1
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Li WJ, Chen JY, Zhu HX, Li YM, Xu Y. Synthesis of Asp-based lactam cyclic peptides using an amide-bonded diaminodiacid to prevent aspartimide formation. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:3584-3588. [PMID: 38623862 DOI: 10.1039/d4ob00472h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Asp-based lactam cyclic peptides are considered promising drug candidates. However, using Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis (Fmoc-SPPS) for these peptides also causes aspartimide formation, resulting in low yields or even failure to obtain the target peptides. Here, we developed a diaminodiacid containing an amide bond as a β-carboxyl-protecting group for Asp to avoid aspartimide formation. The practicality of this diaminodiacid has been illustrated by the synthesis of lactam cyclic peptide cyclo[Lys9,Asp13] KIIIA7-14 and 1Y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jie Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Jun-You Chen
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Hui-Xia Zhu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Yi-Ming Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Yang Xu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
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2
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Li Y, Wu M, Fu Y, Xue J, Yuan F, Qu T, Rissanou AN, Wang Y, Li X, Hu H. Therapeutic stapled peptides: Efficacy and molecular targets. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107137. [PMID: 38522761 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Peptide stapling, by employing a stable, preformed alpha-helical conformation, results in the production of peptides with improved membrane permeability and enhanced proteolytic stability, compared to the original peptides, and provides an effective solution to accelerate the rapid development of peptide drugs. Various reviews present peptide stapling chemistries, anchoring residues and one- or two-component cyclization, however, therapeutic stapled peptides have not been systematically summarized, especially focusing on various disease-related targets. This review highlights the latest advances in therapeutic peptide drug development facilitated by the application of stapling technology, including different stapling techniques, synthetic accessibility, applicability to biological targets, potential for solving biological problems, as well as the current status of development. Stapled peptides as therapeutic drug candidates have been classified and analysed mainly by receptor- and ligand-based stapled peptide design against various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, and diabetes. This review is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational design of stapled peptides for different diseases and targets to facilitate the development of therapeutic peptides with enhanced pharmacokinetic and biological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulei Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China.
| | - Minghao Wu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yinxue Fu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Jingwen Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Fei Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Tianci Qu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Anastassia N Rissanou
- Theoretical & Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Yilin Wang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Honggang Hu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China.
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3
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Marković V, Szczepańska A, Berlicki Ł. Antiviral Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2024; 67:3205-3231. [PMID: 38394369 PMCID: PMC10945500 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Continually repeating outbreaks of pathogenic viruses necessitate the construction of effective antiviral strategies. Therefore, the development of new specific antiviral drugs in a well-established and efficient manner is crucial. Taking into account the strong ability of viruses to change, therapies with diversified molecular targets must be sought. In addition to the widely explored viral enzyme inhibitor approach, inhibition of protein-protein interactions is a very valuable strategy. In this Perspective, protein-protein interaction inhibitors targeting HIV, SARS-CoV-2, HCV, Ebola, Dengue, and Chikungunya viruses are reviewed and discussed. Antibodies, peptides/peptidomimetics, and small molecules constitute three classes of compounds that have been explored, and each of them has some advantages and disadvantages for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Marković
- Wrocław
University of Science and Technology, Department
of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
- University
of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science,
Department of Chemistry, R. Domanovića 12, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Anna Szczepańska
- Wrocław
University of Science and Technology, Department
of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Wrocław
University of Science and Technology, Department
of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
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4
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Quagliata M, Papini AM, Rovero P. Chemically modified antiviral peptides against SARS-CoV-2. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3541. [PMID: 37699615 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
To date, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a potentially lethal disease. Although both vaccines and specific antiviral drugs have been approved, the search for more specific therapeutic approaches is still ongoing. The infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 consists of several stages, and each one can be selectively blocked to disrupt viral infection. Peptides are a promising class of antiviral compounds, which may be suitably modified to be more stable, more effective, and more selective towards a specific viral replication step. The latter two goals might be obtained by increasing the specificity and/or the affinity of the interaction with a specific target and often imply the stabilization of the secondary structure of the active peptide. This review is focused on modified antiviral peptides against SARS-CoV-2 acting at different stages of virus replication, including ACE2-RBD interaction, membrane fusion mechanism, and the proteolytic cleavage by different viral proteases. Therefore, the landscape presented herein provides a useful springboard for the design of new and powerful antiviral therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Quagliata
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Papini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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5
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Ferková S, Froehlich U, Nepveu-Traversy MÉ, Murza A, Azad T, Grandbois M, Sarret P, Lavigne P, Boudreault PL. Comparative Analysis of Cyclization Techniques in Stapled Peptides: Structural Insights into Protein-Protein Interactions in a SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD/hACE2 Model System. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:166. [PMID: 38203338 PMCID: PMC10778704 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010166] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Medicinal chemistry is constantly searching for new approaches to develop more effective and targeted therapeutic molecules. The design of peptidomimetics is a promising emerging strategy that is aimed at developing peptides that mimic or modulate the biological activity of proteins. Among these, stapled peptides stand out for their unique ability to stabilize highly frequent helical motifs, but they have failed to be systematically reported. Here, we exploit chemically diverse helix-inducing i, i + 4 constraints-lactam, hydrocarbon, triazole, double triazole and thioether-on two distinct short sequences derived from the N-terminal peptidase domain of hACE2 upon structural characterization and in silico alanine scan. Our overall objective was to provide a sequence-independent comparison of α-helix-inducing staples using circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We identified a 9-mer lactam stapled peptide derived from the hACE2 sequence (His34-Gln42) capable of reaching its maximal helicity of 55% with antiviral activity in bioreporter- and pseudovirus-based inhibition assays. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first comprehensive investigation comparing several cyclization methods with the goal of generating stapled peptides and correlating their secondary structures with PPI inhibitions using a highly topical model system (i.e., the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD with hACE2).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pierre-Luc Boudreault
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; (S.F.); (M.-É.N.-T.); (A.M.); (T.A.)
