1
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Nagahawatta DP, Liyanage NM, Jayawardena TU, Jayawardhana HHACK, Jeong SH, Kwon HJ, Jeon YJ. Role of marine natural products in the development of antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2: potential and prospects. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 6:280-297. [PMID: 38827130 PMCID: PMC11136918 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-023-00215-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
A novel coronavirus, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has surfaced and caused global concern owing to its ferocity. SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019; however, it was only discovered at the end of the year and was considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Therefore, the development of novel potent inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and future outbreaks is urgently required. Numerous naturally occurring bioactive substances have been studied in the clinical setting for diverse disorders. The intricate infection and replication mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 offers diverse therapeutic drug targets for developing antiviral medicines by employing natural products that are safer than synthetic compounds. Marine natural products (MNPs) have received increased attention in the development of novel drugs owing to their high diversity and availability. Therefore, this review article investigates the infection and replication mechanisms, including the function of the SARS-CoV-2 genome and structure. Furthermore, we highlighted anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic intervention efforts utilizing MNPs and predicted SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor design. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-023-00215-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. P. Nagahawatta
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
| | - N. M. Liyanage
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
| | - Thilina U. Jayawardena
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3 Canada
| | | | - Seong-Hun Jeong
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Jun Kwon
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup-si, Republic of Korea
| | - You-Jin Jeon
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
- Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63333 Republic of Korea
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2
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Bhat ZA, Khan MM, Rehman A, Iqbal J, Sanjeev BS, Madhumalar A. MD simulations indicate Omicron P132H of SARS-CoV-2 M pro is a potential allosteric mutant involved in modulating the dynamics of catalytic site entry loop. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 262:130077. [PMID: 38346625 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130077] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro, essential for viral replication is an important drug target. It plays a critical role in processing viral polyproteins necessary for viral replication assembly. One of the predominant SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutations of Omicron variant is Pro132His. Structurally, this mutation site is located ∼22 Å away from the catalytic site. The solved crystal structure of this mutant in complex with inhibitors as well as its reported catalytic efficiency did not show any difference with respect to the wild type. Thus, the mutation was concluded to be non-allosteric. Based on microsecond long MD simulation of the Pro132His mutant and wild type, we show that Pro132His mutation affects the conformational equilibrium with more population of conformational substates having open catalytic site, modulated by the dynamics of the catalytic site entry loop, implying the allosteric nature of this mutation. The structural analysis indicates that rearrangement of hydrogen bonds between His132 and adjacent residues enhances the dynamics of the linker, which in turn is augmented by the inherent dynamic flexibility of the catalytic pocket entry site due to the presence of charged residues. The altered dynamics leading to loss of secondary structures corroborate well with the reported compromised thermal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahoor Ahmad Bhat
- Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Mohd Muzammil Khan
- Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Ayyub Rehman
- Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Jawed Iqbal
- Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - B S Sanjeev
- Department of Applied Sciences, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Prayagraj -211012, India
| | - Arumugam Madhumalar
- Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India.
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3
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Li F, Fang T, Guo F, Zhao Z, Zhang J. Comprehensive Understanding of the Kinetic Behaviors of Main Protease from SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV: New Data and Comparison to Published Parameters. Molecules 2023; 28:4605. [PMID: 37375160 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28124605] [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: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) is a promising drug target for inhibiting the coronavirus due to its conserved properties and lack of homologous genes in humans. However, previous studies on Mpro's kinetic parameters have been confusing, hindering the selection of accurate inhibitors. Therefore, obtaining a clear view of Mpro's kinetic parameters is necessary. In our study, we investigated the kinetic behaviors of Mpro from SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV using both FRET-based cleavage assay and the LC-MS method, respectively. Our findings indicate that the FRET-based cleavage assay could be used for preliminary screening of Mpro inhibitors, while the LC-MS method should be applied to select the effective inhibitors with higher reliability. Furthermore, we constructed the active site mutants (H41A and C145A) and measured the kinetic parameters to gain a deeper understanding of the atomic-level enzyme efficiency reduction compared to the wild type. Overall, our study provides valuable insights for inhibitor screening and design by offering a comprehensive understanding of Mpro's kinetic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangya Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Tingting Fang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Feng Guo
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zipeng Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jianyu Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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4
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Dehury B, Mishra S, Pati S. Structural insights into SARS-CoV-2 main protease conformational plasticity. J Cell Biochem 2023. [PMID: 37099673 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30409] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The spread of different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants underscores the need for insights into the structural properties of its structural and non-structural proteins. The highly conserved homo-dimeric chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL MPRO ), belonging to the class of cysteine hydrolases, plays an indispensable role in processing viral polyproteins that are involved in viral replication and transcription. Studies have successfully demonstrated the role of MPRO as an attractive drug target for designing antiviral treatments because of its importance in the viral life cycle. Herein, we report the structural dynamics of six experimentally solved structures of MPRO (i.e., 6LU7, 6M03, 6WQF, 6Y2E, 6Y84, and 7BUY including both ligand-free and ligand-bound states) at different resolutions. We have employed a structure-based balanced forcefield, CHARMM36m through state-of-the-art all-atoms molecular dynamics simulations at µ-seconds scale at room temperature (303K) and pH 7.0 to explore their structure-function relationship. The helical domain-III responsible for dimerization mostly contributes to the altered conformational states and destabilization of MPRO . A keen observation of the high degree of flexibility in the P5 binding pocket adjoining domain II-III highlights the reason for observation of conformational heterogeneity among the structural ensembles of MPRO . We also observe a differential dynamics of the catalytic pocket residues His41, Cys145, and Asp187, which may lead to catalytic impairment of the monomeric proteases. Among the highly populated conformational states of the six systems, 6LU7 and 7M03 forms the most stable and compact MPRO conformation with intact catalytic site and structural integrity. Altogether, our findings from this extensive study provides a benchmark to identify physiologically relevant structures of such promising drug targets for structure-based drug design and discovery of potent drug-like compounds having clinical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Budheswar Dehury
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sarbani Mishra
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sanghamitra Pati
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
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5
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Elamin MR, Yousef TA, Elzupir AO. Insight into Tyrosine-Containing Pharmaceuticals as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and NSP16: Structural Analysis, Docking Studies, Molecular Dynamics Simulations, and Density Functional Theory Investigations. CHEMISTRY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/chemistry5020054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tyrosine-containing pharmaceuticals’ (TPh) potential to inhibit SARS CoV-2 3-chymotrypsin-like proteases (3CLpro) and nonstructural protein 16 (NSP16) has been explored using docking studies, molecular dynamics simulations, and density functional theory. The TPh with FDA approval showed excellent contact with the active site pockets of 3CLpro and NSP16. Their binding affinity scores ranged from −5.8 to −4.9 kcal/mol and −6.3 to −4.8 for 3CLpro and NSP16, respectively. A 100-ns molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the stability of the carbidopa/NSP16 complex and N-acetyl tyrosine with both target enzymes. Further, the HOMO-LUMO transitions, molecular orbitals, and dipole moments of carbidopa, droxidopa, and N-acetyl tyrosine were computed using density functional theory (DFT). Considering N-acetyl tyrosine and carbidopa’s substantial inhibitory activity, it is recommended to investigate them further in order to explore their application for the treatment of COVID-19 or any other coronaviruses in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed R. Elamin
- Chemistry Department, Science College, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, P.O. Box 90905, Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tarek A. Yousef
- Chemistry Department, Science College, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, P.O. Box 90905, Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Toxic and Narcotic Drug, Forensic Medicine, Mansoura Laboratory, Medicolegal Organization, Ministry of Justice, Cairo 11435, Egypt
| | - Amin O. Elzupir
- Chemistry Department, Science College, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, P.O. Box 90905, Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
- Deanship of Scientific Research, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), P.O. Box 90905, Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Sawang N, Phongphanphanee S, Wong-ekkabut J, Sutthibutpong T. Biophysical Interpretation of Evolutionary Consequences on the SARS-CoV2 Main Protease through Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Network Topology Analysis. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:2331-2343. [PMID: 36913683 PMCID: PMC10022058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c08312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we present a combined analysis procedure between atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and network topology to obtain more understanding on the evolutionary consequences on protein stability and substrate binding of the main protease enzyme of SARS-CoV2. Communicability matrices of the protein residue networks (PRNs) were extracted from MD trajectories of both Mpro enzymes in complex with the nsp8/9 peptide substrate to compare the local communicability within both proteases that would affect the enzyme function, along with biophysical details on global protein conformation, flexibility, and contribution of amino acid side chains to both intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. The analysis displayed the significance of the mutated residue 46 with the highest communicability gain to the binding pocket closure. Interestingly, the mutated residue 134 with the highest communicability loss corresponded to a local structural disruption of the adjacent peptide loop. The enhanced flexibility of the disrupted loop connecting to the catalytic residue Cys145 introduced an extra binding mode that brought the substrate in proximity and could facilitate the reaction. This understanding might provide further help in the drug development strategy against SARS-CoV2 and prove the capability of the combined techniques of MD simulations and network topology analysis as a "reverse" protein engineering tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuttawat Sawang
- Theoretical
and Computational Physics Group, Department of Physics, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi
(KMUTT), 126 Pracha-Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thrung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Center
of Excellence in Theoretical and Computational Science (TaCS-CoE),
Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s
University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), 126 Pracha Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
| | - Saree Phongphanphanee
- Computational
Biomodelling Laboratory for Agricultural Science and Technology (CBLAST),
Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Thailand
Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP Center), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Department
of Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Jirasak Wong-ekkabut
- Computational
Biomodelling Laboratory for Agricultural Science and Technology (CBLAST),
Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Thailand
Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP Center), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Department
of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart
University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Thana Sutthibutpong
- Theoretical
and Computational Physics Group, Department of Physics, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi
(KMUTT), 126 Pracha-Uthit Road, Bang Mod, Thrung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Center
of Excellence in Theoretical and Computational Science (TaCS-CoE),
Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s
University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), 126 Pracha Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Computational
Biomodelling Laboratory for Agricultural Science and Technology (CBLAST),
Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
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7
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Dawood AA. The efficacy of Paxlovid against COVID-19 is the result of the tight molecular docking between M pro and antiviral drugs (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir). Adv Med Sci 2023; 68:1-9. [PMID: 36368287 PMCID: PMC9626444 DOI: 10.1016/j.advms.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Currently, a number of medications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment are tested in clinical trials; however, credible clinical studies are becoming increasingly difficult to come by. Paxlovid is a ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized for the treatment of COVID-19. This study aimed to demonstrate the interaction of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir on the active site of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (Mpro). Materials and methods To locate the optimal docking between Mpro and antiviral drugs, and to conduct dynamic simulations between atoms in the fusion areas, various bioinformatics and mathematical equations were applied. Results According to the docking data, nirmatrelvir has a stronger interaction with Mpro than ritonavir, which has more multiple bonds. Molecular docking of antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid has a significant impact on the treatment of COVID-19 virus. Conclusions According to this study, Paxlovid may work on new strains, including Omicron, because the Mpro mutation P132H in the Omicron variant has no direct effect on the protein.
