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Amblard F, LeCher JC, De R, Zhou S, Liu P, Goh SL, Tao S, Patel D, Downs-Bowen J, Zandi K, Zhang H, Chaudhry G, McBrayer T, Muczynski M, Al-Homoudi A, Engel J, Lan S, Sarafianos SG, Kovari LC, Schinazi RF. Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel peptidomimetic inhibitors of the coronavirus 3C-like protease. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116263. [PMID: 38432056 PMCID: PMC11188152 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and related variants, are responsible for the devastating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) plays a central role in the replication of the virus and represents an attractive drug target. Herein, we report the discovery of novel SARS-CoV-2 Mpro covalent inhibitors, including highly effective compound NIP-22c which displays high potency against several key variants and clinically relevant nirmatrelvir Mpro E166V mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck Amblard
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
| | - Julia C LeCher
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ramyani De
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Shaoman Zhou
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Peng Liu
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Shu Ling Goh
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sijia Tao
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Dharmeshkumar Patel
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jessica Downs-Bowen
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Keivan Zandi
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Huanchun Zhang
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Gitika Chaudhry
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Tamara McBrayer
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Michael Muczynski
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Abdullah Al-Homoudi
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Joseph Engel
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Shuiyun Lan
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Stefan G Sarafianos
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ladislau C Kovari
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Raymond F Schinazi
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Omar R, Abd El-Salam M, Elsbaey M, Hassan M. Fourteen immunomodulatory alkaloids and two prenylated phenylpropanoids with dual therapeutic approach for COVID-19: molecular docking and dynamics studies. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:2298-2315. [PMID: 37116054 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2204973] [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: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a global health burden. To date, there is no highly effective antiviral therapy to eradicate the virus; as a result, researchers are racing to introduce new potential therapeutic agents. Alternatively, traditional immunity boosters and symptomatic treatment based on natural bioactive compounds are also an option. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) crystal structure, the main proteolytic enzyme of SARS-CoV-2, has been unraveled, allowing the development of effective protease inhibitors via in silico and biological studies. In COVID-19 infected patients, the loss of lung function, and mortality are reported to be linked to several inflammatory mediators and cytokines. In this context, the approach of introducing immunomodulatory agents may be considered a dual lifesaving strategy in combination with antiviral drugs. This study aims to provide immunomodulatory natural products exhibiting potential protease inhibitory activities. Selected groups of alkaloids of different classes and two prenylated phenylpropanoids from the Brazilian green propolis were in silico screened for their ability to inhibit COVID-19 3CLpro protease. Results showed that compounds exhibited binding energy scores with values ranging from -6.96 to -3.70 compared to the reference synthetic protease inhibitor O6K with a binding energy score of -7.57. O6K binding energy was found comparable with lead phytochemicals in our study, while their toxicity and drug-likeness criteria are better than that of O6K. The activities of these molecules are mainly ascribed to their ability to form hydrogen bonding with 3CLpro crucial amino acid residues of the catalytic site. In addition, the molecular dynamics simulations further showed that some of these compounds formed stable complexes as evidenced by the occupancy fraction measurements. The study suggested that the major immunomodulators 3β, 20α-diacetamido-5α-pregnane, (20S)-(benzamido)-3β-(N,N-dimethyamino)-pregnane, and baccharin are 3CLpro inhibitors. Biological screenings of these phytochemicals will be valuable to experimentally validate and consolidate the results of this study before a rigid conclusion is reached, which may pave the way for the development of efficient modulatory bioactive compounds with dual bioactions in COVID-19 intervention. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowida Omar
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta University for Science and Technology, International Coastal Road, Gamasa, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Abd El-Salam
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta University for Science and Technology, International Coastal Road, Gamasa, Egypt
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marwa Elsbaey
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Madiha Hassan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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3
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Ahuja R, Kaur A, Kumari G, Kumar A, Kumar S, Roy AK, Majumdar T. Enhanced expression and solubility of main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 from E. coli. Protein Expr Purif 2023; 211:106337. [PMID: 37453569 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2023.106337] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a essential enzyme that facilitates viral transcription and replication. Furthermore, the conservation of Mpro across different variants and its non-overlapping nature with human proteases make it an appealing target for therapeutic interventions against SARS-CoV-2. Multiple inhibitors specifically target Mpro to mitigate the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. In the current study, successful cloning and expression of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro were achieved using two E. coli hosts, namely BL21-DE3 and BL21-DE3-RIL. By optimizing the conditions for induction, the expression of Mpro in the soluble fraction of E. coli was improved. Subsequently, Mpro was purified using affinity chromatography, yielding significantly higher quantities from the BL21-DE3-RIL strain compared to the BL21-DE3 strain, with the former producing nearly twice as much as the latter. The purified Mpro was further characterized by mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD). Through fluorescence quenching studies, it was discovered that both GC376 and chitosan, which are inhibitors of Mpro, induced structural changes in the purified Mpro protein. This indicates that the protein retained its functional activity even after being expressed in a bacterial host. Further, FRET-based assay highlighted that the enzymatic activity of Mpro was significantly reduced in presence of both GC376 and chitosan. Consequently, the utilization of optimal conditions and the BL21-DE3-RIL bacterial host facilitates the cost-effective production of Mpro on a large scale, enabling high yields. This production approach can be applied for the screening of potent therapeutic drugs, making it a valuable resource for drug development endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Ahuja
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | | | - Geetika Kumari
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Santosh Kumar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Atul Kumar Roy
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
