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Zhang J, Hom K, Zhang C, Nasr M, Gerzanich V, Zhang Y, Tang Q, Xue F, Simard JM, Zhao RY. SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a Protein as a Therapeutic Target against COVID-19 and Long-Term Post-Infection Effects. Pathogens 2024; 13:75. [PMID: 38251382 PMCID: PMC10819734 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010075] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has posed unparalleled challenges due to its rapid transmission, ability to mutate, high mortality and morbidity, and enduring health complications. Vaccines have exhibited effectiveness, but their efficacy diminishes over time while new variants continue to emerge. Antiviral medications offer a viable alternative, but their success has been inconsistent. Therefore, there remains an ongoing need to identify innovative antiviral drugs for treating COVID-19 and its post-infection complications. The ORF3a (open reading frame 3a) protein found in SARS-CoV-2, represents a promising target for antiviral treatment due to its multifaceted role in viral pathogenesis, cytokine storms, disease severity, and mortality. ORF3a contributes significantly to viral pathogenesis by facilitating viral assembly and release, essential processes in the viral life cycle, while also suppressing the body's antiviral responses, thus aiding viral replication. ORF3a also has been implicated in triggering excessive inflammation, characterized by NF-κB-mediated cytokine production, ultimately leading to apoptotic cell death and tissue damage in the lungs, kidneys, and the central nervous system. Additionally, ORF3a triggers the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, inciting a cytokine storm, which is a major contributor to the severity of the disease and subsequent mortality. As with the spike protein, ORF3a also undergoes mutations, and certain mutant variants correlate with heightened disease severity in COVID-19. These mutations may influence viral replication and host cellular inflammatory responses. While establishing a direct link between ORF3a and mortality is difficult, its involvement in promoting inflammation and exacerbating disease severity likely contributes to higher mortality rates in severe COVID-19 cases. This review offers a comprehensive and detailed exploration of ORF3a's potential as an innovative antiviral drug target. Additionally, we outline potential strategies for discovering and developing ORF3a inhibitor drugs to counteract its harmful effects, alleviate tissue damage, and reduce the severity of COVID-19 and its lingering complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiantao Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (J.Z.); (C.Z.)
| | - Kellie Hom
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (K.H.); (F.X.)
| | - Chenyu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (J.Z.); (C.Z.)
| | - Mohamed Nasr
- Drug Development and Clinical Sciences Branch, Division of AIDS, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Volodymyr Gerzanich
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (V.G.); (J.M.S.)
| | - Yanjin Zhang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;
| | - Qiyi Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
| | - Fengtian Xue
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (K.H.); (F.X.)
| | - J. Marc Simard
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (V.G.); (J.M.S.)
- Research & Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Richard Y. Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (J.Z.); (C.Z.)
- Research & Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Institute of Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Sharma AK, Poddar SM, Chakraborty J, Nayak BS, Kalathil S, Mitra N, Gayathri P, Srinivasan R. A mechanism of salt bridge-mediated resistance to FtsZ inhibitor PC190723 revealed by a cell-based screen. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar16. [PMID: 36652338 PMCID: PMC10011733 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-12-0538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cell division proteins, especially the tubulin homologue FtsZ, have emerged as strong targets for developing new antibiotics. Here, we have utilized the fission yeast heterologous expression system to develop a cell-based assay to screen for small molecules that directly and specifically target the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ. The strategy also allows for simultaneous assessment of the toxicity of the drugs to eukaryotic yeast cells. As a proof-of-concept of the utility of this assay, we demonstrate the effect of the inhibitors sanguinarine, berberine, and PC190723 on FtsZ. Though sanguinarine and berberine affect FtsZ polymerization, they exert a toxic effect on the cells. Further, using this assay system, we show that PC190723 affects Helicobacter pylori FtsZ function and gain new insights into the molecular determinants of resistance to PC190723. On the basis of sequence and structural analysis and site-specific mutations, we demonstrate that the presence of salt bridge interactions between the central H7 helix and β-strands S9 and S10 mediates resistance to PC190723 in FtsZ. The single-step in vivo cell-based assay using fission yeast enabled us to dissect the contribution of sequence-specific features of FtsZ and cell permeability effects associated with bacterial cell envelopes. Thus, our assay serves as a potent tool to rapidly identify novel compounds targeting polymeric bacterial cytoskeletal proteins like FtsZ to understand how they alter polymerization dynamics and address resistance determinants in targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar Sharma
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Sakshi Mahesh Poddar
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Joyeeta Chakraborty
- Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
| | - Bhagyashri Soumya Nayak
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Srilakshmi Kalathil
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Nivedita Mitra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Pananghat Gayathri
- Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
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Improving Drug Sensitivity of HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors by Restriction of Cellular Efflux System in a Fission Yeast Model. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11070804. [PMID: 35890048 PMCID: PMC9318301 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11070804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Fission yeast can be used as a cell-based system for high-throughput drug screening. However, higher drug concentrations are often needed to achieve the same effect as in mammalian cells. Our goal here was to improve drug sensitivity so reduced drugs could be used. Three different methods affecting drug uptakes were tested using an FDA-approved HIV-1 protease inhibitor (PI) drug Darunavir (DRV). First, we tested whether spheroplasts without cell walls increase the drug sensitivity. Second, we examined whether electroporation could be used. Although small improvements were observed, neither of these two methods showed significant increase in the EC50 values of DRV compared with the traditional method. In contrast, when DRV was tested in a mutant strain PR836 that lacks key proteins regulating cellular efflux, a significant increase in the EC50 was observed. A comparison of nine FDA-approved HIV-1 PI drugs between the wild-type RE294 strain and the mutant PR836 strain showed marked enhancement of the drug sensitivities ranging from an increase of 0.56 log to 2.48 logs. Therefore, restricting cellular efflux through the adaption of the described fission yeast mutant strain enhances the drug sensitivity, reduces the amount of drug used, and increases the chance of success in future drug discovery.