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8
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Wan L, Wang X, Wang T, Yuan X, Liu W, Huang Y, Deng C, Cao S. Comparison of Target Pocket Similarity and Progress into Research on Inhibitors of Picornavirus 3C Proteases. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202201100. [PMID: 36808685 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202201100] [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: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
The 3C protease (3C Pro) plays a significant role in the life cycle of picornaviruses from replication to translation, making it an attractive target for structure-based design of drugs against picornaviruses. The structurally related 3C-like protease (3CL Pro) is an important protein involved in the replication of coronaviruses. With the emergence of COVID-19 and consequent intensive research into 3CL Pro, development of 3CL Pro inhibitors has emerged as a popular topic. This article compares the similarities of the target pockets of various 3C and 3CL Pros from numerous pathogenic viruses. This article also reports several types of 3C Pro inhibitors that are currently undergoing extensive studies and introduces various structural modifications of 3C Pro inhibitors to provide a reference for the development of new and more effective inhibitors of 3C Pro and 3CL Pro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wan
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, P. R. China
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, 437100, P. R. China
| | - Tangle Wang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolan Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, P. R. China
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, P. R. China
| | - Yan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, P. R. China
| | - Changyong Deng
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, P. R. China
| | - Shuang Cao
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, P. R. China
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9
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Banerjee A, Gosavi S. Potential Self-Peptide Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:855-865. [PMID: 36689738 PMCID: PMC9883841 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) plays an essential role in viral replication, cleaving viral polyproteins into functional proteins. This makes Mpro an important drug target. Mpro consists of an N-terminal catalytic domain and a C-terminal α-helical domain (MproC). Previous studies have shown that peptides derived from a given protein sequence (self-peptides) can affect the folding and, in turn, the function of that protein. Since the SARS-CoV-1 MproC is known to stabilize its Mpro and regulate its function, we hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 MproC-derived self-peptides may modulate the folding and the function of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. To test this, we studied the folding of MproC in the presence of various self-peptides using coarse-grained structure-based models and molecular dynamics simulations. In these simulations of MproC and one self-peptide, we found that two self-peptides, the α1-helix and the loop between α4 and α5 (loop4), could replace the equivalent native sequences in the MproC structure. Replacement of either sequence in full-length Mpro should, in principle, be able to perturb Mpro function albeit through different mechanisms. Some general principles for the rational design of self-peptide inhibitors emerge: The simulations show that prefolded self-peptides are more likely to replace native sequences than those which do not possess structure. Additionally, the α1-helix self-peptide is kinetically stable and once inserted rarely exchanges with the native α1-helix, while the loop4 self-peptide is easily replaced by the native loop4, making it less useful for modulating function. In summary, a prefolded α1-derived peptide should be able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Mpro function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadeep Banerjee
- Simons Centre for the Study
of Living Machines, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
| | - Shachi Gosavi
- Simons Centre for the Study
of Living Machines, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
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10
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Parmar M, Thumar R, Patel B, Athar M, Jha PC, Patel D. Structural differences in 3C-like protease (Mpro) from SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2: molecular insights revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Struct Chem 2022; 34:1-18. [PMID: 36467259 PMCID: PMC9686461 DOI: 10.1007/s11224-022-02089-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has infected millions of people with thousands of mortalities globally. The main protease (Mpro) is vital in processing replicase polyproteins. Both the CoV's Mpro shares 97% identity, with 12 mutations, but none are present in the active site. Although many therapeutics and vaccines are available to combat SARS-CoV-2, these treatments may not be practical due to their high mutational rate. On the other hand, Mpro has a high degree of conservation throughout variants, making Mpro a stout drug target. Here, we report a detailed comparison of both the monomeric Mpro and the biologically active dimeric Mpro using MD simulation to understand the impact of the 12 divergent residues (T35V, A46S, S65N, L86V, R88K, S94A, H134F, K180N, L202V, A267S, T285A and I286L) on the molecular microenvironment and the interaction between crucial residues. The present study concluded that the change in the microenvironment of residues at the entrance (T25, T26, M49 and Q189), near the catalytic site (F140, H163, H164, M165 and H172) and in the substrate-binding site (V35, N65, K88 and N180) is due to 12 mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Furthermore, the involvement of F140, E166 and H172 residues in dimerization stabilizes the Mpro dimer, which should be considered. We anticipate that networks and microenvironment changes identified here might guide repurposing attempts and optimization of new Mpro inhibitors. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11224-022-02089-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meet Parmar
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382426 India
| | - Ritik Thumar
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382426 India
| | - Bhumi Patel
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382426 India
| | - Mohd Athar
- Center for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, InStem, Bangalore, 560065 Karnataka India
- Physics Department, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Prakash C. Jha
- School of Applied Material Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382030 Gujarat India
| | - Dhaval Patel
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382426 India
- Gujarat Biotechnology University, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, Gandhinagar, 382355 Gujarat India
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11
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Strömich L, Wu N, Barahona M, Yaliraki SN. Allosteric Hotspots in the Main Protease of SARS-CoV-2. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167748. [PMID: 35843284 PMCID: PMC9288249 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Inhibiting the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 is of great interest in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the virus. Most efforts have been centred on inhibiting the binding site of the enzyme. However, considering allosteric sites, distant from the active or orthosteric site, broadens the search space for drug candidates and confers the advantages of allosteric drug targeting. Here, we report the allosteric communication pathways in the main protease dimer by using two novel fully atomistic graph-theoretical methods: Bond-to-bond propensity, which has been previously successful in identifying allosteric sites in extensive benchmark data sets without a priori knowledge, and Markov transient analysis, which has previously aided in finding novel drug targets in catalytic protein families. Using statistical bootstrapping, we score the highest ranking sites against random sites at similar distances, and we identify four statistically significant putative allosteric sites as good candidates for alternative drug targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léonie Strömich
- Department of Chemistry Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Nan Wu
- Department of Chemistry Imperial College London, United Kingdom
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12
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Jonniya NA, Kar P. Functional Loop Dynamics and Characterization of the Inactive State of the NS2B-NS3 Dengue Protease due to Allosteric Inhibitor Binding. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:3800-3813. [PMID: 35950997 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus, a flavivirus that causes dengue shock syndrome and dengue hemorrhagic fever, is currently prevalent worldwide. A two-component protease (NS2B-NS3) is essential for maturation, representing an important target for designing anti-flavivirus drugs. Previously, consideration has been centered on developing active-site inhibitors of NS2B-NS3pro. However, the flat and charged nature of its active site renders difficulties in developing inhibitors, suggesting an alternative strategy for identifying allosteric inhibitors. The allosterically sensitive site of the dengue protease is located near Ala125, between the 120s loop and 150s loop. Using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we have explored the protease's conformational dynamics upon binding of an allosteric inhibitor. Furthermore, characterization of the inherent flexible loops (71-75s loop, 120s loop, and 150s loop) is carried out for allosteric-inhibitor-bound wild-type and mutant A125C variants and a comparison is performed with its unbound state to extract the structural changes describing the inactive state of the protease. Our study reveals that compared to the unliganded system, the inhibitor-bound system shows large structural changes in the 120s loop and 150s loop in contrast to the rigid 71-75s loop. The unliganded system shows a closed-state pocket in contrast to the open state for the wild-type complex that locks the protease into the open and inactive-state conformations. However, the mutant complex fluctuates between open and closed states. Also, we tried to see how mutation and binding of an allosteric inhibitor perturb the connectivity in a protein structure network (PSN) at contact levels. Altogether, our study reveals the mechanism of conformational rearrangements of loops at the molecular level, locking the protein in an inactive conformation, which may be useful for developing allosteric inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Amarnath Jonniya
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Khandwa Road, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 453552, India
| | - Parimal Kar
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Khandwa Road, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 453552, India
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13
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Genetic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 M
pro
Reveals High Sequence and Structural Conservation Prior to the Introduction of Protease Inhibitor Paxlovid. mBio 2022; 13:e0086922. [PMID: 35862764 PMCID: PMC9426535 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00869-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to represent a global health emergency as a highly transmissible, airborne virus. An important coronaviral drug target for treatment of COVID-19 is the conserved main protease (Mpro). Nirmatrelvir is a potent Mpro inhibitor and the antiviral component of Paxlovid. The significant viral sequencing effort during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic represented a unique opportunity to assess potential nirmatrelvir escape mutations from emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2. To establish the baseline mutational landscape of Mpro prior to the introduction of Mpro inhibitors, Mpro sequences and its cleavage junction regions were retrieved from ~4,892,000 high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the open-access Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) database. Any mutations identified from comparison to the reference sequence (Wuhan-Hu-1) were catalogued and analyzed. Mutations at sites key to nirmatrelvir binding and protease functionality (e.g., dimerization sites) were still rare. Structural comparison of Mpro also showed conservation of key nirmatrelvir contact residues across the extended Coronaviridae family (α-, β-, and γ-coronaviruses). Additionally, we showed that over time, the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro enzyme remained under purifying selection and was highly conserved relative to the spike protein. Now, with the emergency use authorization (EUA) of Paxlovid and its expected widespread use across the globe, it is essential to continue large-scale genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro evolution. This study establishes a robust analysis framework for monitoring emergent mutations in millions of virus isolates, with the goal of identifying potential resistance to present and future SARS-CoV-2 antivirals.