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Wralstad EC, Sayers J, Raines RT. Bayesian Inference Elucidates the Catalytic Competency of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease 3CL pro. Anal Chem 2023; 95:14981-14989. [PMID: 37750823 PMCID: PMC10662973 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02459] [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] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The main protease of SARS-CoV-2, 3CLpro, is a dimeric enzyme that is indispensable to viral replication and presents an attractive opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Previous reports regarding the key properties of 3CLpro and its highly similar SARS-CoV homologue conflict dramatically. Values of the dimeric Kd and enzymic kcat/KM differ by 106- and 103-fold, respectively. Establishing a confident benchmark of the intrinsic capabilities of this enzyme is essential for combating the current pandemic as well as potential future outbreaks. Here, we use enzymatic methods to characterize the dimerization and catalytic efficiency of the authentic protease from SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, we use the rigor of Bayesian inference in a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis of progress curves to circumvent the limitations of traditional Michaelis-Menten initial rate analysis. We report that SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro forms a dimer at pH 7.5 that has Kd = 16 ± 4 nM and is capable of catalysis with kcat = 9.9 ± 1.5 s-1, KM = 0.23 ± 0.01 mM, and kcat/KM = (4.3 ± 0.7) × 104 M-1 s-1. We also find that enzymatic activity decreases substantially in solutions of high ionic strength, largely as a consequence of impaired dimerization. We conclude that 3CLpro is a more capable catalyst than appreciated previously, which has important implications for the design of antiviral therapeutic agents that target 3CLpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evans C Wralstad
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jessica Sayers
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ronald T Raines
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Xu L, Chen R, Liu J, Patterson TA, Hong H. Analyzing 3D structures of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease reveals structural features of ligand binding for COVID-19 drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103727. [PMID: 37516343 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103727] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease has an essential role in viral replication and has become a major target for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) drug development. Various inhibitors have been discovered or designed to bind to the main protease. The availability of more than 550 3D structures of the main protease provides a wealth of structural details on the main protease in both ligand-free and ligand-bound states. Therefore, we examined these structures to ascertain the structural features for the role of the main protease in the cleavage of polyproteins, the alternative conformations during main protease maturation, and ligand interactions in the main protease. The structural features unearthed could promote the development of COVID-19 drugs targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Xu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Ru Chen
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Tucker A Patterson
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Huixiao Hong
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA.
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6
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Belenkaya SV, Merkuleva IA, Yarovaya OI, Chirkova VY, Sharlaeva EA, Shanshin DV, Volosnikova EA, Vatsadze SZ, Khvostov MV, Salakhutdinov NF, Shcherbakov DN. The main protease 3CLpro of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: how to turn an enemy into a helper. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1187761. [PMID: 37456729 PMCID: PMC10345205 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1187761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the long history of use and the knowledge of the genetics and biochemistry of E. coli, problems are still possible in obtaining a soluble form of recombinant proteins in this system. Although, soluble protein can be obtained both in the cytoplasm and in the periplasm of the bacterial cell. The latter is a priority strategy for obtaining soluble proteins. The fusion protein technology followed by detachment of the fusion protein with proteases is used to transfer the target protein into the periplasmic space of E. coli. We have continued for the first time to use the main viral protease 3CL of the SARS-CoV-2 virus for this purpose. We obtained a recombinant 3CL protease and studied its complex catalytic properties. The authenticity of the resulting recombinant enzyme, were confirmed by specific activity analysis and activity suppression by the known low-molecular-weight inhibitors. The catalytic efficiency of 3CL (0.17 ± 0.02 µM-1-s-1) was shown to be one order of magnitude higher than that of the widely used tobacco etch virus protease (0.013 ± 0.003 µM-1-s-1). The application of the 3CL gene in genetically engineered constructs provided efficient specific proteolysis of fusion proteins, which we demonstrated using the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and GST fusion protein. The solubility and immunochemical properties of RBD were preserved. It is very important that in work we have shown that 3CL protease works effectively directly in E. coli cells when co-expressed with the target fusion protein, as well as when expressed as part of a chimeric protein containing the target protein, fusion partner, and 3CL itself. The results obtained in the work allow expanding the repertoire of specific proteases for researchers and biotechnologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana V. Belenkaya
- Laboratory of Bionanotechnology, Microbiology and Virology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR, Koltsovo, Russia
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, N.N Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Iuliia A. Merkuleva
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR, Koltsovo, Russia
| | - Olga I. Yarovaya
- Laboratory of Bionanotechnology, Microbiology and Virology, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, N.N Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Varvara Yu. Chirkova
- Department of Physical-Chemistry Biology and Biotechnology, Altay State University, Barnaul, Russia
| | - Elena A. Sharlaeva
- Department of Physical-Chemistry Biology and Biotechnology, Altay State University, Barnaul, Russia
| | - Daniil V. Shanshin
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR, Koltsovo, Russia
| | | | - Sergey Z. Vatsadze
- N.D Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail V. Khvostov
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, N.N Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nariman F. Salakhutdinov
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, N.N Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Dmitriy N. Shcherbakov
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR, Koltsovo, Russia
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, N.N Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Physical-Chemistry Biology and Biotechnology, Altay State University, Barnaul, Russia
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Dehury B, Mishra S, Pati S. Structural insights into SARS-CoV-2 main protease conformational plasticity. J Cell Biochem 2023. [PMID: 37099673 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30409] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The spread of different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants underscores the need for insights into the structural properties of its structural and non-structural proteins. The highly conserved homo-dimeric chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL MPRO ), belonging to the class of cysteine hydrolases, plays an indispensable role in processing viral polyproteins that are involved in viral replication and transcription. Studies have successfully demonstrated the role of MPRO as an attractive drug target for designing antiviral treatments because of its importance in the viral life cycle. Herein, we report the structural dynamics of six experimentally solved structures of MPRO (i.e., 6LU7, 6M03, 6WQF, 6Y2E, 6Y84, and 7BUY including both ligand-free and ligand-bound states) at different resolutions. We have employed a structure-based balanced forcefield, CHARMM36m through state-of-the-art all-atoms molecular dynamics simulations at µ-seconds scale at room temperature (303K) and pH 7.0 to explore their structure-function relationship. The helical domain-III responsible for dimerization mostly contributes to the altered conformational states and destabilization of MPRO . A keen observation of the high degree of flexibility in the P5 binding pocket adjoining domain II-III highlights the reason for observation of conformational heterogeneity among the structural ensembles of MPRO . We also observe a differential dynamics of the catalytic pocket residues His41, Cys145, and Asp187, which may lead to catalytic impairment of the monomeric proteases. Among the highly populated conformational states of the six systems, 6LU7 and 7M03 forms the most stable and compact MPRO conformation with intact catalytic site and structural integrity. Altogether, our findings from this extensive study provides a benchmark to identify physiologically relevant structures of such promising drug targets for structure-based drug design and discovery of potent drug-like compounds having clinical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Budheswar Dehury
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sarbani Mishra
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sanghamitra Pati
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
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8
