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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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Offersgaard A, Duarte Hernandez CR, Zhou Y, Duan Z, Gammeltoft KA, Hartmann KT, Fahnøe U, Marichal-Gallardo P, Alzua GP, Underwood AP, Sølund C, Weis N, Bonde JH, Christensen JP, Pedersen GK, Jensen HE, Holmbeck K, Bukh J, Gottwein JM. An inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine based on a Vero cell culture-adapted high-titer virus confers cross-protection in small animals. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17039. [PMID: 39048693 PMCID: PMC11269720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67570-0] [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: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapidly waning immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) requires continued global access to affordable vaccines. Globally, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been widely used during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In this proof-of-concept study we adapted an original-D614G SARS-CoV-2 virus to Vero cell culture as a strategy to enhance inactivated vaccine manufacturing productivity. A passage 60 (P60) virus showed enhanced fitness and 50-fold increased virus yield in a bioreactor compared to the original-D614G virus. It further remained susceptible to neutralization by plasma from SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated and convalescent individuals, suggesting exposure of relevant epitopes. Monovalent inactivated P60 and bivalent inactivated P60/omicron BA.1 vaccines induced neutralizing responses against original-D614G and BA.1 viruses in mice and hamsters, demonstrating that the P60 virus is a suitable vaccine antigen. Antibodies further cross-neutralized delta and BA.5 viruses. Importantly, the inactivated P60 vaccine protected hamsters against disease upon challenge with original-D614G or BA.1 virus, with minimal lung pathology and lower virus loads in the upper and lower airways. Antigenicity of the P60 virus was thus retained compared to the original virus despite the acquisition of cell culture adaptive mutations. Consequently, cell culture adaptation may be a useful approach to increase yields in inactivated vaccine antigen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Offersgaard
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark.
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Carlos R Duarte Hernandez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yuyong Zhou
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zhe Duan
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karen Anbro Gammeltoft
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katrine T Hartmann
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Fahnøe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pavel Marichal-Gallardo
- Bioprocess Engineering, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Garazi Peña Alzua
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexander P Underwood
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christina Sølund
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Nina Weis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jesper Hansen Bonde
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Jan P Christensen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gabriel K Pedersen
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Vaccine Research, Department of Infectious Disease Immunology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Elvang Jensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Kenn Holmbeck
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Judith Margarete Gottwein
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital-Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark.
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Chao Z, Selivanovitch E, Kallitsis K, Lu Z, Pachaury A, Owens R, Daniel S. Recreating the biological steps of viral infection on a cell-free bioelectronic platform to profile viral variants of concern. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5606. [PMID: 38961055 PMCID: PMC11222515 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49415-6] [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: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Viral mutations frequently outpace technologies used to detect harmful variants. Given the continual emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, platforms that can identify the presence of a virus and its propensity for infection are needed. Our electronic biomembrane sensing platform recreates distinct SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry pathways and reports the progression of entry as electrical signals. We focus on two necessary entry processes mediated by the viral Spike protein: virus binding and membrane fusion, which can be distinguished electrically. We find that closely related variants of concern exhibit distinct fusion signatures that correlate with trends in cell-based infectivity assays, allowing us to report quantitative differences in their fusion characteristics and hence their infectivity potentials. We use SARS-CoV-2 as our prototype, but we anticipate that this platform can extend to other enveloped viruses and cell lines to quantifiably assess virus entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongmou Chao
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 124 Olin Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Ekaterina Selivanovitch
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 124 Olin Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Konstantinos Kallitsis
