1
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Miotto M, Di Rienzo L, Grassmann G, Desantis F, Cidonio G, Gosti G, Leonetti M, Ruocco G, Milanetti E. Differences in the organization of interface residues tunes the stability of the SARS-CoV-2 spike-ACE2 complex. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1205919. [PMID: 37441163 PMCID: PMC10333926 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1205919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous emergence of novel variants represents one of the major problems in dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Indeed, also due to its prolonged circulation, more than ten variants of concern emerged, each time rapidly overgrowing the current viral version due to improved spreading features. As, up to now, all variants carry at least one mutation on the spike Receptor Binding Domain, the stability of the binding between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the human ACE2 receptor seems one of the molecular determinants behind the viral spreading potential. In this framework, a better understanding of the interplay between spike mutations and complex stability can help to assess the impact of novel variants. Here, we characterize the peculiarities of the most representative variants of concern in terms of the molecular interactions taking place between the residues of the spike RBD and those of the ACE2 receptor. To do so, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the RBD-ACE2 complexes of the seven variants of concern in comparison with a large set of complexes with different single mutations taking place on the RBD solvent-exposed residues and for which the experimental binding affinity was available. Analyzing the strength and spatial organization of the intermolecular interactions of the binding region residues, we found that (i) mutations producing an increase of the complex stability mainly rely on instaurating more favorable van der Waals optimization at the cost of Coulombic ones. In particular, (ii) an anti-correlation is observed between the shape and electrostatic complementarities of the binding regions. Finally, (iii) we showed that combining a set of dynamical descriptors is possible to estimate the outcome of point mutations on the complex binding region with a performance of 0.7. Overall, our results introduce a set of dynamical observables that can be rapidly evaluated to probe the effects of novel isolated variants or different molecular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Miotto
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Di Rienzo
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Greta Grassmann
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “Alessandro Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fausta Desantis
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- The Open University Affiliated Research Centre at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Gianluca Cidonio
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Gosti
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Soft and Living Matter Laboratory, Institute of Nanotechnology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Leonetti
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Soft and Living Matter Laboratory, Institute of Nanotechnology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Milanetti
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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2
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Guo Y, Han J, Zhang Y, He J, Yu W, Zhang X, Wu J, Zhang S, Kong Y, Guo Y, Lin Y, Zhang J. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant: Epidemiological Features, Biological Characteristics, and Clinical Significance. Front Immunol 2022; 13:877101. [PMID: 35572518 PMCID: PMC9099228 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.877101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1529) variant was designated as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 26, 2021. Within two months, it had replaced the Delta variant and had become the dominant circulating variant around the world. The Omicron variant possesses an unprecedented number of mutations, especially in the spike protein, which may be influencing its biological and clinical aspects. Preliminary studies have suggested that increased transmissibility and the reduced protective effects of neutralizing antibodies have contributed to the rapid spread of this variant, posing a significant challenge to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. There is, however, a silver lining for this wave of the Omicron variant. A lower risk of hospitalization and mortality has been observed in prevailing countries. Booster vaccination also has ameliorated a significant reduction in neutralization. Antiviral drugs are minimally influenced. Moreover, the functions of Fc-mediated and T-cell immunity have been retained to a great extent, both of which play a key role in preventing severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Guo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiajia Han
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingjing He
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weien Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueyun Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shenyan Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yide Kong
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Guo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanxue Lin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Jing’An Branch of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Rahnavard A, Dawson T, Clement R, Stearrett N, Pérez-Losada M, Crandall KA. Epidemiological associations with genomic variation in SARS-CoV-2. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23023. [PMID: 34837008 PMCID: PMC8626494 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02548-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 (CoV) is the etiological agent of the COVID-19 pandemic and evolves to evade both host immune systems and intervention strategies. We divided the CoV genome into 29 constituent regions and applied novel analytical approaches to identify associations between CoV genomic features and epidemiological metadata. Our results show that nonstructural protein 3 (nsp3) and Spike protein (S) have the highest variation and greatest correlation with the viral whole-genome variation. S protein variation is correlated with nsp3, nsp6, and 3'-to-5' exonuclease variation. Country of origin and time since the start of the pandemic were the most influential metadata associated with genomic variation, while host sex and age were the least influential. We define a novel statistic-coherence-and show its utility in identifying geographic regions (populations) with unusually high (many new variants) or low (isolated) viral phylogenetic diversity. Interestingly, at both global and regional scales, we identify geographic locations with high coherence neighboring regions of low coherence; this emphasizes the utility of this metric to inform public health measures for disease spread. Our results provide a direction to prioritize genes associated with outcome predictors (e.g., health, therapeutic, and vaccine outcomes) and to improve DNA tests for predicting disease status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rahnavard