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Chen R, Gao Y, Liu H, Li H, Chen W, Ma J. Advances in research on 3C-like protease (3CL pro) inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 since 2020. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:9-21. [PMID: 36760740 PMCID: PMC9890616 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00344a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 is still threatening global human health. Although some vaccines and drugs are available in the market, controlling the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a huge challenge. 3C-like protease (3CLpro) is a highly conserved key protease for SARS-CoV-2 replication, and no relevant homologous protein with a similar cleavage site to 3CLpro has been identified in humans, highlighting that development of 3CLpro inhibitors exhibits great promise for treatment of COVID-19. In this review, the authors describe the structure and function of 3CLpro. To better understand the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors, the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors reported since 2020 are classified into peptidomimetic covalent inhibitors, non-peptidomimetic covalent inhibitors and non-covalent small molecule inhibitors, and the representative inhibitors, their biological activities and binding models are highlighted. Collectively, we hope that all the information presented here will provide new insights into the design and development of more effective 3CLpro inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 as novel anti-coronavirus drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roufen Chen
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Yali Gao
- Pharmacy Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Han Liu
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - He Li
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Wenfa Chen
- Pharmacy Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Junjie Ma
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
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9
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Naidu SAG, Tripathi YB, Shree P, Clemens RA, Naidu AS. Phytonutrient Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2/NSP5-Encoded Main Protease (M pro) Autocleavage Enzyme Critical for COVID-19 Pathogenesis. J Diet Suppl 2023; 20:284-311. [PMID: 34821532 DOI: 10.1080/19390211.2021.2006388] [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] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The genomic reshuffling, mutagenicity, and high transmission rate of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen highlights an urgent need for effective antiviral interventions for COVID-19 control. Targeting the highly conserved viral genes and/or gene-encoded viral proteins such as main proteinase (Mpro), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and helicases are plausible antiviral approaches to prevent replication and propagation of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are prone to extensive mutagenesis; however, any genetic alteration to its highly conserved Mpro enzyme is often detrimental to the viral pathogen. Therefore, inhibitors that target the Mpro enzyme could reduce the risk of mutation-mediated drug resistance and provide effective antiviral protection. Several existing antiviral drugs and dietary bioactives are currently repurposed to treat COVID-19. Dietary bioactives from three ayurvedic medicinal herbs, 18 β-glycyrrhetinic acid (ΔG = 8.86 kcal/mol), Solanocapsine (ΔG = 8.59 kcal/mol), and Vasicoline (ΔG = 7.34 kcal/mol), showed high-affinity binding to Mpro enzyme than the native N3 inhibitor (ΔG = 5.41 kcal/mol). Flavonoids strongly inhibited SARS-CoV-2 Mpro with comparable or higher potency than the antiviral drug, remdesivir. Several tannin hydrolysates avidly bound to the receptor-binding domain and catalytic dyad (His41 and Cys145) of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro through H-bonding forces. Quercetin binding to Mpro altered the thermostability of the viral protein through redox-based mechanism and inhibited the viral enzymatic activity. Interaction of quercetin-derivatives with the Mpro seem to be influenced by the 7-OH group and the acetoxylation of sugar moiety on the ligand molecule. Based on pharmacokinetic and ADMET profiles, several phytonutrients could serve as a promising redox nutraceutical for COVID-19 management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreus A G Naidu
- N-terminus Research Laboratory, Yorba Linda, California, USA
| | - Yamini B Tripathi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Priya Shree
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Roger A Clemens
- Department of International Regulatory Science, University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Chaube U, Patel BD, Bhatt HG. A hypothesis on designing strategy of effective RdRp inhibitors for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:12. [PMID: 36532857 PMCID: PMC9755803 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03430-w] [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: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccines are used as one of the major weapons for the eradication of pandemic. However, the rise of different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is creating doubts regarding the end of the pandemic. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop more drug candidates which can be useful for the treatment of COVID-19. In the present research for the scientific hypothesis, emphasis was given on the direct antiviral therapy available for the treatment of COVID-19. In lieu of this, the available molecular targets which include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Chymotrypsin-like Protease (SARS-3CLpro), Papain-Like Cysteine Protease (PLpro), and RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) were explored. As per the current scientific reports and literature, among all the available molecular targets, RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) was found to be a crucial molecular target for the treatment of COVID-19. Most of the inhibitors which are reported against this target consisted of the free amine group and carbonyl group which might be playing an important role in the binding interaction with the RdRp protein. Among all the reported RdRp inhibitors, remdesivir, favipiravir, and molnupiravir were found to be the most promising drugs against COVID-19. Overall, the structural features of this RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) inhibitors proved the importance of pyrrolo-triazine and pyrimidine scaffolds. Previous computational models of these drug molecules indicated that substitution with the polar functional group, hydrogen bond donor, and electronegative atoms on these scaffolds may increase the activity against the RdRp protein. Hence, in line with the proposed hypothesis, in the present research work for the evaluation of the hypothesis, new molecules were designed from the pyrrolo-triazine and pyrimidine scaffolds. Further, molecular docking and MD simulation studies were performed with these designed molecules. All these designed molecules (DM-1, DM-2, and DM-3) showed the results as per the proposed hypothesis. Among all the designed molecules, DM-1 showed promising results against the RdRp protein of SARS-CoV-2. In the future, these structural features can be used for the development of new RdRp inhibitors with improved activity. Also, in the future lead compound DM-1 can be explored against the RdRp protein for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udit Chaube
- grid.412204.10000 0004 1792 2351Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481 India
| | - Bhumika D. Patel
- grid.412204.10000 0004 1792 2351Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481 India
| | - Hardik G. Bhatt
- grid.412204.10000 0004 1792 2351Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481 India
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11
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Al Adem K, Ferreira JC, Fadl S, Rabeh WM. pH profiles of 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) from SARS-CoV-2 elucidate its catalytic mechanism and a histidine residue critical for activity. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102790. [PMID: 36509143 PMCID: PMC9733303 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
