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Grewal T, Nguyen MKL, Buechler C. Cholesterol and COVID-19-therapeutic opportunities at the host/virus interface during cell entry. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302453. [PMID: 38388172 PMCID: PMC10883773 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of vaccines to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections has been critical to reduce the severity of COVID-19. However, the continuous emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 subtypes highlights the need to develop additional approaches that oppose viral infections. Targeting host factors that support virus entry, replication, and propagation provide opportunities to lower SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and improve COVID-19 outcome. This includes cellular cholesterol, which is critical for viral spike proteins to capture the host machinery for SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. Once endocytosed, exit of SARS-CoV-2 from the late endosomal/lysosomal compartment occurs in a cholesterol-sensitive manner. In addition, effective release of new viral particles also requires cholesterol. Hence, cholesterol-lowering statins, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 antibodies, and ezetimibe have revealed potential to protect against COVID-19. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of cholesterol exiting late endosomes/lysosomes identified drug candidates, including antifungals, to block SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review describes the multiple roles of cholesterol at the cell surface and endolysosomes for SARS-CoV-2 entry and the potential of drugs targeting cholesterol homeostasis to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and COVID-19 disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Grewal
- https://ror.org/0384j8v12 School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mai Khanh Linh Nguyen
- https://ror.org/0384j8v12 School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Christa Buechler
- https://ror.org/01226dv09 Department of Internal Medicine I, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany
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Call IM, Bois JL, Hansen SB. Super-resolution imaging of potassium channels with genetically encoded EGFP. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.13.561998. [PMID: 37873307 PMCID: PMC10592817 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.13.561998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The plasma membrane is a well-organized structure of lipids and proteins, segmented into lipid compartments under 200 nm in size. This specific spatial patterning is crucial for the function of proteins and necessitates super-resolution imaging for its elucidation. Here, we establish that the genetically encoded enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), when combined with direct optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM), tracks shear- and cholesterol-induced nanoscopic patterning of potassium channels overexpressed in HEK293T cells. Leveraging EGFP in dSTORM (EGFP-STORM), our findings indicate that cholesterol directs the C-terminus of TWIK-related potassium channel (TREK-1) to ceramide-enriched lipid ganglioside (GM1) clusters. In the absence of the C-terminus, the channel associates with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) cluster. Similarly, cholesterol derived from astrocytes repositions EGFP-tagged inward-rectifying potassium (Kir) channels into GM1 clusters. Without cholesterol, the channel aligns with PIP2 lipids. We deduce that cholesterol's interaction with Kir sequesters the channel, separating it from its activating lipid PIP2. Fundamentally, a genetically encoded EGFP tag should make any protein amenable to dSTORM analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle M. Call
- Departments of Molecular Medicine, UF Scripps, Jupiter Florida 33458, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps, Jupiter Florida 33458, USA
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University-Idaho; Rexburg ID 83440, USA
| | - Julian L. Bois
- Departments of Molecular Medicine, UF Scripps, Jupiter Florida 33458, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps, Jupiter Florida 33458, USA
| | - Scott B. Hansen
- Departments of Molecular Medicine, UF Scripps, Jupiter Florida 33458, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps, Jupiter Florida 33458, USA
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Wang H, Yuan Z, Pavel MA, Jablonski SM, Jablonski J, Hobson R, Valente S, Reddy CB, Hansen SB. The role of high cholesterol in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. J Biol Chem 2023:104763. [PMID: 37119851 PMCID: PMC10140059 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) is a respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus binds to angiotensinogen converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which mediates viral entry into mammalian cells. COVID19 is notably severe in elderly and those with underlying chronic conditions. The cause of selective severity is not well understood. Here we show cholesterol and the signaling lipid phosphatidyl-inositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PIP2) regulate viral infectivity through the localization of ACE2's into nanoscopic (<200 nm) lipid clusters. Uptake of cholesterol into cell membranes (a condition common to chronic disease) causes ACE2 to move from PIP2 lipids to endocytic ganglioside (GM1) lipids, where the virus is optimally located for viral entry. In mice, age, and high fat diet increase lung tissue cholesterol by up to 40%. And in smokers with chronic disease, cholesterol is elevated two-fold, a magnitude of change that dramatically increases infectivity of virus in cell culture. We conclude increasing the ACE2 location near endocytic lipids increases viral infectivity and may help explain the selective severity of COVID-19 in aged and diseased populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA; Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Zixuan Yuan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA; Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Mahmud Arif Pavel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | | | - Joseph Jablonski
- Department of Immunology and Virology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Robert Hobson
- Bruker Nano Surfaces, Fitchburg, WI, 53711, USA; Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Susana Valente
- Department of Immunology and Virology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Chakravarthy B Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Scott B Hansen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA.
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Yuan Z, Hansen SB. Cholesterol Regulation of Membrane Proteins Revealed by Two-Color Super-Resolution Imaging. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:membranes13020250. [PMID: 36837753 PMCID: PMC9966874 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13020250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol and phosphatidyl inositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) are hydrophobic molecules that regulate protein function in the plasma membrane of all cells. In this review, we discuss how changes in cholesterol concentration cause nanoscopic (<200 nm) movements of membrane proteins to regulate their function. Cholesterol is known to cluster many membrane proteins (often palmitoylated proteins) with long-chain saturated lipids. Although PIP2 is better known for gating ion channels, in this review, we will discuss a second independent function as a regulator of nanoscopic protein movement that opposes cholesterol clustering. The understanding of the movement of proteins between nanoscopic lipid domains emerged largely through the recent advent of super-resolution imaging and the establishment of two-color techniques to label lipids separate from proteins. We discuss the labeling techniques for imaging, their strengths and weakness, and how they are used to reveal novel mechanisms for an ion channel, transporter, and enzyme function. Among the mechanisms, we describe substrate and ligand presentation and their ability to activate enzymes, gate channels, and transporters rapidly and potently. Finally, we define cholesterol-regulated proteins (CRP) and discuss the role of PIP2 in opposing the regulation of cholesterol, as seen through super-resolution imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Yuan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Department of Neuroscience UF Scripps, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Scott B. Hansen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Department of Neuroscience UF Scripps, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Correspondence:
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