 38066020 PMCID: PMC10709425 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48773-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
While the SARS-CoV-2 dynamic has been described globally, there is a lack of data from Sub-Saharan Africa. We herein report the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 lineages from March 2020 to March 2022 in Cameroon. Of the 760 whole-genome sequences successfully generated by the national genomic surveillance network, 74% were viral sub-lineages of origin and non-variants of concern, 15% Delta, 6% Omicron, 3% Alpha and 2% Beta variants. The pandemic was driven by SARS-CoV-2 lineages of origin in wave 1 (16 weeks, 2.3% CFR), the Alpha and Beta variants in wave 2 (21 weeks, 1.6% CFR), Delta variants in wave 3 (11 weeks, 2.0% CFR), and omicron variants in wave 4 (8 weeks, 0.73% CFR), with a declining trend over time (p = 0.01208). Even though SARS-CoV-2 heterogeneity did not seemingly contribute to the breadth of transmission, the viral lineages of origin and especially the Delta variants appeared as drivers of COVID-19 severity in Cameroon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Fokam
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
- COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Platform (PSG), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
- Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon.
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
| | - Rene Ghislain Essomba
- COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Platform (PSG), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS), University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Richard Njouom
- COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Platform (PSG), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Centre Pasteur du Cameroun (CPC), Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Marie-Claire A Okomo
- COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Platform (PSG), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS), University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Sara Eyangoh
- COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Platform (PSG), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Centre Pasteur du Cameroun (CPC), Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Celestin Godwe
- Centre de Recherche en Maladies Emergentes et Re-emergentes (CREMER), Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Bryan Tegomoh
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - John O Otshudiema
- World Health Organization (WHO), Cameroon Country Office, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Julius Nwobegahay
- COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Platform (PSG), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Centre de Recherche Pour la Santé des Armées (CRESAR), Ministry of Defence, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Lucy Ndip
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Blaise Akenji
- National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Desire Takou
- Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Mohamed M M Moctar
- USAID's Infectious Diseases Detection and Surveillance, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | | | - Valantine Ngum Ndze
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Martin Maidadi-Foudi
- Centre de Recherche en Maladies Emergentes et Re-emergentes (CREMER), Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Charles Kouanfack
- Centre de Recherche en Maladies Emergentes et Re-emergentes (CREMER), Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Sandrine Tonmeu
- National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Dorine Ngono
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - John Nkengasong
- Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Nicaise Ndembi
- Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Anne-Cecile Z K Bissek
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Division for Operational Health Research (DROS), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Christian Mouangue
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Department of Disease, Epidemic and Pandemic Control (DLMEP), Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Chanceline B Ndongo
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Department of Disease, Epidemic and Pandemic Control (DLMEP), Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FMPS), University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Emilienne Epée
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS), University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Department of Disease, Epidemic and Pandemic Control (DLMEP), Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Nadia Mandeng
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Department of Disease, Epidemic and Pandemic Control (DLMEP), Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
| | - Sandrine Kamso Belinga
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Department of Disease, Epidemic and Pandemic Control (DLMEP), Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Ahidjo Ayouba
- Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD), Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Fernandez
- Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD), Montpellier, France
| | - Marcel Tongo
- Centre de Recherche en Maladies Emergentes et Re-emergentes (CREMER), Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Vittorio Colizzi
- Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Chair of UNESCO Biotechnology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Carlo-Federico Perno
- Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Alexis Ndjolo
- Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB), Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS), University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Clement B Ndongmo
- US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cameroon Country Office, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Judith Shang
- US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cameroon Country Office, Yaounde, Cameroon.
| | - Linda Esso
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Department of Disease, Epidemic and Pandemic Control (DLMEP), Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Oliviera de-Tulio
- University of KwaZulu-Natal and Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | - Yap Boum
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS), University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Epicentre, Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Georges A E Mballa
- National Public Health Emergencies Operations Coordination Centre (NPHEOCC), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS), University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Department of Disease, Epidemic and Pandemic Control (DLMEP), Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Louis R Njock
- COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Platform (PSG), Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS), University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FMPS), University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
- General Secretariat, Ministry of Public Health, Yaounde, Cameroon
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26
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Luo M, Zhou B, Reddem ER, Tang B, Chen B, Zhou R, Liu H, Liu L, Katsamba PS, Au KK, Man HO, To KKW, Yuen KY, Shapiro L, Dang S, Ho DD, Chen Z. Structural insights into broadly neutralizing antibodies elicited by hybrid immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2146538. [PMID: 36354024 PMCID: PMC9817130 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2146538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACTIncreasing spread by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants challenges existing vaccines and broadly reactive neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against COVID-19. Here we determine the diversity, potency, breadth and structural insights of bNAbs derived from memory B cells of BNT162b2-vaccinee after homogeneous Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection. The infection activates diverse memory B cell clonotypes for generating potent class I/II and III bNAbs with new epitopes mapped to the receptor-binding domain (RBD). The top eight bNAbs neutralize wildtype and BA.1 potently but display divergent IgH/IgL sequences and neuralization profiles against other variants of concern (VOCs). Two of them (P2D9 and P3E6) belonging to class III NAbs display comparable potency against BA.4/BA.5, although structural analysis reveals distinct modes of action. P3E6 neutralizes all variants tested through a unique bivalent interaction with two RBDs. Our findings provide new insights into hybrid immunity on BNT162b2-induced diverse memory B cells in response to Omicron breakthrough infection for generating diverse bNAbs with distinct structural basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxiao Luo
- AIDS Institute, 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
| | - Biao Zhou
- AIDS Institute, 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
| | | | - Bingjie Tang
- Division of Life Science, Center of Systems Biology and Human Health, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bohao Chen
- AIDS Institute, 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
| | - Runhong Zhou
- AIDS Institute, 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
| | - Hang Liu
- Division of Life Science, Center of Systems Biology and Human Health, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lihong Liu
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Ka-Kit Au
- AIDS Institute, 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
| | - Hiu-On Man
- AIDS Institute, 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
| | - Kelvin Kai-Wang To
- 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
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Health@InnoHK, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kwok-Yung Yuen
- 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
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Health@InnoHK, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behaviour Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shangyu Dang
- Division of Life Science, Center of Systems Biology and Human Health, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute, Nanshan, People’s Republic of China
| | - David D. Ho
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhiwei Chen
- AIDS Institute, 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
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Health@InnoHK, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
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27
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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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28
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de Souza AS, de Souza RF, Guzzo CR. Cooperative and structural relationships of the trimeric Spike with infectivity and antibody escape of the strains Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (BA.2, BA.5, and BQ.1). J Comput Aided Mol Des 2023; 37:585-606. [PMID: 37792106 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-023-00534-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we conducted simulations of trimeric Spike from several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (Delta and Omicron sub-variants BA.2, BA.5, and BQ.1) and investigated the mechanisms by which specific mutations confer resistance to neutralizing antibodies. We observed that the mutations primarily affect the cooperation between protein domains within and between protomers. The substitutions K417N and L452R expand hydrogen bonding interactions, reducing their interaction with neutralizing antibodies. By interacting with nearby residues, the K444T and N460K mutations in the SpikeBQ.1 variant potentially reduces solvent exposure, thereby promoting resistance to antibodies. We also examined the impact of D614G, P681R, and P681H substitutions on Spike protein structure that may be related to infectivity. The D614G substitution influences communication between a glycine residue and neighboring domains, affecting the transition between up- and -down RBD states. The P681R mutation, found in the Delta variant, enhances correlations between protein subunits, while the P681H mutation in Omicron sub-variants weakens long-range interactions that may be associated with reduced fusogenicity. Using a multiple linear regression model, we established a connection between inter-protomer communication and loss of sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies. Our findings underscore the importance of structural communication between protein domains and provide insights into potential mechanisms of immune evasion by SARS-CoV-2. Overall, this study deepens our understanding of how specific mutations impact SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and shed light on how the virus evades the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anacleto Silva de Souza
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, Sao Paulo, SP, 5508-900, Brazil.
| | - Robson Francisco de Souza
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, Sao Paulo, SP, 5508-900, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Rodrigues Guzzo
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Cidade Universitária, Sao Paulo, SP, 5508-900, Brazil.