3-Chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) is a promising drug target for coronavirus disease 2019 and related coronavirus diseases because of the essential role of this protease in processing viral polyproteins after infection. Understanding the detailed catalytic mechanism of 3CLpro is essential for designing effective inhibitors of infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Molecular dynamics studies have suggested pH-dependent conformational changes of 3CLpro, but experimental pH profiles of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and analyses of the conserved active-site histidine residues have not been reported. In this work, pH-dependence studies of the kinetic parameters of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro revealed a bell-shaped pH profile with 2 pKa values (6.9 ± 0.1 and 9.4 ± 0.1) attributable to ionization of the catalytic dyad His41 and Cys145, respectively. Our investigation of the roles of conserved active-site histidines showed that different amino acid substitutions of His163 produced inactive enzymes, indicating a key role of His163 in maintaining catalytically active SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. By contrast, the H164A and H172A mutants retained 75% and 26% of the activity of WT, respectively. The alternative amino acid substitutions H172K and H172R did not recover the enzymatic activity, whereas H172Y restored activity to a level similar to that of the WT enzyme. The pH profiles of H164A, H172A, and H172Y were similar to those of the WT enzyme, with comparable pKa values for the catalytic dyad. Taken together, the experimental data support a general base mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and indicate that the neutral states of the catalytic dyad and active-site histidine residues are required for maximum enzyme activity.
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12
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Ravanfar R, Sheng Y, Shahgholi M, Lomenick B, Jones J, Chou TF, Gray HB, Winkler JR. Surface cysteines could protect the SARS-CoV-2 main protease from oxidative damage. J Inorg Biochem 2022; 234:111886. [PMID: 35675741 PMCID: PMC9161685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2022.111886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is responsible for cleaving twelve nonstructural proteins from the viral polyprotein. Mpro, a cysteine protease, is characterized by a large number of noncatalytic cysteine (Cys) residues, none involved in disulfide bonds. In the absence of a tertiary-structure stabilizing role for these residues, a possible alternative is that they are involved in redox processes. We report experimental work in support of a proposal that surface cysteines on Mpro can protect the active-site Cys145 from oxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In investigations of enzyme kinetics, we found that mutating three surface cysteines to serines did not greatly affect activity, which in turn indicates that these cysteines could protect Cys145 from oxidative damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raheleh Ravanfar
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Yuling Sheng
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Mona Shahgholi
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Brett Lomenick
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jeff Jones
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Tsui-Fen Chou
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Harry B Gray
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Jay R Winkler
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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13
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Boonamnaj P, Pandey R, Sompornpisut P. Effect of pH on stability of dimer structure of the main protease of coronavirus-2. Biophys Chem 2022; 287:106829. [PMID: 35635893 PMCID: PMC9119281 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The viral main protease (Mpro) from a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a key enzyme essential for viral replication and has become an attractive target for antiviral drug development. The Mpro forms a functional dimer and exhibits a pH-dependent enzyme activity and dimerization. Here, we report a molecular dynamics (MD) investigation to gain insights into the structural stability of the enzyme dimer at neutral and acidic pH. Our data shows larger changes in structure of the protein with the acidic pH than that with the neutral pH. Structural analysis of MD trajectories reveals a substantial increase in intersubunit separation, the loss of domain contacts, binding free energy and interaction energy of the dimer which implies the protein instability and tendency of dimer dissociation at acidic pH. The loss in the interaction energy is mainly driven by electrostatic interactions. We have identified the intersubunit hydrogen-bonding residues involved in the decreased dimer stability. These findings may be helpful for rational drug design and target evaluation against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panisak Boonamnaj
- The Center of Excellence in Computational Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - R.B. Pandey
- School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Pornthep Sompornpisut
- The Center of Excellence in Computational Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand,Corresponding author
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14
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Jamhour RMAQ, Al-Nadaf AH, Wedian F, Al-Mazaideh GM, Mustafa M, Huneif MA, Mahmoud SY, Farrag ES, Al-Rimawi F, Salman HA, Alqudah AA, Alakhras F. Phytochemicals As a Potential Inhibitor of COVID-19: An In-Silico Perspective. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY A 2022. [PMCID: PMC9395807 DOI: 10.1134/s0036024422070251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The current research has centered on the use of pharmacological and binding affinity methods to test the 36 compounds as bioactive constituents’ inhibitors for COVID-19. Six compounds out of 36 phytoconstituents (rutin, quercetin, catechin gallate, rhamnetin, campesterol and stigmasterol) have demonstrated outstanding molecular docking and drug-like properties as HIV inhibitors Lopinavir and Indinavir. Interestingly, the lowest binding energies (LBE) and the inhibition constant (Ki) have showed that these compounds are able to bind to the P-glycoprotein substrate of 3CLpro and Nsp15. Interestingly, rutin has been found to be an excellent potential inhibitor for COVID-19 proteins because it has the best LBE score and Ki value than those of other compounds, and of its ability to form strong H-bonds with COVID-19 proteins. The compounds that come next to the rutin compound are stigmasterol and campesterol. As a result, these compounds are considered possible novel inhibitors of COVID-19. In order to validate the computational results, more in vitro and in vivo investigations are required to support the findings of this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasheed M. A. Q. Jamhour
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Tafila Technical University, 66110 Tafila, Jordan
| | - Afaf H. Al-Nadaf
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mu’tah University, Alkarak, Jordan
| | - Fadel Wedian
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, 22163 Irbid, Jordan
| | - Ghassab M. Al-Mazaideh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia
| | - Morad Mustafa
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, University of Jordan, 11942 Amman, Jordan
| | - Mohammed Ayed Huneif
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sabry Younis Mahmoud
- Biology Department, College of Science, University of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia
- Microbiology Department, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Eman Saleh Farrag
- Clinical Laboratory Science Department, College of Applied Medical Science, University of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia
- Microbiology Department, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Fuad Al-Rimawi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Quds University, P.O. Box 20002, Jerusalem, Palestine
| | - Haya Ayyal Salman
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Ali Abdallah Alqudah
- Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Science, Tafila Technical University, Tafila, Jordan
| | - Fadi Alakhras
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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15
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Reza R, Dutta T, Baildya N, Ghosh NN, Khan AA, Das RK. Repurposing of anti-lung cancer drugs as multi-target inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 proteins: An insight from molecular docking and MD-simulation study. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105615. [PMID: 35690231 PMCID: PMC9174081 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105615] [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: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Herein we have selected seventeen anti-lung cancer drugs to screen against Mpro, PLpro and spike glycoproteins of SARS-CoV-2to ascertain the potential therapeutic agent against COVID-19. ADMET profiling were employed to evaluate their pharmacokinetic properties. Molecular docking studies revealed that Capmatinib (CAP) showed highest binding affinity against the selected proteins of SARS-CoV-2. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation and the analysis of RMSD, RMSF, and binding energy confirmed the abrupt conformational changes of the proteins due to the presence of this drug. These findings provide an opportunity for doing advanced experimental research to evaluate the potential drug to combat COVID-19.