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Dr., Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Zixuan Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Dr., Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Ambika Pachaury
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 124 Olin Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Róisín Owens
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Dr., Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Susan Daniel
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 124 Olin Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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4
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Li Y, Tan X, Deng J, Liu X, Liu Q, Zhang Z, Huang X, Shen C, Xu K, Zhou L, Chen Y. An optimized high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 dual reporter trans-complementation system for antiviral screening in vitro and in vivo. Virol Sin 2024; 39:447-458. [PMID: 38548102 PMCID: PMC11280264 DOI: 10.1016/j.virs.2024.03.009] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still epidemic around the world. The manipulation of SARS-CoV-2 is restricted to biosafety level 3 laboratories (BSL-3). In this study, we developed a SARS-CoV-2 ΔN-GFP-HiBiT replicon delivery particles (RDPs) encoding a dual reporter gene, GFP-HiBiT, capable of producing both GFP signal and luciferase activities. Through optimal selection of the reporter gene, GFP-HiBiT demonstrated superior stability and convenience for antiviral evaluation. Additionally, we established a RDP infection mouse model by delivering the N gene into K18-hACE2 KI mouse through lentivirus. This mouse model supports RDP replication and can be utilized for in vivo antiviral evaluations. In summary, the RDP system serves as a valuable tool for efficient antiviral screening and studying the gene function of SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, this system can be manipulated in BSL-2 laboratories, decreasing the threshold of experimental requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xue Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Jikai Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xuemei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Qianyun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Institute for Vaccine Research at Animal Bio-safety Level Ⅲ Laboratory, Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiaoya Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Chao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Ke Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Institute for Vaccine Research at Animal Bio-safety Level Ⅲ Laboratory, Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
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5
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Tan TJC, Verma AK, Odle A, Lei R, Meyerholz DK, Matreyek KA, Perlman S, Wong LYR, Wu NC. Evidence of antigenic drift in the fusion machinery core of SARS-CoV-2 spike. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317222121. [PMID: 38557175 PMCID: PMC11009667 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317222121] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Antigenic drift of SARS-CoV-2 is typically defined by mutations in the N-terminal domain and receptor binding domain of spike protein. In contrast, whether antigenic drift occurs in the S2 domain remains largely elusive. Here, we perform a deep mutational scanning experiment to identify S2 mutations that affect binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike to three S2 apex public antibodies. Our results indicate that spatially diverse mutations, including D950N and Q954H, which are observed in Delta and Omicron variants, respectively, weaken the binding of spike to these antibodies. Although S2 apex antibodies are known to be nonneutralizing, we show that they confer protection in vivo through Fc-mediated effector functions. Overall, this study indicates that the S2 domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike can undergo antigenic drift, which represents a potential challenge for the development of more universal coronavirus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J. C. Tan
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Abhishek K. Verma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA52242
| | - Abby Odle
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA52242
| | - Ruipeng Lei
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | | | - Kenneth A. Matreyek
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH44106
| | - Stanley Perlman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA52242
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA52242
| | - Lok-Yin Roy Wong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA52242
- Center for Virus-Host-Innate Immunity, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ07103
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ07103
| | - Nicholas C. Wu
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
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6