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Tyson Dawson
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rebecca Clement
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Nathaniel Stearrett
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Marcos Pérez-Losada
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Keith A Crandall
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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4
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Wang Z, Zhou M, Fu Z, Zhao L. The Pathogenic Features of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): Possible Mechanisms for Immune Evasion? Front Immunol 2021; 12:693579. [PMID: 34335604 PMCID: PMC8317057 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.693579] [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: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly emerging, highly transmitted and pathogenic coronavirus that has caused global public health events and economic crises. As of March 4, 2021, more than 100 million people have been infected, more than 2 million deaths have been reported worldwide, and the numbers are continuing to rise. To date, a specific drug for this lethal virus has not been developed to date, and very little is currently known about the immune evasion mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this review was to summarize and sort dozens of published studies on PubMed to explore the pathogenic features of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the possible immune escape mechanisms of this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhenfang Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine of Hubei Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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5
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Miller NL, Clark T, Raman R, Sasisekharan R. Mapping Potential Antigenic Drift Sites (PADS) on SARS-CoV-2 Spike in Continuous Epitope-Paratope Space. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.06.07.446560. [PMID: 34127976 PMCID: PMC8202428 DOI: 10.1101/2021.06.07.446560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 mutations with antigenic effects pose a risk to immunity developed through vaccination and natural infection. While vaccine updates for current variants of concern (VOCs) are underway, it is likewise important to prepare for further antigenic mutations as the virus navigates the heterogeneous global landscape of host immunity. Toward this end, a wealth of data and tools exist that can augment existing genetic surveillance of VOC evolution. In this study, we integrate published datasets describing genetic, structural, and functional constraints on mutation along with computational analyses of antibody-spike co-crystal structures to identify a set of potential antigenic drift sites (PADS) within the receptor binding domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Further, we project the PADS set into a continuous epitope-paratope space to facilitate interpretation of the degree to which newly observed mutations might be antigenically synergistic with existing VOC mutations, and this representation suggests that functionally convergent and synergistic antigenic mutations are accruing across VOC NTDs. The PADS set and synergy visualization serve as a reference as new mutations are detected on VOCs, enable proactive investigation of potentially synergistic mutations, and offer guidance to antibody and vaccine design efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel L. Miller
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Thomas Clark
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Rahul Raman
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ram Sasisekharan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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6
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Corbett KS, Werner AP, O' Connell S, Gagne M, Lai L, Moliva JI, Flynn B, Choi A, Koch M, Foulds KE, Andrew SF, Flebbe DR, Lamb E, Nurmukhambetova ST, Provost SJ, Bock KW, Minai M, Nagata BM, Van Ry A, Flinchbaugh Z, Johnston TS, Mokhtari EB, Mudvari P, Henry AR, Laboune F, Chang B, Porto M, Wear J, Alvarado GS, Boyoglu-Barnum S, Todd JPM, Bart B, Cook A, Dodson A, Pessaint L, Steingrebe K, Elbashir S, Andersen H, Wu K, Edwards DK, Kar S, Lewis MG, Bortiz E, Moore IN, Carfi A, Suthar MS, McDermott A, Roederer M, Nason MC, Sullivan NJ, Douek DC, Graham BS, Seder RA. Evaluation of mRNA-1273 against SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 Infection in Nonhuman Primates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 34075375 DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.21.445189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Background Vaccine efficacy against the B.1.351 variant following mRNA-1273 vaccination in humans has not been determined. Nonhuman primates (NHP) are a useful model for demonstrating whether mRNA-1273 mediates protection against B.1.351. Methods Nonhuman primates received 30 or 100 µg of mRNA-1273 as a prime-boost vaccine at 0 and 4 weeks, a single immunization of 30 µg at week 0, or no vaccine. Antibody and T cell responses were assessed in blood, bronchioalveolar lavages (BAL), and nasal washes. Viral replication in BAL and nasal swabs were determined by qRT-PCR for sgRNA, and histopathology and viral antigen quantification were performed on lung tissue post-challenge. Results Eight weeks post-boost, 100 µg x2 of mRNA-1273 induced reciprocal ID 50 neutralizing geometric mean titers against live SARS-CoV-2 D614G and B.1.351 of 3300 and 240, respectively, and 430 and 84 for the 30 µg x2 group. There were no detectable neutralizing antibodies against B.1351 after the single immunization of 30 µg. On day 2 following B.1.351 challenge, sgRNA in BAL was undetectable in 6 of 8 NHP that received 100 µg x2 of mRNA-1273, and there was a ∼2-log reduction in sgRNA in NHP that received two doses of 30 µg compared to controls. In nasal swabs, there was a 1-log 10 reduction observed in the 100 µg x2 group. There was limited inflammation or viral antigen in lungs of vaccinated NHP post-challenge. Conclusions Immunization with two doses of mRNA-1273 achieves effective immunity that rapidly controls lower and upper airway viral replication against the B.1.351 variant in NHP.
