1
|
Feng Y, Yi J, Yang L, Wang Y, Wen J, Zhao W, Kim P, Zhou X. COV2Var, a function annotation database of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D701-D713. [PMID: 37897356 PMCID: PMC10767816 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad958] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in the loss of millions of lives and severe global economic consequences. Every time SARS-CoV-2 replicates, the viruses acquire new mutations in their genomes. Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes led to increased transmissibility, severe disease outcomes, evasion of the immune response, changes in clinical manifestations and reducing the efficacy of vaccines or treatments. To date, the multiple resources provide lists of detected mutations without key functional annotations. There is a lack of research examining the relationship between mutations and various factors such as disease severity, pathogenicity, patient age, patient gender, cross-species transmission, viral immune escape, immune response level, viral transmission capability, viral evolution, host adaptability, viral protein structure, viral protein function, viral protein stability and concurrent mutations. Deep understanding the relationship between mutation sites and these factors is crucial for advancing our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 and for developing effective responses. To fill this gap, we built COV2Var, a function annotation database of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation, available at http://biomedbdc.wchscu.cn/COV2Var/. COV2Var aims to identify common mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants and assess their effects, providing a valuable resource for intensive functional annotations of common mutations among SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhou Feng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiahao Yi
- School of Big Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of Cardiology and Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Heart Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yanfei Wang
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jianguo Wen
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Weiling Zhao
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pora Kim
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaobo Zhou
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Balupuri A, Kim JM, Choi KE, No JS, Kim IH, Rhee JE, Kim EJ, Kang NS. Comparative Computational Analysis of Spike Protein Structural Stability in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariants. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16069. [PMID: 38003257 PMCID: PMC10671153 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous emergence of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with multiple spike (S) protein mutations pose serious threats to current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) therapies. A comprehensive understanding of the structural stability of SARS-CoV-2 variants is vital for the development of effective therapeutic strategies as it can offer valuable insights into their potential impact on viral infectivity. S protein mediates a virus' attachment to host cells by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its receptor-binding domain (RBD), and mutations in this protein can affect its stability and binding affinity. We analyzed S protein structural stability in various Omicron subvariants computationally. Notably, the S protein sequences analyzed in this work were obtained directly from our own sample collection. We evaluated the binding free energy between S protein and ACE2 in several complex forms. Additionally, we measured distances between the RBD of each chain in S protein to analyze conformational changes. Unlike most of the prior studies, we analyzed full-length S protein-ACE2 complexes instead of only RBD-ACE2 complexes. Omicron subvariants including BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4/BA.5, BA.2.75, BA.2.75_K147E, BA.4.6 and BA.4.6_N658S showed enhanced stability compared to wild type, potentially due to distinct S protein mutations. Among them, BA.2.75 and BA.4.6_N658S exhibited the highest and lowest level of stability, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anand Balupuri
- Graduate School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (A.B.); (K.-E.C.)
| | - Jeong-Min Kim
- Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Bureau of Infectious Disease Diagnosis Control, Korea Disease, Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28159, Republic of Korea; (J.-M.K.); (J.S.N.); (I.-H.K.); (J.E.R.)
| | - Kwang-Eun Choi
- Graduate School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (A.B.); (K.-E.C.)
| | - Jin Sun No
- Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Bureau of Infectious Disease Diagnosis Control, Korea Disease, Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28159, Republic of Korea; (J.-M.K.); (J.S.N.); (I.-H.K.); (J.E.R.)
| | - Il-Hwan Kim
- Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Bureau of Infectious Disease Diagnosis Control, Korea Disease, Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28159, Republic of Korea; (J.-M.K.); (J.S.N.); (I.-H.K.); (J.E.R.)
| | - Jee Eun Rhee
- Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Bureau of Infectious Disease Diagnosis Control, Korea Disease, Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28159, Republic of Korea; (J.-M.K.); (J.S.N.); (I.-H.K.); (J.E.R.)
| | - Eun-Jin Kim
- Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Bureau of Infectious Disease Diagnosis Control, Korea Disease, Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28159, Republic of Korea; (J.-M.K.); (J.S.N.); (I.-H.K.); (J.E.R.)