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29
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P, Verkhivker G. Accurate Characterization of Conformational Ensembles and Binding Mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 and BA.2.86 Spike Protein with the Host Receptor and Distinct Classes of Antibodies Using AlphaFold2-Augmented Integrative Computational Modeling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.18.567697. [PMID: 38045395 PMCID: PMC10690158 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.18.567697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The latest wave SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants displayed a growth advantage and the increased viral fitness through convergent evolution of functional hotspots that work synchronously to balance fitness requirements for productive receptor binding and efficient immune evasion. In this study, we combined AlphaFold2-based structural modeling approaches with all-atom MD simulations and mutational profiling of binding energetics and stability for prediction and comprehensive analysis of the structure, dynamics, and binding of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 spike variant with ACE2 host receptor and distinct classes of antibodies. We adapted several AlphaFold2 approaches to predict both structure and conformational ensembles of the Omicron BA.2.86 spike protein in the complex with the host receptor. The results showed that AlphaFold2-predicted conformational ensemble of the BA.2.86 spike protein complex can accurately capture the main dynamics signatures obtained from microscond molecular dynamics simulations. The ensemble-based dynamic mutational scanning of the receptor binding domain residues in the BA.2 and BA.2.86 spike complexes with ACE2 dissected the role of the BA.2 and BA.2.86 backgrounds in modulating binding free energy changes revealing a group of conserved hydrophobic hotspots and critical variant-specific contributions of the BA.2.86 mutational sites R403K, F486P and R493Q. To examine immune evasion properties of BA.2.86 in atomistic detail, we performed large scale structure-based mutational profiling of the S protein binding interfaces with distinct classes of antibodies that displayed significantly reduced neutralization against BA.2.86 variant. The results quantified specific function of the BA.2.86 mutations to ensure broad resistance against different classes of RBD antibodies. This study revealed the molecular basis of compensatory functional effects of the binding hotspots, showing that BA.2.86 lineage may have primarily evolved to improve immune escape while modulating binding affinity with ACE2 through cooperative effect of R403K, F486P and R493Q mutations. The study supports a hypothesis that the impact of the increased ACE2 binding affinity on viral fitness is more universal and is mediated through cross-talk between convergent mutational hotspots, while the effect of immune evasion could be more variant-dependent.
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30
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Yousefbeigi S, Marsusi F. Structural insights into ACE2 interactions and immune activation of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants: an in-silico study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-14. [PMID: 37982275 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2283158] [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: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
The initial interaction between COVID-19 and the human body involves the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. Likewise, the spike protein can engage with immune-related proteins, such as toll-like receptors (TLRs) and pulmonary surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D), thereby triggering immune responses. In this study, we utilize computational methods to investigate the interactions between the spike protein and TLRs (specifically TLR2 and TLR4), as well as (SP-A) and (SP-D). The study is conducted on four variants of concern (VOC) to differentiate and identify common virus behaviours. An assessment of the structural stability of various variants indicates slight changes attributed to mutations, yet overall structural integrity remains preserved. Our findings reveal the spike protein's ability to bind with TLR4 and TLR2, prompting immune activation. In addition, our in-silico results reveal almost similar docking scores and therefore affinity for both ACE2-spike and TLR4-spike complexes. We demonstrate that even minor changes due to mutations in all variants, surfactant A and D proteins can function as inhibitors against the spike in all variants, hindering the ACE2-RBD interaction.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarina Yousefbeigi
- Department of Physics and Energy Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farah Marsusi
- Department of Physics and Energy Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
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31
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Pezzotti G, Ohgitani E, Fujita Y, Imamura H, Pappone F, Grillo A, Nakashio M, Shin-Ya M, Adachi T, Yamamoto T, Kanamura N, Marin E, Zhu W, Inaba T, Tanino Y, Nukui Y, Higasa K, Yasukochi Y, Okuma K, Mazda O. Raman Fingerprints of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariants: Molecular Roots of Virological Characteristics and Evolutionary Directions. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2226-2251. [PMID: 37850869 PMCID: PMC10644350 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00312] [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: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The latest RNA genomic mutation of SARS-CoV-2 virus, termed the Omicron variant, has generated a stream of highly contagious and antibody-resistant strains, which in turn led to classifying Omicron as a variant of concern. We systematically collected Raman spectra from six Omicron subvariants available in Japan (i.e., BA.1.18, BA.2, BA.4, BA.5, XE, and BA.2.75) and applied machine-learning algorithms to decrypt their structural characteristics at the molecular scale. Unique Raman fingerprints of sulfur-containing amino acid rotamers, RNA purines and pyrimidines, tyrosine phenol ring configurations, and secondary protein structures clearly differentiated the six Omicron subvariants. These spectral characteristics, which were linked to infectiousness, transmissibility, and propensity for immune evasion, revealed evolutionary motifs to be compared with the outputs of genomic studies. The availability of a Raman "metabolomic snapshot", which was then translated into a barcode to enable a prompt subvariant identification, opened the way to rationalize in real-time SARS-CoV-2 activity and variability. As a proof of concept, we applied the Raman barcode procedure to a nasal swab sample retrieved from a SARS-CoV-2 patient and identified its Omicron subvariant by coupling a commercially available magnetic bead technology with our newly developed Raman analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Pezzotti
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
- Department
of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Department
of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 160-0023 Tokyo, Japan
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Department
of Molecular Science and Nanosystems, Ca’
Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Eriko Ohgitani
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yuki Fujita
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Hayata Imamura
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Francesco Pappone
- Department
of Mathematical Science, Politecnico di
Torino, Corso Duca degli
Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Alfio Grillo
- Department
of Mathematical Science, Politecnico di
Torino, Corso Duca degli
Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Maiko Nakashio
- Department
of Infection Control & Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Masaharu Shin-Ya
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Adachi
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Department
of Microbiology, Kansai Medical University,
School of Medicine, 2-5-1
Shinmachi, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
| | - Toshiro Yamamoto
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Narisato Kanamura
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Elia Marin
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Wenliang Zhu
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Tohru Inaba
- Department
of Infection Control & Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yoko Tanino
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, University
Hospital, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yoko Nukui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, University
Hospital, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Koichiro Higasa
- Genome Analysis, Institute of Biomedical
Science, Kansai Medical University, 2-3-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1191, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Yasukochi
- Genome Analysis, Institute of Biomedical
Science, Kansai Medical University, 2-3-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1191, Japan
| | - Kazu Okuma
- Department
of Microbiology, Kansai Medical University,
School of Medicine, 2-5-1
Shinmachi, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
| | - Osam Mazda
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Yang L, Guo S, Hou C, Jiang S, Shi L, Ma X, Zheng B, Fang Y, Ye L, He X. Low-Entropy Hydration Shells at the Spike RBD's Binding Site May Reveal the Contagiousness of SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1628. [PMID: 38002310 PMCID: PMC10669249 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111628] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The infectivity of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is primarily determined by the binding affinity between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. Here, through screening off pseudo hydrophilic groups on protein surfaces, the distribution of low-entropy regions on hydration shells of the ACE2 receptor and the RBDs of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants was demonstrated. Shape matching between the low-entropy hydration shells of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and the ACE2 receptor has been identified as a mechanism that drives hydrophobic attraction between the RBDs and the ACE2 receptor, which estimates the binding affinity. Low-entropy regions of the hydration shells, which play important roles in determining the binding of other viruses and their receptors, are demonstrated. The RBD-ACE2 binding is thus found to be guided by hydrophobic collapse between the shape-matched low-entropy regions of the hydration shells of the proteins. A measure of the low-entropy status of the hydration shells can be estimated by calculating genuine hydrophilic groups within the binding sites. An important indicator of the contagiousness of SARS-CoV-2 variants is the low-entropy level of its hydration shells at the spike protein binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China; (S.G.); (S.J.); (L.S.); (X.M.)
