1
|
Castellano LA, McNamara RJ, Pallarés HM, Gamarnik AV, Alvarez DE, Bazzini AA. Dengue virus preferentially uses human and mosquito non-optimal codons. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:1085-1108. [PMID: 39039212 PMCID: PMC11450187 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00052-7] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Codon optimality refers to the effect that codon composition has on messenger RNA (mRNA) stability and translation level and implies that synonymous codons are not silent from a regulatory point of view. Here, we investigated the adaptation of virus genomes to the host optimality code using mosquito-borne dengue virus (DENV) as a model. We demonstrated that codon optimality exists in mosquito cells and showed that DENV preferentially uses nonoptimal (destabilizing) codons and avoids codons that are defined as optimal (stabilizing) in either human or mosquito cells. Human genes enriched in the codons preferentially and frequently used by DENV are upregulated during infection, and so is the tRNA decoding the nonoptimal and DENV preferentially used codon for arginine. We found that adaptation during single-host passaging in human or mosquito cells results in the selection of synonymous mutations towards DENV's preferred nonoptimal codons that increase virus fitness. Finally, our analyses revealed that hundreds of viruses preferentially use nonoptimal codons, with those infecting a single host displaying an even stronger bias, suggesting that host-pathogen interaction shapes virus-synonymous codon choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luciana A Castellano
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Ryan J McNamara
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Horacio M Pallarés
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires IIBBA-CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea V Gamarnik
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires IIBBA-CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego E Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, San Martín B1650, Argentina
| | - Ariel A Bazzini
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang X, Blumenthal RM, Cheng X. DNA-binding proteins from MBD through ZF to BEN: recognition of cytosine methylation status by one arginine with two conformations. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae832. [PMID: 39329271 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Maintenance methylation, of palindromic CpG dinucleotides at DNA replication forks, is crucial for the faithful mitotic inheritance of genomic 5-methylcytosine (5mC) methylation patterns. MBD proteins use two arginine residues to recognize symmetrically-positioned methyl groups in fully-methylated 5mCpG/5mCpG and 5mCpA/TpG dinucleotides. In contrast, C2H2 zinc finger (ZF) proteins recognize CpG and CpA, whether methylated or not, within longer specific sequences in a site- and strand-specific manner. Unmethylated CpG sites, often within CpG island (CGI) promoters, need protection by protein factors to maintain their hypomethylated status. Members of the BEN domain proteins bind CGCG or CACG elements within CGIs to regulate gene expression. Despite their overall structural diversity, MBD, ZF and BEN proteins all use arginine residues to recognize guanine, adopting either a 'straight-on' or 'oblique' conformation. The straight-on conformation accommodates a methyl group in the (5mC/T)pG dinucleotide, while the oblique conformation can clash with the methyl group of 5mC, leading to preferential binding of unmethylated sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xing Zhang
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Robert M Blumenthal
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, and Program in Bioinformatics, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Xiaodong Cheng
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wu X, Yuan H, Wu Q, Gao Y, Duan T, Yang K, Huang T, Wang S, Yuan F, Lee D, Taori S, Plute T, Heissel S, Alwaseem H, Isay-Del Viscio M, Molina H, Agnihotri S, Hsu DJ, Zhang N, Rich JN. Threonine fuels glioblastoma through YRDC-mediated codon-biased translational reprogramming. NATURE CANCER 2024; 5:1024-1044. [PMID: 38519786 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00748-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Cancers commonly reprogram translation and metabolism, but little is known about how these two features coordinate in cancer stem cells. Here we show that glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) display elevated protein translation. To dissect underlying mechanisms, we performed a CRISPR screen and identified YRDC as the top essential transfer RNA (tRNA) modification enzyme in GSCs. YRDC catalyzes the formation of N6-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) on ANN-decoding tRNA species (A denotes adenosine, and N denotes any nucleotide). Targeting YRDC reduced t6A formation, suppressed global translation and inhibited tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Threonine is an essential substrate of YRDC. Threonine accumulated in GSCs, which facilitated t6A formation through YRDC and shifted the proteome to support mitosis-related genes with ANN codon bias. Dietary threonine restriction (TR) reduced tumor t6A formation, slowed xenograft growth and augmented anti-tumor efficacy of chemotherapy and anti-mitotic therapy, providing a molecular basis for a dietary intervention in cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xujia Wu
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangdong Translational Medicine Innovation Platform, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huairui Yuan
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Qiulian Wu
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yixin Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangdong Translational Medicine Innovation Platform, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Duan
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kailin Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Tengfei Huang
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shuai Wang
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Fanen Yuan
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Derrick Lee
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Suchet Taori
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tritan Plute
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr. Research Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Søren Heissel
- Proteomics Resource Center, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanan Alwaseem
- Proteomics Resource Center, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Henrik Molina
- Proteomics Resource Center, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sameer Agnihotri