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7
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Urdaniz IF, Steiner PJ, Kirby MB, Zhao F, Haas CM, Barman S, Rhodes ER, Peng L, Sprenger KG, Jardine JG, Whitehead TA. One-shot identification of SARS-CoV-2 S RBD escape mutants using yeast screening. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.03.15.435309. [PMID: 33758848 PMCID: PMC7987007 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.15.435309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The potential emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) escape mutants is a threat to reduce the efficacy of existing vaccines and neutralizing antibody (nAb) therapies. An understanding of the antibody/S escape mutations landscape is urgently needed to preemptively address this threat. Here we describe a rapid method to identify escape mutants for nAbs targeting the S receptor binding site. We identified escape mutants for five nAbs, including three from the public germline class VH3-53 elicited by natural COVID-19 infection. Escape mutations predominantly mapped to the periphery of the ACE2 recognition site on the RBD with K417, D420, Y421, F486, and Q493 as notable hotspots. We provide libraries, methods, and software as an openly available community resource to accelerate new therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Francino Urdaniz
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
| | - Paul J. Steiner
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
| | - Monica B. Kirby
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
| | - Fangzhu Zhao
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cyrus M. Haas
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
| | - Shawn Barman
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Emily R. Rhodes
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
| | | | - Kayla G. Sprenger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
| | | | - Timothy A. Whitehead
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
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8
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Fahad AS, Timm MR, Madan B, Burgomaster KE, Dowd KA, Normandin E, Gutiérrez-González MF, Pennington JM, De Souza MO, Henry AR, Laboune F, Wang L, Ambrozak DR, Gordon IJ, Douek DC, Ledgerwood JE, Graham BS, Castilho LR, Pierson TC, Mascola JR, DeKosky BJ. Functional Profiling of Antibody Immune Repertoires in Convalescent Zika Virus Disease Patients. Front Immunol 2021; 12:615102. [PMID: 33732238 PMCID: PMC7959826 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.615102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The re-emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) caused widespread infections that were linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults and congenital malformation in fetuses, and epidemiological data suggest that ZIKV infection can induce protective antibody responses. A more detailed understanding of anti-ZIKV antibody responses may lead to enhanced antibody discovery and improved vaccine designs against ZIKV and related flaviviruses. Here, we applied recently-invented library-scale antibody screening technologies to determine comprehensive functional molecular and genetic profiles of naturally elicited human anti-ZIKV antibodies in three convalescent individuals. We leveraged natively paired antibody yeast display and NGS to predict antibody cross-reactivities and coarse-grain antibody affinities, to perform in-depth immune profiling of IgM, IgG, and IgA antibody repertoires in peripheral blood, and to reveal virus maturation state-dependent antibody interactions. Repertoire-scale comparison of ZIKV VLP-specific and non-specific antibodies in the same individuals also showed that mean antibody somatic hypermutation levels were substantially influenced by donor-intrinsic characteristics. These data provide insights into antiviral antibody responses to ZIKV disease and outline systems-level strategies to track human antibody immune responses to emergent viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed S. Fahad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Morgan R. Timm
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Bharat Madan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Katherine E. Burgomaster
- Viral Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kimberly A. Dowd
- Viral Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Erica Normandin
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | | | - Joseph M. Pennington
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | | | - Amy R. Henry
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Farida Laboune
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lingshu Wang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David R. Ambrozak
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ingelise J. Gordon
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Daniel C. Douek
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Julie E. Ledgerwood
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Barney S. Graham
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Leda R. Castilho
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, COPPE, Cell Culture Engineering Laboratory, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Theodore C. Pierson
- Viral Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - John R. Mascola