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14
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Dubanevics I, McLeish TCB. Optimising Elastic Network Models for Protein Dynamics and Allostery: Spatial and Modal Cut-offs and Backbone Stiffness. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167696. [PMID: 35810792 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The family of coarse-grained models for protein dynamics known as Elastic Network Models (ENMs) require careful choice of parameters to represent well experimental measurements or fully-atomistic simulations. The most basic ENM that represents each protein residue by a node at the position of its C-alpha atom, all connected by springs of equal stiffness, up to a cut-off in distance. Even at this level a choice is required of the optimum cut-off distance and the upper limit of elastic normal modes taken in any sum for physical properties, such as dynamic correlation or allosteric effects on binding. Additionally, backbone-enhanced ENM (BENM) may improve the model by allocating a higher stiffness to springs that connect along the protein backbone. This work reports on the effect of varying these three parameters (distance and mode cutoffs, backbone stiffness) on the dynamical structure of three proteins, Catabolite Activator Protein (CAP), Glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (M pro ). Our main results are: (1) balancing B-factor and dispersion-relation predictions, a near-universal optimal value of 8.5 Å is advisable for ENMs; (2) inhomogeneity in elasticity brings the first mode containing spatial structure not well-resolved by the ENM typically within the first 20; (3) the BENM only affects modes in the upper third of the distribution, and, additionally to the ENM, is only able to model the dispersion curve better in this vicinity; (4) BENM does not typically affect fluctuation-allostery, which also requires careful treatment of the effector binding to the host protein to capture.
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15
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Allosteric Modulation of the Main Protease (MPro) of SARS-CoV-2 by Casticin—Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. CHEMISTRY AFRICA 2022. [PMCID: PMC9261893 DOI: 10.1007/s42250-022-00411-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition of the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 has been suggested to be vital in shutting down viral replication in a host. Most efforts aimed at inhibiting MPro activity have been channeled into competitive inhibition at the active site, but this strategy will require a high inhibitor concentration and impressive inhibitor-MPro binding affinity. Allosteric inhibition can potentially serve as an effective strategy for alleviating these limitations. In this study, the ability of antiviral natural products to inhibit MPro in an allosteric fashion was explored with in silico techniques. Molecular docking revealed a strong interaction between casticin, an antiviral flavonoid, and Mpro at a site distant from the active site. This site, characterized as a distal site, has been shown to have an interdependent dynamic effect with the active site region. Mpro only, Mpro-peptide (binary) and Mpro-peptide-casticin (ternary) complexes were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations for 50 ns to investigate the modulatory activity of casticin binding on Mpro. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that binding of casticin at the distal site interferes with the proper orientation of the peptide substrate in the oxyanion hole of the active site, and this could lead to a halt or decrease in catalytic activity. This study therefore highlights casticin as a potential allosteric modulator of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, which could be optimized and developed into a potential lead compound for anti-SARS-CoV-2 chemotherapy.
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16
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Ho CY, Yu JX, Wang YC, Lin YC, Chiu YF, Gao JY, Lai SJ, Chen MJ, Huang WC, Tien N, Chen Y. A Structural Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease and Animal Coronaviral Main Protease Reveals Species-Specific Ligand Binding and Dimerization Mechanism. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5669. [PMID: 35628479 PMCID: PMC9145999 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal coronaviruses (CoVs) have been identified to be the origin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, and probably SARS-CoV-2 that cause severe to fatal diseases in humans. Variations of zoonotic coronaviruses pose potential threats to global human beings. To overcome this problem, we focused on the main protease (Mpro), which is an evolutionary conserved viral protein among different coronaviruses. The broad-spectrum anti-coronaviral drug, GC376, was repurposed to target canine coronavirus (CCoV), which causes gastrointestinal infections in dogs. We found that GC376 can efficiently block the protease activity of CCoV Mpro and can thermodynamically stabilize its folding. The structure of CCoV Mpro in complex with GC376 was subsequently determined at 2.75 Å. GC376 reacts with the catalytic residue C144 of CCoV Mpro and forms an (R)- or (S)-configuration of hemithioacetal. A structural comparison of CCoV Mpro and other animal CoV Mpros with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro revealed three important structural determinants in a substrate-binding pocket that dictate entry and release of substrates. As compared with the conserved A141 of the S1 site and P188 of the S4 site in animal coronaviral Mpros, SARS-CoV-2 Mpro contains N142 and Q189 at equivalent positions which are considered to be more catalytically compatible. Furthermore, the conserved loop with residues 46-49 in animal coronaviral Mpros has been replaced by a stable α-helix in SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. In addition, the species-specific dimerization interface also influences the catalytic efficiency of CoV Mpros. Conclusively, the structural information of this study provides mechanistic insights into the ligand binding and dimerization of CoV Mpros among different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Yi Ho
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan;
- Division of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu 302, Taiwan
- Physical Examination Center, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu 302, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu 302, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Xin Yu
- AI Innovation Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan;
| | - Yu-Chuan Wang
- Institute of New Drug Development, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-C.W.); (Y.-F.C.)
| | - Yu-Chuan Lin
- Translational Cell Therapy Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan;
| | - Yi-Fang Chiu
- Institute of New Drug Development, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-C.W.); (Y.-F.C.)
| | - Jing-Yan Gao
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan;
| | - Shu-Jung Lai
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (S.-J.L.); (W.-C.H.)
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Jen Chen
- Department of Applied Cosmetology, Hungkuang University, Taichung 404, Taiwan;
| | - Wei-Chien Huang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (S.-J.L.); (W.-C.H.)
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan
- Drug Development Center, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Ni Tien
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Yeh Chen
- Institute of New Drug Development, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan; (Y.-C.W.); (Y.-F.C.)