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6
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Katarzyna Lesiów M, Witwicki M, Tan NK, Graziotto ME, New EJ. Unravelling the Mystery of COVID-19 Pathogenesis: Spike Protein and Cu Can Synergize to Trigger ROS Production. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202301530. [PMID: 37414735 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202301530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on global health, highlighting the need to understand how the SARS-CoV-2 virus damages the lungs in order to develop effective treatments. Recent research has shown that patients with COVID-19 experience severe oxidative damage to various biomolecules. We propose that the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in SARS-CoV-2 infection involves an interaction between copper ions and the virus's spike protein. We tested two peptide fragments, Ac-ELDKYFKNH-NH2 (L1) and Ac-WSHPQFEK-NH2 (L2), derived from the spike protein of the Wuhan strain and the β variant, respectively, and found that they bind Cu(II) ions and form a three-nitrogen complexes at lung pH. Our research demonstrates that these complexes trigger the overproduction of ROS, which can break both DNA strands and transform DNA into its linear form. Using A549 cells, we demonstrated that ROS overproduction occurs in the mitochondria, not in the cytoplasm. Our findings highlight the importance of the interaction between copper ions and the virus's spike protein in the development of lung damage and may aid in the development of therapeutic procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maciej Witwicki
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Nian Kee Tan
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for, Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | | | - Elizabeth Joy New
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for, Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Nano Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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7
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Meshesha M, Sardar A, Supekar R, Bhattacharjee L, Chatterjee S, Halder N, Mohanta K, Bhattacharyya TK, Pal B. Development and Analytical Evaluation of a Point-of-Care Electrochemical Biosensor for Rapid and Accurate SARS-CoV-2 Detection. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:8000. [PMID: 37766054 PMCID: PMC10534802 DOI: 10.3390/s23188000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical need for rapid and accurate screening and diagnostic methods for potential respiratory viruses. Existing COVID-19 diagnostic approaches face limitations either in terms of turnaround time or accuracy. In this study, we present an electrochemical biosensor that offers nearly instantaneous and precise SARS-CoV-2 detection, suitable for point-of-care and environmental monitoring applications. The biosensor employs a stapled hACE-2 N-terminal alpha helix peptide to functionalize an in situ grown polypyrrole conductive polymer on a nitrocellulose membrane backbone through a chemical process. We assessed the biosensor's analytical performance using heat-inactivated omicron and delta variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in artificial saliva (AS) and nasal swab (NS) samples diluted in a strong ionic solution, as well as clinical specimens with known Ct values. Virus identification was achieved through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and frequency analyses. The assay demonstrated a limit of detection (LoD) of 40 TCID50/mL, with 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Notably, the biosensor exhibited no cross-reactivity when tested against the influenza virus. The entire testing process using the biosensor takes less than a minute. In summary, our biosensor exhibits promising potential in the battle against pandemic respiratory viruses, offering a platform for the development of rapid, compact, portable, and point-of-care devices capable of multiplexing various viruses. The biosensor has the capacity to significantly bolster our readiness and response to future viral outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mesfin Meshesha
- Department of Virology, Opteev Technologies Inc., Baltimore, MD 21225, USA;
| | - Anik Sardar
- Research and Development Laboratory, Opteev Healthtech, GN-4, Sector-V, Kolkata 700091, India; (A.S.); (R.S.); (L.B.); (S.C.); (N.H.); (K.M.)
| | - Ruchi Supekar
- Research and Development Laboratory, Opteev Healthtech, GN-4, Sector-V, Kolkata 700091, India; (A.S.); (R.S.); (L.B.); (S.C.); (N.H.); (K.M.)
| | - Lopamudra Bhattacharjee
- Research and Development Laboratory, Opteev Healthtech, GN-4, Sector-V, Kolkata 700091, India; (A.S.); (R.S.); (L.B.); (S.C.); (N.H.); (K.M.)
| | - Soumyo Chatterjee
- Research and Development Laboratory, Opteev Healthtech, GN-4, Sector-V, Kolkata 700091, India; (A.S.); (R.S.); (L.B.); (S.C.); (N.H.); (K.M.)
| | - Nyancy Halder
- Research and Development Laboratory, Opteev Healthtech, GN-4, Sector-V, Kolkata 700091, India; (A.S.); (R.S.); (L.B.); (S.C.); (N.H.); (K.M.)
| | - Kallol Mohanta
- Research and Development Laboratory, Opteev Healthtech, GN-4, Sector-V, Kolkata 700091, India; (A.S.); (R.S.); (L.B.); (S.C.); (N.H.); (K.M.)
| | - Tarun Kanti Bhattacharyya
- Department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India;
| | - Biplab Pal
- Department of Virology, Opteev Technologies Inc., Baltimore, MD 21225, USA;
- Research and Development Laboratory, Opteev Healthtech, GN-4, Sector-V, Kolkata 700091, India; (A.S.); (R.S.); (L.B.); (S.C.); (N.H.); (K.M.)