| | - Nam Sook Kang
- Graduate School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (A.B.); (K.-E.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Arnittali M, Rissanou AN, Kefala A, Kokkinidis M, Harmandaris V. Structure of amino acid sequence-reversed wtRop protein: insights from atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-15. [PMID: 37671833 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2252903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to the investigation of the advantages of designing new proteins presume upon a 'bias' sequence of amino acids, based on the reversed sequence of parent proteins, such as the retro ones. The structural simplicity of wtRop offers a very attractive model system to study these aspects. The current work is based on all-atom Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and corresponding experimental evidence on two different types of reversed wtRop protein, one with a fully reversed sequence of amino acids (rRop) and another with a partially reversed sequence (prRop), where only the five residues of the loop region (30ASP-34GLN) were not reversed. The exploration of the structure of the two retro proteins is performed highlighting the similarities and the differences with their parent protein, by employing various measures. Two models have been studied for both reversed proteins, a dimeric and a monomeric with the former one found to be more stable than the latter. Preferable equilibrium structures that the protein molecule can attain are explored, indicating the equilibration pathway. Simulation findings indicate a disruption of the α-helical structure and the appearance of additional secondary structures for both retro proteins. Reduced structural stability compared to their parent protein (wtRop) is also found. A corruption of the hydrophobic core is observed in the dimeric models. Furthermore, the simulations findings are consistent with the experimental characterization of prRop by circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) which highlights an unstable, highly α-helical protein.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Arnittali
- Computation-Based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Anastassia N Rissanou
- National Hellenic Research Foundation, Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Kefala
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Michael Kokkinidis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Vagelis Harmandaris
- Computation-Based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
He X, He C, Hong W, Yang J, Wei X. Research progress in spike mutations of SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccine development. Med Res Rev 2023. [PMID: 36929527 DOI: 10.1002/med.21941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can hardly end with the emergence of different variants over time. In the past 2 years, several variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), such as the Delta and Omicron variants, have emerged with higher transmissibility, immune evasion and drug resistance, leading to higher morbidity and mortality in the population. The prevalent variants of concern (VOCs) share several mutations on the spike that can affect virus characteristics, including transmissibility, antigenicity, and immune evasion. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that the neutralization capacity of sera from COVID-19 convalescent or vaccinated individuals is decreased against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Moreover, the vaccine effectiveness of current COVID-19 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 VOCs is not as high as that against wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, more attention might be paid to how the mutations impact vaccine effectiveness. In this review, we summarized the current studies on the mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 spike, particularly of the receptor binding domain, to elaborate on how the mutations impact the infectivity, transmissibility and immune evasion of the virus. The effects of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike on the current therapeutics were highlighted, and potential strategies for future vaccine development were suggested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei He
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Cai He
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Weiqi Hong
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jingyun Yang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abbasian MH, Mahmanzar M, Rahimian K, Mahdavi B, Tokhanbigli S, Moradi B, Sisakht MM, Deng Y. Global landscape of SARS-CoV-2 mutations and conserved regions. J Transl Med 2023; 21:152. [PMID: 36841805 PMCID: PMC9958328 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-03996-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND At the end of December 2019, a novel strain of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) has been identified in Wuhan, a central city in China, and then spread to every corner of the globe. As of October 8, 2022, the total number of COVID-19 cases had reached over 621 million worldwide, with more than 6.56 million confirmed deaths. Since SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences change due to mutation and recombination, it is pivotal to surveil emerging variants and monitor changes for improving pandemic management. METHODS 10,287,271 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence samples were downloaded in FASTA format from the GISAID databases from February 24, 2020, to April 2022. Python programming language (version 3.8.0) software was utilized to process FASTA files to identify variants and sequence conservation. The NCBI RefSeq SARS-CoV-2 genome (accession no. NC_045512.2) was considered as the reference sequence. RESULTS Six mutations had more than 50% frequency in global SARS-CoV-2. These mutations include the P323L (99.3%) in NSP12, D614G (97.6) in S, the T492I (70.4) in NSP4, R203M (62.8%) in N, T60A (61.4%) in Orf9b, and P1228L (50.0%) in NSP3. In the SARS-CoV-2 genome, no mutation was observed in more than 90% of nsp11, nsp7, nsp10, nsp9, nsp8, and nsp16 regions. On the other hand, N, nsp3, S, nsp4, nsp12, and M had the maximum rate of mutations. In the S protein, the highest mutation frequency was observed in aa 508-635(0.77%) and aa 381-508 (0.43%). The highest frequency of mutation was observed in aa 66-88 (2.19%), aa 7-14, and aa 164-246 (2.92%) in M, E, and N proteins, respectively. CONCLUSION Therefore, monitoring SARS-CoV-2 proteomic changes and detecting hot spots mutations and conserved regions could be applied to improve the SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic efficiency and design safe and effective vaccines against emerging variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hadi Abbasian
- Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadamin Mahmanzar
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Karim Rahimian
- Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahar Mahdavi
- Department of Computer Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samaneh Tokhanbigli
- Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bahman Moradi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mahsa Mollapour Sisakht
- Department of Biochemistry, Erasmus University Medical Center, 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Youping Deng
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
In silico protein engineering shows that novel mutations affecting NAD + binding sites may improve phosphite dehydrogenase stability and activity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1878. [PMID: 36725973 PMCID: PMC9892502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28246-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas stutzeri phosphite dehydrogenase (PTDH) catalyzes the oxidation of phosphite to phosphate in the presence of NAD, resulting in the formation of NADH. The regeneration of NADH by PTDH is greater than any other enzyme due to the substantial change in the free energy of reaction (G°' = - 63.3 kJ/mol). Presently, improving the stability of PTDH is for a great importance to ensure an economically viable reaction process to produce phosphite as a byproduct for agronomic applications. The binding site of NAD+ with PTDH includes thirty-four residues; eight of which have been previously mutated and characterized for their roles in catalysis. In the present study, the unexplored twenty-six key residues involved in the binding of NAD+ were subjected to in silico mutagenesis based on the physicochemical properties of the amino acids. The effects of these mutations on the structure, stability, activity, and interaction of PTDH with NAD+ were investigated using molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, free energy calculations, and secondary structure analysis. We identified seven novel mutations, A155I, G157I, L217I, P235A, V262I, I293A, and I293L, that reduce the compactness of the protein while improving PTDH stability and binding to NAD+.
Collapse
|
7
|
Mondeali M, Etemadi A, Barkhordari K, Mobini Kesheh M, Shavandi S, Bahavar A, Tabatabaie FH, Mahmoudi Gomari M, Modarressi MH. The role of S477N mutation in the molecular behavior of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein: An in-silico perspective. J Cell Biochem 2023; 124:308-319. [PMID: 36609701 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The attachment of SARA-CoV-2 happens between ACE2 and the receptor binding domain (RBD) on the spike protein. Mutations in this domain can affect the binding affinity of the spike protein for ACE2. S477N, one of the most common mutations reported in the recent variants, is located in the RBD. Today's computational approaches in biology, especially during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, assist researchers in predicting a protein's behavior in contact with other proteins in more detail. In this study, we investigated the interactions of the S477N-hACE2 in silico to find the impact of this mutation on its binding affinity for ACE2 and immunity responses using dynamics simulation, protein-protein docking, and immunoinformatics methods. Our computational analysis revealed an increased binding affinity of N477 for ACE2. Four new hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds in the mutant RBD-ACE2 were formed (with S19 and Q24 of ACE2), which do not exist in the wild type. Also, the protein spike structure in this mutation was associated with an increase in stabilization and a decrease in its fluctuations at the atomic level. N477 mutation can be considered as the cause of increased escape from the immune system through MHC-II.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mozhgan Mondeali
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Etemadi
- Medical Biotechnology Department, School of Advanced Technologies in MedicineSchool of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Khabat Barkhordari
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Mobini Kesheh
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Shavandi
- Department of Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atefeh Bahavar
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Mahmoudi Gomari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad H Modarressi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gomari MM, Tarighi P, Choupani E, Abkhiz S, Mohamadzadeh M, Rostami N, Sadroddiny E, Baammi S, Uversky VN, Dokholyan NV. Structural evolution of Delta lineage of SARS-CoV-2. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 226:1116-1140. [PMID: 36435470 PMCID: PMC9683856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.227] [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: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