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Shuai Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China; (S.G.); (S.J.); (L.S.); (X.M.)
| | - Chengyu Hou
- School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China;
| | - Shenda Jiang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China; (S.G.); (S.J.); (L.S.); (X.M.)
| | - Liping Shi
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China; (S.G.); (S.J.); (L.S.); (X.M.)
| | - Xiaoliang Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China; (S.G.); (S.J.); (L.S.); (X.M.)
| | - Bing Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry (Ministry of Education) and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150001, China;
| | - Yi Fang
- Department of Mathematics, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China;
| | - Lin Ye
- School of System Design and Intelligent Manufacturing, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China;
| | - Xiaodong He
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China; (S.G.); (S.J.); (L.S.); (X.M.)
- Shenzhen STRONG Advanced Materials Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518035, China
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33
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Le K, Kannappan S, Kim T, Lee JH, Lee HR, Kim KK. Structural understanding of SARS-CoV-2 virus entry to host cells. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1288686. [PMID: 38033388 PMCID: PMC10683510 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1288686] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a major global health concern associated with millions of fatalities worldwide. Mutant variants of the virus have further exacerbated COVID-19 mortality and infection rates, emphasizing the urgent need for effective preventive strategies. Understanding the viral infection mechanism is crucial for developing therapeutics and vaccines. The entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells is a key step in the infection pathway and has been targeted for drug development. Despite numerous reviews of COVID-19 and the virus, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews focusing on the structural aspects of viral entry. In this review, we analyze structural changes in Spike proteins during the entry process, dividing the entry process into prebinding, receptor binding, proteolytic cleavage, and membrane fusion steps. By understanding the atomic-scale details of viral entry, we can better target the entry step for intervention strategies. We also examine the impacts of mutations in Spike proteins, including the Omicron variant, on viral entry. Structural information provides insights into the effects of mutations and can guide the development of therapeutics and vaccines. Finally, we discuss available structure-based approaches for the development of therapeutics and vaccines. Overall, this review provides a detailed analysis of the structural aspects of SARS-CoV-2 viral entry, highlighting its significance in the development of therapeutics and vaccines against COVID-19. Therefore, our review emphasizes the importance of structural information in combating SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Le
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Institute of Antibacterial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Shrute Kannappan
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Institute of Antibacterial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Technology Core Research Institute, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Truc Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Institute of Antibacterial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Heon Lee
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Technology Core Research Institute, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- School of Advanced Materials and Science Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Ra Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, College of Science and Technology, Korea University, Sejong, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Kyu Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Institute of Antibacterial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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Pitsillou E, Yu Y, Beh RC, Liang JJ, Hung A, Karagiannis TC. Chronicling the 3-year evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of disease management, characteristics of major variants, and impacts on pathogenicity. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:3277-3298. [PMID: 37615803 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01168-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Announced on December 31, 2019, the novel coronavirus arising in Wuhan City, Hubei Province resulted in millions of cases and lives lost. Following intense tracking, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified as the cause of COVID-19 and the continuous evolution of the virus has given rise to several variants. In this review, a comprehensive analysis of the response to the pandemic over the first three-year period is provided, focusing on disease management, development of vaccines and therapeutics, and identification of variants. The transmissibility and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 variants including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron are compared. The binding characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and reproduction numbers are evaluated. The effects of major variants on disease severity, hospitalisation, and case-fatality rates are outlined. In addition to the spike protein, open reading frames mutations are investigated. We also compare the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 with SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Overall, this study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the global response to the pandemic, as well as the importance of prevention and preparedness. Monitoring the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is critical in identifying and potentially predicting the health outcomes of concerning variants as they emerge. The ultimate goal would be a position in which existing vaccines and therapeutics could be adapted to suit new variants in as close to real-time as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Pitsillou
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Yiping Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Raymond C Beh
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Julia J Liang
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Andrew Hung
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Tom C Karagiannis
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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35
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Tulsian NK, Palur RV, Qian X, Gu Y, D/O Shunmuganathan B, Samsudin F, Wong YH, Lin J, Purushotorman K, Kozma MM, Wang B, Lescar J, Wang CI, Gupta RK, Bond PJ, MacAry PA. Defining neutralization and allostery by antibodies against COVID-19 variants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6967. [PMID: 37907459 PMCID: PMC10618280 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42408-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The changing landscape of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein is linked to the emergence of variants, immune-escape and reduced efficacy of the existing repertoire of anti-viral antibodies. The functional activity of neutralizing antibodies is linked to their quaternary changes occurring as a result of antibody-Spike trimer interactions. Here, we reveal the conformational dynamics and allosteric perturbations linked to binding of novel human antibodies and the viral Spike protein. We identified epitope hotspots, and associated changes in Spike dynamics that distinguish weak, moderate and strong neutralizing antibodies. We show the impact of mutations in Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta, and Omicron variants on differences in the antibody-induced conformational changes in Spike and illustrate how these render certain antibodies ineffective. Antibodies with similar binding affinities may induce destabilizing or stabilizing allosteric effects on Spike, with implications for neutralization efficacy. Our results provide mechanistic insights into the functional modes and synergistic behavior of human antibodies against COVID-19 and may assist in designing effective antiviral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Kumar Tulsian
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore.
| | - Raghuvamsi Venkata Palur
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138761, Singapore
| | - Xinlei Qian
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Yue Gu
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Bhuvaneshwari D/O Shunmuganathan
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Firdaus Samsudin
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138761, Singapore
| | - Yee Hwa Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Experimental Medicine Building, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
| | - Jianqing Lin
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Experimental Medicine Building, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Mary McQueen Kozma
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Bei Wang
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Julien Lescar
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Experimental Medicine Building, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
| | - Cheng-I Wang
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Ravindra Kumar Gupta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter John Bond
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138761, Singapore.
| | - Paul Anthony MacAry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore.