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16
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Ferreira JC, Fadl S, Rabeh WM. Key dimer interface residues impact the catalytic activity of 3CLpro, the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102023. [PMID: 35568197 PMCID: PMC9091064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
3C-like protease (3CLpro) is one of two proteases that process and liberate functional viral proteins essential for the maturation and infectivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19. It has been suggested that 3CLpro is catalytically active as a dimer, making the dimerization interface a target for antiviral development. Guided by structural analysis, here we introduced single amino acid substitutions at nine residues at three key sites of the dimer interface to assess their impact on dimerization and activity. We show that at site 1, alanine substitution of S1 or E166 increased by 2-fold or reduced relative activity, respectively. At site 2, alanine substitution of S10 or E14 eliminated activity, whereas K12A exhibited ∼60% relative activity. At site 3, alanine substitution of R4, E290, or Q299 eliminated activity, whereas S139A exhibited 46% relative activity. We further found the oligomerization states of the dimer interface mutants varied; the inactive mutants R4A, R4Q, S10A/C, E14A/D/Q/S, E290A, and Q299A/E were present as dimers, demonstrating that dimerization is not an indication of catalytically active 3CLpro. In addition, present mostly as monomers, K12A displayed residual activity, which could be attributed to the conspicuous amount of dimer present. Finally, differential scanning calorimetry did not reveal a direct relationship between the thermodynamic stability of mutants with oligomerization or catalytic activity. These results provide insights on two allosteric sites, R4/E290 and S10/E14, that may promote the design of antiviral compounds that target the dimer interface rather than the active site of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana C Ferreira
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Samar Fadl
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Wael M Rabeh
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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17
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Bibi S, Khan MS, El-Kafrawy SA, Alandijany TA, El-Daly MM, Yousafi Q, Fatima D, Faizo AA, Bajrai LH, Azhar EI. Virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation analysis of Forsythoside A as a plant-derived inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Saudi Pharm J 2022; 30:979-1002. [PMID: 35637849 PMCID: PMC9132386 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a more severe strain of coronavirus (CoV) that was first emerged in China in 2019. Available antiviral drugs could be repurposed and natural compounds with antiviral activity could be safer and cheaper source of medicine for SARS-CoV-2. 78 natural antiviral compounds database was identified from literature and virtual screening technique was applied to identify potential 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors. Molecular docking studies were conducted to analyze the main protease (3CLpro) and inhibitors interactions with key residues of active site of target protein (PDB ID: 6LU7), active site constitute the part of active domain I and II of 3CLpro. 10 compounds with highest dock score were subjected to calculate ADMET parameters to figure out drug-likeness. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulation of the selected lead was performed by Amber simulation package to understand the conformational changes in docked complex. MD simulations analysis (RMSD, RMSF, Rg, BF, HBs, and SASA plots) of lead bounded with 3CLpro, hence revealed the important structural turns and twists during MD simulations from 0 to 100 ns. MM-PBSA/GBSA methods has also been applied for the estimation binding free energy (BFE) of the selected lead-complex. The present study has identified lead compound “Forsythoside A” an active extract of Forsythia suspense as SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor that can block the viral replication and translation. Structural analysis of target protein and lead compound performed in this study could contribute to the development of potential drug against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabana Bibi
- Department of Biosciences, Shifa-Tameer-e-Milat University, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, Yunnan, China
- Corresponding authors at: Department of Biosciences, Shifa-Tameer-e-Milat University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, Yunnan, China (S. Bibi). Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (E.I. Azhar).
| | - Muhammad Saad Khan
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Sherif A. El-Kafrawy
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thamir A. Alandijany
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mai M. El-Daly
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qudsia Yousafi
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Dua Fatima
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Arwa A. Faizo
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Leena H. Bajrai
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Esam I. Azhar
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Corresponding authors at: Department of Biosciences, Shifa-Tameer-e-Milat University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Yunnan Herbal Laboratory, College of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, Yunnan, China (S. Bibi). Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (E.I. Azhar).