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brandon J. DeKosky
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
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9
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Ching WY, Adhikari P, Jawad B, Podgornik R. Ultra-large-scale ab initio quantum chemical computation of bio-molecular systems: The case of spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1288-1301. [PMID: 33623641 PMCID: PMC7893244 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a severe threat to human health with an unprecedented social and economic disruption. Spike (S) glycoprotein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is pivotal in understanding the virus anatomy, since it initiates the first contact with the ACE2 receptor in the human cell. We report results of ab initio computation of the spike protein, the largest ab initio quantum chemical computation to date on any bio-molecular system, using a divide and conquer strategy by focusing on individual structural domains. In this approach we divided the S-protein into seven structural domains: N-terminal domain (NTD), receptor binding domain (RBD), subdomain 1 (SD1), subdomain 2 (SD2), fusion peptide (FP), heptad repeat 1 with central helix (HR1-CH) and connector domain (CD). The entire Chain A has 14,488 atoms including the hydrogen atoms but excluding the amino acids with missing coordinates based on the PDB data (ID: 6VSB). The results include structural refinement, ab initio calculation of intra-molecular bonding mechanism, 3- dimensional non-local inter-amino acid interaction with implications for the inter-domain interaction. Details of the electronic structure, interatomic bonding, partial charge distribution and the role played by hydrogen bond network are discussed. In the interaction among structural domains, we present new insights for crucial hinge-like movement and fusion process. Extension of such calculation to the interface between the S-protein binding domain and ACE2 receptor can provide a pathway for computational understanding of mutations and the design of therapeutic drugs to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai-Yim Ching
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Puja Adhikari
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Bahaa Jawad
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Rudolf Podgornik
- School of Physical Sciences and Kavli Institute of Theoretical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100090, China
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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10
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Tada T, Dcosta BM, Samanovic-Golden M, Herati RS, Cornelius A, Mulligan MJ, Landau NR. Neutralization of viruses with European, South African, and United States SARS-CoV-2 variant spike proteins by convalescent sera and BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine-elicited antibodies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33564768 DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.05.430003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with mutations in the spike protein has raised concerns that recovered individuals may not be protected from reinfection and that current vaccines will become less effective. The B.1.1.7 isolate identified in the United Kingdom and B.1.351 isolate identified in the Republic of South Africa encode spike proteins with multiple mutations in the S1 and S2 subunits. In addition, variants have been identified in Columbus, Ohio (COH.20G/677H), Europe (20A.EU2) and in domesticated minks. Analysis by antibody neutralization of pseudotyped viruses showed that convalescent sera from patients infected prior to the emergence of the variant viruses neutralized viruses with the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, COH.20G/677H Columbus Ohio, 20A.EU2 Europe and mink cluster 5 spike proteins with only a minor decrease in titer compared to that of the earlier D614G spike protein. Serum specimens from individuals vaccinated with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine neutralized D614G virus with titers that were on average 7-fold greater than convalescent sera. Vaccine elicited antibodies neutralized virus with the B.1.1.7 spike protein with titers similar to D614G virus and neutralized virus with the B.1.351 spike with, on average, a 3-fold reduction in titer (1:500), a titer that was still higher than the average titer with which convalescent sera neutralized D614G (1:139). The reduction in titer was attributable to the E484K mutation in the RBD. The B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 viruses were not more infectious than D614G on ACE2.293T cells in vitro but N501Y, an ACE2 contacting residue present in the B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and COH.20G/677H spike proteins caused higher affinity binding to ACE2, likely contributing to their increased transmissibility. These findings suggest that antibodies elicited by primary infection and by the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine are likely to maintain protective efficacy against B.1.1.7 and most other variants but that the partial resistance of virus with the B.1.351 spike protein could render some individuals less well protected, supporting a rationale for the development of modified vaccines containing E484K.