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8
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Lourenço ALP, Rios TB, da Silva ÁP, Franco OL, Ramada MHS. Peptide Stapling Applied to Antimicrobial Peptides. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1400. [PMID: 37760697 PMCID: PMC10525709 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12091400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered a promising therapeutic approach against multi-drug resistant microorganisms. Besides their advantages, there are limitations to be overcome so that these molecules can become market competitive. One of the biggest limitations is proteolytic susceptibility, which could be overcome by structural modifications such as cyclization, especially for helix-constraining strategies. Over the years, many helix stabilization techniques have arisen, such as lactam-bridging, triazole-based, N-alkylation and all-hydrocarbon stapling. All-hydrocarbon stapling takes advantage of modified amino acid residues and olefinic cross-linking to constrain peptide helices. Despite being a well-established strategy and presenting efficient stability results, there are different limitations especially related to toxicity. In this review, recent studies on stapled AMPs for antimicrobial usage are explored with the aim of understanding the future of these molecules as putative antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Pereira Lourenço
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
| | - Thuanny Borba Rios
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande 79117-900, Brazil
| | - Állan Pires da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande 79117-900, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Henrique Soller Ramada
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Gerontologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
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9
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Quagliata M, Stincarelli MA, Papini AM, Giannecchini S, Rovero P. Antiviral Activity against SARS-CoV-2 of Conformationally Constrained Helical Peptides Derived from Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:22665-22672. [PMID: 37387789 PMCID: PMC10275481 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of vaccines, COVID-19 continues to be aggressive, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Therefore, the development of a specific therapeutic agent with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 is necessary. The infection pathway starts when the receptor binding domain of the viral spike protein interacts with the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which acts as a host receptor for the RBD expressed on the host cell surface. In this scenario, ACE2 analogs binding to the RBD and preventing the cell entry can be promising antiviral agents. Most of the ACE2 residues involved in the interaction belong to the α1 helix, more specifically to the minimal fragment ACE2(24-42). In order to increase the stability of the secondary structure and thus antiviral activity, we designed different triazole-stapled analogs, changing the position and the number of bridges. The peptide called P3, which has the triazole-containing bridge in the positions 36-40, showed promising antiviral activity at micromolar concentrations assessed by plaque reduction assay. On the other hand, the double-stapled peptide P4 lost the activity, showing that excessive rigidity disfavors the interaction with the RBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Quagliata
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Anna Maria Papini
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department
of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University
of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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10
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Zhang H, Lv P, Jiang J, Liu Y, Yan R, Shu S, Hu B, Xiao H, Cai K, Yuan S, Li Y. Advances in developing ACE2 derivatives against SARS-CoV-2. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2023; 4:e369-e378. [PMID: 36934742 PMCID: PMC10019897 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00011-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Extensive immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 rendered therapeutic antibodies ineffective in the COVID-19 pandemic. Propagating SARS-CoV-2 variants are characterised by immune evasion capacity through key amino acid mutations, but can still bind human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through the spike protein and are, thus, sensitive to ACE2-mimicking decoys as inhibitors. In this Review, we examine advances in the development of ACE2 derivatives from the past 3 years, including the recombinant ACE2 proteins, ACE2-loaded extracellular vesicles, ACE2-mimicking antibodies, and peptide or mini-protein mimetics of ACE2. Several ACE2 derivatives are granted potent neutralisation efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants that rival or surpass endogenous antibodies by various auxiliary techniques such as chemical modification and practical recombinant design. The derivatives also represent enhanced production efficiency and improved bioavailability. In addition to these derivatives of ACE2, new effective therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 variants are expected to be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Panjing Lv
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingrui Jiang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yahui Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ruixi Yan
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sainan Shu
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bing Hu
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Xiao
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kun Cai
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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11
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Calugi L, Sautariello G, Lenci E, Mattei ML, Coppa C, Cini N, Contini A, Trabocchi A. Identification of a short ACE2-derived stapled peptide targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 249:115118. [PMID: 36682293 PMCID: PMC9842534 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The design and synthesis of a series of peptide derivatives based on a short ACE2 α-helix 1 epitope and subsequent [i - i+4] stapling of the secondary structure resulted in the identification of a 9-mer peptide capable to compete with recombinant ACE2 towards Spike RBD in the micromolar range. Specifically, SARS-CoV-2 Spike inhibitor screening based on colorimetric ELISA assay and structural studies by circular dichroism showed the ring-closing metathesis cyclization being capable to stabilize the helical structure of the 9-mer 34HEAEDLFYQ42 epitope better than the triazole stapling via click chemistry. MD simulations showed the stapled peptide being able not only to bind the Spike RBD, sterically interfering with ACE2, but also showing higher affinity to the target as compared to parent epitope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Calugi
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Sautariello
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Elena Lenci
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Mauro Leucio Mattei
- General Laboratory, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Crescenzo Coppa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Cini
- General Laboratory, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro Contini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Trabocchi
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
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12
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Liu X, Jiang L, Li L, Lu F, Liu F. Bionics design of affinity peptide inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 RBD to block SARS-CoV-2 RBD-ACE2 interactions. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12890. [PMID: 36686609 PMCID: PMC9836997 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), has already posed serious threats and impacts on the health of the population and the country's economy. Therefore, it is of great theoretical significance and practical application value to better understand the process of COVID-19 infection and develop effective therapeutic drugs. It is known that the receptor-binding structural domain (SARS-CoV-2 RBD) on the spike protein of the novel coronavirus directly mediates its interaction with the host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and thus blocking SARS-CoV-2 RBD-ACE2 interaction is capable of inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Firstly, the interaction mechanism between SARS-CoV-2RBD-ACE2 was explored using molecular dynamics simulation (MD) coupled with molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) free energy calculation method. The results of energy analysis showed that the key residues R403, R408, K417, and Y505 of SARS-CoV-2 RBD and the key residues D30, E37, D38, and Y41 of ACE2 were identified. Therefore, according to the hotspot residues of ACE2 and their distribution, a short peptide library of high-affinity SARS-CoV-2 RBD was constructed. And by using molecular docking virtual screening, six short peptides including DDFEDY, DEFEDY, DEYEDY, DFVEDY, DFHEDY, and DSFEDY with high affinity for SARS-CoV-2 RBD were identified. The results of MD simulation further confirmed that DDFEDY, DEYEDY, and DFVEDY are expected to be effective inhibitors. Finally, the allergenicity, toxicity and solubility properties of the three peptide inhibitors were validated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of Ministry of Education; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, PR China,College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457, PR China
| | - Luying Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of Ministry of Education; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, PR China,College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457, PR China
| | - Li Li
- College of Marine and Environmental Science, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Fuping Lu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of Ministry of Education; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, PR China,College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457, PR China
| | - Fufeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of Ministry of Education; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, PR China,College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457, PR China,Corresponding author. Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of Ministry of Education; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, PR China.