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
- Drug Development Center, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
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17
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Ferreira JC, Fadl S, Rabeh WM. Key dimer interface residues impact the catalytic activity of 3CLpro, the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102023. [PMID: 35568197 PMCID: PMC9091064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
3C-like protease (3CLpro) is one of two proteases that process and liberate functional viral proteins essential for the maturation and infectivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19. It has been suggested that 3CLpro is catalytically active as a dimer, making the dimerization interface a target for antiviral development. Guided by structural analysis, here we introduced single amino acid substitutions at nine residues at three key sites of the dimer interface to assess their impact on dimerization and activity. We show that at site 1, alanine substitution of S1 or E166 increased by 2-fold or reduced relative activity, respectively. At site 2, alanine substitution of S10 or E14 eliminated activity, whereas K12A exhibited ∼60% relative activity. At site 3, alanine substitution of R4, E290, or Q299 eliminated activity, whereas S139A exhibited 46% relative activity. We further found the oligomerization states of the dimer interface mutants varied; the inactive mutants R4A, R4Q, S10A/C, E14A/D/Q/S, E290A, and Q299A/E were present as dimers, demonstrating that dimerization is not an indication of catalytically active 3CLpro. In addition, present mostly as monomers, K12A displayed residual activity, which could be attributed to the conspicuous amount of dimer present. Finally, differential scanning calorimetry did not reveal a direct relationship between the thermodynamic stability of mutants with oligomerization or catalytic activity. These results provide insights on two allosteric sites, R4/E290 and S10/E14, that may promote the design of antiviral compounds that target the dimer interface rather than the active site of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana C Ferreira
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Samar Fadl
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Wael M Rabeh
- Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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18
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Zhang Y, Zheng L, Yang Y, Qu Y, Li YQ, Zhao M, Mu Y, Li W. Structural and energetic features of the dimerization of the main proteinase of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular dynamic simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:4324-4333. [PMID: 35107451 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp04630f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been declared a global health crisis. The development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs heavily depends on the systematic study of the critical biological processes of key proteins of coronavirus among which the main proteinase (Mpro) dimerization is a key step for virus maturation. Because inhibiting the Mpro dimerization can efficiently suppress virus maturation, the key residues that mediate dimerization can be treated as targets of drug and antibody developments. In this work, the structure and energy features of the Mpro dimer of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV were studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The free energy calculations using the Generalized Born (GB) model showed that the dimerization free energy of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro dimer (-107.5 ± 10.89 kcal mol-1) is larger than that of the SARS-CoV Mpro dimer (-92.83 ± 9.81 kcal mol-1), indicating a more stable and possibly a quicker formation of the Mpro dimer of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, the energy decomposition of each residue revealed 11 key attractive residues. Furthermore, Thr285Ala weakens the steric hindrance between the two protomers of SARS-CoV-2 that can form more intimate interactions. It is interesting to find 11 repulsive residues which effectively inhibit the dimerization process. At the interface of the Mpro dimer, we detected three regions that are rich in interfacial water which stabilize the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro dimer by forming hydrogen bonds with two protomers. The key residues and rich water regions provide important targets for the future design of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs through inhibiting Mpro dimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunju Zhang
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
| | | | - Yanmei Yang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Yuanyuan Qu
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
| | - Yong-Qiang Li
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
| | - Mingwen Zhao
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
| | - Yuguang Mu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637650, Singapore.
| | - Weifeng Li
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China.,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Shandong University, China.
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19
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Main protease mutants of SARS-CoV-2 variants remain susceptible to nirmatrelvir. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 62:128629. [PMID: 35182772 PMCID: PMC8856729 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a public health threat. Multiple mutations in the spike protein of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 appear to impact on the effectiveness of available vaccines. Specific antiviral agents are keenly anticipated but their efficacy may also be compromised in emerging variants. One of the most attractive coronaviral drug targets is the main protease (Mpro). A promising Mpro inhibitor of clinical relevance is the peptidomimetic nirmatrelvir (PF-07321332). We expressed Mpro of six SARS-CoV-2 lineages (C.37 Lambda, B.1.1.318, B.1.2, B.1.351 Beta, B.1.1.529 Omicron, P.2 Zeta), each of which carries a strongly prevalent missense mutation (G15S, T21I, L89F, K90R, P132H, L205V). Enzyme kinetics reveal that these Mpro variants are catalytically competent to a similar degree as the wildtype. We show that nirmatrelvir has similar potency against the variants as the wildtype. Our in vitro data suggest that the efficacy of the specific Mpro inhibitor nirmatrelvir is not compromised in current COVID-19 variants.
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20
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Dang M, Lim L, Roy A, Song J. Myricetin Allosterically Inhibits the Dengue NS2B-NS3 Protease by Disrupting the Active and Locking the Inactive Conformations. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:2798-2808. [PMID: 35097276 PMCID: PMC8793048 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The dengue NS2B-NS3 protease existing in equilibrium between the active and inactive forms is essential for virus replication, thus representing a key drug target. Here, myricetin, a plant flavonoid, was characterized to noncompetitively inhibit the dengue protease. Further NMR study identified the protease residues perturbed by binding to myricetin, which were utilized to construct the myricetin-protease complexes. Strikingly, in the active form, myricetin binds to a new allosteric site (AS2) far away from the active site pocket and the allosteric site (AS1) for binding curcumin, while in the inactive form, it binds to both AS1 and AS2. To decipher the mechanism for the allosteric inhibition by myricetin, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations on different forms of dengue NS2B-NS3 proteases. Unexpectedly, the binding of myricetin to AS2 is sufficient to disrupt the active conformation by displacing the characteristic NS2B C-terminal β-hairpin from the active site pocket. By contrast, the binding of myricetin to AS1 and AS2 results in locking the inactive conformation. Therefore, myricetin represents the first small molecule, which allosterically inhibits the dengue protease by both disrupting the active conformation and locking the inactive conformation. The results enforce the notion that a global allosteric network exists in the dengue NS2B-NS3 protease, which is susceptible to allosteric inhibition by small molecules such as myricetin and curcumin. As myricetin has been extensively used as a food additive, it might be directly utilized to fight the dengue infections and as a promising starting material for further design of potent allosteric inhibitors.
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21
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Elzupir AO. Molecular Docking and Dynamics Investigations for Identifying Potential Inhibitors of the 3-Chymotrypsin-like Protease of SARS-CoV-2: Repurposing of Approved Pyrimidonic Pharmaceuticals for COVID-19 Treatment. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26247458. [PMID: 34946540 PMCID: PMC8707611 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This study demonstrates the inhibitory effect of 42 pyrimidonic pharmaceuticals (PPs) on the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease of SARS-CoV-2 (3CLpro) through molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and free binding energies by means of molecular mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) and molecular mechanics-generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA). Of these tested PPs, 11 drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration showed an excellent binding affinity to the catalytic residues of 3CLpro of His41 and Cys145: uracil mustard, cytarabine, floxuridine, trifluridine, stavudine, lamivudine, zalcitabine, telbivudine, tipiracil, citicoline, and uridine triacetate. Their percentage of residues involved in binding at the active sites ranged from 56 to 100, and their binding affinities were in the range from -4.6 ± 0.14 to -7.0 ± 0.19 kcal/mol. The molecular dynamics as determined by a 200 ns simulation run of solvated docked complexes confirmed the stability of PP conformations that bound to the catalytic dyad and the active sites of 3CLpro. The free energy of binding also demonstrates the stability of the PP-3CLpro complexes. Citicoline and uridine triacetate showed free binding energies of -25.53 and -7.07 kcal/mol, respectively. Therefore, I recommend that they be repurposed for the fight against COVID-19, following proper experimental and clinical validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Osman Elzupir
- College of Science, Deanship of Scientific Research, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
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22
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Kidera A, Moritsugu K, Ekimoto T, Ikeguchi M. Allosteric Regulation of 3CL Protease of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV Observed in the Crystal Structure Ensemble. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167324. [PMID: 34717972 PMCID: PMC8550881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The 3C-like protease (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19. Importantly, it has an abundance of structural information solved as a complex with various drug candidate compounds. Collecting these crystal structures (83 Protein Data Bank (PDB) entries) together with those of the highly homologous 3CLpro of SARS-CoV (101 PDB entries), we constructed the crystal structure ensemble of 3CLpro to analyze the dynamic regulation of its catalytic function. The structural dynamics of the 3CLpro dimer observed in the ensemble were characterized by the motions of four separate loops (the C-loop, E-loop, H-loop, and Linker) and the C-terminal domain III on the rigid core of the chymotrypsin fold. Among the four moving loops, the C-loop (also known as the oxyanion binding loop) causes the order (active)-disorder (collapsed) transition, which is regulated cooperatively by five hydrogen bonds made with the surrounding residues. The C-loop, E-loop, and Linker constitute the major ligand binding sites, which consist of a limited variety of binding residues including the substrate binding subsites. Ligand binding causes a ligand size dependent conformational change to the E-loop and Linker, which further stabilize the C-loop via the hydrogen bond between the C-loop and E-loop. The T285A mutation from SARS-CoV 3CLpro to SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro significantly closes the interface of the domain III dimer and allosterically stabilizes the active conformation of the C-loop via hydrogen bonds with Ser1 and Gly2; thus, SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro seems to have increased activity relative to that of SARS-CoV 3CLpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akinori Kidera
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.