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr. Research Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dennis J Hsu
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangdong Translational Medicine Innovation Platform, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jeremy N Rich
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu Q, Tavazoie SF. Translational control by VARS in melanoma. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:1023-1024. [PMID: 38849540 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01430-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
|
5
|
Hsu DJ, Tavazoie SF. Cysteine substitutants emerge in lung cancer proteomes during arginine restriction. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1819-1821. [PMID: 38759621 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.04.019] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
In this issue of Molecular Cell, Yang et al.1 find that arginine-to-cysteine substitutants are enriched in a subset of lung cancer proteomes, potentiated by arginine deprivation, and promote resistance to chemotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis J Hsu
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Sohail F Tavazoie
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yang C, Pataskar A, Feng X, Montenegro Navarro J, Paniagua I, Jacobs JJL, Zaal EA, Berkers CR, Bleijerveld OB, Agami R. Arginine deprivation enriches lung cancer proteomes with cysteine by inducing arginine-to-cysteine substitutants. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1904-1916.e7. [PMID: 38759626 PMCID: PMC11129317 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Many types of human cancers suppress the expression of argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), a rate-limiting enzyme for arginine production. Although dependency on exogenous arginine can be harnessed by arginine-deprivation therapies, the impact of ASS1 suppression on the quality of the tumor proteome is unknown. We therefore interrogated proteomes of cancer patients for arginine codon reassignments (substitutants) and surprisingly identified a strong enrichment for cysteine (R>C) in lung tumors specifically. Most R>C events did not coincide with genetically encoded R>C mutations but were likely products of tRNA misalignments. The expression of R>C substitutants was highly associated with oncogenic kelch-like epichlorohydrin (ECH)-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)-pathway mutations and suppressed by intact-KEAP1 in KEAP1-mutated cancer cells. Finally, functional interrogation indicated a key role for R>C substitutants in cell survival to cisplatin, suggesting that regulatory codon reassignments endow cancer cells with more resilience to stress. Thus, we present a mechanism for enriching lung cancer proteomes with cysteines that may affect therapeutic decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Yang
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Abhijeet Pataskar
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Xiaodong Feng
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jasmine Montenegro Navarro
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Inés Paniagua
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline J L Jacobs
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esther A Zaal
- Division of Cell Biology, Metabolism & Cancer, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Celia R Berkers
- Division of Cell Biology, Metabolism & Cancer, Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Onno B Bleijerveld
- NKI Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Reuven Agami
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC, Department of Genetics, Rotterdam University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chitluri KK, Emerson IA. The importance of protein domain mutations in cancer therapy. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27655. [PMID: 38509890 PMCID: PMC10950675 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex disease that is caused by multiple genetic factors. Researchers have been studying protein domain mutations to understand how they affect the progression and treatment of cancer. These mutations can significantly impact the development and spread of cancer by changing the protein structure, function, and signalling pathways. As a result, there is a growing interest in how these mutations can be used as prognostic indicators for cancer prognosis. Recent studies have shown that protein domain mutations can provide valuable information about the severity of the disease and the patient's response to treatment. They may also be used to predict the response and resistance to targeted therapy in cancer treatment. The clinical implications of protein domain mutations in cancer are significant, and they are regarded as essential biomarkers in oncology. However, additional techniques and approaches are required to characterize changes in protein domains and predict their functional effects. Machine learning and other computational tools offer promising solutions to this challenge, enabling the prediction of the impact of mutations on protein structure and function. Such predictions can aid in the clinical interpretation of genetic information. Furthermore, the development of genome editing tools like CRISPR/Cas9 has made it possible to validate the functional significance of mutants more efficiently and accurately. In conclusion, protein domain mutations hold great promise as prognostic and predictive biomarkers in cancer. Overall, considerable research is still needed to better define genetic and molecular heterogeneity and to resolve the challenges that remain, so that their full potential can be realized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Kumar Chitluri
- Bioinformatics Programming Lab, Department of Bio-Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, TN, 632014, India
| | - Isaac Arnold Emerson
- Bioinformatics Programming Lab, Department of Bio-Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, TN, 632014, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pinzaru AM, Tavazoie SF. Transfer RNAs as dynamic and critical regulators of cancer progression. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:746-761. [PMID: 37814109 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00611-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) have been historically viewed as non-dynamic adaptors that decode the genetic code into proteins. Recent work has uncovered dynamic regulatory roles for these fascinating molecules. Advances in tRNA detection methods have revealed that specific tRNAs can become modulated upon DNA copy number and chromatin alterations and can also be perturbed by oncogenic signalling and transcriptional regulators in cancer cells or the tumour microenvironment. Such alterations in the levels of specific tRNAs have been shown to causally impact cancer progression, including metastasis. Moreover, sequencing methods have identified tRNA-derived small RNAs that influence various aspects of cancer progression, such as cell proliferation and invasion, and could serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or putative therapeutic targets in various cancers. Finally, there is accumulating evidence, including from genetic models, that specific tRNA synthetases - the enzymes responsible for charging tRNAs with amino acids - can either promote or suppress tumour formation. In this Review, we provide an overview of how deregulation of tRNAs influences cancer formation and progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Pinzaru
