1
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Cao X, Huang L, Tang M, Liang Y, Liu X, Hou H, Liang S. Antibiotics daptomycin interacts with S protein of SARS-CoV-2 to promote cell invasion of Omicron (B1.1.529) pseudovirus. Virulence 2024; 15:2339703. [PMID: 38576396 PMCID: PMC11057663 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2339703] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has posed enormous challenges to global public health. The use of antibiotics has greatly increased during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic owing to the presence of bacterial co-infection and secondary bacterial infections. The antibiotics daptomycin (DAP) is widely used in the treatment of infectious diseases caused by gram-positive bacteria owing to its highly efficient antibacterial activity. It is pivotal to study the antibiotics usage options for patients of coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) with pneumonia those need admission to receive antibiotics treatment for bacterial co-infection in managing COVID-19 disease. Herein, we have revealed the interactions of DAP with the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and the variant Omicron (B1.1.529) using the molecular docking approach and Omicron (B1.1.529) pseudovirus (PsV) mimic invasion. Molecular docking analysis shows that DAP has a certain degree of binding ability to the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and several derived virus variants, and co-incubation of 1-100 μM DAP with cells promotes the entry of the PsV into human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2)-expressing HEK-293T cells (HEK-293T-hACE2), and this effect is related to the concentration of extracellular calcium ions (Ca2+). The PsV invasion rate in the HEK-293T-hACE2 cells concurrently with DAP incubation was 1.7 times of PsV infection alone. In general, our findings demonstrate that DAP promotes the infection of PsV into cells, which provides certain reference of antibiotics selection and usage optimization for clinicians to treat bacterial coinfection or secondary infection during SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Cao
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lan Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Min Tang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yue Liang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinpeng Liu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huijin Hou
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shufang Liang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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2
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Cui W, Duan Y, Gao Y, Wang W, Yang H. Structural review of SARS-CoV-2 antiviral targets. Structure 2024; 32:1301-1321. [PMID: 39241763 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.08.005] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), represents the most disastrous infectious disease pandemic of the past century. As a member of the Betacoronavirus genus, the SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes a total of 29 proteins. The spike protein, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and proteases play crucial roles in the virus replication process and are promising targets for drug development. In recent years, structural studies of these viral proteins and of their complexes with antibodies and inhibitors have provided valuable insights into their functions and laid a solid foundation for drug development. In this review, we summarize the structural features of these proteins and discuss recent progress in research regarding therapeutic development, highlighting mechanistically representative molecules and those that have already been approved or are under clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Cui
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yinkai Duan
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201203, China.
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3
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Yang H, Guo H, Wang A, Cao L, Fan Q, Jiang J, Wang M, Lin L, Ge X, Wang H, Zhang R, Liao M, Yan R, Ju B, Zhang Z. Structural basis for the evolution and antibody evasion of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 and JN.1 subvariants. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7715. [PMID: 39231977 PMCID: PMC11374805 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51973-8] [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: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The Omicron subvariants of SARS-CoV-2, especially for BA.2.86 and JN.1, have rapidly spread across multiple countries, posing a significant threat in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Distinguished by 34 additional mutations on the Spike (S) protein compared to its BA.2 predecessor, the implications of BA.2.86 and its evolved descendant, JN.1 with additional L455S mutation in receptor-binding domains (RBDs), are of paramount concern. In this work, we systematically examine the neutralization susceptibilities of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants and reveal the enhanced antibody evasion of BA.2.86 and JN.1. We also determine the cryo-EM structures of the trimeric S proteins from BA.2.86 and JN.1 in complex with the host receptor ACE2, respectively. The mutations within the RBDs of BA.2.86 and JN.1 induce a remodeling of the interaction network between the RBD and ACE2. The L455S mutation of JN.1 further induces a notable shift of the RBD-ACE2 interface, suggesting the notably reduced binding affinity of JN.1 than BA.2.86. An analysis of the broadly neutralizing antibodies possessing core neutralizing epitopes reveals the antibody evasion mechanism underlying the evolution of Omicron BA.2.86 subvariant. In general, we construct a landscape of evolution in virus-receptor of the circulating Omicron subvariants.
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MESH Headings
- SARS-CoV-2/immunology
- SARS-CoV-2/genetics
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/chemistry
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/genetics
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/metabolism
- Humans
- Immune Evasion
- COVID-19/immunology
- COVID-19/virology
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/metabolism
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/chemistry
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/immunology
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/genetics
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/chemistry
- Cryoelectron Microscopy
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- Antibodies, Viral/chemistry
- Mutation
- Evolution, Molecular
- Protein Binding
- Models, Molecular
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Key University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, School of Medicine, Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Huimin Guo
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Aojie Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Key University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, School of Medicine, Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Liwei Cao
- Department of Biochemistry, Key University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, School of Medicine, Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Qing Fan
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Miao Wang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Lin Lin
- Sustech Core Research Facilities, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiangyang Ge
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Runze Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, Key University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, School of Medicine, Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ming Liao
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhong Kai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Renhong Yan
- Department of Biochemistry, Key University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, School of Medicine, Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Bin Ju
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Anti-infection Drug Quality Evaluation, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital; The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Anti-infection Drug Quality Evaluation, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
- Shenzhen Research Center for Communicable Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
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4
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Aftab A, Sil S, Nath S, Basu A, Basu S. Intrinsic Disorder and Other Malleable Arsenals of Evolved Protein Multifunctionality. J Mol Evol 2024:10.1007/s00239-024-10196-7. [PMID: 39214891 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10196-7] [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: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Microscopic evolution at the functional biomolecular level is an ongoing process. Leveraging functional and high-throughput assays, along with computational data mining, has led to a remarkable expansion of our understanding of multifunctional protein (and gene) families over the past few decades. Various molecular and intermolecular mechanisms are now known that collectively meet the cumulative multifunctional demands in higher organisms along an evolutionary path. This multitasking ability is attributed to a certain degree of intrinsic or adapted flexibility at the structure-function level. Evolutionary diversification of structure-function relationships in proteins highlights the functional importance of intrinsically disordered proteins/regions (IDPs/IDRs) which are highly dynamic biological soft matter. Multifunctionality is favorably supported by the fluid-like shapes of IDPs/IDRs, enabling them to undergo disorder-to-order transitions upon binding to different molecular partners. Other new malleable members of the protein superfamily, such as those involved in fold-switching, also undergo structural transitions. This new insight diverges from all traditional notions of functional singularity in enzyme classes and emphasizes a far more complex, multi-layered diversification of protein functionality. However, a thorough review in this line, focusing on flexibility and function-driven structural transitions related to evolved multifunctionality in proteins, is currently missing. This review attempts to address this gap while broadening the scope of multifunctionality beyond single protein sequences. It argues that protein intrinsic disorder is likely the most striking mechanism for expressing multifunctionality in proteins. A phenomenological analogy has also been drawn to illustrate the increasingly complex nature of modern digital life, driven by the need for multitasking, particularly involving media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asifa Aftab
- Department of Zoology, Asutosh College, (affiliated with University of Calcutta), Kolkata, 700026, India
| | - Souradeep Sil
- Department of Genetics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Seema Nath
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Anirneya Basu
- Department of Microbiology, Asutosh College (Affiliated With University of Calcutta), Kolkata, 700026, India
| | - Sankar Basu
- Department of Microbiology, Asutosh College (Affiliated With University of Calcutta), Kolkata, 700026, India.
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5
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Nuqui X, Casalino L, Zhou L, Shehata M, Wang A, Tse AL, Ojha AA, Kearns FL, Rosenfeld MA, Miller EH, Acreman CM, Ahn SH, Chandran K, McLellan JS, Amaro RE. Simulation-driven design of stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike S2 immunogens. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7370. [PMID: 39191724 PMCID: PMC11350062 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50976-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The full-length prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) is the principal antigen of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine efficacy has been impacted by emerging variants of concern that accumulate most of the sequence modifications in the immunodominant S1 subunit. S2, in contrast, is the most evolutionarily conserved region of the spike and can elicit broadly neutralizing and protective antibodies. Yet, S2's usage as an alternative vaccine strategy is hampered by its general instability. Here, we use a simulation-driven approach to design S2-only immunogens stabilized in a closed prefusion conformation. Molecular simulations provide a mechanistic characterization of the S2 trimer's opening, informing the design of tryptophan substitutions that impart kinetic and thermodynamic stabilization. Structural characterization via cryo-EM shows the molecular basis of S2 stabilization in the closed prefusion conformation. Informed by molecular simulations and corroborated by experiments, we report an engineered S2 immunogen that exhibits increased protein expression, superior thermostability, and preserved immunogenicity against sarbecoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xandra Nuqui
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lorenzo Casalino
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ling Zhou
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Mohamed Shehata
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Albert Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Alexandra L Tse
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Anupam A Ojha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Fiona L Kearns
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mia A Rosenfeld
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emily Happy Miller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Cory M Acreman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Surl-Hee Ahn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kartik Chandran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jason S McLellan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rommie E Amaro
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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6
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Blazhynska M, Lagardère L, Liu C, Adjoua O, Ren P, Piquemal JP. Water-glycan interactions drive the SARS-CoV-2 spike dynamics: insights into glycan-gate control and camouflage mechanisms. Chem Sci 2024:d4sc04364b. [PMID: 39220162 PMCID: PMC11359970 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc04364b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
To develop therapeutic strategies against COVID-19, we introduce a high-resolution all-atom polarizable model capturing many-body effects of protein, glycan, solvent, and membrane components in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein open and closed states. Employing μs-long molecular dynamics simulations powered by high-performance cloud-computing and unsupervised density-driven adaptive sampling, we investigated the differences in bulk-solvent-glycan and protein-solvent-glycan interfaces between these states. We unraveled a sophisticated solvent-glycan polarization interaction network involving the N165/N343 glycan-gate patterns that provide structural support for the open state and identified key water molecules that could potentially be targeted to destabilize this configuration. In the closed state, the reduced solvent polarization diminishes the overall N165/N343 dipoles, yet internal interactions and a reorganized sugar coat stabilize this state. Despite variations, our glycan-solvent accessibility analysis reveals the glycan shield capability to conserve constant interactions with the solvent, effectively camouflaging the virus from immune detection in both states. The presented insights advance our comprehension of viral pathogenesis at an atomic level, offering potential to combat COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marharyta Blazhynska
- Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7616 CNRS 75005 Paris France
| | - Louis Lagardère
- Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7616 CNRS 75005 Paris France
| | - Chengwen Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin Texas 78712 USA
- Qubit Pharmaceuticals 75014 Paris France
| | - Olivier Adjoua
- Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7616 CNRS 75005 Paris France
| | - Pengyu Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin Texas 78712 USA
| | - Jean-Philip Piquemal
- Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, Sorbonne Université, UMR 7616 CNRS 75005 Paris France
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7