| | - Kei Moritsugu
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Toru Ekimoto
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Mitsunori Ikeguchi
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
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Gorkhali R, Koirala P, Rijal S, Mainali A, Baral A, Bhattarai HK. Structure and Function of Major SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV Proteins. Bioinform Biol Insights 2021; 15:11779322211025876. [PMID: 34220199 PMCID: PMC8221690 DOI: 10.1177/11779322211025876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of COVID-19 pandemic, has a genomic organization consisting of 16 nonstructural proteins (nsps), 4 structural proteins, and 9 accessory proteins. Relative of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, has genomic organization, which is very similar. In this article, the function and structure of the proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV are described in great detail. The nsps are expressed as a single or two polyproteins, which are then cleaved into individual proteins using two proteases of the virus, a chymotrypsin-like protease and a papain-like protease. The released proteins serve as centers of virus replication and transcription. Some of these nsps modulate the host’s translation and immune systems, while others help the virus evade the host immune system. Some of the nsps help form replication-transcription complex at double-membrane vesicles. Others, including one RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and one exonuclease, help in the polymerization of newly synthesized RNA of the virus and help minimize the mutation rate by proofreading. After synthesis of the viral RNA, it gets capped. The capping consists of adding GMP and a methylation mark, called cap 0 and additionally adding a methyl group to the terminal ribose called cap1. Capping is accomplished with the help of a helicase, which also helps remove a phosphate, two methyltransferases, and a scaffolding factor. Among the structural proteins, S protein forms the receptor of the virus, which latches on the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor of the host and N protein binds and protects the genomic RNA of the virus. The accessory proteins found in these viruses are small proteins with immune modulatory roles. Besides functions of these proteins, solved X-ray and cryogenic electron microscopy structures related to the function of the proteins along with comparisons to other coronavirus homologs have been described in the article. Finally, the rate of mutation of SARS-CoV-2 residues of the proteome during the 2020 pandemic has been described. Some proteins are mutated more often than other proteins, but the significance of these mutation rates is not fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritesh Gorkhali
- Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | | | - Sadikshya Rijal
- Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | - Ashmita Mainali
- Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | - Adesh Baral
- Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
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24
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Novak J, Rimac H, Kandagalla S, Pathak P, Naumovich V, Grishina M, Potemkin V. Proposition of a new allosteric binding site for potential SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease inhibitors by utilizing molecular dynamics simulations and ensemble docking. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:9347-9360. [PMID: 34018907 PMCID: PMC8146203 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1927845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease (3CLpro) shows a high similarity with 3CL proteases of other beta-coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS. It is the main enzyme involved in generating various non-structural proteins that are important for viral replication and is one of the most important proteins responsible for SARS-CoV-2 virulence. In this study, we have conducted an ensemble docking of molecules from the DrugBank database using both the crystallographic structure of the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro, as well as five conformations obtained after performing a cluster analysis of a 300 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. This procedure elucidated the inappropriateness of the active site for non-covalent inhibitors, but it has also shown that there exists an additional, more favorable, allosteric binding site, which could be a better target for non-covalent inhibitors, as it could prevent dimerization and activation of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Two such examples are radotinib and nilotinib, tyrosine kinase inhibitors already in use for treatment of leukemia and which binding to the newly found allosteric binding site was also confirmed using MD simulations. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurica Novak
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Hrvoje Rimac
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Shivananda Kandagalla
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Prateek Pathak
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Vladislav Naumovich
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Maria Grishina
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir Potemkin
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
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25
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Sabbah DA, Hajjo R, Bardaweel SK, Zhong HA. An Updated Review on SARS-CoV-2 Main Proteinase (M Pro): Protein Structure and Small-Molecule Inhibitors. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 21:442-460. [PMID: 33292134 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666201207095117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
[Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped positive-stranded RNA viruses with spike (S) protein projections that allow the virus to enter and infect host cells. The S protein is a key virulence factor determining viral pathogenesis, host tropism, and disease pathogenesis. There are currently diverse corona viruses that are known to cause disease in humans. The occurrence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), as fatal human CoV diseases, has induced significant interest in the medical field. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2). The SARS-CoV2 outbreak has been evolved in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and identified as a pandemic in March 2020, resulting in 53.24 M cases and 1.20M deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 main proteinase (MPro), a key protease of CoV-2, mediates viral replication and transcription. SARS-CoV-2 MPro has been emerged as an attractive target for SARS-CoV-2 drug design and development. Diverse scaffolds have been released targeting SARS-CoV-2 MPro. In this review, we culminate the latest published information about SARS-CoV-2 main proteinase (MPro) and reported inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dima A Sabbah
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Rima Hajjo
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Sanaa K Bardaweel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Haizhen A Zhong
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68182, United States
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Molecular docking and ADMET studies of Allium cepa, Azadirachta indica and Xylopia aethiopica isolates as potential anti-viral drugs for Covid-19. Virusdisease 2021; 32:85-97. [PMID: 33869672 PMCID: PMC8036013 DOI: 10.1007/s13337-021-00682-7] [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: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are repository of important constituents with proven efficacy against many human diseases including viral diseases. The antiviral activity of many plants including Azadirachta indica, Xylopia aethiopica and Allium cepa has been reported. The novel coronavirus disease is no exception among viral diseases in which plant compounds could serve as potent antagonist. Therefore, our study investigated the inhibitory potentials of Azadirachta indica and Xylopia aethiopica isolates against SARS-CoV-2 viral accessory proteins and the host serine protease. The protein data (SARS-CoV-2 Papain like protease (PLpro) (PDB: 6wx4), Chymotrypsin-like main protease (3CLpro) (PDB:6YB7), SARS-CoV nsp 12 (PDB: 6nus), Host cell protease (TMPRSS1) (PDB:5ce1) were obtained from the protein data bank (PDB), while the SDS format of each Ligands were obtained from Pubchem database. Molecular docking analysis was performed with Auto Dock Vina 1.5.6 and visualization of the interaction between the ligands and protein was done with discovery studio 2019. The ADMET prediction of pharmacokinetics and toxicity properties of the ligands was obtained using vNN Web Server. Our result showed that all the plant isolates demonstrated negative Gibb’s free energy, indicating good binding affinity for both the viral and host protein. Overall, twenty-three of the forty-seven isolates showed good binding affinity comparable with dexamethasone that was used as reference drug. Although many of the compounds have good binding affinity for the viral and host proteins, based on the ADMET prediction, only Azadironic acid, Nimbionone, Nimbionol and Nimocinol all from A. indica could serve as potential drug candidate with good pharmacokinetics and toxicity profile. This study provides an insight into potential inhibitors and novel drug candidates for SARS-CoV-2. Further studies will look forward into the wet laboratory validation of Azadironic acid, Nimbionone, Nimbionol and Nimocinol against corona virus disease.
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Krishnamoorthy N, Fakhro K. Identification of mutation resistance coldspots for targeting the SARS-CoV2 main protease. IUBMB Life 2021; 73:670-675. [PMID: 33749986 PMCID: PMC8250577 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 are the major concern as they might lead to drug/vaccine resistance. In the host cell, the virus largely depends on the main protease (Mpro ) to regulate infection hence it is one of the most attractive targets for inhibitor design. However, >19,000 mutations in the Mpro have already been reported. The mutations encompassing 282 amino acid positions and these "hotspots" might change the Mpro structure, activity and potentially delay therapeutic strategies targeting Mpro . Thus, here we identified 24 mutational "coldspots" where mutations have not been observed. We compared the structure-function relationship of these coldspots with several SARS-CoV2 Mpro X-ray crystal structures. We found that three coldspot residues (Leu141, Phe185, and Gln192) help to form the active site, while seven (Gly2, Arg4, Tyr126, Lys137, Leu141, Leu286, and Leu287) contribute to dimer formation that is required for Mpro activity. The surface of the dimer interface is more resistant to mutations compared to the active site. Interestingly, most of the coldspots are found in three clusters and forms conserved patterns when compared with other coronaviruses. Importantly, several conserved coldspots are available on the surface of the active site and at the dimer interface for targeting. The identification and short list of these coldspots offers a new perspective to target the SARS-CoV2 Mpro while avoiding mutation-based drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Khalid Fakhro
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar.,College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
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28
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Khan MT, Ali S, Khan AS, Muhammad N, Khalil F, Ishfaq M, Irfan M, Al-Sehemi AG, Muhammad S, Malik A, Khan TA, Wei DQ. SARS-CoV-2 Genome from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:6588-6599. [PMID: 33748571 PMCID: PMC7944396 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c05163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Among viral outbreaks, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is one of the deadliest ones, and it has triggered the global COVID-19 pandemic. In Pakistan, until 5th September 2020, a total of 6342 deaths have been reported, of which 1255 were from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. To understand the disease progression and control and also to produce vaccines and therapeutic efforts, whole genome sequence analysis is important. In the current investigation, we sequenced a single sample of SARS-CoV-2 genomes (accession no. MT879619) from a male suspect from Peshawar, the KPK capital city, during the first wave of infection. The local SARS-CoV-2 strain shows some unique characteristics compared to neighboring Iranian and Chinese isolates in phylogenetic tree and mutations. The circulating strains of SARS-CoV-2 represent an intermediate evolution from China and Iran. Furthermore, eight complete whole genome sequences, including the current Pakistani isolates which have been submitted to Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GSAID), were also investigated for specific mutations and characters. Some novel mutations [NSP2 (D268del), NSP5 (N228K), and NS3 (F105S)] and specific characters have been detected in the coding regions, which may affect viral transmission, epidemiology, and disease severity. The computational modeling revealed that a majority of these mutations may have a stabilizing effect on the viral protein structure. In conclusion, the genome sequencing of local strains is important for better understanding the pathogenicity, immunogenicity, and epidemiology of causative agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Tahir Khan
- Institute of Molecular
Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), The University
of Lahore, KM Defence Road, Lahore 58810, Pakistan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism,
Shanghai−Islamabad−Belgrade Joint Innovation Center
on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Research Laboratory
of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences and School of Life Sciences
and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P. R. China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Vanke Cloud City Phase I Building 8, Xili Street, Nashan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, P. R. China
| | - Sajid Ali
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Anwar Sheed Khan
- Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Bannu Road, Near Jarma Bridge, Kohat 26000, Pakistan
| | - Noor Muhammad
- Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Bannu Road, Near Jarma Bridge, Kohat 26000, Pakistan
| | - Faiza Khalil
- Department of Biochemistry, Khyber Medical
College, Peshawar 25160, Pakistan
- University
of Peshawar, Road No.