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11
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Ghorbani M, Brooks BR, Klauda JB. Critical Sequence Hotspots for Binding of Novel Coronavirus to Angiotensin Converter Enzyme as Evaluated by Molecular Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:10034-10047. [PMID: 33112147 PMCID: PMC7605337 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c05994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The novel coronavirus (nCOV-2019) outbreak has put the world on edge, causing millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths all around the world, as of June 2020, let alone the societal and economic impacts of the crisis. The spike protein of nCOV-2019 resides on the virion's surface mediating coronavirus entry into host cells by binding its receptor binding domain (RBD) to the host cell surface receptor protein, angiotensin converter enzyme (ACE2). Our goal is to provide a detailed structural mechanism of how nCOV-2019 recognizes and establishes contacts with ACE2 and its difference with an earlier severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-COV) in 2002 via extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Numerous mutations have been identified in the RBD of nCOV-2019 strains isolated from humans in different parts of the world. In this study, we investigated the effect of these mutations as well as other Ala-scanning mutations on the stability of the RBD/ACE2 complex. It is found that most of the naturally occurring mutations to the RBD either slightly strengthen or have the same binding affinity to ACE2 as the wild-type nCOV-2019. This means that the virus had sufficient binding affinity to its receptor at the beginning of the crisis. This also has implications for any vaccine design endeavors since these mutations could act as antibody escape mutants. Furthermore, in silico Ala-scanning and long-timescale MD simulations highlight the crucial role of the residues at the interface of RBD and ACE2 that may be used as potential pharmacophores for any drug development endeavors. From an evolutional perspective, this study also identifies how the virus has evolved from its predecessor SARS-COV and how it could further evolve to become even more infectious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Ghorbani
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20824, USA
| | - Bernard R. Brooks
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20824, USA
| | - Jeffery B. Klauda
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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12
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Adhikari P, Ching WY. Amino acid interacting network in the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. RSC Adv 2020; 10:39831-39841. [PMID: 35515388 PMCID: PMC9057398 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra08222h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The relation between amino acid (AA) sequence and biologically active conformation controls the process of polypeptide chains folding into three-dimensional (3d) protein structures. The recent achievements in the resolution achieved in cryo-electron microscopy coupled with improvements in computational methodologies have accelerated the analysis of structures and properties of proteins. However, the detailed interaction between AAs has not been fully elucidated. Herein, we present a de novo method to evaluate inter-amino acid interactions based on the concept of accurately evaluating the amino acid bond pairs (AABP). The results obtained enabled the identification of complex 3d long-range interconnected AA interacting network in proteins. The method is applied to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We show that although nearest-neighbor AAs in the primary sequence have large AABP, other nonlocal AAs make substantial contribution to AABP with significant participation of both covalent and hydrogen bonding. Detailed analysis of AABP in RBD reveals the pivotal role they play in sequence conservation with profound implications on residue mutations and for therapeutic drug design. This approach could be easily applied to many other proteins of biomedical interest in life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puja Adhikari
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City Missouri USA
| | - Wai-Yim Ching
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City Missouri USA
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13
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Lam SD, Bordin N, Waman VP, Scholes HM, Ashford P, Sen N, van Dorp L, Rauer C, Dawson NL, Pang CSM, Abbasian M, Sillitoe I, Edwards SJL, Fraternali F, Lees JG, Santini JM, Orengo CA. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein predicted to form complexes with host receptor protein orthologues from a broad range of mammals. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16471. [PMID: 33020502 PMCID: PMC7536205 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71936-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has a zoonotic origin and was transmitted to humans via an undetermined intermediate host, leading to infections in humans and other mammals. To enter host cells, the viral spike protein (S-protein) binds to its receptor, ACE2, and is then processed by TMPRSS2. Whilst receptor binding contributes to the viral host range, S-protein:ACE2 complexes from other animals have not been investigated widely. To predict infection risks, we modelled S-protein:ACE2 complexes from 215 vertebrate species, calculated changes in the energy of the complex caused by mutations in each species, relative to human ACE2, and correlated these changes with COVID-19 infection data. We also analysed structural interactions to better understand the key residues contributing to affinity. We predict that mutations are more detrimental in ACE2 than TMPRSS2. Finally, we demonstrate phylogenetically that human SARS-CoV-2 strains have been isolated in animals. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect a broad range of mammals, but few fish, birds or reptiles. Susceptible animals could serve as reservoirs of the virus, necessitating careful ongoing animal management and surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Lam
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - N Bordin
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - V P Waman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - H M Scholes
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - P Ashford
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - N Sen
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
| | - L van Dorp
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - C Rauer
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - N L Dawson