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Jhanwar A, Sharma D, Das U. Unraveling the structural and functional dimensions of SARS-CoV2 proteins in the context of COVID-19 pathogenesis and therapeutics. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 278:134850. [PMID: 39168210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134850] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) has emerged as the causative agent behind the global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As the scientific community strives to comprehend the intricate workings of this virus, a fundamental aspect lies in deciphering the myriad proteins it expresses. This knowledge is pivotal in unraveling the complexities of the viral machinery and devising targeted therapeutic interventions. The proteomic landscape of SARS-CoV2 encompasses structural, non-structural, and open-reading frame proteins, each playing crucial roles in viral replication, host interactions, and the pathogenesis of COVID-19. This comprehensive review aims to provide an updated and detailed examination of the structural and functional attributes of SARS-CoV2 proteins. By exploring the intricate molecular architecture, we have highlighted the significance of these proteins in viral biology. Insights into their roles and interplay contribute to a deeper understanding of the virus's mechanisms, thereby paving the way for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. As the global scientific community strives to combat the ongoing pandemic, this synthesis of knowledge on SARS-CoV2 proteins serves as a valuable resource, fostering informed approaches toward mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and advancing the frontier of antiviral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddh Jhanwar
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Dipika Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Uddipan Das
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
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8
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Grunst MW, Qin Z, Dodero-Rojas E, Ding S, Prévost J, Chen Y, Hu Y, Pazgier M, Wu S, Xie X, Finzi A, Onuchic JN, Whitford PC, Mothes W, Li W. Structure and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 spike refolding in membranes. Science 2024; 385:757-765. [PMID: 39146425 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn5658] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein binds the receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and drives virus-host membrane fusion through refolding of its S2 domain. Whereas the S1 domain contains high sequence variability, the S2 domain is conserved and is a promising pan-betacoronavirus vaccine target. We applied cryo-electron tomography to capture intermediates of S2 refolding and understand inhibition by antibodies to the S2 stem-helix. Subtomogram averaging revealed ACE2 dimers cross-linking spikes before transitioning into S2 intermediates, which were captured at various stages of refolding. Pan-betacoronavirus neutralizing antibodies targeting the S2 stem-helix bound to and inhibited refolding of spike prehairpin intermediates. Combined with molecular dynamics simulations, these structures elucidate the process of SARS-CoV-2 entry and reveal how pan-betacoronavirus S2-targeting antibodies neutralize infectivity by arresting prehairpin intermediates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Grunst
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Zhuan Qin
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Shilei Ding
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Jérémie Prévost
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Yaozong Chen
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
| | - Yanping Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Marzena Pazgier
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
| | - Shenping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Andrés Finzi
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - José N Onuchic
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul C Whitford
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Walther Mothes
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Wenwei Li
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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9
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He L, Wu Q, Zhang Z, Chen L, Yu K, Li L, Jia Q, Wang Y, Ni J, Wang C, Li Q, Zhai X, Zhao J, Liu Y, Fan R, Li YP. Development of Broad-Spectrum Nanobodies for the Therapy and Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and Its Multiple Variants. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:3866-3879. [PMID: 38920116 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c00165] [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] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The continuous evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evaded the efficacy of previously developed antibodies and vaccines, thus remaining a significant global public health threat. Therefore, it is imperative to develop additional antibodies that are capable of neutralizing emerging variants. Nanobodies, as the smallest functional single-domain antibodies, exhibit enhanced stability and penetration ability, enabling them to recognize numerous concealed epitopes that are inaccessible to conventional antibodies. Herein, we constructed an immune library based on the immunization of alpaca with the S1 subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, from which two nanobodies, Nb1 and Nb2, were selected using phage display technology for further characterization. Both nanobodies, with the binding residues residing within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) region of the spike, exhibited high affinity toward the S1 subunit. Moreover, they displayed cross-neutralizing activity against both wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and 10 ο variants, including BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.5, BA.2.75, BF.7, BQ.1, EG.5.1, XBB.1.5, and JN.1. Molecular modeling and dynamics simulations predicted that both nanobodies interacted with the viral RBD through their complementarity determining region 1 (CDR1) and CDR2. These two nanobodies are novel tools for the development of therapeutic and diagnostic countermeasures targeting SARS-CoV-2 variants and potentially emerging coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei He
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
- China Animal Disease Control Center, Beijing 102618, China
| | - Qian Wu
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhaoyong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Lingling Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
- China Animal Disease Control Center, Beijing 102618, China
| | - Kuai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Leibin Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
- China Animal Disease Control Center, Beijing 102618, China
| | - Qiong Jia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Yanqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Jianqiang Ni
- China Animal Disease Control Center, Beijing 102618, China
| | - Chuanbin Wang
- China Animal Disease Control Center, Beijing 102618, China
| | - Qi Li
- China Animal Disease Control Center, Beijing 102618, China
| | - Xinyan Zhai
- China Animal Disease Control Center, Beijing 102618, China
| | - Jincun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Yuliang Liu
- China Animal Disease Control Center, Beijing 102618, China
| | - Ruiwen Fan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Yi-Ping Li
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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10
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Yuan J, Wang J, Chen Z, Chang Y, Chen L, Gao Z, Crommen J, Zhang T, Jiang Z. Establishment of an at-line nanofractionation-based screening platform by coupling HPLC-MS/MS with high-throughput fluorescence polarization bioassay for natural SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1728:464986. [PMID: 38797137 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.464986] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
In this study, a novel at-line nanofractionation platform was established for screening SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors from natural products for the first time by combining HPLC-MS/MS with high-throughput fluorescence polarization (FP) bioassay. A time-course FP bioassay in 384 well-plates was conducted in parallel with MS/MS to simultaneously obtain chemical and biological information of potential fusion inhibitors in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) and Lianhua Qingwen capsules (LHQW). Semi-preparative liquid chromatography and orthogonal HPLC separation were employed to enrich and better identify the co-eluted components. After comprehensive evaluation and validation, 28 potential SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors were screened out and identified. Several compounds at low micromolar activity were validated by in vitro inhibitory assay, molecular docking, cytotoxicity test, and pseudovirus assay. Moreover, four potential dual-target inhibitors against influenza and COVID-19 were discovered from LJF using this method, offering novel insights for the development of future pharmaceuticals targeting epidemic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaming Yuan
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy / Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research / International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Ministry of Education (MOE) of China, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jincai Wang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy / Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research / International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Ministry of Education (MOE) of China, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhixu Chen
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy / Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research / International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Ministry of Education (MOE) of China, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yuexiang Chang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy / Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research / International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Ministry of Education (MOE) of China, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Litong Chen
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, 519080, China
| | - Zhizeng Gao
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, 519080, China
| | - Jacques Crommen
- Laboratory of Analytical Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CIRM, University of Liege, CHU B36, B-4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy / Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research / International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Ministry of Education (MOE) of China, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Zhengjin Jiang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy / Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research / International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Ministry of Education (MOE) of China, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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11
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Du Q, Liang R, Wu M, Yang M, Xie Y, Liu Q, Tang K, Lin X, Yuan S, Shen J. Alisol B 23-acetate broadly inhibits coronavirus through blocking virus entry and suppresses proinflammatory T cells responses for the treatment of COVID-19. J Adv Res 2024; 62:273-290. [PMID: 37802148 PMCID: PMC11331179 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV)-2 causes a global health disaster and pandemic. Seeking effective anti-pan-CoVs drugs benefit critical illness patients of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but also may play a role in emerging CoVs of the future. OBJECTIVES This study tested the hypothesis that alisol B 23-acetate could be a viral entry inhibitor and would have proinflammatory inhibition for COVID-19 treatment. METHODS SARS-CoV-2 and its variants infected several cell lines were applied to evaluate the anti-CoVs activities of alisol B 23-aceate in vitro. The effects of alisol B 23-acetate on in vivo models were assessed by using SARS-CoV-2 and its variants challenged hamster and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) transgenic mice. The target of alisol B 23-acetate to ACE2 was analyzed using hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry (MS). RESULTS Alisol B 23-acetate had inhibitory effects on different species of coronavirus. By using HDX-MS, we found that alisol B 23-acetate had inhibition potency toward ACE2. In vivo experiments showed that alisol B 23-acetate treatment remarkably decreased viral copy, reduced CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD11b+ macrophages infiltration and ameliorated lung damages in the hamster model. In Omicron variant infected human ACE2 transgenic mice, alisol B 23-acetate effectively alleviated viral load in nasal turbinate and reduced proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 17 (IL17) and interferon γ (IFNγ) in peripheral blood. The prophylactic treatment of alisol B 23-acetate by intranasal administration significantly attenuated Omicron viral load in the hamster lung tissues. Moreover, alisol B 23-acetate treatment remarkably inhibited proinflammatory responses through mitigating the secretions of IFNγ and IL17 in the cultured human and mice lymphocytes in vitro. CONCLUSION Alisol B 23-acetate could be a promising therapeutic agent for COVID-19 treatment and its underlying mechanisms might be attributed to viral entry inhibition and anti-inflammatory activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaohui Du
- School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Ronghui Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Meiling Wu
- School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Minxiao Yang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Yubin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Qing Liu
- School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Kaiming Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Xiang Lin
- School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Shuofeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| | - Jiangang Shen
- School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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12
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Zhang T, Yang D, Tang L, Hu Y. Current development of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 neutralizing antibodies (Review). Mol Med Rep 2024; 30:148. [PMID: 38940338 PMCID: PMC11228696 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2024.13272] [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: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) seriously affected global public health security. Studies on vaccines, neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and small molecule antiviral drugs are currently ongoing. In particular, NAbs have emerged as promising therapeutic agents due to their well‑defined mechanism, high specificity, superior safety profile, ease of large‑scale production and simultaneous application for both prevention and treatment of viral infection. Numerous NAb therapeutics have entered the clinical research stages, demonstrating promising therapeutic and preventive effects. These agents have been used for outbreak prevention and control under urgent authorization processes. The present review summarizes the molecular targets of SARS‑CoV‑2‑associated NAbs and screening and identification techniques for NAb development. Moreover, the current shortcomings and challenges that persist with the use of NAbs are discussed. The aim of the present review is to offer a reference for the development of NAbs for any future emergent infectious diseases, including SARS‑CoV‑2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Wuhan Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Di Yang
- Department of Hematology, Wuhan Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Liang Tang
- Department of Hematology, Wuhan Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Yu Hu
- Department of Hematology, Wuhan Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
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13
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Aboalroub AA, Al Azzam KM. Protein S-Nitrosylation: A Chemical Modification with Ubiquitous Biological Activities. Protein J 2024; 43:639-655. [PMID: 39068633 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-024-10223-y] [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] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) induces protein posttranslational modification (PTM), known as S-nitrosylation, which has started to gain attention as a critical regulator of thousands of substrate proteins. However, our understanding of the biological consequences of this emerging PTM is incomplete because of the limited number of identified S-nitrosylated proteins (S-NO proteins). Recent advances in detection methods have effectively contributed to broadening the spectrum of discovered S-NO proteins. This article briefly reviews the progress in S-NO protein detection methods and discusses how these methods are involved in characterizing the biological consequences of this PTM. Additionally, we provide insight into S-NO protein-related diseases, focusing on the role of these proteins in mitigating the severity of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam A Aboalroub
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Center (PDRC), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, 19328, Jordan.