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore.
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36
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Chakraborty S, Saha C. A multi-tier computational screening framework to effectively search the mutational space of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding motif to identify mutants with enhanced ACE2 binding abilities. Mol Inform 2023; 42:e2300055. [PMID: 37590498 DOI: 10.1002/minf.202300055] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 gained crucial mutations at the receptor binding domain (RBD) that often changed the course of the pandemic leading to new waves with increased case fatality. Variants are observed with enhanced transmission and immune invasion abilities. Thus, predicting future variants with enhanced transmission ability is a problem of utmost research interest. Here, we have developed a multi-tier exhaustive SARS-CoV-2 mutation screening platform combining MM/GBSA, extensive molecular dynamics simulations, and steered molecular dynamics to identify RBD mutants with enhanced ACE2 binding capability. We have identified four RBM mutations (F490K, S494K, G504F, and the P499L) with significantly higher ACE2 binding abilities than wild-type RBD. Compared to wild-type RBD, they all form stable complexes with more hydrogen bonds and salt-bridge interactions with ACE2. Our simulation data suggest that these mutations allosterically alter the packing of the RBM interface of the RBD-ACE2 complex. As a result, the rupture force required to break the RBD-ACE2 contacts is significantly higher for these mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandipan Chakraborty
- Center for Innovation in Molecular and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CIMPS), Dr. Reddy's Institute of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad Campus, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Chiranjeet Saha
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, 700135, India
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37
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Xu C, Han W, Cong Y. Cryo-EM and cryo-ET of the spike, virion, and antibody neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 and VOCs. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102664. [PMID: 37544111 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) have been demonstrated to be powerful and efficient tools in structural studies of distinct conformational states of the trimeric spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and the VOCs as well as the intact virion. Cryo-EM has also contributed greatly to revealing the molecular basis of receptor recognition and antibody neutralization of the S trimer. Additionally, it has provided structural insights into the enhanced transformation and immune evasion of the VOCs, thus facilitating antiviral antibody and drug discovery. In this review, we summarize the contributions of cryo-EM and cryo-ET in revealing the structures of SARS-CoV-2 S trimer and intact virion and the mechanisms of receptor binding and antibody neutralization. We also highlight their prospective utilities in the development of vaccines and future therapeutics against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and other epidemic viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wenyu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yao Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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38
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Verkhivker G, Alshahrani M, Gupta G. Exploring Conformational Landscapes and Cryptic Binding Pockets in Distinct Functional States of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 Trimers: Mutation-Induced Modulation of Protein Dynamics and Network-Guided Prediction of Variant-Specific Allosteric Binding Sites. Viruses 2023; 15:2009. [PMID: 37896786 PMCID: PMC10610873 DOI: 10.3390/v15102009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A significant body of experimental structures of SARS-CoV-2 spike trimers for the BA.1 and BA.2 variants revealed a considerable plasticity of the spike protein and the emergence of druggable binding pockets. Understanding the interplay of conformational dynamics changes induced by the Omicron variants and the identification of cryptic dynamic binding pockets in the S protein is of paramount importance as exploring broad-spectrum antiviral agents to combat the emerging variants is imperative. In the current study, we explore conformational landscapes and characterize the universe of binding pockets in multiple open and closed functional spike states of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron variants. By using a combination of atomistic simulations, a dynamics network analysis, and an allostery-guided network screening of binding pockets in the conformational ensembles of the BA.1 and BA.2 spike conformations, we identified all experimentally known allosteric sites and discovered significant variant-specific differences in the distribution of binding sites in the BA.1 and BA.2 trimers. This study provided a structural characterization of the predicted cryptic pockets and captured the experimentally known allosteric sites, revealing the critical role of conformational plasticity in modulating the distribution and cross-talk between functional binding sites. We found that mutational and dynamic changes in the BA.1 variant can induce the remodeling and stabilization of a known druggable pocket in the N-terminal domain, while this pocket is drastically altered and may no longer be available for ligand binding in the BA.2 variant. Our results predicted the experimentally known allosteric site in the receptor-binding domain that remains stable and ranks as the most favorable site in the conformational ensembles of the BA.2 variant but could become fragmented and less probable in BA.1 conformations. We also uncovered several cryptic pockets formed at the inter-domain and inter-protomer interface, including functional regions of the S2 subunit and stem helix region, which are consistent with the known role of pocket residues in modulating conformational transitions and antibody recognition. The results of this study are particularly significant for understanding the dynamic and network features of the universe of available binding pockets in spike proteins, as well as the effects of the Omicron-variant-specific modulation of preferential druggable pockets. The exploration of predicted druggable sites can present a new and previously underappreciated opportunity for therapeutic interventions for Omicron variants through the conformation-selective and variant-specific targeting of functional sites involved in allosteric changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (M.A.); (G.G.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (M.A.); (G.G.)
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39
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Nguyen H, Nguyen HL, Lan PD, Thai NQ, Sikora M, Li MS. Interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with host cells and antibodies: experiment and simulation. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:6497-6553. [PMID: 37650302 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs01170g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the devastating global COVID-19 pandemic announced by WHO in March 2020. Through unprecedented scientific effort, several vaccines, drugs and antibodies have been developed, saving millions of lives, but the fight against COVID-19 continues as immune escape variants of concern such as Delta and Omicron emerge. To develop more effective treatments and to elucidate the side effects caused by vaccines and therapeutic agents, a deeper understanding of the molecular interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with them and human cells is required. With special interest in computational approaches, we will focus on the structure of SARS-CoV-2 and the interaction of its spike protein with human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) as a prime entry point of the virus into host cells. In addition, other possible viral receptors will be considered. The fusion of viral and human membranes and the interaction of the spike protein with antibodies and nanobodies will be discussed, as well as the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on protein synthesis in host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung Nguyen
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Hoang Linh Nguyen
- Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Faculty of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
| | - Pham Dang Lan
- Life Science Lab, Institute for Computational Science and Technology, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, 729110 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Physics and Engineering Physics, VNUHCM-University of Science, 227, Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, 749000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Quoc Thai
- Dong Thap University, 783 Pham Huu Lau Street, Ward 6, Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap, Vietnam
| | - Mateusz Sikora
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
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40
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Xiao S, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Tao P, Verkhivker G. Markov State Models and Perturbation-Based Approaches Reveal Distinct Dynamic Signatures and Hidden Allosteric Pockets in the Emerging SARS-Cov-2 Spike Omicron Variant Complexes with the Host Receptor: The Interplay of Dynamics and Convergent Evolution Modulates Allostery and Functional Mechanisms. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5272-5296. [PMID: 37549201 PMCID: PMC11162552 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
The new generation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants displayed a significant growth advantage and increased viral fitness by acquiring convergent mutations, suggesting that the immune pressure can promote convergent evolution leading to the sudden acceleration of SARS-CoV-2 evolution. In the current study, we combined structural modeling, microsecond molecular dynamics simulations, and Markov state models to characterize conformational landscapes and identify specific dynamic signatures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with the host receptor ACE2 for the recently emerged highly transmissible XBB.1, XBB.1.5, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1 Omicron variants. Microsecond simulations and Markovian modeling provided a detailed characterization of the functional conformational states and revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the XBB.1.5 subvariant, which can be contrasted to more dynamic BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 subvariants. Despite considerable structural similarities, Omicron mutations can induce unique dynamic signatures and specific distributions of the conformational states. The results suggested that variant-specific changes of the conformational mobility in the functional interfacial loops of the receptor-binding domain in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can be fine-tuned through crosstalk between convergent mutations which could provide an evolutionary path for modulation of immune escape. By combining atomistic simulations and Markovian modeling analysis with perturbation-based approaches, we determined important complementary roles of convergent mutation sites as effectors and receivers of allosteric signaling involved in modulation of conformational plasticity and regulation of allosteric communications. This study also revealed hidden allosteric pockets and suggested that convergent mutation sites could control evolution and distribution of allosteric pockets through modulation of conformational plasticity in the flexible adaptable regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