One of the main obstacles in prevention and treatment of COVID-19 is the rapid evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Given that Spike is the main target of common treatments of COVID-19, mutations occurring at this virulent factor can affect the effectiveness of treatments. The B.1.617.2 lineage of SARS-CoV-2, being characterized by many Spike mutations inside and outside of its receptor-binding domain (RBD), shows high infectivity and relative resistance to existing cures. Here, utilizing a wide range of computational biology approaches, such as immunoinformatics, molecular dynamics (MD), analysis of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), protein-protein interaction analyses, residue scanning, and free energy calculations, we examine the structural and biological attributes of the B.1.617.2 Spike protein. Furthermore, the antibody design protocol of Rosetta was implemented for evaluation the stability and affinity improvement of the Bamlanivimab (LY-CoV55) antibody, which is not capable of interactions with the B.1.617.2 Spike. We observed that the detected mutations in the Spike of the B1.617.2 variant of concern can cause extensive structural changes compatible with the described variation in immunogenicity, secondary and tertiary structure, oligomerization potency, Furin cleavability, and drug targetability. Compared to the Spike of Wuhan lineage, the B.1.617.2 Spike is more stable and binds to the Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with higher affinity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mahmoudi Gomari
- Student Research Committee, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran,Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Parastoo Tarighi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Edris Choupani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Shadi Abkhiz
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Masoud Mohamadzadeh
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas 7916193145, Iran
| | - Neda Rostami
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak 3848177584, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Sadroddiny
- Medical Biotechnology Department, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417613151, Iran
| | - Soukayna Baammi
- African Genome Centre (AGC), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Benguerir 43150, Morocco
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA,Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia,Correspondence to: V.N. Uversky, Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Nikolay V. Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 16802, USA,Corresponding author
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Shi C, Jiao Y, Yang C, Sun Y. The influence of single-point mutation D614G on the binding process between human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-an atomistic simulation study †. RSC Adv 2023; 13:9800-9810. [PMID: 36998522 PMCID: PMC10044093 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra00198a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has continuously evolved as changes in the genetic code occur during replication of the genome, with some of the mutations leading to higher transmission among human beings. The spike aspartic acid-614 to glycine (D614G) substitution in the spike represents a “more transmissible form of SARS-CoV-2” and occurs in all SARS-CoV-2 mutants. However, the underlying mechanism of the D614G substitution in virus infectivity has remained unclear. In this paper, we adopt molecular simulations to study the contact processes of the D614G mutant and wild-type (WT) spikes with hACE2. The interaction areas with hACE2 for the two spikes are completely different by visualizing the whole binding processes. The D614G mutant spike moves towards the hACE2 faster than the WT spike. We have also found that the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD) of the D614G mutant extend more outwards than those of the WT spike. By analyzing the distances between the spikes and hACE2, the changes of number of hydrogen bonds and interaction energy, we suggest that the increased infectivity of the D614G mutant is not possibly related to the binding strength, but to the binding velocity and conformational change of the mutant spike. This work reveals the impact of D614G substitution on the infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2, and hopefully could provide a rational explanation of interaction mechanisms for all the SARS-CoV-2 mutants. SARS-CoV-2 has continuously evolved as changes in the genetic code occur during replication of the genome, with some of the mutations leading to higher transmission among human beings.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Shi
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)Shenzhen 518055China
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)Shenzhen 518055China
| | - Yanqi Jiao
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)Shenzhen 518055China
| | - Chao Yang
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)Shenzhen 518055China
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)Shenzhen 518055China
| | - Yao Sun
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)Shenzhen 518055China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Santos FRDS, de Azevedo MSP, Bielavsky M, da Costa HHM, Ribeiro DG, Nascimento GGD, Marcondes GMP, de Castro BP, de Lima Neto DF, Prudencio CR. Mutational profile confers increased stability of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in Brazilian isolates. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13184-13189. [PMID: 34633892 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1982775] [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] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Spike (S) protein has been recognized as a promising molecular target for diagnostic, vaccines and antiviral drugs development for COVID-19. In this study, we analyzed the most predominant mutations in the S protein of Brazilian isolates and predicted the effect of these amino acid alterations to protein conformation. A total of 25,924 sequences were obtained from GISAID for five regions of Brazilian territory (Midwest, North, Northeast, South, and Southeast), according to exclusion criteria. Most of the SARS-CoV-2 isolates belongs to the G clade and showed a large occurrence of D614G, N501Y and L18F substitutions. Prediction effects of these amino acid substitutions on the structure dynamics of the spike protein indicated a positive ΔΔG values and negative ΔΔSVib in most cases which is associated to structural stabilization and flexibility reduction of the S protein. Mutations E484K, N501Y and K417N belong to several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, and showed high incidence among Brazilian isolates. These mutations have been described to increase RBD affinity to ACE-2 host and abolishment of RBD affinity to potent neutralizing ant-RBD. The increase in rates of infection and reinfection requires continuous genomic surveillance studies in order to characterize emerging mutations and monitor vaccine efficacy, and thus consideration structural data and dynamics in the observed phenotypes.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Monica Bielavsky