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13
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Xu Z, Zou Y, Gao X, Niu MM, Li J, Xue L, Jiang S. Dual-targeting cyclic peptides of receptor-binding domain (RBD) and main protease (Mpro) as potential drug leads for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1041331. [PMID: 36339564 PMCID: PMC9627161 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1041331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the main protease (Mpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) play a crucial role in the entry and replication of viral particles, and co-targeting both of them could be an attractive approach for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection by setting up a "double lock" in the viral lifecycle. However, few dual RBD/Mpro-targeting agents have been reported. Here, four novel RBD/Mpro dual-targeting peptides, termed as MRs 1-4, were discovered by an integrated virtual screening scheme combining molecular docking-based screening and molecular dynamics simulation. All of them possessed nanomolar binding affinities to both RBD and Mpro ranging from 14.4 to 39.2 nM and 22.5-40.4 nM, respectively. Further pseudovirus infection assay revealed that the four selected peptides showed >50% inhibition against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus at a concentration of 5 µM without significant cytotoxicity to host cells. This study leads to the identification of a class of dual RBD/Mpro-targeting agents, which may be developed as potential and effective SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Xu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Taizhou People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China
| | - Yunting Zou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xi Gao
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Taizhou People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China
| | - Miao-Miao Niu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jindong Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Taizhou People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China
| | - Lu Xue
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Taizhou People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China
| | - Su Jiang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Taizhou People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China
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14
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Khatri B, Pramanick I, Malladi SK, Rajmani RS, Kumar S, Ghosh P, Sengupta N, Rahisuddin R, Kumar N, Kumaran S, Ringe RP, Varadarajan R, Dutta S, Chatterjee J. A dimeric proteomimetic prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection by dimerizing the spike protein. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:1046-1055. [PMID: 35654847 PMCID: PMC9512702 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01060-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Protein tertiary structure mimetics are valuable tools to target large protein-protein interaction interfaces. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for designing dimeric helix-hairpin motifs from a previously reported three-helix-bundle miniprotein that targets the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Through truncation of the third helix and optimization of the interhelical loop residues of the miniprotein, we developed a thermostable dimeric helix-hairpin. The dimeric four-helix bundle competes with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in binding to RBD with 2:2 stoichiometry. Cryogenic-electron microscopy revealed the formation of dimeric spike ectodomain trimer by the four-helix bundle, where all the three RBDs from either spike protein are attached head-to-head in an open conformation, revealing a novel mechanism for virus neutralization. The proteomimetic protects hamsters from high dose viral challenge with replicative SARS-CoV-2 viruses, demonstrating the promise of this class of peptides that inhibit protein-protein interaction through target dimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavesh Khatri
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Ishika Pramanick
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Raju S Rajmani
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Sahil Kumar
- Virology Unit, Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - Pritha Ghosh
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Nayanika Sengupta
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - R Rahisuddin
- Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - Narender Kumar
- Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - S Kumaran
- Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - Rajesh P Ringe
- Virology Unit, Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | | | - Somnath Dutta
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
| | - Jayanta Chatterjee
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
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15
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Santos ES, Silva PC, Sousa PSA, Aquino CC, Pacheco G, Teixeira LFLS, Araujo AR, Sousa FBM, Barros RO, Ramos RM, Rocha JA, Nicolau LAD, Medeiros JVR. Antiviral potential of diminazene aceturate against SARS-CoV-2 proteases using computational and in vitro approaches. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 367:110161. [PMID: 36116513 PMCID: PMC9476334 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Diminazene aceturate (DIZE), an antiparasitic, is an ACE2 activator, and studies show that activators of this enzyme may be beneficial for COVID-19, disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the in silico and in vitro affinity of diminazene aceturate against molecular targets of SARS-CoV-2. 3D structures from DIZE and the proteases from SARS-CoV-2, obtained through the Protein Data Bank and Drug Database (Drubank), and processed in computer programs like AutodockTools, LigPlot, Pymol for molecular docking and visualization and GROMACS was used to perform molecular dynamics. The results demonstrate that DIZE could interact with all tested targets, and the best binding energies were obtained from the interaction of Protein S (closed conformation −7.87 kcal/mol) and Mpro (−6.23 kcal/mol), indicating that it can act both by preventing entry and viral replication. The results of molecular dynamics demonstrate that DIZE was able to promote a change in stability at the cleavage sites between S1 and S2, which could prevent binding to ACE2 and fusion with the membrane. In addition, in vitro tests confirm the in silico results showing that DIZE could inhibit the binding between the spike receptor-binding domain protein and ACE2, which could promote a reduction in the virus infection. However, tests in other experimental models with in vivo approaches are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esley S Santos
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Disorders (LAFIDG), Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil; Medicinal Plants Research Center (NPPM), Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
| | - Priscila C Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Disorders (LAFIDG), Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil
| | - Paulo S A Sousa
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Biotechnology, QUIMEBIO, Federal University of Maranhão, São Bernardo, MA, Brazil; Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Center, BIOTEC, Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil
| | - Cristhyane C Aquino
- Postgraduate Program in Medical Sciences, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Gabriella Pacheco
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Disorders (LAFIDG), Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil; Medicinal Plants Research Center (NPPM), Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
| | - Luiz F L S Teixeira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Disorders (LAFIDG), Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil; Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Center, BIOTEC, Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil
| | - Alyne R Araujo
- Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Center, BIOTEC, Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil
| | - Francisca B M Sousa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Disorders (LAFIDG), Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil
| | - Romulo O Barros
- Research Laboratory in Information Systems, Department of Information, Environment, Health and Food Production, Federal Institute of Piauí, LaPeSI/IFPI, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil
| | - Ricardo M Ramos
- Research Laboratory in Information Systems, Department of Information, Environment, Health and Food Production, Federal Institute of Piauí, LaPeSI/IFPI, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil
| | - Jefferson A Rocha
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Biotechnology, QUIMEBIO, Federal University of Maranhão, São Bernardo, MA, Brazil; Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Center, BIOTEC, Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil
| | - Lucas A D Nicolau
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Disorders (LAFIDG), Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil; Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Center, BIOTEC, Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil
| | - Jand V R Medeiros
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Disorders (LAFIDG), Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil; Medicinal Plants Research Center (NPPM), Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil; Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Center, BIOTEC, Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology, Parnaíba Delta Federal University, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil.