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Single-Agent and Fixed-Dose Combination HIV-1 Protease Inhibitor Drugs in Fission Yeast ( Schizosaccharomyces pombe). Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10070804. [PMID: 34202872 PMCID: PMC8308830 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) eliminate active replicating HIV-1, slow down disease progression, and prolong lives. However, cART effectiveness could be compromised by the emergence of viral multidrug resistance, suggesting the need for new drug discoveries. The objective of this study was to further demonstrate the utility of the fission yeast cell-based systems that we developed previously for the discovery and testing of HIV protease (PR) inhibitors (PIs) against wild-type or multi-PI drug resistant M11PR that we isolated from an infected individual. All thirteen FDA-approved single-agent and fixed-dose combination HIV PI drugs were tested. The effect of these drugs on HIV PR activities was tested in pure compounds or formulation drugs. All FDA-approved PI drugs, except for a prodrug FPV, were able to suppress the wild-type PR-induced cellular and enzymatic activities. Relative drug potencies measured by EC50 in fission yeast were discussed in comparison with those measured in human cells. In contrast, none of the FDA-approved drugs suppressed the multi-PI drug resistant M11PR activities. Results of this study show that fission yeast is a reliable cell-based system for the discovery and testing of HIV PIs and further demonstrate the need for new PI drugs against viral multi-PI resistance.
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Benko Z, Zhang J, Zhao RY. Development of A Fission Yeast Cell-Based Platform for High Throughput Screening of HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors. Curr HIV Res 2021; 17:429-440. [PMID: 31782368 DOI: 10.2174/1570162x17666191128102839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV-1 protease inhibitor (PI) is one of the most potent classes of drugs in combinational antiretroviral therapies (cART). When a PI is used in combination with other anti- HIV drugs, cART can often suppress HIV-1 below detection thus prolonging the patient's lives. However, the challenge often faced by patients is the emergence of HIV-1 drug resistance. Thus, PIs with high genetic-barrier to drug-resistance are needed. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to develop a novel and simple fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) cell-based system that is suitable for high throughput screening (HTS) of small molecules against HIV-1 protease (PR). METHODS A fission yeast RE294-GFP strain that stably expresses HIV-1 PR and green fluorescence protein (GFP) under the control of an inducible nmt1 promoter was used. Production of HIV-1 PR induces cellular growth arrest, which was used as the primary endpoint for the search of PIs and was quantified by an absorbance-based method. Levels of GFP production were used as a counter-screen control to eliminate potential transcriptional nmt1 inhibitors. RESULTS Both the absorbance-based HIV-1 PR assay and the GFP-based fluorescence assay were miniaturized and optimized for HTS. A pilot study was performed using a small drug library mixed with known PI drugs and nmt1 inhibitors. With empirically adjusted and clearly defined double-selection criteria, we were able to correctly identify the PIs and to exclude all hidden nmt1 inhibitors. CONCLUSION We have successfully developed and validated a fission yeast cell-based HTS platform for the future screening and testing of HIV-1 PR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsigmond Benko
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Jiantao Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Richard Y Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.,Department of Microbiology- Immunology, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.,Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.,Institute of Global Health, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
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Yukawa M, Yamauchi T, Kurisawa N, Ahmed S, Kimura KI, Toda T. Fission yeast cells overproducing HSET/KIFC1 provides a useful tool for identification and evaluation of human kinesin-14 inhibitors. Fungal Genet Biol 2018; 116:33-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Zhao RY. Yeast for virus research. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2017; 4:311-330. [PMID: 29082230 PMCID: PMC5657823 DOI: 10.15698/mic2017.10.592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) are two popular model organisms for virus research. They are natural hosts for viruses as they carry their own indigenous viruses. Both yeasts have been used for studies of plant, animal and human viruses. Many positive sense (+) RNA viruses and some DNA viruses replicate with various levels in yeasts, thus allowing study of those viral activities during viral life cycle. Yeasts are single cell eukaryotic organisms. Hence, many of the fundamental cellular functions such as cell cycle regulation or programed cell death are highly conserved from yeasts to higher eukaryotes. Therefore, they are particularly suited to study the impact of those viral activities on related cellular activities during virus-host interactions. Yeasts present many unique advantages in virus research over high eukaryotes. Yeast cells are easy to maintain in the laboratory with relative short doubling time. They are non-biohazardous, genetically amendable with small genomes that permit genome-wide analysis of virologic and cellular functions. In this review, similarities and differences of these two yeasts are described. Studies of virologic activities such as viral translation, viral replication and genome-wide study of virus-cell interactions in yeasts are highlighted. Impacts of viral proteins on basic cellular functions such as cell cycle regulation and programed cell death are discussed. Potential applications of using yeasts as hosts to carry out functional analysis of small viral genome and to develop high throughput drug screening platform for the discovery of antiviral drugs are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Yuqi Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Global Health, and Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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