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41
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Verkhivker G, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P. Probing conformational landscapes of binding and allostery in the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant complexes using microsecond atomistic simulations and perturbation-based profiling approaches: hidden role of omicron mutations as modulators of allosteric signaling and epistatic relationships. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:21245-21266. [PMID: 37548589 PMCID: PMC10536792 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02042h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we systematically examine the conformational dynamics, binding and allosteric communications in the Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4/BA.5 spike protein complexes with the ACE2 host receptor using molecular dynamics simulations and perturbation-based network profiling approaches. Microsecond atomistic simulations provided a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the BA.2 variant which can be contrasted with the BA.4/BA.5 variants inducing a significant mobility of the complexes. Using the dynamics-based mutational scanning of spike residues, we identified structural stability and binding affinity hotspots in the Omicron complexes. Perturbation response scanning and network-based mutational profiling approaches probed the effect of the Omicron mutations on allosteric interactions and communications in the complexes. The results of this analysis revealed specific roles of Omicron mutations as conformationally plastic and evolutionary adaptable modulators of binding and allostery which are coupled to the major regulatory positions through interaction networks. Through perturbation network scanning of allosteric residue potentials in the Omicron variant complexes performed in the background of the original strain, we characterized regions of epistatic couplings that are centered around the binding affinity hotspots N501Y and Q498R. Our results dissected the vital role of these epistatic centers in regulating protein stability, efficient ACE2 binding and allostery which allows for accumulation of multiple Omicron immune escape mutations at other sites. Through integrative computational approaches, this study provides a systematic analysis of the effects of Omicron mutations on thermodynamics, binding and allosteric signaling in the complexes with ACE2 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75275, USA.
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75275, USA.
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Akter S, Oliveira JIN, Barton C, Sarkar MH, Shahab M, Banu TA, Goswami B, Osman E, Uzzaman MS, Nafisa T, Molla MA, Yeasmin M, Farzana M, Habib A, Shaikh AA, Khan S. Spike protein mutations and structural insights of pangolin lineage B.1.1.25 with implications for viral pathogenicity and ACE2 binding affinity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13146. [PMID: 37573409 PMCID: PMC10423208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40005-y] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID -19, is constantly evolving, requiring continuous genomic surveillance. In this study, we used whole-genome sequencing to investigate the genetic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh, with particular emphasis on identifying dominant variants and associated mutations. We used high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) to obtain DNA sequences from COVID-19 patient samples and compared these sequences to the Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 reference genome using the Global Initiative for Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID). Our phylogenetic and mutational analyzes revealed that the majority (88%) of the samples belonged to the pangolin lineage B.1.1.25, whereas the remaining 11% were assigned to the parental lineage B.1.1. Two main mutations, D614G and P681R, were identified in the spike protein sequences of the samples. The D614G mutation, which is the most common, decreases S1 domain flexibility, whereas the P681R mutation may increase the severity of viral infections by increasing the binding affinity between the spike protein and the ACE2 receptor. We employed molecular modeling techniques, including protein modeling, molecular docking, and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) geometry optimization, to build and validate three-dimensional models of the S_D614G-ACE2 and S_P681R-ACE2 complexes from the predominant strains. The description of the binding mode and intermolecular contacts of the referenced systems suggests that the P681R mutation may be associated with increased viral pathogenicity in Bangladeshi patients due to enhanced electrostatic interactions between the mutant spike protein and the human ACE2 receptor, underscoring the importance of continuous genomic surveillance in the fight against COVID -19. Finally, the binding profile of the S_D614G-ACE2 and S_P681R-ACE2 complexes offer valuable insights to deeply understand the binding site characteristics that could help to develop antiviral therapeutics that inhibit protein-protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human ACE2 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahina Akter
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59078-900, Brazil
| | - Carl Barton
- Birkbeck, University of London, Malet St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Murshed Hasan Sarkar
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Muhammad Shahab
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Tanjina Akhtar Banu
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Barna Goswami
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Eshrar Osman
- SciTech Consulting and Solutions, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Tasnim Nafisa
- National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Maruf Ahmed Molla
- National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13207, USA
| | - Mahmuda Yeasmin
- National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Maisha Farzana
- Department of Chemistry, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Ahashan Habib
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Aftab Ali Shaikh
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Salim Khan
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Mani S, Kaur A, Jakhar K, Kumari G, Sonar S, Kumar A, Das S, Kumar S, Kumar V, Kundu R, Pandey AK, Singh UP, Majumdar T. Targeting DPP4-RBD interactions by sitagliptin and linagliptin delivers a potential host-directed therapy against pan-SARS-CoV-2 infections. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 245:125444. [PMID: 37385308 PMCID: PMC10293653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 is known aetiological factor for COVID-19. Here, we have demonstrated that the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein can interact with human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) to facilitate virus entry, in addition to the usual route of ACE2-RBD binding. Significant number of residues of RBD makes hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions with α/β-hydrolase domain of DPP4. With this observation, we created a strategy to combat COVID-19 by circumventing the catalytic activity of DPP4 using its inhibitors. Sitagliptin, linagliptin or in combination disavowed RBD to establish a heterodimer complex with both DPP4 and ACE2 which is requisite strategy for virus entry into the cells. Both gliptins not only impede DPP4 activity, but also prevent ACE2-RBD interaction, crucial for virus growth. Sitagliptin, and linagliptin alone or in combination have avidity to impede the growth of pan-SARS-CoV-2 variants including original SARS-CoV-2, alpha, beta, delta, and kappa in a dose dependent manner. However, these drugs were unable to alter enzymatic activity of PLpro and Mpro. We conclude that viruses hijack DPP4 for cell invasion via RBD binding. Impeding RBD interaction with both DPP4 and ACE2 selectively by sitagliptin and linagliptin is an potential strategy for efficiently preventing viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailendra Mani
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | | | - Kamini Jakhar
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | | | - Sudipta Sonar
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Sudesna Das
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Vijay Kumar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Rakesh Kundu
- Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India
| | - Anil Kumar Pandey
- Department of Physiology, ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Faridabad, India
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Maurya AK, Sharma P, Samanta P, Shami AA, Misra SK, Zhang F, Thara R, Kumar D, Shi D, Linhardt RJ, Sharp JS, Doerksen RJ, Tandon R, Pomin VH. Structure, anti-SARS-CoV-2, and anticoagulant effects of two sulfated galactans from the red alga Botryocladia occidentalis. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 238:124168. [PMID: 36963552 PMCID: PMC10175164 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
The structure of the sulfated galactan from the red alga Botryocladia occidentalis (BoSG) was originally proposed as a simple repeating disaccharide of alternating 4-linked α-galactopyranose (Galp) and 3-linked β-Galp units with variable sulfation pattern. Abundance was estimated only for the α-Galp units: one-third of 2,3-disulfation and one-third of 2-monosulfation. Here, we isolated again the same BoSG fractions from the anion-exchange chromatography, obtaining the same NMR profile of the first report. More careful NMR analysis led us to revise the structure. A more complex sulfation pattern was noted along with the occurrence of 4-linked α-3,6-anhydro-Galp (AnGalp) units. Interestingly, the more sulfated BoSG fraction showed slightly reduced in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities against both wild-type and delta variants, and significantly reduced anticoagulant activity. The BoSG fractions showed no cytotoxic effects. The reduction in both bioactivities is attributed to the presence of the AnGalp unit. Docking scores from computational simulations using BoSG disaccharide constructs on wild-type and delta S-proteins, and binding analysis through competitive SPR assays using blood (co)-factors (antithrombin, heparin cofactor II and thrombin) and four S-proteins (wild-type, delta, gamma, and omicron) strongly support the conclusion about the deleterious impact of the AnGalp unit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antim K Maurya
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Poonam Sharma
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Research, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Priyanka Samanta
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Anter A Shami
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Sandeep K Misra
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Reena Thara
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Research, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Deling Shi
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Robert J Linhardt
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Joshua S Sharp
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA; Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Robert J Doerksen
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA; Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Ritesh Tandon
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA; Center for Immunology and Microbial Research, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Vitor H Pomin
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA; Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA.