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Amidei A, Dobrovolny HM. Virus-mediated cell fusion of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Math Biosci 2024; 369:109144. [PMID: 38224908 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has the ability to form large multi-nucleated cells known as syncytia. Little is known about how syncytia affect the dynamics of the infection or severity of the disease. In this manuscript, we extend a mathematical model of cell-cell fusion assays to estimate both the syncytia formation rate and the average duration of the fusion phase for five strains of SARS-CoV-2. We find that the original Wuhan strain has the slowest rate of syncytia formation (6.4×10-4/h), but takes only 4.0 h to complete the fusion process, while the Alpha strain has the fastest rate of syncytia formation (0.36 /h), but takes 7.6 h to complete the fusion process. The Beta strain also has a fairly fast syncytia formation rate (9.7×10-2/h), and takes the longest to complete fusion (8.4 h). The D614G strain has a fairly slow syncytia formation rate (2.8×10-3/h), but completes fusion in 4.0 h. Finally, the Delta strain is in the middle with a syncytia formation rate of 3.2×10-2/h and a fusing time of 6.1 h. We note that for these SARS-CoV-2 strains, there appears to be a tradeoff between the ease of forming syncytia and the speed at which they complete the fusion process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ava Amidei
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Hana M Dobrovolny
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
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7
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Heil M. Self-DNA driven inflammation in COVID-19 and after mRNA-based vaccination: lessons for non-COVID-19 pathologies. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1259879. [PMID: 38439942 PMCID: PMC10910434 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1259879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered an unprecedented concentration of economic and research efforts to generate knowledge at unequalled speed on deregulated interferon type I signalling and nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer in B-cells (NF-κB)-driven interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18 secretion causing cytokine storms. The translation of the knowledge on how the resulting systemic inflammation can lead to life-threatening complications into novel treatments and vaccine technologies is underway. Nevertheless, previously existing knowledge on the role of cytoplasmatic or circulating self-DNA as a pro-inflammatory damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) was largely ignored. Pathologies reported 'de novo' for patients infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 to be outcomes of self-DNA-driven inflammation in fact had been linked earlier to self-DNA in different contexts, e.g., the infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1, sterile inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. I highlight particularly how synergies with other DAMPs can render immunogenic properties to normally non-immunogenic extracellular self-DNA, and I discuss the shared features of the gp41 unit of the HIV-1 envelope protein and the SARS-CoV 2 Spike protein that enable HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 to interact with cell or nuclear membranes, trigger syncytia formation, inflict damage to their host's DNA, and trigger inflammation - likely for their own benefit. These similarities motivate speculations that similar mechanisms to those driven by gp41 can explain how inflammatory self-DNA contributes to some of most frequent adverse events after vaccination with the BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer/BioNTech) or the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine, i.e., myocarditis, herpes zoster, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune nephritis or hepatitis, new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus, and flare-ups of psoriasis or lupus. The hope is to motivate a wider application of the lessons learned from the experiences with COVID-19 and the new mRNA vaccines to combat future non-COVID-19 diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Heil
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV)-Unidad Irapuato, Irapuato, Mexico
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8
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Hasan MM, Saha CK, Hamidullah Mehedi HM, Chakma K, Salauddin A, Hossain MS, Sharmen F, Rafiqul Islam SM, Tanni AA, Yasmin F, Akash A, Hossain ME, Miah M, Biswas SK, Sultana N, Mannan A. Genetic determinants of SARS-CoV-2 and the clinical outcome of COVID-19 in Southern Bangladesh. Immun Inflamm Dis 2024; 12:e1171. [PMID: 38415978 PMCID: PMC10845815 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.1171] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a severe impact on population health. The genetic determinants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in southern Bangladesh are not well understood. METHODS This study aimed to determine the genomic variation in SARS-CoV-2 genomes that have evolved over 2 years of the pandemic in southern Bangladesh and their association with disease outcomes and virulence of this virus. We investigated demographic variables, disease outcomes of COVID-19 patients and genomic features of SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS We observed that the disease severity was significantly higher in adults (85.3%) than in children (14.7%), because the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) diminishes with ageing that causes differences in innate and adaptive immunity. The clade GK (n = 66) was remarkable between June 2021 and January 2022. Because of the mutation burden, another clade, GRA started a newly separated clustering in December 2021. The burden was significantly higher in GRA (1.5-fold) highlighted in mild symptoms of COVID-19 patients than in other clades (GH, GK, and GR). Mutations were accumulated mainly in S (22.15 mutations per segment) and ORF1ab segments. Missense (67.5%) and synonymous (18.31%) mutations were highly noticed in adult patients with mild cases rather than severe cases, especially in ORF1ab segments. Moreover, we observed many unique mutations in S protein in mild cases compared to severe, and homology modeling revealed that those might cause more folding in the protein's alpha helix and beta sheets. CONCLUSION Our study identifies some risk factors such as age comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, and renal disease) that are associated with severe COVID-19, providing valuable insight regarding prioritizing vaccination for high-risk individuals and allocating health care and resources. The findings of this work outlined the knowledge and mutational basis of SARS-CoV-2 for the next treatment steps. Further studies are needed to confirm the effects of structural and functional proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in detail for monitoring the emergence of new variants in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Mahbub Hasan