- Laboratory of Immunotechnology, Center of Immunology, Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Daniela Gomes Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Immunotechnology, Center of Immunology, Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Daniel Ferreira de Lima Neto
- Coordenação-Geral de Laboratórios de Saúde Pública, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.,Laboratório de Termodinâmica de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos Roberto Prudencio
- Laboratory of Immunotechnology, Center of Immunology, Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Gomari MM, Rostami N, Faradonbeh DR, Asemaneh HR, Esmailnia G, Arab S, Farsimadan M, Hosseini A, Dokholyan NV. Evaluation of pH change effects on the HSA folding and its drug binding characteristics, a computational biology investigation. Proteins 2022; 90:1908-1925. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.26386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mahmoudi Gomari
- Student Research Committee, Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Neda Rostami
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Arak University Arak Iran
| | - Davood Rabiei Faradonbeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Asemaneh
- Polymer Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering Razi University Kermanshah Iran
| | - Giti Esmailnia
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Shahriar Arab
- Department of Biophysics School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University Tehran Iran
| | - Marziye Farsimadan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences University of Guilan Rasht Iran
| | - Arshad Hosseini
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Nikolay V. Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Hershey Pennsylvania USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Multiorgan and Vascular Tropism of SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030515. [PMID: 35336922 PMCID: PMC8955556 DOI: 10.3390/v14030515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the respiratory tract is the main target of SARS-CoV-2, other tissues and organs are permissive to the infection. In this report, we investigated this wide-spectrum tropism by studying the SARS-CoV-2 genetic intra-host variability in multiple tissues. The virological and histological investigation of multiple specimens from a post-mortem COVID-19 patient was performed. SARS-CoV-2 genome was detected in several tissues, including the lower respiratory system, cardio-vascular biopsies, stomach, pancreas, adrenal gland, mediastinal ganglion and testicles. Subgenomic RNA transcripts were also detected, in favor of an active viral replication, especially in testicles. Ultra-deep sequencing allowed us to highlight several SARS-CoV-2 mutations according to tissue distribution. More specifically, mutations of the spike protein, i.e., V341A (18.3%), E654 (44%) and H655R (30.8%), were detected in the inferior vena cava. SARS-CoV-2 variability can contribute to heterogeneous distributions of viral quasispecies, which may affect the COVID-19 pathogeny.
Collapse
|
13
|
Modeling SARS-CoV-2 spike/ACE2 protein-protein interactions for predicting the binding affinity of new spike variants for ACE2, and novel ACE2 structurally related human protein targets, for COVID-19 handling in the 3PM context. EPMA J 2022; 13:149-175. [PMID: 35013687 PMCID: PMC8732965 DOI: 10.1007/s13167-021-00267-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aims The rapid spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants has highlighted the crucial role played in the infection by mutations occurring at the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) in the interactions with the human ACE2 receptor. In this context, it urgently needs to develop new rapid tools for quickly predicting the affinity of ACE2 for the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein variants to be used with the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequencing activities in the clinics, aiming to gain clues about the transmissibility and virulence of new variants, to prevent new outbreaks and to quickly estimate the severity of the disease in the context of the 3PM. Methods In our study, we used a computational pipeline for calculating the interaction energies at the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD/ACE2 protein–protein interface for a selected group of characterized infectious variants of concern/interest (VoC/VoI). By using our pipeline, we built 3D comparative models of the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD/ACE2 protein complexes for the VoC B.1.1.7-United Kingdom (carrying the mutations of concern/interest N501Y, S494P, E484K at the RBD), P.1-Japan/Brazil (RBD mutations: K417T, E484K, N501Y), B.1.351-South Africa (RBD mutations: K417N, E484K, N501Y), B.1.427/B.1.429-California (RBD mutations: L452R), the B.1.141 (RBD mutations: N439K), and the recent B.1.617.1-India (RBD mutations: L452R; E484Q) and the B.1.620 (RBD mutations: S477N; E484K). Then, we used the obtained 3D comparative models of the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD/ACE2 protein complexes for predicting the interaction energies at the protein–protein interface. Results Along SARS-CoV-2 mutation database screening and mutation localization analysis, it was ascertained that the most dangerous mutations at VoC/VoI spike