2, Rahat Abad, Peshawar 25120, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ishfaq
- Centre for Omic Sciences, Islamia
College Peshawar. Grand Trunk Road, Rahat Abad, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Irfan
- Department
of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi
- Research Center for Advanced Materials
Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shabbir Muhammad
- Research Center for Advanced Materials
Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism,
Shanghai−Islamabad−Belgrade Joint Innovation Center
on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Research Laboratory
of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences and School of Life Sciences
and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P. R. China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Vanke Cloud City Phase I Building 8, Xili Street, Nashan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, P. R. China
| | - Arif Malik
- Institute of Molecular
Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), The University
of Lahore, KM Defence Road, Lahore 58810, Pakistan
| | - Taj Ali Khan
- Institute of Pathology and Diagnostic Medicine, Khyber Medical University, Phase V, Hayatabad, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 25000, Pakistan
| | - Dong Qing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism,
Shanghai−Islamabad−Belgrade Joint Innovation Center
on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Research Laboratory
of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences and School of Life Sciences
and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P. R. China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Vanke Cloud City Phase I Building 8, Xili Street, Nashan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, P. R. China
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Mengist HM, Dilnessa T, Jin T. Structural Basis of Potential Inhibitors Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. Front Chem 2021; 9:622898. [PMID: 33889562 PMCID: PMC8056153 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.622898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is still devastating the world causing significant social, economic, and political chaos. Corresponding to the absence of globally approved antiviral drugs for treatment and vaccines for controlling the pandemic, the number of cases and/or mortalities are still rising. Current patient management relies on supportive treatment and the use of repurposed drugs as an indispensable option. Of a crucial role in the viral life cycle, ongoing studies are looking for potential inhibitors to the main protease (Mpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus -2 (SARS-CoV-2) to tackle the pandemic. Although promising results have been achieved in searching for drugs inhibiting the Mpro, work remains to be done on designing structure-based improved drugs. This review discusses the structural basis of potential inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, identifies gaps, and provides future directions. Further, compounds with potential Mpro based antiviral activity are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hylemariam Mihiretie Mengist
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of innate immunity and chronic disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Science, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia
| | - Tebelay Dilnessa
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Science, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of innate immunity and chronic disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China
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30
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Tekpinar M, Yildirim A. Impact of dimerization and N3 binding on molecular dynamics of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 main proteases. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:6243-6254. [PMID: 33525993 PMCID: PMC7869440 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1880481] [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] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 main protease is one of the major targets in drug development efforts against Covid-19. Even though several structures were reported to date, its dynamics is not understood well. In particular, impact of dimerization and ligand binding on the dynamics is an important issue to investigate. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 main proteases to investigate influence of dimerization on the dynamics by modeling monomeric and dimeric apo and holo forms. The dimerization causes an organization of the interdomain dynamics as well as some local structural changes. Moreover, we investigated impact of a peptide mimetic (N3) on the dynamics of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The ligand binding to the dimeric forms causes some key local changes at the dimer interface and it causes an allosteric interaction between the active sites of two protomers. Our results support the idea that only one protomer is active on SARS-CoV-2 due to this allosteric interaction. Additionally, we analyzed the molecular dynamics trajectories from graph theoretical perspective and found that the most influential residues – as measured by eigenvector centrality – are a group of residues in active site and dimeric interface of the protease. This study may form a bridge between what we know about the dynamics of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. We think that enlightening allosteric communication of the active sites and the role of dimerization in SARS-CoV-2 Mpro can contribute to development of novel drugs against this global health problem as well as other similar proteases. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Tekpinar
- Unit of Structural Dynamics of Biological Macromolecules, Pasteur Institute, UMR 3528 CNRS, Paris, France
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31
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Chen CC, Yu X, Kuo CJ, Min J, Chen S, Ma L, Liu K, Guo RT. Overview of antiviral drug candidates targeting coronaviral 3C-like main proteases. FEBS J 2021; 288:5089-5121. [PMID: 33400393 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are positive single-stranded RNA viruses that cause severe respiratory syndromes in humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV-2) at the end of 2019 became a global pandemic. The 3C-like cysteine protease (3CLpro) processes viral polyproteins to yield mature non-structural proteins, thus playing an important role in the CoV life cycle, and therefore is considered as a prominent target for antiviral drugs. To date, many 3CLpro inhibitors have been reported, and their molecular mechanisms have been illustrated. Here, we briefly introduce the structural features of 3CLpro of the human-related SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, and explore the potency and mechanism of their cognate inhibitors. This information will shed light on the development and optimization of CoV 3CLpro inhibitors, which may benefit the further designation of therapeutic strategies for treating CoV diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuejing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chih-Jung Kuo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jian Min
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Sizhuo Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lixin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rey-Ting Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
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32
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Khan MT, Irfan M, Ahsan H, Ahmed A, Kaushik AC, Khan AS, Chinnasamy S, Ali A, Wei DQ. Structures of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-Binding Proteins and Therapeutic Targets. Intervirology 2021; 64:55-68. [PMID: 33454715 PMCID: PMC7900486 DOI: 10.1159/000513686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic has resulted in thousands of infections and deaths worldwide. Several therapies are currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the development of new drugs and the repositioning of existing drugs can only be achieved after the identification of potential therapeutic targets within structures, as this strategy provides the most precise solution for developing treatments for sudden epidemic infectious diseases. Summary In the current investigation, crystal and cryo-electron microscopy structures encoded by the SARS-CoV-2 genome were systematically examined for the identification of potential drug targets. These structures include nonstructural proteins (Nsp-9; Nsp-12; and Nsp-15), nucleocapsid (N) proteins, and the main protease (Mpro). Key Message The structural information reveals the presence of many potential alternative therapeutic targets, primarily involved in interaction between N protein and Nsp3, forming replication-transcription complexes (RTCs) which might be a potential drug target for effective control of current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. RTCs consist of 16 nonstructural proteins (Nsp1-16) that play the most essential role in the synthesis of viral RNA. Targeting the physical linkage between the envelope and single-stranded positive RNA, a process facilitated by matrix proteins may provide a good alternative strategy. Our current study provides useful information for the development of new lead compounds against SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Tahir Khan
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.,School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, and Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation in Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Muhammad Irfan
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Hina Ahsan
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Abrar Ahmed
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Anwar Sheed Khan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan
| | - Sathishkumar Chinnasamy
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, and Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation in Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Arif Ali
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, and Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation in Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong-Qing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, and Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation in Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, .,Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China,
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Tethering-induced destabilization and ATP-binding for tandem RRM domains of ALS-causing TDP-43 and hnRNPA1. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1034. [PMID: 33441818 PMCID: PMC7806782 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80524-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 contain tandemly-tethered RNA-recognition-motif (RRM) domains, which not only functionally bind an array of nucleic acids, but also participate in aggregation/fibrillation, a pathological hallmark of various human diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), alzheimer's disease (AD) and Multisystem proteinopathy (MSP). Here, by DSF, NMR and MD simulations we systematically characterized stability, ATP-binding and conformational dynamics of TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 RRM domains in both tethered and isolated forms. The results reveal three key findings: (1) upon tethering TDP-43 RRM domains become dramatically coupled and destabilized with Tm reduced to only 49 °C. (2) ATP specifically binds TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 RRM domains, in which ATP occupies the similar pockets within the conserved nucleic-acid-binding surfaces, with the affinity slightly higher to the tethered than isolated forms. (3) MD simulations indicate that the tethered RRM domains of TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 have higher conformational dynamics than the isolated forms. Two RRM domains become coupled as shown by NMR characterization and analysis of inter-domain correlation motions. The study explains the long-standing puzzle that the tethered TDP-43 RRM1–RRM2 is particularly prone to aggregation/fibrillation, and underscores the general role of ATP in inhibiting aggregation/fibrillation of RRM-containing proteins. The results also rationalize the observation that the risk of aggregation-causing diseases increases with aging.
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Can natural products stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus? A docking and molecular dynamics study of a natural product database. Future Med Chem 2021; 13:363-378. [PMID: 33415989 PMCID: PMC7798421 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro is one of the primary targets for designing new and repurposing known drugs. Methodology: A virtual screening of molecules from the Natural Product Atlas was performed, followed by molecular dynamics simulations of the most potent inhibitor bound to two conformations of the protease and into two binding sites. Conclusion: Eight molecules with appropriate ADMET properties are suggested as potential inhibitors. The greatest benefit of this study is the demonstration that these ligands can bind in the catalytic site but also to the groove between domains II and III, where they interact with a series of residues which have an important role in the dimerization and the maturation process of the enzyme.