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18
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A VSV-based assay quantifies coronavirus Mpro/3CLpro/Nsp5 main protease activity and chemical inhibition. Commun Biol 2022; 5:391. [PMID: 35478219 PMCID: PMC9046202 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03277-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Protease inhibitors are among the most powerful antiviral drugs. However, for SARS-CoV-2 only a small number of protease inhibitors have been identified thus far and there is still a great need for assays that efficiently report protease activity and inhibition in living cells. Here, we engineer a safe VSV-based system to report both gain- and loss-of-function of coronavirus main protease (Mpro/3CLpro/Nsp5) activity in living cells. We use SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro in this system to confirm susceptibility to known inhibitors (boceprevir, GC376, PF-00835231, and PF-07321332/nirmatrelvir) and reevaluate other reported inhibitors (baicalein, ebselen, carmofur, ethacridine, ivermectin, masitinib, darunavir, and atazanavir). Moreover, we show that the system can be adapted to report both the function and the chemical inhibition of proteases from different coronavirus species as well as from distantly related viruses. Together with the fact that live cell assays also reflect compound permeability and toxicity, we anticipate that this system will be useful for both identification and optimization of additional coronavirus protease inhibitors.
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19
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Molecular Interactions of Tannic Acid with Proteins Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052643. [PMID: 35269785 PMCID: PMC8910432 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The overall impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on our society is unprecedented. The identification of small natural ligands that could prevent the entry and/or replication of the coronavirus remains a pertinent approach to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Previously, we showed that the phenolic compounds corilagin and 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (TGG) inhibit the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 target receptor on the cell membrane of the host organism. Building on these promising results, we now assess the effects of these phenolic ligands on two other crucial targets involved in SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and replication, respectively: transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors. Since corilagin, TGG, and tannic acid (TA) share many physicochemical and structural properties, we investigate the binding of TA to these targets. In this work, a combination of experimental methods (biochemical inhibition assays, surface plasmon resonance, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring) confirms the potential role of TA in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity through the inhibition of extracellular RBD/ACE2 interactions and TMPRSS2 and 3CLpro activity. Moreover, molecular docking prediction followed by dynamic simulation and molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) free energy calculation also shows that TA binds to RBD, TMPRSS2, and 3CLpro with higher affinities than TGG and corilagin. Overall, these results suggest that naturally occurring TA is a promising candidate to prevent and inhibit the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2.
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20
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Legare S, Heide F, Bailey-Elkin BA, Stetefeld J. Improved SARS-CoV-2 main protease high-throughput screening assay using a 5-carboxyfluorescein substrate. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101739. [PMID: 35182525 PMCID: PMC8849842 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a global threat to human health has highlighted the need for the development of novel therapies targeting current and emerging coronaviruses with pandemic potential. The coronavirus main protease (Mpro, also called 3CLpro) is a validated drug target against coronaviruses and has been heavily studied since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019. Here, we report the biophysical and enzymatic characterization of native Mpro, then characterize the steady-state kinetics of several commonly used FRET substrates, fluorogenic substrates, and six of the 11 reported SARS-CoV-2 polyprotein cleavage sequences. We then assessed the suitability of these substrates for high-throughput screening. Guided by our assessment of these substrates, we developed an improved 5-carboxyfluorescein-based FRET substrate, which is better suited for high-throughput screening and is less susceptible to interference and false positives than existing substrates. This study provides a useful framework for the design of coronavirus Mpro enzyme assays to facilitate the discovery and development of therapies targeting Mpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Legare
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
| | - Fabian Heide
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Ben A Bailey-Elkin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jörg Stetefeld
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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21
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Xu Y, Yang L, Wang L, Chen F. Potential therapeutic effect of Shufeng Jiedu capsule and its major herbs on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A review. Drug Discov Ther 2022; 15:289-299. [PMID: 34980761 DOI: 10.5582/ddt.2021.01099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The outbreak and rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a huge threat to human health and social stability. Shufeng Jiedu capsule (SFJDC), a patented herbal drug composed of eight medicinal plants, is used to treat different viral respiratory tract infectious diseases. Based on its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory activities in acute lung injury, SFJDC can be effectively used as a treatment for COVID-19 patients according to the diagnosis and treatment plan issued in China and existing clinical data. SFJDC has been recommended in 15 therapeutic regimens for COVID-19 in China. This review summarizes current data on the ingredients, chemical composition, pharmacological properties, clinical efficacy, and potential therapeutic effect of SFJDC on COVID-19, to provide a theoretical basis for its anti-viral mechanism and the clinical treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayun Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Ministry of Education, Hefei, China
| | - Li Yang
- School of food and biological engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Longfei Wang
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Ministry of Education, Hefei, China
| | - Feihu Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Ministry of Education, Hefei, China
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22
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Barazorda-Ccahuana HL, Nedyalkova M, Mas F, Madurga S. Unveiling the Effect of Low pH on the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:3823. [PMID: 34771379 PMCID: PMC8587287 DOI: 10.3390/polym13213823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Main Protease (Mpro) is an attractive therapeutic target that acts in the replication and transcription of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Mpro is rich in residues exposed to protonation/deprotonation changes which could affect its enzymatic function. This work aimed to explore the effect of the protonation/deprotonation states of Mpro at different pHs using computational techniques. (2) Methods: The different distribution charges were obtained in all the evaluated pHs by the Semi-Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (SGCMC) method. A set of Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations was performed to consider the different protonation/deprotonation during 250 ns, verifying the structural stability of Mpro at different pHs. (3) Results: The present findings demonstrate that active site residues and residues that allow Mpro dimerisation was not affected by pH changes. However, Mpro substrate-binding residues were altered at low pHs, allowing the increased pocket volume. Additionally, the results of the solvent distribution around Sγ, Hγ, Nδ1 and Hδ1 atoms of the catalytic residues Cys145 and His41 showed a low and high-water affinity at acidic pH, respectively. It which could be crucial in the catalytic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro at low pHs. Moreover, we analysed the docking interactions of PF-00835231 from Pfizer in the preclinical phase, which shows excellent affinity with the Mpro at different pHs. (4) Conclusion: Overall, these findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is highly stable at acidic pH conditions, and this inhibitor could have a desirable function at this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruna Luz Barazorda-Ccahuana
- Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
| | - Miroslava Nedyalkova
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Sofia “St. Kl. Okhridski”, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Francesc Mas
- Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Sergio Madurga
- Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
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23
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Huijghebaert S, Hoste L, Vanham G. Essentials in saline pharmacology for nasal or respiratory hygiene in times of COVID-19. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 77:1275-1293. [PMID: 33772626 PMCID: PMC7998085 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-021-03102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Nasal irrigation or nebulizing aerosol of isotonic or hypertonic saline is a traditional method for respiratory or nasal care. A recent small study in outpatients with COVID-19 without acute respiratory distress syndrome suggests substantial symptom resolution. We therefore analyzed pharmacological/pharmacodynamic effects of isotonic or hypertonic saline, relevant to SARS-CoV-2 infection and respiratory care. METHODS Mixed search method. RESULTS Due to its wetting properties, saline achieves an improved spreading of alveolar lining fluid and has been shown to reduce bio-aerosols and viral load. Saline provides moisture to respiratory epithelia and gels mucus, promotes ciliary beating, and improves mucociliary clearance. Coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 damage ciliated epithelium in the nose and airways. Saline inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero cells; possible interactions involve the viral ACE2-entry mechanism (chloride-dependent ACE2 configuration), furin and 3CLpro (inhibition by NaCl), and the sodium channel ENaC. Saline shifts myeloperoxidase activity in epithelial or phagocytic cells to produce hypochlorous acid. Clinically, nasal or respiratory airway care with saline reduces symptoms of seasonal coronaviruses and other common cold viruses. Its use as aerosol reduces hospitalization rates for bronchiolitis in children. Preliminary data suggest symptom reduction in symptomatic COVID-19 patients if saline is initiated within 48 h of symptom onset. CONCLUSIONS Saline interacts at various levels relevant to nasal or respiratory hygiene (nasal irrigation, gargling or aerosol). If used from the onset of common cold symptoms, it may represent a useful add-on to first-line interventions for COVID-19. Formal evaluation in mild COVID-19 is desirable as to establish efficacy and optimal treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Levi Hoste
- Pediatric Pulmonology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Primary Immunodeficiency Research Lab, Center for Primary Immunodeficiency Ghent, Jeffrey Modell Diagnosis and Research Center, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guido Vanham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine and University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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24
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Güler G, Özdemir H, Omar D, Akdoğan G. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Biophysical and biochemical aspects of SARS-CoV-2 and general characteristics. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 164:3-18. [PMID: 34033836 PMCID: PMC8142027 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) arises from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) which is an enveloped RNA virus. COVID-19 has rapidly spread throughout the world by infecting more than 143 million people and causing 3.04 million deaths worldwide by 22 April 2021, confirmed by the World Health Organization. It caused great concern and pandemic all over the world, therewithal there has not been found any specific and efficient treatment yet. In the current review, we aimed to define the biophysical and biochemical aspects of SARS-CoV-2, including renin-angiotensin-system, cytokine storms, receptor binding, protein structural and functional features, molecular interactions, and conformational changes that take place during viral attachment and entering into human cells. It was also aimed to highlight the general hallmarks of COVID-19, including treatment strategies, diagnosis and even prevention. Thus, this review will serve as an updated comprehensive body of information and discussion on COVID-19 and will help the molecular scientists, biophysicists, clinicians, as well as medical engineers. Thereby, further understanding of COVID-19 will provide novel insights and advances in development of therapeutic potentials and vaccine alternatives as well as in detection of specific targets for diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günnur Güler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Izmir University of Economics, 35330 Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Helin Özdemir
- Faculty of Medicine, Izmir University of Economics, 35330 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Dilara Omar
- Faculty of Medicine, Izmir University of Economics, 35330 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Gül Akdoğan
- Faculty of Medicine, Izmir University of Economics, 35330 Izmir, Turkey
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25
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Ferreira JC, Fadl S, Ilter M, Pekel H, Rezgui R, Sensoy O, Rabeh WM. Dimethyl sulfoxide reduces the stability but enhances catalytic activity of the main SARS-CoV-2 protease 3CLpro. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21774. [PMID: 34324734 PMCID: PMC8441638 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), one of the most challenging global pandemics of the modern era. Potential treatment strategies against COVID‐19 are yet to be devised. It is crucial that antivirals that interfere with the SARS‐CoV‐2 life cycle be identified and developed. 3‐Chymotrypsin‐like protease (3CLpro) is an attractive antiviral drug target against SARS‐CoV‐2, and coronaviruses in general, because of its role in the processing of viral polyproteins. Inhibitors of 3CLpro activity are screened in enzyme assays before further development of the most promising leads. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a common additive used in such assays and enhances the solubility of assay components. However, it may also potentially affect the stability and efficiency of 3CLpro but, to date, this effect had not been analyzed in detail. Here, we investigated the effect of DMSO on 3CLpro‐catalyzed reaction. While DMSO (5%‐20%) decreased the optimum temperature of catalysis and thermodynamic stability of 3CLpro, it only marginally affected the kinetic stability of the enzyme. Increasing the DMSO concentration up to 20% improved the catalytic efficiency and peptide‐binding affinity of 3CLpro. At such high DMSO concentration, the solubility and stability of peptide substrate were improved because of reduced aggregation. In conclusion, we recommend 20% DMSO as the minimum concentration to be used in screens of 3CLpro inhibitors as lead compounds for the development of antiviral drugs against COVID‐19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana C Ferreira
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Samar Fadl
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Metehan Ilter
- Graduate School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hanife Pekel
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Vocational School of Health Services, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.,Regenerative and Restorative Medicine Research Center (REMER), Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Rachid Rezgui
- Core Technology Platforms, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ozge Sensoy
- Regenerative and Restorative Medicine Research Center (REMER), Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.,Department of Computer Engineering, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Wael M Rabeh
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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26