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45
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Wuo M, Dugan AE, Halim M, Hauser BM, Feldman J, Caradonna TM, Zhang S, Pepi LE, Atyeo C, Fischinger S, Alter G, Garcia-Beltran WF, Azadi P, Hung D, Schmidt AG, Kiessling LL. Lectin Fingerprinting Distinguishes Antibody Neutralization in SARS-CoV-2. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:947-956. [PMID: 37252360 PMCID: PMC10214521 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c01471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Enveloped viruses co-opt host glycosylation pathways to decorate their surface proteins. As viruses evolve, emerging strains can modify their glycosylation patterns to influence host interactions and subvert immune recognition. Still, changes in viral glycosylation or their impact on antibody protection cannot be predicted from genomic sequences alone. Using the highly glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein as a model system, we present a lectin fingerprinting method that rapidly reports on changes in variant glycosylation state, which are linked to antibody neutralization. In the presence of antibodies or convalescent and vaccinated patient sera, unique lectin fingerprints emerge that distinguish neutralizing versus non-neutralizing antibodies. This information could not be inferred from direct binding interactions between antibodies and the Spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) binding data alone. Comparative glycoproteomics of the Spike RBD of wild-type (Wuhan-Hu-1) and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants reveal O-glycosylation differences as a key determinant of immune recognition differences. These data underscore the interplay between viral glycosylation and immune recognition and reveal lectin fingerprinting to be a rapid, sensitive, and high-throughput assay to distinguish the neutralization potential of antibodies that target critical viral glycoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael
G. Wuo
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Amanda E. Dugan
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Melanie Halim
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Blake M. Hauser
- Ragon
Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jared Feldman
- Ragon
Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Timothy M. Caradonna
- Ragon
Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Shuting Zhang
- The
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative
Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department
of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Lauren E. Pepi
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Caroline Atyeo
- Ragon
Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Stephanie Fischinger
- Ragon
Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon
Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | | | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Deb Hung
- The
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative
Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department
of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Aaron G. Schmidt
- Ragon
Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department
of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Laura L. Kiessling
- Department
of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Koch
Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Xiao S, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Tao P, Verkhivker G. Markov State Models and Perturbation-Based Approaches Reveal Distinct Dynamic Signatures and Hidden Allosteric Pockets in the Emerging SARS-Cov-2 Spike Omicron Variants Complexes with the Host Receptor: The Interplay of Dynamics and Convergent Evolution Modulates Allostery and Functional Mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.20.541592. [PMID: 37292827 PMCID: PMC10245745 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.20.541592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The new generation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants displayed a significant growth advantage and the increased viral fitness by acquiring convergent mutations, suggesting that the immune pressure can promote convergent evolution leading to the sudden acceleration of SARS-CoV-2 evolution. In the current study, we combined structural modeling, extensive microsecond MD simulations and Markov state models to characterize conformational landscapes and identify specific dynamic signatures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with the host receptor ACE2 for the recently emerged highly transmissible XBB.1, XBB.1.5, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1 Omicron variants. Microsecond simulations and Markovian modeling provided a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the XBB.1.5 subvariant which is contrasted to more dynamic BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 subvariants. Despite considerable structural similarities, Omicron mutations can induce unique dynamic signatures and specific distributions of conformational states. The results suggested that variant-specific changes of conformational mobility in the functional interfacial loops of the spike receptor binding domain can be fine-tuned through cross-talk between convergent mutations thereby providing an evolutionary path for modulation of immune escape. By combining atomistic simulations and Markovian modeling analysis with perturbation-based approaches, we determined important complementary roles of convergent mutation sites as effectors and receivers of allosteric signaling involved in modulating conformational plasticity at the binding interface and regulating allosteric responses. This study also characterized the dynamics-induced evolution of allosteric pockets in the Omicron complexes that revealed hidden allosteric pockets and suggested that convergent mutation sites could control evolution and distribution of allosteric pockets through modulation of conformational plasticity in the flexible adaptable regions. Through integrative computational approaches, this investigation provides a systematic analysis and comparison of the effects of Omicron subvariants on conformational dynamics and allosteric signaling in the complexes with the ACE2 receptor. For Table of Contents Use Only
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47
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Havranek B, Lindsey GW, Higuchi Y, Itoh Y, Suzuki T, Okamoto T, Hoshino A, Procko E, Islam SM. A computationally designed ACE2 decoy has broad efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants and related viruses in vitro and in vivo. Commun Biol 2023; 6:513. [PMID: 37173421 PMCID: PMC10177734 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04860-9] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, especially B.1.1.529/omicron and its sublineages, continues to mutate to evade monoclonal antibodies and antibodies elicited by vaccination. Affinity-enhanced soluble ACE2 (sACE2) is an alternative strategy that works by binding the SARS-CoV-2 S protein, acting as a 'decoy' to block the interaction between the S and human ACE2. Using a computational design strategy, we designed an affinity-enhanced ACE2 decoy, FLIF, that exhibited tight binding to SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants. Our computationally calculated absolute binding free energies (ABFE) between sACE2:SARS-CoV-2 S proteins and their variants showed excellent agreement to binding experiments. FLIF displayed robust therapeutic utility against a broad range of SARS-CoV-2 variants and sarbecoviruses, and neutralized omicron BA.5 in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we directly compared the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of wild-type ACE2 (non-affinity enhanced ACE2) against FLIF. A few wild-type sACE2 decoys have shown to be effective against early circulating variants such as Wuhan in vivo. Our data suggest that moving forward, affinity-enhanced ACE2 decoys like FLIF may be required to combat evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants. The approach described herein emphasizes how computational methods have become sufficiently accurate for the design of therapeutics against viral protein targets. Affinity-enhanced ACE2 decoys remain highly effective at neutralizing omicron subvariants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Havranek
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
- ComputePharma, LLC., Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Yusuke Higuchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yumi Itoh
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Suzuki
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toru Okamoto
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Erik Procko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Cyrus Biotechnology, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shahidul M Islam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
- ComputePharma, LLC., Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA.