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35
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Dubanevics I, McLeish TCB. Computational analysis of dynamic allostery and control in the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20200591. [PMID: 33402024 PMCID: PMC7879766 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has no publicly available vaccine or antiviral drugs at the time of writing. An attractive coronavirus drug target is the main protease (Mpro, also known as 3CLpro) because of its vital role in the viral cycle. A significant body of work has been focused on finding inhibitors which bind and block the active site of the main protease, but little has been done to address potential non-competitive inhibition, targeting regions other than the active site, partly because the fundamental biophysics of such allosteric control is still poorly understood. In this work, we construct an elastic network model (ENM) of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro homodimer protein and analyse its dynamics and thermodynamics. We found a rich and heterogeneous dynamical structure, including allosterically correlated motions between the homodimeric protease's active sites. Exhaustive 1-point and 2-point mutation scans of the ENM and their effect on fluctuation free energies confirm previously experimentally identified bioactive residues, but also suggest several new candidate regions that are distant from the active site, yet control the protease function. Our results suggest new dynamically driven control regions as possible candidates for non-competitive inhibiting binding sites in the protease, which may assist the development of current fragment-based binding screens. The results also provide new insights into the active biophysical research field of protein fluctuation allostery and its underpinning dynamical structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igors Dubanevics
- School of Natural Sciences, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, UK
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36
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Iida S, Fukunishi Y. Asymmetric dynamics of dimeric SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV main proteases in an apo form: Molecular dynamics study on fluctuations of active site, catalytic dyad, and hydration water. BBA ADVANCES 2021; 1:100016. [PMID: 34235495 PMCID: PMC8214910 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2021.100016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been widely spread around the world. It is necessary to examine the viral proteins that play a notorious role in the invasion of our body. The main protease (3CLpro) facilitates the maturation of the coronavirus. It is thought that the dimerization of 3CLpro leads to its catalytic activity; the detailed mechanism has, however, not been suggested. Furthermore, the structural differences between the predecessor SARS-CoV 3CLpro and SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro have not been fully understood. Here, we show the structural and dynamical differences between the two main proteases, and demonstrate the relationship between the dimerization and the activity via atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Simulating monomeric and dimeric 3CLpro systems for each protease, we show that (i) global dynamics between the two different proteases are not conserved, (ii) the dimerization stabilizes the catalytic dyad and hydration water molecules behind the dyad, and (iii) the substrate-binding site (active site) and hydration water molecules in each protomer fluctuate asymmetrically. We then speculate the roles of hydration water molecules in their catalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Iida
- Technology Research Association for Next-Generation Natural Products Chemistry, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan 135-0064
- Corresponding author.
| | - Yoshifumi Fukunishi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-3-26 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan 135-0064
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37
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Mohamed NM, Ali EMH, AboulMagd AM. Ligand-based design, molecular dynamics and ADMET studies of suggested SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors. RSC Adv 2021; 11:4523-4538. [PMID: 35747608 PMCID: PMC9134034 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra10141a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Compounds I–X were designed to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Mpro based on pharmacophore modeling of SARS-CoV Mpro inhibitors. Compounds V and VI showed promising molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation results that surpassed baicalein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada M. Mohamed
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Modern University for Technology and Information (MTI)
- Egypt
| | - Eslam M. H. Ali
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Modern University for Technology and Information (MTI)
- Egypt
- University of Science & Technology (UST)
| | - Asmaa M. AboulMagd
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Nahda University (NUB)
- Beni-Suef
- Egypt
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38
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Gahlawat A, Kumar N, Kumar R, Sandhu H, Singh IP, Singh S, Sjöstedt A, Garg P. Structure-Based Virtual Screening to Discover Potential Lead Molecules for the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:5781-5793. [PMID: 32687345 PMCID: PMC7409927 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 disease is caused by a new strain of the coronavirus family (SARS-CoV-2), and it has affected at present millions of people all over the world. The indispensable role of the main protease (Mpro) in viral replication and gene expression makes this enzyme an attractive drug target. Therefore, inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro as a proposition to halt virus ingression is being pursued by scientists globally. Here we carried out a study with two objectives: the first being to perform comparative protein sequence and 3D structural analysis to understand the effect of 12 point mutations on the active site. Among these, two mutations, viz., Ser46 and Phe134, were found to cause a significant change at the active sites of SARS-CoV-2. The Ser46 mutation present at the entrance of the S5 subpocket of SARS-CoV-2 increases the contribution of other two hydrophilic residues, while the Phe134 mutation, present in the catalytic cysteine loop, can cause an increase in catalytic efficiency of Mpro by facilitating fast proton transfer from the Cys145 to His41 residue. It was observed that active site remained conserved among Mpro of both SARS-CoVs, except at the entrance of the S5 subpocket, suggesting sustenance of substrate specificity. The second objective was to screen the inhibitory effects of three different data sets (natural products, coronaviruses main protease inhibitors, and FDA-approved drugs) using a structure-based virtual screening approach. A total of 73 hits had a combo score >2.0. Eight different structural scaffold classes were identified, such as one/two tetrahydropyran ring(s), dipeptide/tripeptide/oligopeptide, large (approximately 20 atoms) cyclic peptide, and miscellaneous. The screened hits showed key interactions with subpockets of the active site. Further, molecular dynamics studies of selected screened compounds confirmed their perfect fitting into the subpockets of the active site. This study suggests promising structures that can fit into the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro active site and also offers direction for further lead optimization and rational drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Gahlawat
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Navneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Rajender Kumar
- Department of Clinical Microbiology
and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS),
Umeå University, SE-90185
Umeå, Sweden
| | - Hardeep Sandhu
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Inder Pal Singh
- Department of Natural Products,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Saranjit Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Anders Sjöstedt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology
and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS),
Umeå University, SE-90185
Umeå, Sweden
| | - Prabha Garg
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
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39
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Terse VL, Gosavi S. The Molecular Mechanism of Domain Swapping of the C-Terminal Domain of the SARS-Coronavirus Main Protease. Biophys J 2020; 120:504-516. [PMID: 33359834 PMCID: PMC7837137 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.2277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In three-dimensional domain swapping, two protein monomers exchange a part of their structures to form an intertwined homodimer, whose subunits resemble the monomer. Several viral proteins domain swap to increase their structural complexity or functional avidity. The main protease (Mpro) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus proteolyzes viral polyproteins and has been a target for anti-SARS drug design. Domain swapping in the α-helical C-terminal domain of Mpro (MproC) locks Mpro into a hyperactive octameric form that is hypothesized to promote the early stages of viral replication. However, in the absence of a complete molecular understanding of the mechanism of domain swapping, investigations into the biological relevance of this octameric Mpro have stalled. Isolated MproC can exist as a monomer or a domain-swapped dimer. Here, we investigate the mechanism of domain swapping of MproC using coarse-grained structure-based models and molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations recapitulate several experimental features of MproC folding. Further, we find that a contact between a tryptophan in the MproC domain-swapping hinge and an arginine elsewhere forms early during folding, modulates the folding route, and promotes domain swapping to the native structure. An examination of the sequence and the structure of the tryptophan containing hinge loop shows that it has a propensity to form multiple secondary structures and contacts, indicating that it could be stabilized into either the monomer- or dimer-promoting conformations by mutations or ligand binding. Finally, because all residues in the tryptophan loop are identical in SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, mutations that modulate domain swapping may provide insights into the role of octameric Mpro in the early-stage viral replication of both viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishram L Terse
- Simons Centre for the Study of Living Machines, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Shachi Gosavi
- Simons Centre for the Study of Living Machines, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India.
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40
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Capasso C, Nocentini A, Supuran CT. Protease inhibitors targeting the main protease and papain-like protease of coronaviruses. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2020; 31:309-324. [PMID: 33246378 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2021.1857726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The two cysteine proteases from the coronaviruses, which produced deadly outbreaks in the last two decades, SARS CoV-1/2, and MERS, the main protease (Mpro) and the papain-like protease (PLP) are conserved among the three pathogens and started to be considered as exciting drug targets for developing antivirals. AREAS COVERED We review the drug design landscape in the scientific and patent literature to design peptidomimetic and non-peptidomimetic protease inhibitors (PIs) targeting these proteins. EXPERT OPINION The X-ray crystal structures of some of these proteases, alone and in complex with various inhibitors, were crucial for the discovery of effective such compounds, some of which also showed considerable antiviral activity and are considered preclinical candidates to fight these emerging infections, which in the case of Covid-19 already provoked an unprecedented worldwide pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemente Capasso
- Department of Biology, Agriculture and Food Sciences, CNR, Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, Napoli, Italy
| | - Alessio Nocentini
- Dipartimento Neurofarba, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche e Nutraceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- Dipartimento Neurofarba, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche e Nutraceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
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41
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Lim L, Dang M, Roy A, Kang J, Song J. Curcumin Allosterically Inhibits the Dengue NS2B-NS3 Protease by Disrupting Its Active Conformation. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:25677-25686. [PMID: 33073093 PMCID: PMC7557217 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Flaviviruses including dengue virus and Zika virus encode a unique two-component NS2B-NS3 protease essential for maturation/infectivity, thus representing a key target for designing antiflavivirus drugs. Here, for the first time, by NMR and molecular docking, we reveal that curcumin allosterically inhibits the dengue protease by binding to a cavity with no overlap with the active site. Further molecular dynamics simulations decode that the binding of curcumin leads to unfolding/displacing the characteristic β-hairpin of the C-terminal NS2B and consequently disrupting the closed (active) conformation of the protease. Our study identified a cavity most likely conserved in all flaviviral NS2B-NS3 proteases, which could thus serve as a therapeutic target for the discovery/design of small-molecule allosteric inhibitors. Moreover, as curcumin has been used as a food additive for thousands of years in many counties, it can be directly utilized to fight the flaviviral infections and as a promising starting for further design of potent allosteric inhibitors.