proteins are located mainly at three regions of the SARS-CoV-2 spike “boat-shaped” receptor binding motif, on the RBD domain. Notably, the P.1 Japan/Brazil variant present three mutations, K417T, E484K, N501Y, located along the entire receptor binding motif, which apparently determines the highest interaction energy at the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD/ACE2 protein–protein interface, among those calculated. Conversely, it was also observed that the replacement of a single acidic/hydrophilic residue with a basic residue (E484K or N439K) at the “stern” or “bow” regions, of the boat-shaped receptor binding motif on the RBD, appears to determine an interaction energy with ACE2 receptor higher than that observed with single mutations occurring at the “hull” region or with other multiple mutants. In addition, our pipeline allowed searching for ACE2 structurally related proteins, i.e., THOP1 and NLN, which deserve to be investigated for their possible involvement in interactions with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, in those tissues showing a low expression of ACE2, or as a novel receptor for future spike variants. A freely available web-tool for the in silico calculation of the interaction energy at the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD/ACE2 protein–protein interface, starting from the sequences of the investigated spike and/or ACE2 variants, was made available for the scientific community at: https://www.mitoairm.it/covid19affinities. Conclusion In the context of the PPPM/3PM, the employment of the described pipeline through the provided webservice, together with the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequencing, would help to predict the transmissibility of new variants sequenced from future patients, depending on SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequencing activities and on the specific amino acid replacement and/or on its location on the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD, to put in play all the possible counteractions for preventing the most deleterious scenarios of new outbreaks, taking into consideration that a greater transmissibility has not to be necessarily related to a more severe manifestation of the disease. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-021-00267-w.
Collapse
|
14
|
Bhattacharya M, Chatterjee S, Sharma AR, Agoramoorthy G, Chakraborty C. D614G mutation and SARS-CoV-2: impact on S-protein structure, function, infectivity, and immunity. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:9035-9045. [PMID: 34755213 PMCID: PMC8578012 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11676-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The progression of the COVID-19 pandemic has generated numerous emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 on a global scale. These variants have gained evolutionary advantages, comprising high virulence and serious infectivity due to multiple spike glycoprotein mutations. As a reason, variants are demonstrating significant abilities to escape the immune responses of the host. The D614G mutation in the S-glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 variants has shown the most efficient interaction with the ACE2 receptor of the cells. This explicit mutation at amino acid position 614 (aspartic acid-to-glycine substitution) is the prime cause of infection and re-infection. It changes the conformation of RBD and cleavage patterns S-glycoprotein with higher stability, replication fitness, and fusion efficiencies. Therefore, this review aims to provide several crucial pieces of information associated with the D614 mutational occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and their infectivity patterns. This review will also effectively emphasize the mechanism of action of D614G mutant variants, immune escape, and partial vaccine escape of this virus. Furthermore, the viral characteristic changes leading to the current global pandemic condition have been highlighted. Here, we have tried to illustrate a novel direction for future researchers to develop effective therapeutic approaches and counterweight strategies to minimize the spread of COVID-19.Key points• D614G mutation arises within the S-glycoprotein of significant SARS-CoV-2 variants.• The D614G mutation affects infection, re-infection, cleavage patterns of S-glycoprotein, and replication fitness of SARS-CoV-2 variants.• The D614G mutation influences the immunity and partial vaccine escape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manojit Bhattacharya
- Department of Zoology, Fakir Mohan University, Vyasa Vihar, Balasore, 756020, Odisha, India
| | - Srijan Chatterjee
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Barasat-Barrackpore Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700126, India
| | - Ashish Ranjan Sharma
- Institute for Skeletal Aging and Orthopaedic Surgery, Hallym University-Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon-si, 24252, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Chiranjib Chakraborty
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Barasat-Barrackpore Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700126, India.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Rostami N, Davarnejad R. Characterization of folic acid-functionalized PLA-PEG nanomicelle to deliver Letrozole: A nanoinformatics study. IET Nanobiotechnol 2021; 16:103-114. [PMID: 34812575 PMCID: PMC9114444 DOI: 10.1049/nbt2.12073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective cancer treatment is currently the number one challenge to human health. To date, several treatment methods have been introduced for cancer cell targeting. Among the proposed new methods for attacking cancer cells, nanotechnology has attracted much attention. Hence, various nanocarriers have been developed for targeted delivery of available drugs and improve their effectiveness against malignant cells. The PLA-PEG functionalised with folic acid (PLA-PEG-FA) is one of the nanocarriers with a limited range of applications for targeting cancer cells. In this investigation, different types of in-silico methods such as molecular docking approach, molecular dynamics simulation and free energy calculations are employed to characterise the carriers studied. The effectiveness of PLA-PEG-FA and PLA-PEG in delivering Letrozole as an aromatase inhibitor in cancer cells is examined. It is found that in the presence of folic acid, the stability and cell membrane permeability of nanomicelle are increased. Therefore, PLA-PEG-FA can be considered as a versatile carrier that can increase the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors (such as Letrozole) and reduce their side effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neda Rostami