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48
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Verkhivker G, Alshahrani M, Gupta G. Balancing Functional Tradeoffs between Protein Stability and ACE2 Binding in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2, BA.2.75 and XBB Lineages: Dynamics-Based Network Models Reveal Epistatic Effects Modulating Compensatory Dynamic and Energetic Changes. Viruses 2023; 15:1143. [PMID: 37243229 PMCID: PMC10221141 DOI: 10.3390/v15051143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary and functional studies suggested that the emergence of the Omicron variants can be determined by multiple fitness trade-offs including the immune escape, binding affinity for ACE2, conformational plasticity, protein stability and allosteric modulation. In this study, we systematically characterize conformational dynamics, structural stability and binding affinities of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Omicron complexes with the host receptor ACE2 for BA.2, BA.2.75, XBB.1 and XBB.1.5 variants. We combined multiscale molecular simulations and dynamic analysis of allosteric interactions together with the ensemble-based mutational scanning of the protein residues and network modeling of epistatic interactions. This multifaceted computational study characterized molecular mechanisms and identified energetic hotspots that can mediate the predicted increased stability and the enhanced binding affinity of the BA.2.75 and XBB.1.5 complexes. The results suggested a mechanism driven by the stability hotspots and a spatially localized group of the Omicron binding affinity centers, while allowing for functionally beneficial neutral Omicron mutations in other binding interface positions. A network-based community model for the analysis of epistatic contributions in the Omicron complexes is proposed revealing the key role of the binding hotspots R498 and Y501 in mediating community-based epistatic couplings with other Omicron sites and allowing for compensatory dynamics and binding energetic changes. The results also showed that mutations in the convergent evolutionary hotspot F486 can modulate not only local interactions but also rewire the global network of local communities in this region allowing the F486P mutation to restore both the stability and binding affinity of the XBB.1.5 variant which may explain the growth advantages over the XBB.1 variant. The results of this study are consistent with a broad range of functional studies rationalizing functional roles of the Omicron mutation sites that form a coordinated network of hotspots enabling a balance of multiple fitness tradeoffs and shaping up a complex functional landscape of virus transmissibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (M.A.); (G.G.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (M.A.); (G.G.)
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49
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Verkhivker G, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P. Probing Conformational Landscapes of Binding and Allostery in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Complexes Using Microsecond Atomistic Simulations and Perturbation-Based Profiling Approaches: Hidden Role of Omicron Mutations as Modulators of Allosteric Signaling and Epistatic Relationships. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.03.539337. [PMID: 37205479 PMCID: PMC10187228 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.03.539337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we systematically examine the conformational dynamics, binding and allosteric communications in the Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4/BA.5 complexes with the ACE2 host receptor using molecular dynamics simulations and perturbation-based network profiling approaches. Microsecond atomistic simulations provided a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the BA.2 variant which is contrasted with the BA.4/BA.5 variants inducing a significant mobility of the complexes. Using ensemble-based mutational scanning of binding interactions, we identified binding affinity and structural stability hotspots in the Omicron complexes. Perturbation response scanning and network-based mutational profiling approaches probed the effect of the Omicron variants on allosteric communications. The results of this analysis revealed specific roles of Omicron mutations as "plastic and evolutionary adaptable" modulators of binding and allostery which are coupled to the major regulatory positions through interaction networks. Through perturbation network scanning of allosteric residue potentials in the Omicron variant complexes, which is performed in the background of the original strain, we identified that the key Omicron binding affinity hotspots N501Y and Q498R could mediate allosteric interactions and epistatic couplings. Our results suggested that the synergistic role of these hotspots in controlling stability, binding and allostery can enable for compensatory balance of fitness tradeoffs with conformationally and evolutionary adaptable immune-escape Omicron mutations. Through integrative computational approaches, this study provides a systematic analysis of the effects of Omicron mutations on thermodynamics, binding and allosteric signaling in the complexes with ACE2 receptor. The findings support a mechanism in which Omicron mutations can evolve to balance thermodynamic stability and conformational adaptability in order to ensure proper tradeoff between stability, binding and immune escape.
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Corominas J, Garriga C, Prenafeta A, Moros A, Cañete M, Barreiro A, González-González L, Madrenas L, Güell I, Clotet B, Izquierdo-Useros N, Raïch-Regué D, Gallemí M, Blanco J, Pradenas E, Trinité B, Prado JG, Blanch-Lombarte O, Pérez-Caballero R, Plana M, Esteban I, Pastor-Quiñones C, Núñez-Costa X, Taleb RA, McSkimming P, Soriano A, Nava J, Anagua JO, Ramos R, Lluch RM, Comes AC, Romero SO, Gomez XM, Sans-Pola C, Moltó J, Benet S, Bailón L, Arribas JR, Borobia AM, Parada JQ, Navarro-Pérez J, Forner Giner MJ, Lucas RO, Jiménez MDMV, Compán SO, Alvarez-Mon M, Troncoso D, Arana-Arri E, Meijide S, Imaz-Ayo N, García PM, de la Villa Martínez S, Fernández SR, Prat T, Torroella È, Ferrer L. Safety and immunogenicity of the protein-based PHH-1V compared to BNT162b2 as a heterologous SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccine in adults vaccinated against COVID-19: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority phase IIb trial. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2023; 28:100613. [PMID: 37131861 PMCID: PMC10102678 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Background A SARS-CoV-2 protein-based heterodimer vaccine, PHH-1V, has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in healthy young adults in a first-in-human, Phase I/IIa study dose-escalation trial. Here, we report the interim results of the Phase IIb HH-2, where the immunogenicity and safety of a heterologous booster with PHH-1V is assessed versus a homologous booster with BNT162b2 at 14, 28 and 98 days after vaccine administration. Methods The HH-2 study is an ongoing multicentre, randomised, active-controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority Phase IIb trial, where participants 18 years or older who had received two doses of BNT162b2 were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive a booster dose of vaccine-either heterologous (PHH-1V group) or homologous (BNT162b2 group)-in 10 centres in Spain. Eligible subjects were allocated to treatment stratified by age group (18-64 versus ≥65 years) with approximately 10% of the sample enrolled in the older age group. The primary endpoints were humoral immunogenicity measured by changes in levels of neutralizing antibodies (PBNA) against the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain after the PHH-1V or the BNT162b2 boost, and the safety and tolerability of PHH-1V as a boost. The secondary endpoints were to compare changes in levels of neutralizing antibodies against different variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the T-cell responses towards the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein peptides. The exploratory endpoint was to assess the number of subjects with SARS-CoV-2 infections ≥14 days after PHH-1V booster. This study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05142553. Findings From 15 November 2021, 782 adults were randomly assigned to PHH-1V (n = 522) or BNT162b2 (n = 260) boost vaccine groups. The geometric mean titre (GMT) ratio of neutralizing antibodies on days 14, 28 and 98, shown as BNT162b2 active control versus PHH-1V, was, respectively, 1.68 (p < 0.0001), 1.31 (p = 0.0007) and 0.86 (p = 0.40) for the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain; 0.62 (p < 0.0001), 0.65 (p < 0.0001) and 0.56 (p = 0.003) for the Beta variant; 1.01 (p = 0.92), 0.88 (p = 0.11) and 0.52 (p = 0.0003) for the Delta variant; and 0.59 (p ≤ 0.0001), 0.66 (p < 0.0001) and 0.57 (p = 0.0028) for the