| | - Khaldun M Al Azzam
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
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14
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Tan Z, Yang C, Lin PH, Ramadan S, Yang W, Rashidi Z, Lang S, Shafieichaharberoud F, Gao J, Pan X, Soloff N, Wu X, Bolin S, Pyeon D, Huang X. Inducing Long Lasting B Cell and T Cell Immunity Against Multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2 Through Mutant Bacteriophage Qβ-Receptor Binding Domain Conjugate. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2302755. [PMID: 38733291 PMCID: PMC11305917 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302755] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
More than 3 years into the global pandemic, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains a significant threat to public health. Immunities acquired from infection or current vaccines fail to provide long term protection against subsequent infections, mainly due to their fast-waning nature and the emergence of variants of concerns (VOCs) such as Omicron. To overcome these limitations, SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD)-based epitopes are investigated as conjugates with a powerful carrier, the mutant bacteriophage Qβ (mQβ). The epitope design is critical to eliciting potent antibody responses with the full length RBD being superior to peptide and glycopeptide antigens. The full length RBD conjugated with mQβ activates both humoral and cellular immune systems in vivo, inducing broad spectrum, persistent, and comprehensive immune responses effective against multiple VOCs including Delta and Omicron variants, rendering it a promising vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zibin Tan
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Canchai Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Po-Han Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Sherif Ramadan
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Benha University, Benha, 13518, Egypt
| | - Weizhun Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Zahra Rashidi
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Shuyao Lang
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Center for Cancer Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Fatemeh Shafieichaharberoud
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Jia Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Xingling Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Nachy Soloff
- Hatzalah of Michigan, 13650 Oak Park Blvd., Oak Park, MI, 48237, USA
| | - Xuanjun Wu
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 250100, China
| | - Steven Bolin
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Dohun Pyeon
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Xuefei Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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15
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Hangyu W, Panpan L, Jie S, Hongyan W, Linmiao W, Kangning H, Yichen S, Shuai W, Cheng W. Advancements in Antiviral Drug Development: Comprehensive Insights into Design Strategies and Mechanisms Targeting Key Viral Proteins. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 34:1376-1384. [PMID: 38934770 PMCID: PMC11294656 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2403.03008] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Viral infectious diseases have always been a threat to human survival and quality of life, impeding the stability and progress of human society. As such, researchers have persistently focused on developing highly efficient, low-toxicity antiviral drugs, whether for acute or chronic infectious diseases. This article presents a comprehensive review of the design concepts behind virus-targeted drugs, examined through the lens of antiviral drug mechanisms. The intention is to provide a reference for the development of new, virus-targeted antiviral drugs and guide their clinical usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Hangyu
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, P.R. China
| | - Li Panpan
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, P.R. China
| | - Shen Jie
- School of Medical Laboratory, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, P.R. China
| | - Wang Hongyan
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, P.R. China
| | - Wei Linmiao
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, P.R. China
| | - Han Kangning
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, P.R. China
| | - Shi Yichen
- School of Stomatology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, P.R. China
| | - Wang Shuai
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Inner Mongolia 010050, P.R. China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases, Inner Mongolia 010110, P.R. China
| | - Wang Cheng
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Inner Mongolia 010050, P.R. China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases, Inner Mongolia 010110, P.R. China
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16
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Xu Z, Zhang H, Tian J, Ku X, Wei R, Hou J, Zhang C, Yang F, Zou X, Li Y, Kaji H, Tao SC, Kuno A, Yan W, Da LT, Zhang Y. O-glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by host O-glycosyltransferase strengthens its trimeric structure. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2024; 56:1118-1129. [PMID: 39066577 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2024127] [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] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein O-glycosylation, also known as mucin-type O-glycosylation, is one of the most abundant glycosylation in mammalian cells. It is initially catalyzed by a family of polypeptide GalNAc transferases (ppGalNAc-Ts). The trimeric spike protein (S) of SARS-CoV-2 is highly glycosylated and facilitates the virus's entry into host cells and membrane fusion of the virus. However, the functions and relationship between host ppGalNAc-Ts and O-glycosylation on the S protein remain unclear. Herein, we identify 15 O-glycosites and 10 distinct O-glycan structures on the S protein using an HCD-product-dependent triggered ETD mass spectrometric analysis. We observe that the isoenzyme T6 of ppGalNAc-Ts (ppGalNAc-T6) exhibits high O-glycosylation activity for the S protein, as demonstrated by an on-chip catalytic assay. Overexpression of ppGalNAc-T6 in HEK293 cells significantly enhances the O-glycosylation level of the S protein, not only by adding new O-glycosites but also by increasing O-glycan heterogeneity. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that O-glycosylation on the protomer-interface regions, modified by ppGalNAc-T6, potentially stabilizes the trimeric S protein structure by establishing hydrogen bonds and non-polar interactions between adjacent protomers. Furthermore, mutation frequency analysis indicates that most O-glycosites of the S protein are conserved during the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Taken together, our finding demonstrate that host O-glycosyltransferases dynamically regulate the O-glycosylation of the S protein, which may influence the trimeric structural stability of the protein. This work provides structural insights into the functional role of specific host O-glycosyltransferases in regulating the O-glycosylation of viral envelope proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijue Xu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- SCSB (China)-AIST (Japan) Joint Medical Glycomics Laboratory, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jiaqi Tian
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- School of Medical Information and Engineering, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, China
| | - Xin Ku
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Rumeng Wei
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jingli Hou
- Intrumental Analysis Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Can Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xia Zou
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Hiroyuki Kaji
- SCSB (China)-AIST (Japan) Joint Medical Glycomics Laboratory, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Sheng-Ce Tao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Atsushi Kuno
- SCSB (China)-AIST (Japan) Joint Medical Glycomics Laboratory, Shanghai 200240, China
- Molecular and Cellular Glycoproteomics Research Group, Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | - Wei Yan
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lin-Tai Da
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- SCSB (China)-AIST (Japan) Joint Medical Glycomics Laboratory, Shanghai 200240, China
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17
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Wang G, Verma AK, Shi J, Guan X, Meyerholz DK, Bu F, Wen W, Liu B, Li F, Perlman S, Du L. Universal subunit vaccine protects against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:133. [PMID: 39054338 PMCID: PMC11272943 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00922-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Although Omicron RBD of SARS-CoV-2 accumulates many mutations, the backbone region (truncated RBD) of spike protein is highly conserved. Here, we designed several subunit vaccines by keeping the conserved spike backbone region of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 subvariant (S-6P-no-RBD), or inserting the RBD of Delta variant (S-6P-Delta-RBD), Omicron (BA.5) variant (S-6P-BA5-RBD), or ancestral SARS-CoV-2 (S-6P-WT-RBD) to the above backbone construct, and evaluated their ability to induce immune responses and cross-protective efficacy against various SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV. Among the four subunit vaccines, S-6P-Delta-RBD protein elicited broad and potent neutralizing antibodies against all SARS-CoV-2 variants tested, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants, the BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.75, BA.4.6, and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, and the ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2. This vaccine prevented infection and replication of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, and completely protected immunized mice against lethal challenge with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and SARS-CoV. Sera from S-6P-Delta-RBD-immunized mice protected naive mice against challenge with the Delta variant, with significantly reduced viral titers and without pathological effects. Protection correlated positively with the serum neutralizing antibody titer. Overall, the designed vaccine has potential for development as a universal COVID-19 vaccine and/or a pan-sarbecovirus subunit vaccine that will prevent current and future outbreaks caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-related CoVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Abhishek K Verma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Juan Shi
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Guan
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Fan Bu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Coronavirus Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Wei Wen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Coronavirus Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, USA.
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Coronavirus Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Stanley Perlman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Lanying Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Dutta M, Acharya P. Cryo-electron microscopy in the study of virus entry and infection. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1429180. [PMID: 39114367 PMCID: PMC11303226 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1429180] [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: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Viruses have been responsible for many epidemics and pandemics that have impacted human life globally. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted both our vulnerability to viral outbreaks, as well as the mobilization of the scientific community to come together to combat the unprecedented threat to humanity. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) played a central role in our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic and continues to inform about this evolving pathogen. Cryo-EM with its two popular imaging modalities, single particle analysis (SPA) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), has contributed immensely to understanding the structure of viruses and interactions that define their life cycles and pathogenicity. Here, we review how cryo-EM has informed our understanding of three distinct viruses, of which two - HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 infect humans, and the third, bacteriophages, infect bacteria. For HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 our focus is on the surface glycoproteins that are responsible for mediating host receptor binding, and host and cell membrane fusion, while for bacteriophages, we review their structure, capsid maturation, attachment to the bacterial cell surface and infection initiation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moumita Dutta
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Priyamvada Acharya
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Surgery, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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19
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Díaz-Salinas MA, Jain A, Durham ND, Munro JB. Single-molecule imaging reveals allosteric stimulation of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain by host sialic acid. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk4920. [PMID: 39018397 PMCID: PMC466946 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk4920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Conformational dynamics of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein (S) mediate exposure of the binding site for the cellular receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The N-terminal domain (NTD) of S binds terminal sialic acid (SA) moieties on the cell surface, but the functional role of this interaction in virus entry is unknown. Here, we report that NTD-SA interaction enhances both S-mediated virus attachment and ACE2 binding. Through single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer imaging of individual S trimers, we demonstrate that SA binding to the NTD allosterically shifts the S conformational equilibrium, favoring enhanced exposure of the ACE2-binding site. Antibodies that target the NTD block SA binding, which contributes to their mechanism of neutralization. These findings inform on mechanisms of S activation at the cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Díaz-Salinas
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Aastha Jain
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Natasha D. Durham
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - James B. Munro
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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20
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Tse AL, Acreman CM, Ricardo-Lax I, Berrigan J, Lasso G, Balogun T, Kearns FL, Casalino L, McClain GL, Chandran AM, Lemeunier C, Amaro RE, Rice CM, Jangra RK, McLellan JS, Chandran K, Miller EH. Distinct pathway for evolution of enhanced receptor binding and cell entry in SARS-like bat coronaviruses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.24.600393. [PMID: 38979151 PMCID: PMC11230278 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.24.600393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the zoonotic risks posed by bat coronaviruses (CoVs) is critical for pandemic preparedness. Herein, we generated recombinant vesicular stomatitis viruses (rVSVs) bearing spikes from divergent bat CoVs to investigate their cell entry mechanisms. Unexpectedly, the successful recovery of rVSVs bearing the spike from SHC014, a SARS-like bat CoV, was associated with the acquisition of a novel substitution in the S2 fusion peptide-proximal region (FPPR). This substitution enhanced viral entry in both VSV and coronavirus contexts by increasing the availability of the spike receptor-binding domain to recognize its cellular receptor, ACE2. A second substitution in the spike N-terminal domain, uncovered through forward-genetic selection, interacted epistatically with the FPPR substitution to synergistically enhance spike:ACE2 interaction and viral entry. Our findings identify genetic pathways for adaptation by bat CoVs during spillover and host-to-host transmission, fitness trade-offs inherent to these pathways, and potential Achilles' heels that could be targeted with countermeasures.
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21
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Lee JH, Sergi C, Kast RE, Kanwar BA, Bourbeau J, Oh S, Sohn MG, Lee CJ, Coleman MD. Basic implications on three pathways associated with SARS-CoV-2. Biomed J 2024:100766. [PMID: 39004185 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2024.100766] [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: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) interacts between the host and virus and govern induction, resulting in multiorgan impacts. Its pathophysiology involves the followings: 1) the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways: 2) the neuropilin (NRP) pathway: 3) the spike protein pathway. Therefore, it is necessary to block the pathological course with modulating innate lymphoid cells against diverse corona variants in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong Hoon Lee
- Science and Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea.
| | - Consolato Sergi
- Division of Anatomical Pathology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), University of Ottawa, 401 Smyth Road Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1 Canada
| | - Richard E Kast
- IIAIGC Study Center, 11 Arlington Ct, Burlington, 05408 VT USA
| | - Badar A Kanwar
- Haider Associates, 1999 Forest Ridge Dr, Bedford, TX 76021, United States
| | - Jean Bourbeau
- Respiratory Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sangsuk Oh
- Department of Food Engineering, Food Safety Laboratory, Memory Unit, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03670, Korea
| | - Mun-Gi Sohn
- Department of Food Science, KyungHee University College of Life Science, Seoul 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - Chul Joong Lee
- Department of Anesthesiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Michael D Coleman
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET UK.