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16
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Paul S, Nadendla S, Sobhia ME. Identification of Potential ACE2-Derived Peptide Mimetics in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Therapeutics using Computational Approaches. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:7420-7428. [PMID: 35929665 PMCID: PMC9396968 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global health challenge because of the emergence of distinct variants. Omicron, a new variant, is recognized as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its higher mutations and accelerated human infection. The infection rate is strongly dependent on the binding rate of the receptor binding domain (RBD) against human angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2human) receptor. Inhibition of protein-protein (RBDs(SARS-CoV-2/omicron)-ACE2human) interaction has been already proven to inhibit viral infection. We have systematically designed ACE2human-derived peptides and peptide mimetics that have high binding affinity toward RBDomicron. Our peptide mutational analysis indicated the influence of canonical amino acids on the peptide binding process. Herein, efforts have been made to explore the atomistic details and events of RBDs(SARS-CoV-2/omicron)-ACE2human interactions by using molecular dynamics simulation. Our studies pave a path for developing therapeutic peptidomimetics against omicron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanly Paul
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Analysis, University of
Szeged, Eotvos u. 6, G-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Swathi Nadendla
- Department
of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute
of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector-67, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali 160062, India
| | - M Elizabeth Sobhia
- Department
of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute
of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector-67, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali 160062, India
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17
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Creutznacher R, Maass T, Veselkova B, Ssebyatika G, Krey T, Empting M, Tautz N, Frank M, Kölbel K, Uetrecht C, Peters T. NMR Experiments Provide Insights into Ligand-Binding to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Receptor-Binding Domain. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:13060-13065. [PMID: 35830336 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c05603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We have used chemical shift perturbation (CSP) and saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR experiments to identify and characterize the binding of selected ligands to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike glycoprotein (S-protein) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We also subjected full-length S-protein to STD NMR experiments, allowing correlations with RBD-based results. CSPs reveal the binding sites for heparin and fondaparinux, and affinities were measured using CSP titrations. We then show that α-2,3-sialyllactose binds to the S-protein but not to the RBD. Finally, combined CSP and STD NMR experiments show that lifitegrast, a compound used for the treatment of dry eye, binds to the linoleic acid (LA) binding pocket with a dissociation constant in the μM range. This is an interesting finding, as lifitegrast lends itself well as a blueprint for medicinal chemistry, eventually furnishing novel entry inhibitors targeting the highly conserved LA binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Creutznacher
- Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Chemistry and Metabolomics, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Thorben Maass
- Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Chemistry and Metabolomics, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Barbora Veselkova
- Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - George Ssebyatika
- Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Thomas Krey
- Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Martin Empting
- Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Antiviral & Antivirulence Drugs (AVID), Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Norbert Tautz
- Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Virology and Cell Biology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Martin Frank
- Biognos AB, Generatorsgatan 1, P.O. Box 8963, SE-402 74 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Knut Kölbel
- CSSB Center for Structural Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) & Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Uetrecht
- CSSB Center for Structural Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) & Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.,School of Life Sciences, University of Siegen, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| | - Thomas Peters
- Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Chemistry and Metabolomics, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
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18
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Fernandes LA, Gomes AA, Guimarães BG, de Lourdes Borba Magalhães M, Ray P, da Silva GF. Engineering defensin α‐helix to produce high‐affinity
SARS‐CoV
‐2 spike protein binding ligands. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4355. [PMID: 35634778 PMCID: PMC9144876 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The binding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) spike protein to the angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor expressed on the host cells is a critical initial step for viral infection. This interaction is blocked through competitive inhibition by soluble ACE2 protein. Therefore, developing high‐affinity and cost‐effective ACE2 mimetic ligands that disrupt this protein–protein interaction is a promising strategy for viral diagnostics and therapy. We employed human and plant defensins, a class of small (2–5 kDa) and highly stable proteins containing solvent‐exposed alpha‐helix, conformationally constrained by two disulfide bonds. Therefore, we engineered the amino acid residues on the constrained alpha‐helix of defensins to mimic the critical residues on the ACE2 helix 1 that interact with the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein. The engineered proteins (h‐deface2, p‐deface2, and p‐deface2‐MUT) were soluble and purified to homogeneity with a high yield from a bacterial expression system. The proteins demonstrated exceptional thermostability (Tm 70.7°C), high‐affinity binding to the spike protein with apparent Kd values of 54.4 ± 11.3, 33.5 ± 8.2, and 14.4 ± 3.5 nM for h‐deface2, p‐deface2, and p‐deface2‐MUT, respectively, and were used in a diagnostic assay that detected SARS‐CoV‐2 neutralizing antibodies. This work addresses the challenge of developing helical ACE2 mimetics by demonstrating that defensins provide promising scaffolds to engineer alpha‐helices in a constrained form for designing of high‐affinity ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Antônio Fernandes
- Biochemistry Laboratory, Center of Agroveterinary Sciences State University of Santa Catarina Lages Santa Catarina Brazil
| | - Anderson Albino Gomes
- Biochemistry Laboratory, Center of Agroveterinary Sciences State University of Santa Catarina Lages Santa Catarina Brazil
| | - Beatriz Gomes Guimarães
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Protein Engineering Instituto Carlos Chagas ‐ ICC/FIOCRUZ Curitiba‐PR Brazil
| | | | - Partha Ray
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Moores Cancer Center University of California – San Diego Health La Jolla California USA
| | - Gustavo Felippe da Silva
- Biochemistry Laboratory, Center of Agroveterinary Sciences State University of Santa Catarina Lages Santa Catarina Brazil
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19
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Choudhury AR, Maity A, Chakraborty S, Chakrabarti R. Computational design of stapled peptide inhibitor against
SARS‐CoV
‐2 receptor binding domain. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2022; 114:e24267. [PMID: 35574509 PMCID: PMC9088457 DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Since its first detection in 2019, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has been the cause of millions of deaths worldwide. Despite the development and administration of different vaccines, the situation is still worrisome as the virus is constantly mutating to produce newer variants some of which are highly infectious. This raises an urgent requirement to understand the infection mechanism and thereby design therapeutic‐based treatment for COVID‐19. The gateway of the virus to the host cell is mediated by the binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the virus spike protein to the angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) of the human cell. Therefore, the RBD of SARS‐CoV‐2 can be used as a target to design therapeutics. The α1 helix of ACE2, which forms direct contact with the RBD surface, has been used as a template in the current study to design stapled peptide therapeutics. Using computer simulation, the mechanism and thermodynamics of the binding of six stapled peptides with RBD have been estimated. Among these, the one with two lactam stapling agents has shown binding affinity, sufficient to overcome RBD‐ACE2 binding. Analyses of the mechanistic detail reveal that a reorganization of amino acids at the RBD‐ACE2 interface produces favorable enthalpy of binding whereas conformational restriction of the free peptide reduces the loss in entropy to result higher binding affinity. The understanding of the relation of the nature of the stapling agent with their binding affinity opens up the avenue to explore stapled peptides as therapeutic against SARS‐CoV‐2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Rani Choudhury