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
| | | | | | - Kallyan Chakma
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
| | - Asma Salauddin
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease ResearchBangladesh (icddr,b)DhakaBangladesh
| | - Md. Shakhawat Hossain
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
| | - Farjana Sharmen
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
| | - S. M. Rafiqul Islam
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
| | - Afroza Akter Tanni
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
| | - Farhana Yasmin
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
| | - Al‐Shahriar Akash
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
| | | | - Mojnu Miah
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease ResearchBangladesh (icddr,b)DhakaBangladesh
| | - Sanjoy Kanti Biswas
- Department of MicrobiologyChattogram Maa‐O‐Shishu HospitalChattogramBangladesh
| | - Nahid Sultana
- Department of MicrobiologyChattogram Maa‐O‐Shishu HospitalChattogramBangladesh
| | - Adnan Mannan
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
- Next Generation Sequencing, Research and Innovation Laboratory Chittagong (NRICh), Biotechnology Research and Innovation Center (BRIC)University of ChittagongChattogramBangladesh
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Su WC, Chen ZY, Chang YS, Jeng KS, Le UNP, Chou YC, Kuo LL, Melano I, Jesse, Wang WJ, Song YC, Li SR, Hung MC, Lai MMC, Lin CW. Functional assessments of SARS-CoV-2 single-round infectious particles with variant-specific spike proteins on infectivity, drug sensitivity, and antibody neutralization. Antiviral Res 2023; 220:105744. [PMID: 37944823 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105744] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Working with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is restricted to biosafety level III (BSL-3) laboratory. The study used a trans-complementation system consisting of virus-like particles (VLPs) and DNA-launched replicons to generate SARS-CoV-2 single-round infectious particles (SRIPs) with variant-specific spike (S) proteins. S gene of Wuhan-Hu-1 strain (SWH1) or Omicron BA.1 variant (SBA.1), along with the envelope (E) and membrane (M) genes, were cloned into a tricistronic vector, co-expressed in the cells to produce variant-specific S-VLPs. Additionally, the replicon of the WH1-like strain without S, E, M and accessory genes, was engineered under the control by a CMV promoter to produce self-replicating RNAs within VLP-producing cells, led to create SWH1- and SBA.1-based SARS-CoV-2 SRIPs. The SBA.1-based SRIP showed lower virus yield, replication, N protein expression, fusogenicity, and infectivity compared to SWH1-based SRIPs. SBA.1-based SRIP also exhibited intermediate resistance to neutralizing antibodies produced by SWH1-based vaccines, but were effective at infecting cells with low ACE2 expression. Importantly, both S-based SRIPs responded similarly to remdesivir and GC376, with EC50 values ranging from 0.17 to 1.46 μM, respectively. The study demonstrated that this trans-complementation system is a reliable and efficient tool for generating SARS-CoV-2 SRIPs with variant-specific S proteins. SARS-CoV-2 SRIPs, mimicking authentic live viruses, facilitate comprehensive analysis of variant-specific virological characteristics, including antibody neutralization, and drug sensitivity in non-BSL-3 laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Chi Su
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; International Master's Program of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan; Drug Development Center, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan
| | - Zan-Yu Chen
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan
| | - Young-Sheng Chang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan
| | - King-Song Jeng
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan
| | - Uyen Nguyen Phuong Le
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chi Chou
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan
| | - Li-Lan Kuo
- International Master's Program of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan
| | - Ivonne Melano
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan
| | - Jesse
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Jan Wang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chyi Song
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Sin-Rong Li
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan; Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan
| | - Michael M C Lai
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan.
| | - Cheng-Wen Lin
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Drug Development Center, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, 404333, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Wufeng, Taichung, 413305, Taiwan.
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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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