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22
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Batchi-Bouyou AL, Djontu JC, Ingoba LL, Mougany JS, Mouzinga FH, Dollon Mbama Ntabi J, Kouikani FY, Christ Massamba Ndala A, Diafouka-Kietela S, Ampa R, Ntoumi F. Neutralizing antibody responses assessment after vaccination in people living with HIV using a surrogate neutralization assay. BMC Immunol 2024; 25:43. [PMID: 38987686 PMCID: PMC11234560 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-024-00625-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE HIV has been reported to interfere with protective vaccination against multiple pathogens, usually through the decreased effectiveness of the antibody responses. We aimed to assess neutralizing antibody responses induced by COVID-19 vaccination in PLWH in Brazzaville, Republique of the Congo. METHOD The study was conducted at the Ambulatory Treatment Center of the National HIV Program, in charge of over 6000 PLWH, and the health center of FCRM in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Participants were divided into two groups: PLWH with well-controlled HIV infection (CD4 counts no older than one week ≥ 800 / mm3, undetectable viral load of a period no older than one week and regularly taking Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy for at least 6 months) and PLWOH. These groups were subdivided by vaccination status: fully vaccinated with adenovirus-based vaccines (Janssen/Ad26.COV2.S and Sputnik/Gam-COVID-Vac) or inactivated virus vaccine (Sinopharm/BBIP-CorV) and a control group of unvaccinated healthy individuals. All participants were RT-PCR negative at inclusion and/or with no documented history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ELISA method was used for detecting IgG and neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 antigens using a commercial neutralizing assay. RESULTS We collected oropharyngeal and blood samples from 1016 participants including 684 PLWH and 332 PLWOH. Both PLWH and PLWOH elicited high levels of antibody responses after complete vaccination with inactivated virus vaccine (Sinopharm/BBIP-CorV) and adenovirus-based vaccines (Janssen/Ad26.COV2.S and Sputnik/Gam-COVID-Vac). Overall, no difference was observed in neutralization capacity between PLWOH and PLWH with well-controlled HIV infection. CONCLUSION The results from this study underline the importance of implementing integrated health systems that provide PLWH the opportunity to benefit HIV prevention and care, at the same time while monitoring their vaccine-induced antibody kinetics for appropriate booster schedules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armel Landry Batchi-Bouyou
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale (FCRM), Villa D6, Campus OMS, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
- Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
- Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
| | - Jean Claude Djontu
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale (FCRM), Villa D6, Campus OMS, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Line Lobaloba Ingoba
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale (FCRM), Villa D6, Campus OMS, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Jiré Séphora Mougany
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale (FCRM), Villa D6, Campus OMS, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Freisnel Hermeland Mouzinga
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale (FCRM), Villa D6, Campus OMS, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Jacques Dollon Mbama Ntabi
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale (FCRM), Villa D6, Campus OMS, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Franck Yannis Kouikani
- Department of Health and Social Care, Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Arcel Christ Massamba Ndala
- Ambulatory Treatment Center, National HIV Program, Ministry of Health and Population, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Steve Diafouka-Kietela
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale (FCRM), Villa D6, Campus OMS, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Raoul Ampa
- Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Francine Ntoumi
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale (FCRM), Villa D6, Campus OMS, Djoué, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Verkhivker G. Atomistic Prediction of Structures, Conformational Ensembles and Binding Energetics for the SARS-CoV-2 Spike JN.1, KP.2 and KP.3 Variants Using AlphaFold2 and Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Mutational Profiling and Binding Free Energy Analysis Reveal Epistatic Hotspots of the ACE2 Affinity and Immune Escape. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.09.602810. [PMID: 39026832 PMCID: PMC11257589 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.09.602810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The most recent wave of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants descending from BA.2 and BA.2.86 exhibited improved viral growth and fitness due to convergent evolution of functional hotspots. These hotspots operate in tandem to optimize both receptor binding for effective infection and immune evasion efficiency, thereby maintaining overall viral fitness. The lack of molecular details on structure, dynamics and binding energetics of the latest FLiRT and FLuQE variants with the ACE2 receptor and antibodies provides a considerable challenge that is explored in this study. We combined AlphaFold2-based atomistic predictions of structures and conformational ensembles of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike complexes with the host receptor ACE2 for the most dominant Omicron variants JN.1, KP.1, KP.2 and KP.3 to examine the mechanisms underlying the role of convergent evolution hotspots in balancing ACE2 binding and antibody evasion. Using the ensemble-based mutational scanning of the spike protein residues and computations of binding affinities, we identified binding energy hotspots and characterized molecular basis underlying epistatic couplings between convergent mutational hotspots. The results suggested that the existence of epistatic interactions between convergent mutational sites at L455, F456, Q493 positions that enable to protect and restore ACE2 binding affinity while conferring beneficial immune escape. To examine immune escape mechanisms, we performed structure-based mutational profiling of the spike protein binding with several classes of antibodies that displayed impaired neutralization against BA.2.86, JN.1, KP.2 and KP.3. The results confirmed the experimental data that JN.1, KP.2 and KP.3 harboring the L455S and F456L mutations can significantly impair the neutralizing activity of class-1 monoclonal antibodies, while the epistatic effects mediated by F456L can facilitate the subsequent convergence of Q493E changes to rescue ACE2 binding. Structural and energetic analysis provided a rationale to the experimental results showing that BD55-5840 and BD55-5514 antibodies that bind to different binding epitopes can retain neutralizing efficacy against all examined variants BA.2.86, JN.1, KP.2 and KP.3. The results support the notion that evolution of Omicron variants may favor emergence of lineages with beneficial combinations of mutations involving mediators of epistatic couplings that control balance of high ACE2 affinity and immune evasion.
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24
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Stepanenko D, Wang Y, Simmerling C. Assessing pH-Dependent Conformational Changes in the Fusion Peptide Proximal Region of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein. Viruses 2024; 16:1066. [PMID: 39066230 PMCID: PMC11281432 DOI: 10.3390/v16071066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the entry mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus into host cells involves endosomal acidification. It has been proposed that under acidic conditions, the fusion peptide proximal region (FPPR) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein acts as a pH-dependent switch, modulating immune response accessibility by influencing the positioning of the receptor binding domain (RBD). This would provide indirect coupling of RBD opening to the environmental pH. Here, we explored this possible pH-dependent conformational equilibrium of the FPPR within the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. We analyzed hundreds of experimentally determined spike structures from the Protein Data Bank and carried out pH-replica exchange molecular dynamics to explore the extent to which the FPPR conformation depends on pH and the positioning of the RBD. A meta-analysis of experimental structures identified alternate conformations of the FPPR among structures in which this flexible regions was resolved. However, the results did not support a correlation between the FPPR conformation and either RBD position or the reported pH of the cryo-EM experiment. We calculated pKa values for titratable side chains in the FPPR region using PDB structures, but these pKa values showed large differences between alternate PDB structures that otherwise adopt the same FPPR conformation type. This hampers the comparison of pKa values in different FPPR conformations to rationalize a pH-dependent conformational change. We supplemented these PDB-based analyses with all-atom simulations and used constant-pH replica exchange molecular dynamics to estimate pKa values in the context of flexibility and explicit water. The resulting titration curves show good reproducibility between simulations, but they also suggest that the titration curves of the different FPPR conformations are the same within the error bars. In summary, we were unable to find evidence supporting the previously published hypothesis of an FPPR pH-dependent equilibrium: neither from existing experimental data nor from constant-pH MD simulations. The study underscores the complexity of the spike system and opens avenues for further exploration into the interplay between pH and SARS-CoV-2 viral entry mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Stepanenko
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (D.S.); (Y.W.)
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Yuzhang Wang
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (D.S.); (Y.W.)
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Carlos Simmerling
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (D.S.); (Y.W.)
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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25
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de Lima VA, Nunes JPS, Rosa DS, Ferreira R, Oliva MLV, Andreata‐Santos R, Duarte‐Barbosa M, Janini LMR, Maricato JT, Akamatsu MA, Ho PL, Schenkman S. Development and characterization of a multimeric recombinant protein using the spike protein receptor binding domain as an antigen to induce SARS-CoV-2 neutralization. Immun Inflamm Dis 2024; 12:e1353. [PMID: 39056544 PMCID: PMC11273545 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.1353] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV2 virus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has four structural proteins and 16 nonstructural proteins. S-protein is one of the structural proteins exposed on the virus surface and is the main target for producing neutralizing antibodies and vaccines. The S-protein forms a trimer that can bind the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its receptor binding domain (RBD) for cell entry. AIMS The goal of this study was to express in HEK293 cells a new RBD recombinant protein in a constitutive and stable manner in order to use it as an alternative immunogen and diagnostic tool for COVID-19. MATERIALS & METHODS The protein was designed to contain an immunoglobulin signal sequence, an explanded C-terminal section of the RBD, a region responsible for the bacteriophage T4 trimerization inducer, and six histidines in the pCDNA-3.1 plasmid. Following transformation, the cells were selected with geneticin-G418 and purified from serum-fre culture supernatants using Ni2+-agarand size exclusion chromatography. The protein was structurally identified by cross-linking and circular dichroism experiments, and utilized to immunize mice in conjuction with AS03 or alum adjuvants. The mice sera were examined for antibody recognition, receptor-binding inhibition, and virus neutralization, while spleens were evaluated for γ-interferon production in the presence of RBD. RESULTS The protein released in the culture supernatant of cells, and exhibited a molecular mass of 135 kDa with a secondary structure like the monomeric and trimeric RBD. After purification, it formed a multimeric structure comprising trimers and hexamers, which were able to bind the ACE2 receptor. It generated high antibody titers in mice when combined with AS03 adjuvant (up to 1:50,000). The sera were capable of inhibiting binding of biotin-labeled ACE2 to the virus S1 subunit and could neutralize the entry of the Wuhan virus strain into cells at dilutions up to 1:2000. It produced specific IFN-γ producing cells in immunized mouse splenocytes. DISCUSSION Our data describe a new RBD containing protein, forming trimers and hexamers, which are able to induce a protective humoral and cellular response against SARS-CoV2. CONCLUSION These results add a new arsenal to combat COVID-19, as an alternative immunogen or antigen for diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica A. de Lima
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ParasitologyUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - João P. S. Nunes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ParasitologyUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Daniela S. Rosa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ParasitologyUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Rodrigo Ferreira
- Department of Biochemistry, Escola Paulista de MedicinaUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Maria L. V. Oliva
- Department of Biochemistry, Escola Paulista de MedicinaUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Robert Andreata‐Santos
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ParasitologyUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Marcia Duarte‐Barbosa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ParasitologyUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Luiz M. R. Janini
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ParasitologyUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Juliana T. Maricato
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ParasitologyUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Milena A. Akamatsu
- Núcleo de Produção de Vacinas Bacterianas, Centro BioIndustrial, Instituto ButantanSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Paulo L. Ho
- Núcleo de Produção de Vacinas Bacterianas, Centro BioIndustrial, Instituto ButantanSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Sergio Schenkman
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and ParasitologyUniversidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloSão PauloBrazil
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Bai H, Zhang X, Gong T, Ma J, Zhang P, Cai Z, Ren D, Zhang C. A systematic mutation analysis of 13 major SARS-CoV-2 variants. Virus Res 2024; 345:199392. [PMID: 38729218 PMCID: PMC11112362 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199392] [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: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 evolves constantly with various novel mutations. Due to their enhanced infectivity, transmissibility and immune evasion, a comprehensive understanding of the association between these mutations and the respective functional changes is crucial. However, previous mutation studies of major SARS-CoV-2 variants remain limited. Here, we performed systematic analyses of full-length amino acids mutation, phylogenetic features, protein physicochemical properties, molecular dynamics and immune escape as well as pseudotype virus infection assays among thirteen major SARS-CoV-2 variants. We found that Omicron exhibited the most abundant and complex mutation sites, higher indices of hydrophobicity and flexibility than other variants. The results of molecular dynamics simulation suggest that Omicron has the highest number of hydrogen bonds and strongest binding free energy between the S protein and ACE2 receptor. Furthermore, we revealed 10 immune escape sites in 13 major variants, some of them were reported previously, but four of which (i.e. 339/373/477/496) are first reported to be specific to Omicron, whereas 462 is specific to Epslion. The infectivity of these variants was confirmed by the pseudotype virus infection assays. Our findings may help us understand the functional consequences of the mutations within various variants and the underlying mechanisms of the immune escapes conferred by the S proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Bai
- The MED-X Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Building 21, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an 710000, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwai Zhengjie, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Provincial Center for Advanced Diagnostic Technology and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Medical Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 DongYue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China
| | - Tian Gong
- Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwai Zhengjie, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Provincial Center for Advanced Diagnostic Technology and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Medical Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 DongYue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China
| | - Junpeng Ma
- Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwai Zhengjie, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Provincial Center for Advanced Diagnostic Technology and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Medical Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 DongYue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwai Zhengjie, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Provincial Center for Advanced Diagnostic Technology and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Medical Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 DongYue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China
| | - Zeqiong Cai
- The MED-X Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Building 21, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an 710000, China
| | - Doudou Ren
- The MED-X Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Building 21, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an 710000, China
| | - Chengsheng Zhang
- The MED-X Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Building 21, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an 710000, China; Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwai Zhengjie, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Provincial Center for Advanced Diagnostic Technology and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 Dongyue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China; Department of Medical Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, 1519 DongYue Dadao, Nanchang 330209, China.