- Department of Chemistry Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai Mumbai India
| | - Atanu Maity
- Department of Chemistry Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai Mumbai India
| | | | - Rajarshi Chakrabarti
- Department of Chemistry Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai Mumbai India
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20
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Sarto C, Florez-Rueda S, Arrar M, Hackenberger CPR, Lauster D, Di Lella S. Atomistic insight into the essential binding event of ACE2-derived peptides to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Biol Chem 2022; 403:615-624. [PMID: 35357791 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2021-0426] [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] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenic agent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters into human cells through the interaction between the receptor binding domain (RBD) of its spike glycoprotein and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. Efforts have been made towards finding antivirals that block this interaction, therefore preventing infection. Here, we determined the binding affinity of ACE2-derived peptides to the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 experimentally and performed MD simulations in order to understand key characteristics of their interaction. One of the peptides, p6, binds to the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 with nM affinity. Although the ACE2-derived peptides retain conformational flexibility when bound to SARS-CoV-2 RBD, we identified residues T27 and K353 as critical anchors mediating the interaction. New ACE2-derived peptides were developed based on the p6-RBD interface analysis and expecting the native conformation of the ACE2 to be maintained. Furthermore, we found a correlation between the helicity in trifluoroethanol and the binding affinity to RBD of the new peptides. Under the hypothesis that the conservation of peptide secondary structure is decisive to the binding affinity, we developed a cyclized version of p6 which had more helicity than p6 and approximately half of its K D value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Sarto
- Instituto de Química Biológica - Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - Conicet/Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, 4° Piso, C1428EGA Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sebastián Florez-Rueda
- Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Roessle-Strasse 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mehrnoosh Arrar
- Instituto de Cálculo - Conicet/Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón II, 2° Piso, C1428EGA Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Christian P R Hackenberger
- Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Roessle-Strasse 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Lauster
- Institut für Biochemie und Chemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Santiago Di Lella
- Instituto de Química Biológica - Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - Conicet/Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, 4° Piso, C1428EGA Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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21
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Tzotzos S. Stapled peptides as potential inhibitors of SARS‐CoV‐2 binding to the hACE2 receptor. J Pept Sci 2022; 28:e3409. [PMID: 35165970 PMCID: PMC9111031 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Stapled peptides are synthetic peptidomimetics of bioactive sites in folded proteins which carry chemical links, introduced during peptide synthesis, designed to retain the secondary structure in the native protein molecule. Stapled peptides have been investigated as potential modulators of protein–protein interactions for over two decades. The potential use of stapled peptides as inhibitors of viral entry, and therefore as antiviral therapeutics, has been established for several important viruses causing disease in humans, such as the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus. Several independent research initiatives have investigated the inhibitory effect of stapled peptides on binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the causative agent of COVID‐19, to its receptor, angiotensin‐converting‐enzyme 2 (ACE2). These stapled peptides, which mimic Helix 1 of the human ACE2 receptor, have demonstrated mixed ability to prevent infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 in cell‐based studies.
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22
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Abu-Saleh AAAA, Yadav A, Poirier RA. Accelerating the discovery of the beyond rule of five compounds that have high affinities toward SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 41:2518-2527. [PMID: 35132950 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2036640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The battle against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is the focal point for the global pandemic that has affected millions of lives worldwide. The need for effective and selective therapeutics for the treatment of the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 is critical. Herein, we performed a hierarchical computational approach incorporating molecular docking studies, molecular dynamics simulations, absolute binding energy calculations, and steered molecular dynamics simulations for the discovery of potential compounds with high affinity towards SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD. By leveraging ZINC15 database, a total of 1282 in-clinical and FDA approved drugs were filtered out from nearly 0.5 million protomers of relatively large compounds (MW > 500, and LogP ≤ 5). Our results depict plausible mechanistic aspects related to the blockage of SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD by the top hits discovered. We found that the most promising candidates, namely, ZINC95628821, ZINC95617623, ZINC3979524, and ZINC261494658, strongly bind to the spike RBD and interfere with the human ACE2 receptor. These findings accelerate the rational design of selective inhibitors targeting the spike RBD protein of SARS-CoV-2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arpita Yadav
- Department of Chemistry, University Institute of Engineering & Technology, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, India
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23
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Ershov PV, Mezentsev YV, Ivanov AS. Interfacial Peptides as Affinity Modulating Agents of Protein-Protein Interactions. Biomolecules 2022; 12:106. [PMID: 35053254 PMCID: PMC8773757 DOI: 10.3390/biom12010106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of disease-related protein-protein interactions (PPIs) creates objective conditions for their pharmacological modulation. The contact area (interfaces) of the vast majority of PPIs has some features, such as geometrical and biochemical complementarities, "hot spots", as well as an extremely low mutation rate that give us key knowledge to influence these PPIs. Exogenous regulation of PPIs is aimed at both inhibiting the assembly and/or destabilization of protein complexes. Often, the design of such modulators is associated with some specific problems in targeted delivery, cell penetration and proteolytic stability, as well as selective binding to cellular targets. Recent progress in interfacial peptide design has been achieved in solving all these difficulties and has provided a good efficiency in preclinical models (in vitro and in vivo). The most promising peptide-containing therapeutic formulations are under investigation in clinical trials. In this review, we update the current state-of-the-art in the field of interfacial peptides as potent modulators of a number of disease-related PPIs. Over the past years, the scientific interest has been focused on following clinically significant heterodimeric PPIs MDM2/p53, PD-1/PD-L1, HIF/HIF, NRF2/KEAP1, RbAp48/MTA1, HSP90/CDC37, BIRC5/CRM1, BIRC5/XIAP, YAP/TAZ-TEAD, TWEAK/FN14, Bcl-2/Bax, YY1/AKT, CD40/CD40L and MINT2/APP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel V. Ershov
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 119121 Moscow, Russia; (Y.V.M.); (A.S.I.)