Omicron BA.1 variant. Additionally, PHH-1V as a booster dose induced a significant increase of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells expressing IFN-γ on day 14. There were 458 participants who experienced at least one adverse event (89.3%) in the PHH-1V and 238 (94.4%) in the BNT162b2 group. The most frequent adverse events were injection site pain (79.7% and 89.3%), fatigue (27.5% and 42.1%) and headache (31.2 and 40.1%) for the PHH-1V and the BNT162b2 groups, respectively. A total of 52 COVID-19 cases occurred from day 14 post-vaccination (10.14%) for the PHH-1V group and 30 (11.90%) for the BNT162b2 group (p = 0.45), and none of the subjects developed severe COVID-19. Interpretation Our interim results from the Phase IIb HH-2 trial show that PHH-1V as a heterologous booster vaccine, when compared to BNT162b2, although it does not reach a non-inferior neutralizing antibody response against the Wuhan-Hu-1 strain at days 14 and 28 after vaccination, it does so at day 98. PHH-1V as a heterologous booster elicits a superior neutralizing antibody response against the previous circulating Beta and the currently circulating Omicron BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 variants in all time points assessed, and for the Delta variant on day 98 as well. Moreover, the PHH-1V boost also induces a strong and balanced T-cell response. Concerning the safety profile, subjects in the PHH-1V group report significantly fewer adverse events than those in the BNT162b2 group, most of mild intensity, and both vaccine groups present comparable COVID-19 breakthrough cases, none of them severe. Funding HIPRA SCIENTIFIC, S.L.U.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Corominas
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
| | - Carme Garriga
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
| | | | - Alexandra Moros
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
| | - Manuel Cañete
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
| | | | | | - Laia Madrenas
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
| | - Irina Güell
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
| | - Bonaventura Clotet
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Carrer de la Sagrada Família, 7, 08500, Vic, Spain
| | - Nuria Izquierdo-Useros
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dàlia Raïch-Regué
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
| | - Marçal Gallemí
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
| | - Julià Blanco
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Carrer de la Sagrada Família, 7, 08500, Vic, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Badalona, Spain
| | - Edwards Pradenas
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
| | - Benjamin Trinité
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia G. Prado
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Badalona, Spain
| | - Oscar Blanch-Lombarte
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
| | - Raúl Pérez-Caballero
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Plana
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C/ del Rosselló, 149, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignasi Esteban
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C/ del Rosselló, 149, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Pastor-Quiñones
- AIDS Research Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C/ del Rosselló, 149, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Núñez-Costa
- Veristat, LLC, Barcelona, Spain
- Veristat, LLC, Toronto, Canada
- Veristat, LLC, Pickmere, UK
| | - Rachel Abu Taleb
- Veristat, LLC, Barcelona, Spain
- Veristat, LLC, Toronto, Canada
- Veristat, LLC, Pickmere, UK
| | - Paula McSkimming
- Veristat, LLC, Barcelona, Spain
- Veristat, LLC, Toronto, Canada
- Veristat, LLC, Pickmere, UK
| | - Alex Soriano
- Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C. de Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jocelyn Nava
- Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C. de Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesse Omar Anagua
- Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C. de Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafel Ramos
- Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol (IDIAP Jordi Gol), Biomedical Research Institute, Girona (IdIBGi), Catalan Institute of Health, Carrer del Dr. Castany, s/n, 17190, Salt, Girona, Spain
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec, 3, 17004, Girona, Spain
| | - Ruth Martí Lluch
- Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol (IDIAP Jordi Gol), Biomedical Research Institute, Girona (IdIBGi), Catalan Institute of Health, Carrer del Dr. Castany, s/n, 17190, Salt, Girona, Spain
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec, 3, 17004, Girona, Spain
| | - Aida Corpes Comes
- Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol (IDIAP Jordi Gol), Biomedical Research Institute, Girona (IdIBGi), Catalan Institute of Health, Carrer del Dr. Castany, s/n, 17190, Salt, Girona, Spain
| | - Susana Otero Romero
- Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Pg. de la Vall d'Hebron, 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat Docent Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Plaça Cívica, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neurology/Neuroimmunology, Centro de Esclerosis Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Pg. de la Vall d'Hebron, 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Martinez Gomez
- Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Pg. de la Vall d'Hebron, 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat Docent Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Plaça Cívica, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carla Sans-Pola
- Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Pg. de la Vall d'Hebron, 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Plaça Cívica, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Clinical Pharmacology Research Group, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca, Pg. de la Vall d'Hebron, 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Moltó
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Benet
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Badalona, Spain
| | - Lucía Bailón
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, Badalona, Spain
| | - Jose R. Arribas
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department, La Paz University Hospital, IdiPAZ, C. de Pedro Rico, 6, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto M. Borobia
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department, La Paz University Hospital, IdiPAZ, C. de Pedro Rico, 6, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Spanish Clinical Research Network - SCReN, Spain
| | - Javier Queiruga Parada
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department, La Paz University Hospital, IdiPAZ, C. de Pedro Rico, 6, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Spanish Clinical Research Network - SCReN, Spain
| | - Jorge Navarro-Pérez
- Hospital Clínico Universitario Valencia, Av. de Blasco Ibáñez, 17, 46010, València, Spain
| | | | - Rafael Ortí Lucas
- Hospital Clínico Universitario Valencia, Av. de Blasco Ibáñez, 17, 46010, València, Spain
| | | | - Salvador Oña Compán
- Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Av. de Carlos Haya, 84, 29010, Málaga, Spain
| | - Melchor Alvarez-Mon
- Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Av. Principal de la Universidad, s/n, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Troncoso
- Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Av. Principal de la Universidad, s/n, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eunate Arana-Arri
- Scientific Coordination, Biocruces Bizkaia HRI, Osakidetza, Cruces Plaza, 48903, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Susana Meijide
- Scientific Coordination, Biocruces Bizkaia HRI, Osakidetza, Cruces Plaza, 48903, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Natale Imaz-Ayo
- Scientific Coordination, Biocruces Bizkaia HRI, Osakidetza, Cruces Plaza, 48903, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Patricia Muñoz García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Gregorio Marañón, C. del Dr. Esquerdo, 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias- CIBERES (CB06/06/0058), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sofía de la Villa Martínez
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Gregorio Marañón, C. del Dr. Esquerdo, 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Rodríguez Fernández
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Gregorio Marañón, C. del Dr. Esquerdo, 46, 28007, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Prat
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
| | - Èlia Torroella
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
| | - Laura Ferrer
- HIPRA, Avinguda de la Selva, 135, 17170, Amer, Girona, Spain
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