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27
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Liu Q, Lu Y, Cai C, Huang Y, Zhou L, Guan Y, Fu S, Lin Y, Yan H, Zhang Z, Li X, Yang X, Yang H, Guo H, Lan K, Chen Y, Hou SC, Xiong Y. A broad neutralizing nanobody against SARS-CoV-2 engineered from an approved drug. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:458. [PMID: 38937437 PMCID: PMC11211474 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06802-7] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection is initiated by Spike glycoprotein binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor via its receptor binding domain. Blocking this interaction has been proven to be an effective approach to inhibit virus infection. Here we report the discovery of a neutralizing nanobody named VHH60, which was directly produced from an engineering nanobody library based on a commercialized nanobody within a very short period. VHH60 competes with human ACE2 to bind the receptor binding domain of the Spike protein at S351, S470-471and S493-494 as determined by structural analysis, with an affinity of 2.56 nM. It inhibits infections of both ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain and pseudotyped viruses harboring SARS-CoV-2 wildtype, key mutations or variants at the nanomolar level. Furthermore, VHH60 suppressed SARS-CoV-2 infection and propagation 50-fold better and protected mice from death for twice as long as the control group after SARS-CoV-2 nasal infections in vivo. Therefore, VHH60 is not only a powerful nanobody with a promising profile for disease control but also provides evidence for a highly effective and rapid approach to generating therapeutic nanobodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Yuchi Lu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | | | - Yanyan Huang
- Bioduro-sundia LLC., Wuxi, 214174, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center and RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
- Animal Biosafety Level-III Laboratory/Institute for Vaccine Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yanbin Guan
- Bioduro-sundia LLC., Wuxi, 214174, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shiying Fu
- Bioduro-sundia LLC., Wuxi, 214174, Jiangsu, China
| | - Youyou Lin
- Bioduro-sundia LLC., Wuxi, 214174, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center and RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Animal Biosafety Level-III Laboratory/Institute for Vaccine Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Bioduro-sundia LLC., Wuxi, 214174, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiuna Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Hangtian Guo
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Ke Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center and RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- Animal Biosafety Level-III Laboratory/Institute for Vaccine Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center and RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | | | - Yi Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
- Bioduro-sundia LLC., Wuxi, 214174, Jiangsu, China.
- Bayray Innovation Center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
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28
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P, Verkhivker G. Exploring conformational landscapes and binding mechanisms of convergent evolution for the SARS-CoV-2 spike Omicron variant complexes with the ACE2 receptor using AlphaFold2-based structural ensembles and molecular dynamics simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:17720-17744. [PMID: 38869513 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp01372g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we combined AlphaFold-based approaches for atomistic modeling of multiple protein states and microsecond molecular simulations to accurately characterize conformational ensembles evolution and binding mechanisms of convergent evolution for the SARS-CoV-2 spike Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.75, BA.3, BA.4/BA.5 and BQ.1.1. We employed and validated several different adaptations of the AlphaFold methodology for modeling of conformational ensembles including the introduced randomized full sequence scanning for manipulation of sequence variations to systematically explore conformational dynamics of Omicron spike protein complexes with the ACE2 receptor. Microsecond atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and thermodynamic stability of the Omicron variant complexes. By integrating the predictions of conformational ensembles from different AlphaFold adaptations and applying statistical confidence metrics we can expand characterization of the conformational ensembles and identify functional protein conformations that determine the equilibrium dynamics for the Omicron spike complexes with the ACE2. Conformational ensembles of the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes obtained using AlphaFold-based approaches for modeling protein states and MD simulations are employed for accurate comparative prediction of the binding energetics revealing an excellent agreement with the experimental data. In particular, the results demonstrated that AlphaFold-generated extended conformational ensembles can produce accurate binding energies for the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes. The results of this study suggested complementarities and potential synergies between AlphaFold predictions of protein conformational ensembles and MD simulations showing that integrating information from both methods can potentially yield a more adequate characterization of the conformational landscapes for the Omicron RBD-ACE2 complexes. This study provides insights in the interplay between conformational dynamics and binding, showing that evolution of Omicron variants through acquisition of convergent mutational sites may leverage conformational adaptability and dynamic couplings between key binding energy hotspots to optimize ACE2 binding affinity and enable immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishank Raisinghani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75275, USA
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75275, USA
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
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29
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Du W, Debski-Antoniak O, Drabek D, van Haperen R, van Dortmondt M, van der Lee J, Drulyte I, van Kuppeveld FJM, Grosveld F, Hurdiss DL, Bosch BJ. Neutralizing antibodies reveal cryptic vulnerabilities and interdomain crosstalk in the porcine deltacoronavirus spike protein. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5330. [PMID: 38909062 PMCID: PMC11193727 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49693-0] [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: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging enteric pathogen that has recently been detected in humans. Despite this zoonotic concern, the antigenic structure of PDCoV remains unknown. The virus relies on its spike (S) protein for cell entry, making it a prime target for neutralizing antibodies. Here, we generate and characterize a set of neutralizing antibodies targeting the S protein, shedding light on PDCoV S interdomain crosstalk and its vulnerable sites. Among the four identified antibodies, one targets the S1A domain, causing local and long-range conformational changes, resulting in partial exposure of the S1B domain. The other antibodies bind the S1B domain, disrupting binding to aminopeptidase N (APN), the entry receptor for PDCoV. Notably, the epitopes of these S1B-targeting antibodies are concealed in the prefusion S trimer conformation, highlighting the necessity for conformational changes for effective antibody binding. The binding footprint of one S1B binder entirely overlaps with APN-interacting residues and thus targets a highly conserved epitope. These findings provide structural insights into the humoral immune response against the PDCoV S protein, potentially guiding vaccine and therapeutic development for this zoonotic pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Du
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Oliver Debski-Antoniak
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dubravka Drabek
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Harbour BioMed, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rien van Haperen
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Harbour BioMed, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Melissa van Dortmondt
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Joline van der Lee
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ieva Drulyte
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Materials and Structural Analysis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Frank J M van Kuppeveld
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Frank Grosveld
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Harbour BioMed, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel L Hurdiss
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Berend-Jan Bosch
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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30
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Antonyan T, Chilingaryan G, Zagorski K, Ghazaryan M, Hovakimyan A, Davtyan H, Petrushina I, King O, Kniazev R, Petrovsky N, Ghochikyan A. MultiTEP-Based Vaccines Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein IgG Epitopes Elicit Robust Binding Antibody Titers with Limited Virus-Neutralizing Activity. Pathogens 2024; 13:520. [PMID: 38921817 PMCID: PMC11206316 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Within the last two decades, SARS-CoV-2 was the third zoonotic severe acute respiratory betacoronavirus (sarbecovirus) to infect humans, following SARS and MERS. The disruptions caused by the pandemic underscore the need for a universal vaccine against respiratory betacoronaviruses. Our group previously developed the universal platform for vaccine development, MultiTEP, which has been utilized in this study to generate a range of SARS-CoV-2 epitope vaccine candidates. We prepared and characterized 18 vaccines incorporating small peptide fragments from SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein fused with the MultiTEP sequence using overlapping PCR. Wild-type mice were immunized intramuscularly with the immunogen formulated in AdvaxCpG adjuvant. Serum antibodies were detected by ELISA, surrogate neutralization, and pseudovirus neutralization assays. Finally, the most promising vaccine candidate was administered to three non-human primates. All vaccines generated high titers of spike-binding IgG antibodies. However, only three vaccines generated antibodies that blocked RBD binding to the ACE2 receptor in a surrogate virus neutralization assay. However, none of the vaccines induced antibodies able to neutralize pseudotype viruses, including after the administration of the lead vaccine to NHPs. MultiTEP-based COVID-19 vaccines elicited robust, IgG-binding responses against the Spike protein in mice and non-human primates, but these antibodies were not neutralizing, underscoring the need to refine this approach further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatevik Antonyan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (T.A.)
| | - Garri Chilingaryan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (T.A.)
| | - Karen Zagorski
- Department of Molecular Immunology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (T.A.)
| | - Manush Ghazaryan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (T.A.)
| | - Armine Hovakimyan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (T.A.)
| | - Hayk Davtyan
- Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Irina Petrushina
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Olga King
- Department of Molecular Immunology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (T.A.)
| | - Roman Kniazev
- Department of Molecular Immunology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (T.A.)
| | | | - Anahit Ghochikyan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (T.A.)
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31
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Heo CK, Lim WH, Moon KB, Yang J, Kim SJ, Kim HS, Kim DJ, Cho EW. S2 Peptide-Conjugated SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particles Provide Broad Protection against SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:676. [PMID: 38932406 PMCID: PMC11209314 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12060676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Approved COVID-19 vaccines primarily induce neutralizing antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. However, the emergence of variants of concern with RBD mutations poses challenges to vaccine efficacy. This study aimed to design a next-generation vaccine that provides broader protection against diverse coronaviruses, focusing on glycan-free S2 peptides as vaccine candidates to overcome the low immunogenicity of the S2 domain due to the N-linked glycans on the S antigen stalk, which can mask S2 antibody responses. Glycan-free S2 peptides were synthesized and attached to SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (VLPs) lacking the S antigen. Humoral and cellular immune responses were analyzed after the second booster immunization in BALB/c mice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed the reactivity of sera against SARS-CoV-2 variants, and pseudovirus neutralization assay confirmed neutralizing activities. Among the S2 peptide-conjugated VLPs, the S2.3 (N1135-K1157) and S2.5 (A1174-L1193) peptide-VLP conjugates effectively induced S2-specific serum immunoglobulins. These antisera showed high reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 variant S proteins and effectively inhibited pseudoviral infections. S2 peptide-conjugated VLPs activated SARS-CoV-2 VLP-specific T-cells. The SARS-CoV-2 vaccine incorporating conserved S2 peptides and CoV-2 VLPs shows promise as a universal vaccine capable of generating neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Kyu Heo
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Youseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; (C.-K.H.); (W.-H.L.)
| | - Won-Hee Lim
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Youseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; (C.-K.H.); (W.-H.L.)
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Beom Moon
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; (K.-B.M.); (H.-S.K.)
| | - Jihyun Yang
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea;
| | - Sang Jick Kim
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea;
| | - Hyun-Soon Kim
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; (K.-B.M.); (H.-S.K.)
| | - Doo-Jin Kim
- Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, 194-15 Osongsaengmyeong 1-ro, Osong-eup, Cheongju-si 28160, Republic of Korea;
| | - Eun-Wie Cho
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Youseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; (C.-K.H.); (W.-H.L.)