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Sidorova MV, Bibilashvili RS, Avdeev DV, Kozhokar US, Palkeeva ME, Ovchinnikov MV, Molokoedov AS, Shirokov DA, Semyonova AV, Uvarova VI, Kulyaev PO, Khvatov EV, Ignatova AA, Feofanov AV, Osolodkin DI, Porozov YB, Kozlovskaya LI, Ishmukhametov AA, Parfyonova YV, Egorov AM. Properties and Activity of Peptide Derivatives of ACE2 Cellular Receptor and Their Interaction with SARS-CoV-2 S Protein Receptor-Binding Domain. DOKL BIOCHEM BIOPHYS 2022; 507:237-241. [PMID: 36580213 PMCID: PMC9798946 DOI: 10.1134/s1607672922060126] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to design and characterize peptides based on the α-helices h1 and h2 of the ACE2 receptor, forming the interaction interface between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and the cellular ACE2 receptor. Monomeric and heterodimeric peptides connected by disulfide bonds at different positions were synthesized. Solubility, RBD-binding affinity, and peptide helicity were experimentally measured, and molecular dynamics simulation was performed in various solvents. It was established that the preservation of the helical conformation is a necessary condition for the binding of peptides to RBD. The peptides have a low degree of helicity and low affinity for RBD in water. Dimeric peptides have a higher degree of helicity than monomeric ones, probably due to the mutual influence of helices. The degree of helicity of the peptides in trifluoroethanol is the highest; however, for in vitro studies, the most suitable solvent is a water-ethanol mixture.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. V. Sidorova
- Chazov National Medical Research Center for Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - R. S. Bibilashvili
- Chazov National Medical Research Center for Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - D. V. Avdeev
- Chazov National Medical Research Center for Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - U. S. Kozhokar
- Chazov National Medical Research Center for Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - M. E. Palkeeva
- Chazov National Medical Research Center for Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - M. V. Ovchinnikov
- Chazov National Medical Research Center for Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - A. S. Molokoedov
- Chazov National Medical Research Center for Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - D. A. Shirokov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia ,Skryabin Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology, Moscow, Russia
| | - A. V. Semyonova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - V. I. Uvarova
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, Russia
| | - P. O. Kulyaev
- Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - E. V. Khvatov
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, Russia
| | - A. A. Ignatova
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - D. I. Osolodkin
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, Russia ,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Yu. B. Porozov
- Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia ,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - L. I. Kozlovskaya
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, Russia ,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - A. A. Ishmukhametov
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, Russia ,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Ye. V. Parfyonova
- Chazov National Medical Research Center for Cardiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - A. M. Egorov
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, Russia ,Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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25
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Dahal A, Sonju JJ, Kousoulas KG, Jois SD. Peptides and peptidomimetics as therapeutic agents for Covid-19. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2022; 114:e24245. [PMID: 34901700 PMCID: PMC8646791 DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Covid-19 pandemic has caused high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Virus entry into cells can be blocked using several strategies, including inhibition of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between the viral spike glycoprotein and cellular receptors, as well as blocking of spike protein conformational changes that are required for cleavage/activation and fusogenicity. The spike-mediated viral attachment and entry into cells via fusion of the viral envelope with cellular membranes involve PPIs mediated by short peptide fragments exhibiting particular secondary structures. Thus, peptides that can inhibit these PPIs may be used as potential antiviral agents preventing virus entry and spread. This review is focused on peptides and peptidomimetics as PPI modulators and protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achyut Dahal
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of PharmacyUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeMonroeLouisianaUSA
| | - Jafrin Jobayer Sonju
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of PharmacyUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeMonroeLouisianaUSA
| | - Konstantin G. Kousoulas
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary MedicineLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
| | - Seetharama D. Jois
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of PharmacyUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeMonroeLouisianaUSA
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26
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Villa A, Brunialti E, Dellavedova J, Meda C, Rebecchi M, Conti M, Donnici L, De Francesco R, Reggiani A, Lionetti V, Ciana P. DNA aptamers masking angiotensin converting enzyme 2 as an innovative way to treat SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Pharmacol Res 2021; 175:105982. [PMID: 34798263 PMCID: PMC8594078 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105982] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
All the different coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 variants isolated so far share the same mechanism of infection mediated by the interaction of their spike (S) glycoprotein with specific residues on their cellular receptor: the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Therefore, the steric hindrance on this cellular receptor created by a bulk macromolecule may represent an effective strategy for the prevention of the viral spreading and the onset of severe forms of Corona Virus disease 19 (COVID-19). Here, we applied a systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) procedure to identify two single strand DNA molecules (aptamers) binding specifically to the region surrounding the K353, the key residue in human ACE2 interacting with the N501 amino acid of the SARS-CoV-2 S. 3D docking in silico experiments and biochemical assays demonstrated that these aptamers bind to this region, efficiently prevent the SARS-CoV-2 S/human ACE2 interaction and the viral infection in the nanomolar range, regardless of the viral variant, thus suggesting the possible clinical development of these aptamers as SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitors. Our approach brings a significant innovation to the therapeutic paradigm of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by protecting the target cell instead of focusing on the virus; this is particularly attractive in light of the increasing number of viral mutants that may potentially escape the currently developed immune-mediated neutralization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Villa
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20146, Italy
| | - Electra Brunialti
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20146, Italy
| | | | - Clara Meda
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20146, Italy
| | - Monica Rebecchi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20146, Italy
| | - Matteo Conti
- INGM - Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Lorena Donnici
- INGM - Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Raffaele De Francesco
- INGM - Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan 20122, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Angelo Reggiani
- D3 Validation Research Line, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa 16163, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Lionetti
- Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Paolo Ciana
- D3 Validation Research Line, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa 16163, Italy.
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27
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Panchal D, Kataria J, Patel K, Crowe K, Pai V, Azizogli A, Kadian N, Sanyal S, Roy A, Dodd‐o J, Acevedo‐Jake AM, Kumar VA. Peptide-Based Inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2021; 4:2100104. [PMID: 34514085 PMCID: PMC8420164 DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202100104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) global pandemic, caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) virus, currently has limited treatment options which include vaccines, anti-virals, and repurposed therapeutics. With their high specificity, tunability, and biocompatibility, small molecules like peptides are positioned to act as key players in combating SARS-CoV-2, and can be readily modified to match viral mutation rate. A recent expansion of the understanding of the viral structure and entry mechanisms has led to the proliferation of therapeutic viral entry inhibitors. In this comprehensive review, inhibitors of SARS and SARS-CoV-2 are investigated and discussed based on therapeutic design, inhibitory mechanistic approaches, and common targets. Peptide therapeutics are highlighted, which have demonstrated in vitro or in vivo efficacy, discuss advantages of peptide therapeutics, and common strategies in identifying targets for viral inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Disha Panchal
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Jeena Kataria
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Kamiya Patel
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Kaytlyn Crowe
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Varun Pai
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Abdul‐Rahman Azizogli
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Neil Kadian
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Sreya Sanyal
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Abhishek Roy
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Joseph Dodd‐o
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | | | - Vivek A. Kumar
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringDepartment of ChemicalBiological and Pharmaceutical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
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28
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A Novel Therapeutic Peptide Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Binding with Host Cell ACE2 Receptor. Drugs R D 2021; 21:273-283. [PMID: 34324175 PMCID: PMC8319882 DOI: 10.1007/s40268-021-00357-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 is a novel disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 virus. It was first detected in December 2019 and has since been declared a pandemic causing millions of deaths worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective therapeutics against coronavirus disease 2019. A critical step in the crosstalk between the virus and the host cell is the binding of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the peptidase domain of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor present on the surface of host cells. Methods An in silico approach was employed to design a 13-amino acid peptide inhibitor (13AApi) against the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Its binding specificity for RBD was confirmed by molecular docking using pyDockWEB, ClusPro 2.0, and HDOCK web servers. The stability of 13AApi and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complex was determined by molecular dynamics simulation using the GROMACS program while the physicochemical and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) properties of 13AApi were determined using the ExPASy tool and pkCSM server. Finally, in vitro validation of the inhibitory activity of 13AApi against the spike protein was performed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results In silico analyses indicated that the 13AApi could bind to the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein at the ACE2 binding site with high affinity. In vitro experiments validated the in silico findings, showing that 13AApi could significantly block the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Conclusions Blockage of binding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with ACE2 in the presence of the 13AApi may prevent virus entry into host cells. Therefore, the 13AApi can be utilized as a promising therapeutic agent to combat coronavirus disease 2019. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40268-021-00357-0.