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - C S M Pang
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - M Abbasian
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - I Sillitoe
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - S J L Edwards
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - F Fraternali
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Guy's Campus, New Hunt's House, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - J G Lees
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 OBP, UK
| | - J M Santini
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - C A Orengo
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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14
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Chen AT, Altschuler K, Zhan SH, Chan YA, Deverman BE. COVID-19 CG: Tracking SARS-CoV-2 mutations by locations and dates of interest. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020:2020.09.23.310565. [PMID: 32995794 PMCID: PMC7523124 DOI: 10.1101/2020.09.23.310565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 CG is an open resource for tracking SARS-CoV-2 single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) and lineages while filtering by location, date, gene, and mutation of interest. COVID-19 CG provides significant time, labor, and cost-saving utility to diverse projects on SARS-CoV-2 transmission, evolution, emergence, immune interactions, diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines, and intervention tracking. Here, we describe case studies in which users can interrogate (1) SNVs in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor binding domain (RBD) across different geographic regions to inform the design and testing of therapeutics, (2) SNVs that may impact the sensitivity of commonly used diagnostic primers, and (3) the recent emergence of a dominant lineage harboring an S477N RBD mutation in Australia. To accelerate COVID-19 research and public health efforts, COVID-19 CG will be continually upgraded with new features for users to quickly and reliably pinpoint mutations as the virus evolves throughout the pandemic and in response to therapeutic and public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Tian Chen
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | | | - Shing Hei Zhan
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada
| | - Yujia Alina Chan
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Benjamin E. Deverman
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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15
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Chowdhury R, Boorla VS, Maranas CD. Computational biophysical characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding with the ACE2 receptor and implications for infectivity. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:2573-2582. [PMID: 32983400 PMCID: PMC7500280 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a novel highly virulent pathogen which gains entry to human cells by binding with the cell surface receptor - angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE2). We computationally contrasted the binding interactions between human ACE2 and coronavirus spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) of the 2002 epidemic-causing SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and bat coronavirus RaTG13 using the Rosetta energy function. We find that the RBD of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is highly optimized to achieve very strong binding with human ACE2 (hACE2) which is consistent with its enhanced infectivity. SARS-CoV-2 forms the most stable complex with hACE2 compared to SARS-CoV-1 (23% less stable) or RaTG13 (11% less stable). Notably, we calculate that the SARS-CoV-2 RBD lowers the binding strength of angiotensin 2 receptor type I (ATR1) which is the native binding partner of ACE2 by 44.2%. Strong binding is mediated through strong electrostatic attachments with every fourth residue on the N-terminus alpha-helix (starting from Ser19 to Asn53) as the turn of the helix makes these residues solvent accessible. By contrasting the spike protein SARS-CoV-2 Rosetta binding energy with ACE2 of different livestock and pet species we find strongest binding with bat ACE2 followed by human, feline, equine, canine and finally chicken. This is consistent with the hypothesis that bats are the viral origin and reservoir species. These results offer a computational explanation for the increased infection susceptibility by SARS-CoV-2 and allude to therapeutic modalities by identifying and rank-ordering the ACE2 residues involved in binding with the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratul Chowdhury
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Veda Sheersh Boorla
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Costas D. Maranas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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16
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Linsky TW, Vergara R, Codina N, Nelson JW, Walker MJ, Su W, Hsiang TY, Esser-Nobis K, Yu K, Hou YJ, Priya T, Mitsumoto M, Pong A, Lau UY, Mason ML, Chen J, Chen A, Berrocal T, Peng H, Clairmont NS, Castellanos J, Lin YR, Josephson-Day A, Baric R, Walkey CD, Swanson R, Gale M, Blancas-Mejia LM, Yen HL, Silva DA. De novo design of ACE2 protein decoys to neutralize SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020. [PMID: 32793910 DOI: 10.1101/2020.08.03.231340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for the ability to rapidly develop effective countermeasures for emerging biological threats, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We have developed a generalized computational design strategy to rapidly engineer de novo proteins that precisely recapitulate the protein surface targeted by biological agents, like viruses, to gain entry into cells. The designed proteins act as decoys that block cellular entry and aim to be resilient to viral mutational escape. Using our novel platform, in less than ten weeks, we engineered, validated, and optimized de novo protein decoys of human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2), the membrane-associated protein that SARS-CoV-2 exploits to infect cells. Our optimized designs are hyperstable de novo proteins (∼18-37 kDa), have high affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) and can potently inhibit the virus infection and replication in vitro. Future refinements to our strategy can enable the rapid development of other therapeutic de novo protein decoys, not limited to neutralizing viruses, but to combat any agent that explicitly interacts with cell surface proteins to cause disease.
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