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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32
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Hone AJ, Santiago U, Harvey PJ, Tekarli B, Gajewiak J, Craik DJ, Camacho CJ, McIntosh JM. Design, Synthesis, and Structure-Activity Relationships of Novel Peptide Derivatives of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 Spike-Protein that Potently Inhibit Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. J Med Chem 2024; 67:9587-9598. [PMID: 38814877 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The spike-protein of SARS-CoV-2 has a distinctive amino-acid sequence (682RRARS686) that forms a cleavage site for the enzyme furin. Strikingly, the structure of the spike-protein loop containing the furin cleavage site bears substantial similarity to neurotoxin peptides found in the venoms of certain snakes and marine cone snails. Leveraging this relationship, we designed and synthesized disulfide-constrained peptides with amino-acid sequences corresponding to the furin cleavage-sites of wild-type (B.1 variant) SARS-CoV-2 or the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants. Remarkably, some of these peptides potently inhibited α7 and α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) with nM affinity and showed SARS-CoV-2 variant and nAChR subtype-dependent potencies. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular dynamics were used to rationalize structure-activity relationships between peptides and their cognate receptors. These findings delineate nAChR subtypes that can serve as high-affinity spike-protein targets in tissues central to COVID-19 pathophysiology and identify ligands and target receptors to inform the development of novel SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arik J Hone
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- MIRECC, George E. Whalen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 84148, United States
| | - Ulises Santiago
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Peta J Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Bassel Tekarli
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Joanna Gajewiak
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Carlos J Camacho
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - J Michael McIntosh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- George E. Whalen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 84148, United States
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33
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Maiti AK. Progressive Evolutionary Dynamics of Gene-Specific ω Led to the Emergence of Novel SARS-CoV-2 Strains Having Super-Infectivity and Virulence with Vaccine Neutralization. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6306. [PMID: 38928018 PMCID: PMC11204377 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126306] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
An estimation of the proportion of nonsynonymous to synonymous mutation (dn/ds, ω) of the SARS-CoV-2 genome would indicate the evolutionary dynamics necessary to evolve into novel strains with increased infection, virulence, and vaccine neutralization. A temporal estimation of ω of the whole genome, and all twenty-nine SARS-CoV-2 genes of major virulent strains of alpha, delta and omicron demonstrates that the SARS-CoV-2 genome originally emerged (ω ~ 0.04) with a strong purifying selection (ω < 1) and reached (ω ~ 0.85) in omicron towards diversifying selection (ω > 1). A marked increase in the ω occurred in the spike gene from alpha (ω = 0.2) to omicron (ω = 1.97). The ω of the replication machinery genes including RDRP, NSP3, NSP4, NSP7, NSP8, NSP10, NSP13, NSP14, and ORF9 are markedly increased, indicating that these genes/proteins are yet to be evolutionary stabilized and are contributing to the evolution of novel virulent strains. The delta-specific maximum increase in ω in the immunomodulatory genes of NSP8, NSP10, NSP16, ORF4, ORF5, ORF6, ORF7A, and ORF8 compared to alpha or omicron indicates delta-specific vulnerabilities for severe COVID-19 related hospitalization and death. The maximum values of ω are observed for spike (S), NSP4, ORF8 and NSP15, which indicates that the gene-specific temporal estimation of ω identifies specific genes for its super-infectivity and virulency that could be targeted for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit K Maiti
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Mydnavar, 28475 Greenfield Rd, Southfield, MI 48076, USA
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34
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Tai LT, Yeh CY, Chang YJ, Liu JF, Hsu KC, Cheng JC, Lu CH. Discovery of Novel Spike Inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6105. [PMID: 38892294 PMCID: PMC11172837 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the current coronavirus disease pandemic. With the rapid evolution of variant strains, finding effective spike protein inhibitors is a logical and critical priority. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as the functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 viral entry, and thus related therapeutic approaches associated with the spike protein-ACE2 interaction show a high degree of feasibility for inhibiting viral infection. Our computer-aided drug design (CADD) method meticulously analyzed more than 260,000 compound records from the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) database, to identify potential spike inhibitors. The spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) was chosen as the target protein for our virtual screening process. In cell-based validation, SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus carrying a reporter gene was utilized to screen for effective compounds. Ultimately, compounds C2, C8, and C10 demonstrated significant antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, with estimated EC50 values of 8.8 μM, 6.7 μM, and 7.6 μM, respectively. Using the above compounds as templates, ten derivatives were generated and robust bioassay results revealed that C8.2 (EC50 = 5.9 μM) exhibited the strongest antiviral efficacy. Compounds C8.2 also displayed inhibitory activity against the Omicron variant, with an EC50 of 9.3 μM. Thus, the CADD method successfully discovered lead compounds binding to the spike protein RBD that are capable of inhibiting viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Te Tai
- Industrial Development Graduate Program of College of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300193, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yun Yeh
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jen Chang
- The Ph.D. Program of Biotechnology and Biomedical Industry, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| | - Ju-Fang Liu
- School of Oral Hygiene, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Cheng Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110301, Taiwan
| | - Ju-Chien Cheng
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hao Lu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300193, Taiwan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300193, Taiwan
- Center for Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-Devices (IDS2B), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300193, Taiwan
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35
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Porter LL, Artsimovitch I, Ramírez-Sarmiento CA. Metamorphic proteins and how to find them. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 86:102807. [PMID: 38537533 PMCID: PMC11102287 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102807] [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: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
In the last two decades, our existing notion that most foldable proteins have a unique native state has been challenged by the discovery of metamorphic proteins, which reversibly interconvert between multiple, sometimes highly dissimilar, native states. As the number of known metamorphic proteins increases, several computational and experimental strategies have emerged for gaining insights about their refolding processes and identifying unknown metamorphic proteins amongst the known proteome. In this review, we describe the current advances in biophysically and functionally ascertaining the structural interconversions of metamorphic proteins and how coevolution can be harnessed to identify novel metamorphic proteins from sequence information. We also discuss the challenges and ongoing efforts in using artificial intelligence-based protein structure prediction methods to discover metamorphic proteins and predict their corresponding three-dimensional structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren L Porter
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA; Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Irina Artsimovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - César A Ramírez-Sarmiento
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile; ANID, Millennium Science Initiative Program, Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago 833150, Chile.
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Ramos-Duarte VA, Orlowski A, Jaquenod de Giusti C, Corigliano MG, Legarralde A, Mendoza-Morales LF, Atela A, Sánchez MA, Sander VA, Angel SO, Clemente M. Safe plant Hsp90 adjuvants elicit an effective immune response against SARS-CoV2-derived RBD antigen. Vaccine 2024; 42:3355-3364. [PMID: 38631949 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.04.036] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
To better understand the role of pHsp90 adjuvant in immune response modulation, we proposed the use of the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of the Spike protein of SARS-CoV2, the principal candidate in the design of subunit vaccines. We evaluated the humoral and cellular immune responses against RBD through the strategy "protein mixture" (Adjuvant + Antigen). The rRBD adjuvanted with rAtHsp81.2 group showed a higher increase of the anti-rRBD IgG1, while the rRBD adjuvanted with rNbHsp90.3 group showed a significant increase in anti-rRBD IgG2b/2a. These results were consistent with the cellular immune response analysis. Spleen cell cultures from rRBD + rNbHsp90.3-immunized mice showed significantly increased IFN-γ production. In contrast, spleen cell cultures from rRBD + rAtHsp81.2-immunized mice showed significantly increased IL-4 levels. Finally, vaccines adjuvanted with rNbHsp90.3 induced higher neutralizing antibody responses compared to those adjuvanted with rAtHsp81.2. To know whether both chaperones must form complexes to generate an effective immune response, we performed co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assays. The results indicated that the greater neutralizing capacity observed in the rRBD adjuvanted with rNbHsp90.3 group would be given by the rRBD-rNbHsp90.3 interaction rather than by the quality of the immune response triggered by the adjuvants. These results, together with our previous results, provide a comparative benchmark of these two novel and safe vaccine adjuvants for their capacity to stimulate immunity to a subunit vaccine, demonstrating the capacity of adjuvanted SARS-CoV2 subunit vaccines. Furthermore, these results revealed differences in the ability to modulate the immune response between these two pHsp90s, highlighting the importance of adjuvant selection for future rational vaccine and adjuvant design.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Female
- Humans
- Mice
- Adjuvants, Immunologic/administration & dosage
- Adjuvants, Vaccine
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- COVID-19/prevention & control
- COVID-19/immunology
- COVID-19 Vaccines/immunology
- HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins/immunology
- Immunity, Cellular
- Immunity, Humoral
- Immunoglobulin G/blood
- Immunoglobulin G/immunology
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- SARS-CoV-2/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology
- Vaccines, Subunit/immunology
- Vaccines, Subunit/administration & dosage
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor A Ramos-Duarte
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Chascomús, Provincia de Buenos Aires 7030, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Orlowski
- Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares "Dr. Horacio E. Cingolani" (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Carolina Jaquenod de Giusti
- Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares "Dr. Horacio E. Cingolani" (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mariana G Corigliano
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Chascomús, Provincia de Buenos Aires 7030, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina
| | - Ariel Legarralde
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Chascomús, Provincia de Buenos Aires 7030, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina
| | - Luisa F Mendoza-Morales
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina; Laboratorio de Biotecnologías en Bovinos y Ovinos, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Atela
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Chascomús, Provincia de Buenos Aires 7030, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina
| | - Manuel A Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Chascomús, Provincia de Buenos Aires 7030, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina
| | - Valeria A Sander
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina; Laboratorio de Biotecnologías en Bovinos y Ovinos, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sergio O Angel
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina; Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular-UB2, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Chascomús, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marina Clemente
- Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas-UB6, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Av. Intendente Marino Km 8.2, Chascomús, Provincia de Buenos Aires 7030, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías, Campus Miguelete, 25 de Mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina.
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P, Verkhivker G. AlphaFold2 Predictions of Conformational Ensembles and Atomistic Simulations of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike XBB Lineages Reveal Epistatic Couplings between Convergent Mutational Hotspots that Control ACE2 Affinity. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4696-4715. [PMID: 38696745 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c01341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we combined AlphaFold-based atomistic structural modeling, microsecond molecular simulations, mutational profiling, and network analysis to characterize binding mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with the host receptor ACE2 for a series of Omicron XBB variants including XBB.1.5, XBB.1.5+L455F, XBB.1.5+F456L, and XBB.1.5+L455F+F456L. AlphaFold-based structural and dynamic modeling of SARS-CoV-2 Spike XBB lineages can accurately predict the experimental structures and characterize conformational ensembles of the spike protein complexes with the ACE2. Microsecond molecular dynamics simulations identified important differences in the conformational landscapes and equilibrium ensembles of the XBB variants, suggesting that combining AlphaFold predictions of multiple conformations with molecular dynamics simulations can provide a complementary approach for the characterization of functional protein states and binding mechanisms. Using the ensemble-based mutational profiling of protein residues and physics-based rigorous calculations of binding affinities, we identified binding energy hotspots and characterized the molecular basis underlying epistatic couplings between convergent mutational hotspots. Consistent with the experiments, the results revealed the mediating role of the Q493 hotspot in the synchronization of epistatic couplings between L455F and F456L mutations, providing a quantitative insight into the energetic determinants underlying binding differences between XBB lineages. We also proposed a network-based perturbation approach for mutational profiling of allosteric communications and uncovered the important relationships between allosteric centers mediating long-range communication and binding hotspots of epistatic couplings. The results of this study support a mechanism in which the binding mechanisms of the XBB variants may be determined by epistatic effects between convergent evolutionary hotspots that control ACE2 binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishank Raisinghani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
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38
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Kumar A, Kaushal R, Sharma H, Sharma K, Menon MB, P V. Mapping of long stretches of highly conserved sequences in over 6 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes. Brief Funct Genomics 2024; 23:256-264. [PMID: 37461194 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elad027] [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: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
We identified 11 conserved stretches in over 6.3 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes including all the major variants of concerns. Each conserved stretch is ≥100 nucleotides in length with ≥99.9% conservation at each nucleotide position. Interestingly, six of the eight conserved stretches in ORF1ab overlapped significantly with well-folded experimentally verified RNA secondary structures. Furthermore, two of the conserved stretches were mapped to regions within the S2-subunit that undergo dynamic structural rearrangements during viral fusion. In addition, the conserved stretches were significantly depleted for zinc-finger antiviral protein (ZAP) binding sites, which facilitated the recognition and degradation of viral RNA. These highly conserved stretches in the SARS-CoV-2 genome were poorly conserved at the nucleotide level among closely related β-coronaviruses, thus representing ideal targets for highly specific and discriminatory diagnostic assays. Our findings highlight the role of structural constraints at both RNA and protein levels that contribute to the sequence conservation of specific genomic regions in SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhil Kumar
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Rishika Kaushal
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Himanshi Sharma
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Khushboo Sharma
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Manoj B Menon
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Vivekanandan P
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
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Lei R, Qing E, Odle A, Yuan M, Gunawardene CD, Tan TJC, So N, Ouyang WO, Wilson IA, Gallagher T, Perlman S, Wu NC, Wong LYR. Functional and antigenic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 spike fusion peptide by deep mutational scanning. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4056. [PMID: 38744813 PMCID: PMC11094058 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48104-8] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The fusion peptide of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is functionally important for membrane fusion during virus entry and is part of a broadly neutralizing epitope. However, sequence determinants at the fusion peptide and its adjacent regions for pathogenicity and antigenicity remain elusive. In this study, we perform a series of deep mutational scanning (DMS) experiments on an S2 region spanning the fusion peptide of authentic SARS-CoV-2 in different cell lines and in the presence of broadly neutralizing antibodies. We identify mutations at residue 813 of the spike protein that reduced TMPRSS2-mediated entry with decreased virulence. In addition, we show that an F823Y mutation, present in bat betacoronavirus HKU9 spike protein, confers resistance to broadly neutralizing antibodies. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity and also highlight a potential challenge in developing broadly protective S2-based coronavirus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruipeng Lei
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Enya Qing
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA
| | - Abby Odle
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Meng Yuan
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Chaminda D Gunawardene
- Center for Virus-Host Innate Immunity, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Timothy J C Tan
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Natalie So
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Wenhao O Ouyang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Ian A Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Tom Gallagher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA.