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Schoeman D, Fielding BC. Human Coronaviruses: Counteracting the Damage by Storm. Viruses 2021; 13:1457. [PMID: 34452323 PMCID: PMC8402835 DOI: 10.3390/v13081457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past 18 years, three highly pathogenic human (h) coronaviruses (CoVs) have caused severe outbreaks, the most recent causative agent, SARS-CoV-2, being the first to cause a pandemic. Although much progress has been made since the COVID-19 pandemic started, much about SARS-CoV-2 and its disease, COVID-19, is still poorly understood. The highly pathogenic hCoVs differ in some respects, but also share some similarities in clinical presentation, the risk factors associated with severe disease, and the characteristic immunopathology associated with the progression to severe disease. This review aims to highlight these overlapping aspects of the highly pathogenic hCoVs-SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2-briefly discussing the importance of an appropriately regulated immune response; how the immune response to these highly pathogenic hCoVs might be dysregulated through interferon (IFN) inhibition, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA); and how these could link to the ensuing cytokine storm. The treatment approaches to highly pathogenic hCoV infections are discussed and it is suggested that a greater focus be placed on T-cell vaccines that elicit a cell-mediated immune response, using rapamycin as a potential agent to improve vaccine responses in the elderly and obese, and the potential of stapled peptides as antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Burtram C. Fielding
- Molecular Biology and Virology Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa;
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Cui T, Chen J, Zhao R, Guo Y, Tang J, Li Y, Li Y, Bierer D, Liu L. Use of a Removable Backbone Modification Strategy to Prevent Aspartimide Formation in the Synthesis of Asp Lactam Cyclic Peptides
†. CHINESE J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.202100272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Cui
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio‐process, Ministry of Education Hefei University of Technology Hefei Anhui 230009 China
| | - Junyou Chen
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio‐process, Ministry of Education Hefei University of Technology Hefei Anhui 230009 China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Department of Chemistry University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 China
| | - Yanyan Guo
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio‐process, Ministry of Education Hefei University of Technology Hefei Anhui 230009 China
| | - Jiahui Tang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio‐process, Ministry of Education Hefei University of Technology Hefei Anhui 230009 China
| | - Yulei Li
- Tsinghua‐Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yi‐Ming Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio‐process, Ministry of Education Hefei University of Technology Hefei Anhui 230009 China
| | - Donald Bierer
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Bayer AG, Aprather Weg 18A, 42096 Wuppertal Germany
| | - Lei Liu
- Tsinghua‐Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
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31
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de Campos L, Palermo NY, Conda-Sheridan M. Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain with Stapled Peptides: An In Silico Study. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:6572-6586. [PMID: 34114829 PMCID: PMC8230963 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c02398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evolved into a pandemic of unprecedented scale. This coronavirus enters cells by the interaction of the receptor binding domain (RBD) with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (hACE2). In this study, we employed a rational structure-based design to propose 22-mer stapled peptides using the structure of the hACE2 α1 helix as a template. These peptides were designed to retain the α-helical character of the natural structure, to enhance binding affinity, and to display a better solubility profile compared to other designed peptides available in the literature. We employed different docking strategies (PATCHDOCK and ZDOCK) followed by a double-step refinement process (FIBERDOCK) to rank our peptides, followed by stability analysis/evaluation of the interaction profile of the best docking predictions using a 500 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and a further binding affinity analysis by molecular mechanics with generalized Born and surface area (MM/GBSA) method. Our most promising stapled peptides presented a stable profile and could retain important interactions with the RBD in the presence of the E484K RBD mutation. We predict that these peptides can bind to the viral RBD with similar potency to the control NYBSP-4 (a 30-mer experimentally proven peptide inhibitor). Furthermore, our study provides valuable information for the rational design of double-stapled peptide as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana
Janaína de Campos
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Nicholas Y. Palermo
- Computational
Chemistry Core Facility, Vice Chancellor for Research Cores, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
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32
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Singh N, Villoutreix BO. Resources and computational strategies to advance small molecule SARS-CoV-2 discovery: Lessons from the pandemic and preparing for future health crises. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2537-2548. [PMID: 33936562 PMCID: PMC8074526 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to identify new therapies that prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and improve the outcome of COVID-19 patients. This pandemic has thus spurred intensive research in most scientific areas and in a short period of time, several vaccines have been developed. But, while the race to find vaccines for COVID-19 has dominated the headlines, other types of therapeutic agents are being developed. In this mini-review, we report several databases and online tools that could assist the discovery of anti-SARS-CoV-2 small chemical compounds and peptides. We then give examples of studies that combined in silico and in vitro screening, either for drug repositioning purposes or to search for novel bioactive compounds. Finally, we question the overall lack of discussion and plan observed in academic research in many countries during this crisis and suggest that there is room for improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natesh Singh
- Université de Paris, Inserm UMR 1141 NeuroDiderot, Robert-Debré Hospital, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Bruno O. Villoutreix
- Université de Paris, Inserm UMR 1141 NeuroDiderot, Robert-Debré Hospital, 75019 Paris, France
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