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Ferreira JC, Fadl S, Villanueva AJ, Rabeh WM. Catalytic Dyad Residues His41 and Cys145 Impact the Catalytic Activity and Overall Conformational Fold of the Main SARS-CoV-2 Protease 3-Chymotrypsin-Like Protease. Front Chem 2021; 9:692168. [PMID: 34249864 PMCID: PMC8264439 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.692168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses are responsible for multiple pandemics and millions of deaths globally, including the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Development of antivirals against coronaviruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for COVID-19, is essential for containing the current and future coronavirus outbreaks. SARS-CoV-2 proteases represent important targets for the development of antivirals because of their role in the processing of viral polyproteins. 3-Chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) is one such protease. The cleavage of SARS-CoV-2 polyproteins by 3CLpro is facilitated by a Cys145–His41 catalytic dyad. We here characterized the catalytic roles of the cysteine–histidine pair for improved understanding of the 3CLpro reaction mechanism, to inform the development of more effective antivirals against Sars-CoV-2. The catalytic dyad residues were substituted by site-directed mutagenesis. All substitutions tested (H41A, H41D, H41E, C145A, and C145S) resulted in a complete inactivation of 3CLpro, even when amino acids with a similar catalytic function to that of the original residues were used. The integrity of the structural fold of enzyme variants was investigated by circular dichroism spectroscopy to test if the catalytic inactivation of 3CLpro was caused by gross changes in the enzyme secondary structure. C145A, but not the other substitutions, shifted the oligomeric state of the enzyme from dimeric to a higher oligomeric state. Finally, the thermodynamic stability of 3CLpro H41A, H41D, and C145S variants was reduced relative the wild-type enzyme, with a similar stability of the H41E and C145A variants. Collectively, the above observations confirm the roles of His41 and Cys145 in the catalytic activity and the overall conformational fold of 3CLpro SARS-CoV-2. We conclude that the cysteine–histidine pair should be targeted for inhibition of 3CLpro and development of antiviral against COVID-19 and coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana C Ferreira
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Samar Fadl
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Adrian J Villanueva
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Wael M Rabeh
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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27
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Understanding individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins for targeted drug development against COVID-19. Mol Cell Biol 2021; 41:e0018521. [PMID: 34124934 PMCID: PMC8384068 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00185-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, responsible for millions of deaths globally. Even with effective vaccines, SARS-CoV-2 will likely maintain a hold in the human population through gaps in efficacy, percent vaccinated, and arising new strains. Therefore, understanding how SARS-CoV-2 causes widespread tissue damage and the development of targeted pharmacological treatments will be critical in fighting this virus and preparing for future outbreaks. Herein, we summarize the progress made thus far by using in vitro or in vivo models to investigate individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins and their pathogenic mechanisms. We have grouped the SARS-CoV-2 proteins into three categories: host entry, self-acting, and host interacting. This review focuses on the self-acting and host-interacting SARS-CoV-2 proteins and summarizes current knowledge on how these proteins promote virus replication and disrupt host systems, as well as drugs that target the virus and virus interacting host proteins. Encouragingly, many of these drugs are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19. Future coronavirus outbreaks will most likely be caused by new virus strains that evade vaccine protection through mutations in entry proteins. Therefore, study of individual self-acting and host-interacting SARS-CoV-2 proteins for targeted therapeutic interventions is not only essential for fighting COVID-19 but also valuable against future coronavirus outbreaks.
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28
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Hamza A, Shafat Z, Parray ZA, Hisamuddin M, Khan WH, Ahmed A, Almajhdi FN, Farrag MA, Mohammed AA, Islam A, Parveen S. Structural Characterization and Binding Studies of the Ectodomain G Protein of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Reveal the Crucial Role of pH with Possible Implications in Host-Pathogen Interactions. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:10403-10414. [PMID: 34056193 PMCID: PMC8153753 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading viral pathogen causing acute lower respiratory tract infection in children. The G protein of RSV is involved in attachment with the host cell. It is a neutralizing antigen and thus a vaccine candidate. Heparan sulfate is a type of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) present on the host cell membrane that is involved in attachment with the G protein of RSV. We describe a novel approach for efficient expression and purification of the ectodomain G protein in the prokaryotic system and its biophysical characterization. The native ectodomain G protein was purified using a two-step process by Ni-NTA and DEAE weak anion-exchange chromatography through the supernatant obtained after cell lysis. In addition, the denatured form of the protein was also purified from the solubilized inclusion bodies (IBs) by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography with a higher yield. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was performed to confirm the homogeneity of the purified protein. The effect of pH on the stability and structure of the purified protein was studied by circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence, and absorbance spectroscopy techniques. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and microscale thermophoresis (MST) were exploited to demonstrate the interaction of heparan sulfate with the ectodomain G protein. The dynamic light scattering results showed that the purified protein was homogenic and had a well-folded native conformation. Biophysical characterization of the protein revealed that it was stable and had intact secondary and tertiary structures at pH 7.5. CD analysis revealed that the protein showed a loss in the secondary structure at pH values 5.5 and 3.5, while absorbance spectroscopy suggested a stable tertiary structure at pH values 7.5 and 5.5 with a probable aggregation pattern at pH 3.5. This loss in the structure of the ectodomain G protein at low pH can be correlated with its physiological activity. A slight change in pH might play a crucial role in host-pathogen interactions. The fluorescence intensity of the protein decreased on moving toward a lower pH with no spectral shift in emission maxima. In addition, isothermal titration calorimetry and microscale thermophoresis results showed strong binding affinity of the ectodomain G protein with heparan sulfate. The binding of heparan sulfate with protein was probably due to the electrostatic interaction of positively charged amino acid residues of the heparin-binding domain of the protein and the negatively charged group of GAGs. Future studies may involve the development of possible therapeutic agents interacting with the G protein and affecting the overall charge and pH that might hinder the host-pathogen interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abu Hamza
- Centre
for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Zoya Shafat
- Centre
for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Zahoor Ahmad Parray
- Centre
for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Malik Hisamuddin
- Interdisciplinary
Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Wajihul Hasan Khan
- Kusuma
School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute
of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Anwar Ahmed
- Centre
of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad N. Almajhdi
- Department
of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Centre
of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed A. Farrag
- Department
of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arif Ahmed Mohammed
- Centre
of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asimul Islam
- Centre
for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Shama Parveen
- Centre
for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
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