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Sohail F Tavazoie
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Fillion AJ, Bricco AR, Lee HD, Korenchan D, Farrar CT, Gilad AA. Development of a synthetic biosensor for chemical exchange MRI utilizing in silico optimized peptides. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e5007. [PMID: 37469121 PMCID: PMC11075521 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI has been identified as a novel alternative to classical diagnostic imaging. Over the last several decades, many studies have been conducted to determine possible CEST agents, such as endogenously expressed compounds or proteins, that can be utilized to produce contrast with minimally invasive procedures and reduced or non-existent levels of toxicity. In recent years there has been an increased interest in the generation of genetically engineered CEST contrast agents, typically based on existing proteins with CEST contrast or modified to produce CEST contrast. We have developed an in silico method for the evolution of peptide sequences to optimize CEST contrast and showed that these peptides could be combined to create de novo biosensors for CEST MRI. A single protein, superCESTide, was designed to be 198 amino acids. SuperCESTide was expressed in E. coli and purified with size exclusion chromatography. The magnetic transfer ratio asymmetry generated by superCESTide was comparable to levels seen in previous CEST reporters, such as protamine sulfate (salmon protamine) and human protamine. These data show that novel peptides with sequences optimized in silico for CEST contrast that utilize a more comprehensive range of amino acids can still produce contrast when assembled into protein units expressed in complex living environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Fillion
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Alexander R. Bricco
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Harvey D. Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - David Korenchan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA, USA
| | - Christian T. Farrar
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA, USA
| | - Assaf A. Gilad
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Fillion AJ, Bricco AR, Lee HD, Korenchan D, Farrar CT, Gilad AA. Development of a Synthetic Biosensor for Chemical Exchange MRI Utilizing In Silico Optimized Peptides. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.08.531737. [PMID: 37016672 PMCID: PMC10071792 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.08.531737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been identified as a novel alternative to classical diagnostic imaging. Over the last several decades, many studies have been conducted to determine possible CEST agents, such as endogenously expressed compounds or proteins, that can be utilized to produce contrast with minimally invasive procedures and reduced or non-existent levels of toxicity. In recent years there has been an increased interest in the generation of genetically engineered CEST contrast agents, typically based on existing proteins with CEST contrast or modified to produce CEST contrast. We have developed an in-silico method for the evolution of peptide sequences to optimize CEST contrast and showed that these peptides could be combined to create de novo biosensors for CEST MRI. A single protein, superCESTide 2.0, was designed to be 198 amino acids. SuperCESTide 2.0 was expressed in E. coli and purified with size-exclusion chromatography. The magnetic transfer ratio asymmetry (MTR asym ) generated by superCESTide 2.0 was comparable to levels seen in previous CEST reporters, such as protamine sulfate (salmon protamine, SP), Poly-L-Lysine (PLL), and human protamine (hPRM1). This data shows that novel peptides with sequences optimized in silico for CEST contrast that utilizes a more comprehensive range of amino acids can still produce contrast when assembled into protein units expressed in complex living environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Fillion
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Alexander R. Bricco
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Harvey D. Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - David Korenchan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA, USA
| | - Christian T. Farrar
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA, USA
| | - Assaf A. Gilad
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
How the Competition for Cysteine May Promote Infection of SARS-CoV-2 by Triggering Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12020483. [PMID: 36830041 PMCID: PMC9952211 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12020483] [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: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 induces a broad range of clinical manifestations. Besides the main receptor, ACE2, other putative receptors and co-receptors have been described and could become genuinely relevant to explain the different tropism manifested by new variants. In this study, we propose a biochemical model envisaging the competition for cysteine as a key mechanism promoting the infection and the selection of host receptors. The SARS-CoV-2 infection produces ROS and triggers a massive biosynthesis of proteins rich in cysteine; if this amino acid becomes limiting, glutathione levels are depleted and cannot control oxidative stress. Hence, infection succeeds. A receptor should be recognized as a marker of suitable intracellular conditions, namely the full availability of amino acids except for low cysteine. First, we carried out a comparative investigation of SARS-CoV-2 proteins and human ACE2. Then, using hierarchical cluster protein analysis, we searched for similarities between all human proteins and spike produced by the latest variant, Omicron BA.1. We found 32 human proteins very close to spike in terms of amino acid content. Most of these potential SARS-CoV-2 receptors have less cysteine than spike. We suggest that these proteins could signal an intracellular shortage of cysteine, predicting a burst of oxidative stress when used as viral entry mediators.
Collapse
|