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran
| | - Reza Davarnejad
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Rostami N, Choupani E, Hernandez Y, Arab SS, Jazayeri SM, Gomari MM. SARS-CoV-2 spike evolutionary behaviors; simulation of N501Y mutation outcomes in terms of immunogenicity and structural characteristic. J Cell Biochem 2021; 123:417-430. [PMID: 34783057 PMCID: PMC8657535 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), a large number of mutations in its genome have been reported. Some of the mutations occur in noncoding regions without affecting the pathobiology of the virus, while mutations in coding regions are significant. One of the regions where a mutation can occur, affecting the function of the virus is at the receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. RBD interacts with angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and facilitates the entry of the virus into the host cells. There is a lot of focus on RBD mutations, especially the displacement of N501Y which is observed in the UK/Kent, South Africa, and Brazilian lineages of SARS‐CoV‐2. Our group utilizes computational biology approaches such as immunoinformatics, protein–protein interaction analysis, molecular dynamics, free energy computation, and tertiary structure analysis to disclose the consequences of N501Y mutation at the molecular level. Surprisingly, we discovered that this mutation reduces the immunogenicity of the spike protein; also, displacement of Asn with Tyr reduces protein compactness and significantly increases the stability of the spike protein and its affinity to ACE2. Moreover, following the N501Y mutation secondary structure and folding of the spike protein changed dramatically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neda Rostami
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran
| | - Edris Choupani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yaeren Hernandez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Seyed S Arab
- Department of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed M Jazayeri
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad M Gomari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Transformations, Lineage Comparisons, and Analysis of Down-to-Up Protomer States of Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 Prefusion Spike Protein, Including the UK Variant B.1.1.7. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0003021. [PMID: 34346753 PMCID: PMC8562339 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00030-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring and strategic response to variants in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) represent a considerable challenge in the current pandemic and for future viral outbreaks. Mutations/deletions of the virion’s prefusion Spike protein may have significant impact on vaccines and therapeutics that utilize this key structural protein in their mitigation strategies. In this study, we have demonstrated how dominant energetic landscape mappings (“glue points”) based on ab inito all-atom force fields coupled with phylogenetic sequence alignment information can identify key residue mutations and deletions associated with variants. We also found several examples of excellent homology of stabilizing residue glue points across the lineages of betacoronavirus Spike proteins that we have called “sequence homologous glue points.” SARS-CoV-2 demonstrates the least number of stabilizing glue points associated with interchain interactions among Down-state protomers across lineages. Additionally, we computationally studied variants among the trimeric Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 using all-atom molecular dynamics to ascertain structural and energetic changes among variants. We examined both a theoretically based triple mutant and the UK or B.1.1.7 variant. For the theoretical triple mutant, we demonstrated through alanine substitutions that three key residues could cause the transition of Down-to-Up protomer states, where the transition is characterized by the “arm” length of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) rather than the hinge angle. For the B.1.1.7 variant, we demonstrated the critical importance of mutations D614G and N501Y on the structure and binding, respectively, of the Spike protein. We note that these same two key mutations are also found in the South African B.1.351 variant. IMPORTANCE Viral variants represent a major challenge to monitoring viral outbreaks and formulating strategic health care responses. Variants represent transmitting viruses that have specific mutations and deletions associated with their genome. In the case of SARS-CoV-2 and other related viruses (betacoronaviruses), many of these mutations and deletions are associated with the Spike protein that the virus uses to infect cells. Here, we have analyzed both SARS-CoV-2 variants and related viruses, such as Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), in order to understand not only differences, but also key similarities between them. Understanding similarities can be as important as differences in determining key functional features of a class of viruses, such as the betacoronaviruses. We have used both phylogenetic analysis, which traces genetic similarities and differences, along with independent biophysics analysis, which adds function or behavior, in order to determine possible functional differences and hence possible transmission and infection differences among variants and lineages.