| | - Stanley Perlman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Nicholas C Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Lok-Yin Roy Wong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
- Center for Virus-Host Innate Immunity, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
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40
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Cornejo A, Franco C, Rodriguez-Nuñez M, García A, Belisario I, Mayora S, Garzaro DJ, Zambrano JL, Jaspe RC, Hidalgo M, Parra-Giménez N, Claro FE, Liprandi F, de Waard JH, Rangel HR, Pujol FH. Humoral Immunity across the SARS-CoV-2 Spike after Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) Vaccination. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:41. [PMID: 38804309 PMCID: PMC11130906 DOI: 10.3390/antib13020041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have contributed to attenuating the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic by promoting the development of effective immune responses, thus reducing the spread and severity of the pandemic. A clinical trial with the Sputnik-V vaccine was conducted in Venezuela from December 2020 to July 2021. The aim of this study was to explore the antibody reactivity of vaccinated individuals towards different regions of the spike protein (S). Neutralizing antibody (NAb) activity was assessed using a commercial surrogate assay, detecting NAbs against the receptor-binding domain (RBD), and a plaque reduction neutralization test. NAb levels were correlated with the reactivity of the antibodies to the spike regions over time. The presence of Abs against nucleoprotein was also determined to rule out the effect of exposure to the virus during the clinical trial in the serological response. A high serological reactivity was observed to S and specifically to S1 and the RBD. S2, although recognized with lower intensity by vaccinated individuals, was the subunit exhibiting the highest cross-reactivity in prepandemic sera. This study is in agreement with the high efficacy reported for the Sputnik V vaccine and shows that this vaccine is able to induce an immunity lasting for at least 180 days. The dissection of the Ab reactivity to different regions of S allowed us to identify the relevance of epitopes outside the RBD that are able to induce NAbs. This research may contribute to the understanding of vaccine immunity against SARS-CoV-2, which could contribute to the design of future vaccine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cornejo
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Celular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020A, Venezuela;
| | - Christopher Franco
- Laboratorio de Virología Celular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (C.F.); (J.L.Z.)
| | - Mariajose Rodriguez-Nuñez
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
| | - Alexis García
- Instituto de Inmunología, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas 1040A, Venezuela; (A.G.); (I.B.); (S.M.)
| | - Inirida Belisario
- Instituto de Inmunología, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas 1040A, Venezuela; (A.G.); (I.B.); (S.M.)
| | - Soriuska Mayora
- Instituto de Inmunología, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas 1040A, Venezuela; (A.G.); (I.B.); (S.M.)
| | - Domingo José Garzaro
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
| | - José Luis Zambrano
- Laboratorio de Virología Celular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (C.F.); (J.L.Z.)
| | - Rossana Celeste Jaspe
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
| | - Mariana Hidalgo
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela;
| | - Nereida Parra-Giménez
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de Parásitos, Centro Biofísica y Bioquímica, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela;
| | - Franklin Ennodio Claro
- Departamento de Tuberculosis, Servicio Autónomo Instituto de Biomedicina “Dr. Jacinto Convit”, UCV, Caracas 1010A, Venezuela; (F.E.C.); (J.H.d.W.)
| | - Ferdinando Liprandi
- Laboratorio de Biología de Virus, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela;
| | - Jacobus Henri de Waard
- Departamento de Tuberculosis, Servicio Autónomo Instituto de Biomedicina “Dr. Jacinto Convit”, UCV, Caracas 1010A, Venezuela; (F.E.C.); (J.H.d.W.)
- Laboratorios de Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias de Salud, Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Quito 170125, Ecuador
| | - Héctor Rafael Rangel
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
| | - Flor Helene Pujol
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, IVIC, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela; (M.R.-N.); (D.J.G.); (R.C.J.); (H.R.R.)
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Ketaren NE, Mast FD, Fridy PC, Olivier JP, Sanyal T, Sali A, Chait BT, Rout MP, Aitchison JD. Nanobody repertoire generated against the spike protein of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 remains efficacious against the rapidly evolving virus. eLife 2024; 12:RP89423. [PMID: 38712823 PMCID: PMC11076045 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89423] [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] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
To date, all major modes of monoclonal antibody therapy targeting SARS-CoV-2 have lost significant efficacy against the latest circulating variants. As SARS-CoV-2 omicron sublineages account for over 90% of COVID-19 infections, evasion of immune responses generated by vaccination or exposure to previous variants poses a significant challenge. A compelling new therapeutic strategy against SARS-CoV-2 is that of single-domain antibodies, termed nanobodies, which address certain limitations of monoclonal antibodies. Here, we demonstrate that our high-affinity nanobody repertoire, generated against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (Mast et al., 2021), remains effective against variants of concern, including omicron BA.4/BA.5; a subset is predicted to counter resistance in emerging XBB and BQ.1.1 sublineages. Furthermore, we reveal the synergistic potential of nanobody cocktails in neutralizing emerging variants. Our study highlights the power of nanobody technology as a versatile therapeutic and diagnostic tool to combat rapidly evolving infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia E Ketaren
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Fred D Mast
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Peter C Fridy
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jean Paul Olivier
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | - Tanmoy Sanyal
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Byers Hall, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Andrej Sali
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Byers Hall, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Brian T Chait
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Michael P Rout
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - John D Aitchison
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
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42
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Cheyne I, Gopinath VS, Muppa N, Armas AE, Gil Agurto MS, Akula SA, Nagpal S, Yousaf MS, Haider A. The Neurological Implications of COVID-19: A Comprehensive Narrative Review. Cureus 2024; 16:e60376. [PMID: 38887342 PMCID: PMC11181960 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60376] [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] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 revealed a huge number of problems as well as discoveries in medicine, notably, regarding the effects of the virus on the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). This paper is a narrative review that takes a deep dive into the complex interactions between COVID-19 and the NS. Therefore, this paper explains the broad range of neurological manifestations and neurodegenerative diseases caused by the virus. It carefully considers the routes through which SARS-CoV-2 reaches the NS, including the olfactory system and of course, the hematogenous route, which are also covered when discussing the virus's direct and indirect mechanisms of neuropathogenesis. Besides neurological pathologies such as stroke, encephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis, the focus area is also given to the challenges of making diagnosis, treatment, and management of these conditions during the pandemic. The review also examines the strategic and interventional approaches utilized to prevent these disorders, as well as the ACE2 receptors implicated in the mediation of neurological effects caused by COVID-19. This detailed overview, which combines research outputs with case data, is directed at tackling this pandemic challenge, with a view toward better patient care and outcomes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ithamar Cheyne
- Critical Care, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, POL
| | | | - Neeharika Muppa
- School of Medicine, St. George's University, St. George's, GRD
| | - Angel Emanuel Armas
- Internal Medicine, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | | | - Sai Abhigna Akula
- Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, St. George's University, St. George's, GRD
| | - Shubhangi Nagpal
- Internal Medicine, Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital, New Delhi, IND
| | | | - Ali Haider
- Allied Health Sciences, The University of Lahore, Gujrat Campus, Gujrat, PAK
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43
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Hills FR, Eruera AR, Hodgkinson-Bean J, Jorge F, Easingwood R, Brown SHJ, Bouwer JC, Li YP, Burga LN, Bostina M. Variation in structural motifs within SARS-related coronavirus spike proteins. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012158. [PMID: 38805567 PMCID: PMC11236199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012158] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the third known coronavirus (CoV) that has crossed the animal-human barrier in the last two decades. However, little structural information exists related to the close genetic species within the SARS-related coronaviruses. Here, we present three novel SARS-related CoV spike protein structures solved by single particle cryo-electron microscopy analysis derived from bat (bat SL-CoV WIV1) and civet (cCoV-SZ3, cCoV-007) hosts. We report complex glycan trees that decorate the glycoproteins and density for water molecules which facilitated modeling of the water molecule coordination networks within structurally important regions. We note structural conservation of the fatty acid binding pocket and presence of a linoleic acid molecule which are associated with stabilization of the receptor binding domains in the "down" conformation. Additionally, the N-terminal biliverdin binding pocket is occupied by a density in all the structures. Finally, we analyzed structural differences in a loop of the receptor binding motif between coronaviruses known to infect humans and the animal coronaviruses described in this study, which regulate binding to the human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor. This study offers a structural framework to evaluate the close relatives of SARS-CoV-2, the ability to inform pandemic prevention, and aid in the development of pan-neutralizing treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca R. Hills
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Alice-Roza Eruera
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - James Hodgkinson-Bean
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Fátima Jorge
- Otago Microscopy and Nano Imaging Unit, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Richard Easingwood
- Otago Microscopy and Nano Imaging Unit, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Simon H. J. Brown
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James C. Bouwer
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yi-Ping Li
- Institute of Human Virology and Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Laura N. Burga
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Mihnea Bostina
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Otago Microscopy and Nano Imaging Unit, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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44
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Gupta G, Verkhivker G. Exploring Binding Pockets in the Conformational States of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Trimers for the Screening of Allosteric Inhibitors Using Molecular Simulations and Ensemble-Based Ligand Docking. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4955. [PMID: 38732174 PMCID: PMC11084335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094955] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding mechanisms of allosteric regulation remains elusive for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, despite the increasing interest and effort in discovering allosteric inhibitors of the viral activity and interactions with the host receptor ACE2. The challenges of discovering allosteric modulators of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins are associated with the diversity of cryptic allosteric sites and complex molecular mechanisms that can be employed by allosteric ligands, including the alteration of the conformational equilibrium of spike protein and preferential stabilization of specific functional states. In the current study, we combine conformational dynamics analysis of distinct forms of the full-length spike protein trimers and machine-learning-based binding pocket detection with the ensemble-based ligand docking and binding free energy analysis to characterize the potential allosteric binding sites and determine structural and energetic determinants of allosteric inhibition for a series of experimentally validated allosteric molecules. The results demonstrate a good agreement between computational and experimental binding affinities, providing support to the predicted binding modes and suggesting key interactions formed by the allosteric ligands to elicit the experimentally observed inhibition. We establish structural and energetic determinants of allosteric binding for the experimentally known allosteric molecules, indicating a potential mechanism of allosteric modulation by targeting the hinges of the inter-protomer movements and blocking conformational changes between the closed and open spike trimer forms. The results of this study demonstrate that combining ensemble-based ligand docking with conformational states of spike protein and rigorous binding energy analysis enables robust characterization of the ligand binding modes, the identification of allosteric binding hotspots, and the prediction of binding affinities for validated allosteric modulators, which is consistent with the experimental data. This study suggested that the conformational adaptability of the protein allosteric sites and the diversity of ligand bound conformations are both in play to enable efficient targeting of allosteric binding sites and interfere with the conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA;
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA;
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
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45
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Balasco N, Damaggio G, Esposito L, Colonna V, Vitagliano L. A comprehensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2 missense mutations indicates that all possible amino acid replacements in the viral proteins occurred within the first two-and-a-half years of the pandemic. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 266:131054. [PMID: 38522702 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131054] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