Collapse
|
18
|
The microbiome in atopic patients and potential modifications in the context of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2021; 21:245-251. [PMID: 33769313 DOI: 10.1097/aci.0000000000000738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Data regarding the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on host-microbiome alteration and subsequent effects on susceptibility and clinical course of COVID-19, especially in atopic patients, are currently limited. Here, we review the studies regarding the microbiome of atopic patients with other respiratory infections and discuss the potential role of probiotics as therapeutic targets for COVID-19 to decrease its susceptibility and severity of COVID-19. RECENT FINDINGS Respiratory tract virus infection affects the gut and airway microbiome structures and host's immune function. Diverse factors in atopic diseases affect the airway and gut microbiome structures, which are expected to negatively influence host health. However, response to respiratory virus infection in atopic hosts depends on the preexisting microbiome and immune responses. This may explain the inconclusiveness of the effects of COVID-19 on the susceptibility, morbidity, and mortality of patients with atopic diseases. Beneficial probiotics may be a therapeutic adjuvant in COVID-19 infection as the beneficial microbiome can decrease the viral load in the early phase of respiratory virus infection and improve the morbidity and mortality. SUMMARY Application of probiotics can be a potential adjuvant treatment in respiratory virus infection to improve host immune responses and disturbed microbiome structures in atopic patients. Further related studies involving COVID-19 are warranted in near future.
Collapse
|
19
|
Peters MH, Bastidas O, Kokron DS, Henze CE. Transformations, Lineage Comparisons, and Analysis of Down to Up Protomer States of Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 Prefusion Spike Protein Including the UK Variant B.1.1.7. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33594365 DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.09.430519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring and strategic response to variants in SARS-CoV-2 represents a considerable challenge in the current pandemic, as well as potentially future viral outbreaks of similar magnitude. In particular mutations and deletions involving the virion's prefusion Spike protein have significant potential impact on vaccines and therapeutics that utilize this key structural viral protein in their mitigation strategies. In this study, we have demonstrated how dominant energetic landscape mappings ("glue points") coupled with sequence alignment information can potentially identify or flag key residue mutations and deletions associated with variants. Surprisingly, we also found excellent homology of stabilizing residue glue points across the lineage of β coronavirus Spike proteins, and we have termed this as "sequence homologous glue points". In general, these flagged residue mutations and/or deletions are then computationally studied in detail using all-atom biocomputational molecular dynamics over approximately one microsecond in order to ascertain structural and energetic changes in the Spike protein associated variants. Specifically, we examined both a theoretically-based triple mutant and the so-called UK or B.1.1.7 variant. For the theoretical triple mutant, we demonstrated through Alanine mutations, which help "unglue" key residue-residue interactions, that these three key stabilizing residues could cause the transition of Down to Up protomer states, where the Up protomer state allows binding of the prefusion Spike protein to hACE2 host cell receptors, whereas the Down state is believed inaccessible. Thus, we are able to demonstrate the importance of glue point residue identification in the overall stability of the prefusion Spike protein. For the B.1.1.7 variant, we demonstrated the critical importance of D614G and N5017 on the structure and binding, respectively, of the Spike protein. Notably, we had previously identified D614 as a key glue point in the inter-protomer stabilization of the Spike protein prior to the emergence of its mutation. The mutant D614G is a structure breaking Glycine mutation demonstrating a relatively more distal Down state RBD and a more stable conformation in general. In addition, we demonstrate that the mutation N501Y may significantly increase the Spike protein binding to hACE2 cell receptors through its interaction with Y41 of hACE2 forming a potentially strong hydrophobic residue binding pair. We note that these two key mutations, D614G and N501Y, are also found in the so-called South African (SA; B.1.351) variant of SARS-CoV-2. Future studies along these lines are, therefore, aimed at mapping glue points to residue mutations and deletions of associated prefusion Spike protein variants in order to help identify and analyze possible "variants of interest" and optimize efforts aimed at the mitigation of this current and future virions.
Collapse
|