The surveillance of COVID-19 pandemic has led to the determination of millions of genome sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with the accumulation of a wealth of information never collected before for an infectious disease. Exploring the information retrieved from the GISAID database reporting at that time >13 million genome sequences, we classified the 141,639 unique missense mutations detected in the first two-and-a-half years (up to October 2022) of the pandemic. Notably, our analysis indicates that 98.2 % of all possible conservative amino acid replacements occurred. Even non-conservative mutations were highly represented (73.9 %). For a significant number of residues (3 %), all possible replacements with the other nineteen amino acids have been observed. These observations strongly indicate that, in this time interval, the virus explored all possible alternatives in terms of missense mutations for all sites of its polypeptide chain and that those that are not observed severely affect SARS-CoV-2 integrity. The implications of the present findings go well beyond the structural biology of SARS-CoV-2 as the huge amount of information here collected and classified may be valuable for the elucidation of the sequence-structure-function relationships in proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Balasco
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR c/o Dep. Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Damaggio
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Naples, Italy; Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Vincenza Colonna
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Naples, Italy; Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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46
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Freidel MR, Armen RS. Research Progress on Spike-Dependent SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Inhibitors and Small Molecules Targeting the S2 Subunit of Spike. Viruses 2024; 16:712. [PMID: 38793593 PMCID: PMC11125925 DOI: 10.3390/v16050712] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive drug repurposing efforts have sought to identify small-molecule antivirals with various mechanisms of action. Here, we aim to review research progress on small-molecule viral entry and fusion inhibitors that directly bind to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Early in the pandemic, numerous small molecules were identified in drug repurposing screens and reported to be effective in in vitro SARS-CoV-2 viral entry or fusion inhibitors. However, given minimal experimental information regarding the exact location of small-molecule binding sites on Spike, it was unclear what the specific mechanism of action was or where the exact binding sites were on Spike for some inhibitor candidates. The work of countless researchers has yielded great progress, with the identification of many viral entry inhibitors that target elements on the S1 receptor-binding domain (RBD) or N-terminal domain (NTD) and disrupt the S1 receptor-binding function. In this review, we will also focus on highlighting fusion inhibitors that target inhibition of the S2 fusion function, either by disrupting the formation of the postfusion S2 conformation or alternatively by stabilizing structural elements of the prefusion S2 conformation to prevent conformational changes associated with S2 function. We highlight experimentally validated binding sites on the S1/S2 interface and on the S2 subunit. While most substitutions to the Spike protein to date in variants of concern (VOCs) have been localized to the S1 subunit, the S2 subunit sequence is more conserved, with only a few observed substitutions in proximity to S2 binding sites. Several recent small molecules targeting S2 have been shown to have robust activity over recent VOC mutant strains and/or greater broad-spectrum antiviral activity for other more distantly related coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roger S. Armen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, 901 Walnut St. Suite 918, Philadelphia, PA 19170, USA;
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47
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Freidel MR, Vakhariya PA, Sardarni SK, Armen RS. The Dual-Targeted Fusion Inhibitor Clofazimine Binds to the S2 Segment of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. Viruses 2024; 16:640. [PMID: 38675980 PMCID: PMC11054727 DOI: 10.3390/v16040640] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Clofazimine and Arbidol have both been reported to be effective in vitro SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors. Both are promising drugs that have been repurposed for the treatment of COVID-19 and have been used in several previous and ongoing clinical trials. Small-molecule bindings to expressed constructs of the trimeric S2 segment of Spike and the full-length SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein were measured using a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) binding assay. We demonstrate that Clofazimine, Toremifene, Arbidol and its derivatives bind to the S2 segment of the Spike protein. Clofazimine provided the most reliable and highest-quality SPR data for binding with S2 over the conditions explored. A molecular docking approach was used to identify the most favorable binding sites on the S2 segment in the prefusion conformation, highlighting two possible small-molecule binding sites for fusion inhibitors. Results related to molecular docking and modeling of the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of a newly reported series of Clofazimine derivatives support the proposed Clofazimine binding site on the S2 segment. When the proposed Clofazimine binding site is superimposed with other experimentally determined coronavirus structures in structure-sequence alignments, the changes in sequence and structure may rationalize the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of Clofazimine in closely related coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV, MERS, hCoV-229E, and hCoV-OC43.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Roger S. Armen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, 901 Walnut St. Suite 918, Philadelphia, PA 19170, USA (P.A.V.); (S.K.S.)
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48
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Inoue T, Yamamoto Y, Sato K, Okemoto-Nakamura Y, Shimizu Y, Ogawa M, Onodera T, Takahashi Y, Wakita T, Kaneko MK, Fukasawa M, Kato Y, Noguchi K. Overcoming antibody-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants with bispecific antibodies constructed using non-neutralizing antibodies. iScience 2024; 27:109363. [PMID: 38500835 PMCID: PMC10946335 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109363] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
A current challenge is the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as BQ.1.1 and XBB.1.5, that can evade immune defenses, thereby limiting antibody drug effectiveness. Emergency-use antibody drugs, including the widely effective bebtelovimab, are losing their benefits. One potential approach to address this issue are bispecific antibodies which combine the targeting abilities of two antibodies with distinct epitopes. We engineered neutralizing bispecific antibodies in the IgG-scFv format from two initially non-neutralizing antibodies, CvMab-6 (which binds to the receptor-binding domain [RBD]) and CvMab-62 (targeting a spike protein S2 subunit epitope adjacent to the known anti-S2 antibody epitope). Furthermore, we created a bispecific antibody by incorporating the scFv of bebtelovimab with our anti-S2 antibody, demonstrating significant restoration of effectiveness against bebtelovimab-resistant BQ.1.1 variants. This study highlights the potential of neutralizing bispecific antibodies, which combine existing less effective anti-RBD antibodies with anti-S2 antibodies, to revive the effectiveness of antibody therapeutics compromised by immune-evading variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Inoue
- Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki 2641, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki 2641, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Kaoru Sato
- Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki 2641, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Yuko Okemoto-Nakamura
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Shimizu
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo Heisei University, 4-21-2 Nakano, Nakano-ku 164-8530, Japan
| | - Motohiko Ogawa
- Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Taishi Onodera
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Takahashi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Takaji Wakita
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Mika K. Kaneko
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Fukasawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki 2641, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yukinari Kato
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Kohji Noguchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki 2641, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
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49
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Ray A, Minh Tran TT, Santos Natividade RD, Moreira RA, Simpson JD, Mohammed D, Koehler M, L Petitjean SJ, Zhang Q, Bureau F, Gillet L, Poma AB, Alsteens D. Single-Molecule Investigation of the Binding Interface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Variants with ACE2. ACS NANOSCIENCE AU 2024; 4:136-145. [PMID: 38644967 PMCID: PMC11027127 DOI: 10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.3c00060] [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] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic spurred numerous research endeavors to comprehend the virus and mitigate its global severity. Understanding the binding interface between the virus and human receptors is pivotal to these efforts and paramount to curbing infection and transmission. Here we employ atomic force microscopy and steered molecular dynamics simulation to explore SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) variants and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), examining the impact of mutations at key residues upon binding affinity. Our results show that the Omicron and Delta variants possess strengthened binding affinity in comparison to the Mu variant. Further, using sera from individuals either vaccinated or with acquired immunity following Delta strain infection, we assess the impact of immunity upon variant RBD/ACE2 complex formation. Single-molecule force spectroscopy analysis suggests that vaccination before infection may provide stronger protection across variants. These results underscore the need to monitor antigenic changes in order to continue developing innovative and effective SARS-CoV-2 abrogation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Ray
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Thu Thi Minh Tran
- Faculty
of Materials Science and Technology, University
of Science—VNU HCM, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, 700000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Vietnam
National University, 700000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Rita dos Santos Natividade
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Rodrigo A. Moreira
- Basque
Center for Applied Mathematics, Mazarredo 14, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Joshua D. Simpson
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Danahe Mohammed
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Melanie Koehler
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Simon J. L Petitjean
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Qingrong Zhang
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Fabrice Bureau
- Laboratory
of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, GIGA Institute, Liège University, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurent Gillet
- Immunology-Vaccinology
Lab of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Adolfo B. Poma
- Institute
of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - David Alsteens
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- WELBIO
department, WEL Research Institute, 1300 Wavre, Belgium
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50
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Raisinghani N, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Verkhivker G. Ensemble-Based Mutational Profiling and Network Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Omicron XBB Lineages for Interactions with the ACE2 Receptor and Antibodies: Cooperation of Binding Hotspots in Mediating Epistatic Couplings Underlies Binding Mechanism and Immune Escape. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4281. [PMID: 38673865 PMCID: PMC11049863 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084281] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we performed a computational study of binding mechanisms for the SARS-CoV-2 spike Omicron XBB lineages with the host cell receptor ACE2 and a panel of diverse class one antibodies. The central objective of this investigation was to examine the molecular factors underlying epistatic couplings among convergent evolution hotspots that enable optimal balancing of ACE2 binding and antibody evasion for Omicron variants BA.1, BA2, BA.3, BA.4/BA.5, BQ.1.1, XBB.1, XBB.1.5, and XBB.1.5 + L455F/F456L. By combining evolutionary analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and ensemble-based mutational scanning of spike protein residues in complexes with ACE2, we identified structural stability and binding affinity hotspots that are consistent with the results of biochemical studies. In agreement with the results of deep mutational scanning experiments, our quantitative analysis correctly reproduced strong and variant-specific epistatic effects in the XBB.1.5 and BA.2 variants. It was shown that Y453W and F456L mutations can enhance ACE2 binding when coupled with Q493 in XBB.1.5, while these mutations become destabilized when coupled with the R493 position in the BA.2 variant. The results provided a molecular rationale of the epistatic mechanism in Omicron variants, showing a central role of the Q493/R493 hotspot in modulating epistatic couplings between convergent mutational sites L455F and F456L in XBB lineages. The results of mutational scanning and binding analysis of the Omicron XBB spike variants with ACE2 receptors and a panel of class one antibodies provide a quantitative rationale for the experimental evidence that epistatic interactions of the physically proximal binding hotspots Y501, R498, Q493, L455F, and F456L can determine strong ACE2 binding, while convergent mutational sites F456L and F486P are instrumental in mediating broad antibody resistance. The study supports a mechanism in which the impact on ACE2 binding affinity is mediated through a small group of universal binding hotspots, while the effect of immune evasion could be more variant-dependent and modulated by convergent mutational sites in the conformationally adaptable spike regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishank Raisinghani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (N.R.); (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (N.R.); (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (N.R.); (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (N.R.); (M.A.); (G.G.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
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