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42
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Ullrich S, Nitsche C. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease as drug target. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127377. [PMID: 32738988 PMCID: PMC7331567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 452] [Impact Index Per Article: 113.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The unprecedented pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is threatening global health. The virus emerged in late 2019 and can cause a severe disease associated with significant mortality. Several vaccine development and drug discovery campaigns are underway. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease is considered a promising drug target, as it is dissimilar to human proteases. Sequence and structure of the main protease are closely related to those from other betacoronaviruses, facilitating drug discovery attempts based on previous lead compounds. Covalently binding peptidomimetics and small molecules are investigated. Various compounds show antiviral activity in infected human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Ullrich
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
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43
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Li Q, Kang C. Progress in Developing Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3C-Like Protease. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1250. [PMID: 32824639 PMCID: PMC7463875 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8081250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The viral outbreak started in late 2019 and rapidly became a serious health threat to the global population. COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Several therapeutic options have been adopted to prevent the spread of the virus. Although vaccines have been developed, antivirals are still needed to combat the infection of this virus. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, and its genome encodes polyproteins that can be processed into structural and nonstructural proteins. Maturation of viral proteins requires cleavages by proteases. Therefore, the main protease (3 chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) or Mpro) encoded by the viral genome is an attractive drug target because it plays an important role in cleaving viral polyproteins into functional proteins. Inhibiting this enzyme is an efficient strategy to block viral replication. Structural studies provide valuable insight into the function of this protease and structural basis for rational inhibitor design. In this review, we describe structural studies on the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. The strategies applied in developing inhibitors of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 and currently available protein inhibitors are summarized. Due to the availability of high-resolution structures, structure-guided drug design will play an important role in developing antivirals. The availability of high-resolution structures, potent peptidic inhibitors, and diverse compound scaffolds indicate the feasibility of developing potent protease inhibitors as antivirals for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxin Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Biomass High Value Utilization, Institute of Bioengineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510316, China
| | - CongBao Kang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos, #05-01, Singapore 138670, Singapore
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44
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Jeong GU, Song H, Yoon GY, Kim D, Kwon YC. Therapeutic Strategies Against COVID-19 and Structural Characterization of SARS-CoV-2: A Review. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1723. [PMID: 32765482 PMCID: PMC7381222 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, or 2019-nCoV, which originated in Wuhan, Hubei province, China in December 2019, is a grave threat to public health worldwide. A total of 3,672,238 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 254,045 deaths were reported globally up to May 7, 2020. However, approved antiviral agents for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 remain unavailable. Drug repurposing of approved antivirals against other viruses such as HIV or Ebola virus is one of the most practical strategies to develop effective antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2. A combination of repurposed drugs can improve the efficacy of treatment, and structure-based drug design can be employed to specifically target SARS-CoV-2. This review discusses therapeutic strategies using promising antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2. In addition, structural characterization of potentially therapeutic viral or host cellular targets associated with COVID-19 have been discussed to refine structure-based drug design strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gi Uk Jeong
- Center for Convergence for Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hanra Song
- Division of Therapeutics and Biotechnology, KRICT, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Gun Young Yoon
- Center for Convergence for Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Doyoun Kim
- Division of Therapeutics and Biotechnology, KRICT, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Young-Chan Kwon
- Center for Convergence for Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, South Korea
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45
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Wu J, Yuan X, Wang B, Gu R, Li W, Xiang X, Tang L, Sun H. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: From Gene Structure to Pathogenic Mechanisms and Potential Therapy. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1576. [PMID: 32719672 PMCID: PMC7347906 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly emerging respiratory virus with high morbidity, which was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by World Health Organization (WHO). COVID-19 has triggered a series of threats to global public health. Even worse, new cases of COVID-19 infection are still increasing rapidly. Therefore, it is imperative that various effective vaccines and drugs should be developed to prevent and treat COVID-19 and reduce the serious impact on human beings. For this purpose, detailed information about the pathogenesis of COVID-19 at the cellular and molecular levels is urgently needed. In this review, we summarized the current understanding on gene structure, protein function, and pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. Based on the above, we refined the correlations among gene structure, protein function, and pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, we further discussed potential therapeutic targets, aiming to accelerate the advanced design and development of vaccines and therapeutic drugs against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohui Yuan
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Rui Gu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuemei Xiang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
| | - Lijun Tang
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongyu Sun
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
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46
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Bzówka M, Mitusińska K, Raczyńska A, Samol A, Tuszyński JA, Góra A. Structural and Evolutionary Analysis Indicate That the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Is a Challenging Target for Small-Molecule Inhibitor Design. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3099. [PMID: 32353978 PMCID: PMC7247150 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus whose outbreak took place in December 2019 continues to spread at a rapid rate worldwide. In the absence of an effective vaccine, inhibitor repurposing or de novo drug design may offer a longer-term strategy to combat this and future infections due to similar viruses. Here, we report on detailed classical and mixed-solvent molecular dynamics simulations of the main protease (Mpro) enriched by evolutionary and stability analysis of the protein. The results were compared with those for a highly similar severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) Mpro protein. In spite of a high level of sequence similarity, the active sites in both proteins showed major differences in both shape and size, indicating that repurposing SARS drugs for COVID-19 may be futile. Furthermore, analysis of the binding site's conformational changes during the simulation time indicated its flexibility and plasticity, which dashes hopes for rapid and reliable drug design. Conversely, structural stability of the protein with respect to flexible loop mutations indicated that the virus' mutability will pose a further challenge to the rational design of small-molecule inhibitors. However, few residues contribute significantly to the protein stability and thus can be considered as key anchoring residues for Mpro inhibitor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Bzówka
- Tunneling Group, Biotechnology Centre, ul. Krzywoustego 8, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Karolina Mitusińska
- Tunneling Group, Biotechnology Centre, ul. Krzywoustego 8, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Agata Raczyńska
- Tunneling Group, Biotechnology Centre, ul. Krzywoustego 8, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Samol
- Tunneling Group, Biotechnology Centre, ul. Krzywoustego 8, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Jack A. Tuszyński
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmont, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
- DIMEAS, Politecnino di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129 Turin, Italy
| | - Artur Góra
- Tunneling Group, Biotechnology Centre, ul. Krzywoustego 8, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
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47
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Zhang L, Lin D, Sun X, Curth U, Drosten C, Sauerhering L, Becker S, Rox K, Hilgenfeld R. Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease provides a basis for design of improved α-ketoamide inhibitors. Science 2020. [PMID: 32198291 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global health emergency. An attractive drug target among coronaviruses is the main protease (Mpro, also called 3CLpro) because of its essential role in processing the polyproteins that are translated from the viral RNA. We report the x-ray structures of the unliganded SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and its complex with an α-ketoamide inhibitor. This was derived from a previously designed inhibitor but with the P3-P2 amide bond incorporated into a pyridone ring to enhance the half-life of the compound in plasma. On the basis of the unliganded structure, we developed the lead compound into a potent inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro The pharmacokinetic characterization of the optimized inhibitor reveals a pronounced lung tropism and suitability for administration by the inhalative route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhang
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Daizong Lin
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Changchun Discovery Sciences Ltd., 789 Shunda Road, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Xinyuanyuan Sun
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ute Curth
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucie Sauerhering
- Institute of Virology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Rox
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Site, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rolf Hilgenfeld
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
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48
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Zhang L, Lin D, Sun X, Curth U, Drosten C, Sauerhering L, Becker S, Rox K, Hilgenfeld R. Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease provides a basis for design of improved α-ketoamide inhibitors. Science 2020. [PMID: 32198291 DOI: 10.1126/science:abb3405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global health emergency. An attractive drug target among coronaviruses is the main protease (Mpro, also called 3CLpro) because of its essential role in processing the polyproteins that are translated from the viral RNA. We report the x-ray structures of the unliganded SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and its complex with an α-ketoamide inhibitor. This was derived from a previously designed inhibitor but with the P3-P2 amide bond incorporated into a pyridone ring to enhance the half-life of the compound in plasma. On the basis of the unliganded structure, we developed the lead compound into a potent inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro The pharmacokinetic characterization of the optimized inhibitor reveals a pronounced lung tropism and suitability for administration by the inhalative route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhang
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Daizong Lin
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Changchun Discovery Sciences Ltd., 789 Shunda Road, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Xinyuanyuan Sun
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ute Curth
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucie Sauerhering
- Institute of Virology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Rox
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Site, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rolf Hilgenfeld
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
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Zhang L, Lin D, Sun X, Curth U, Drosten C, Sauerhering L, Becker S, Rox K, Hilgenfeld R. Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease provides a basis for design of improved α-ketoamide inhibitors. Science 2020; 368:409-412. [PMID: 32198291 PMCID: PMC7164518 DOI: 10.1126/science.abb3405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2111] [Impact Index Per Article: 527.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global health emergency. An attractive drug target among coronaviruses is the main protease (Mpro, also called 3CLpro) because of its essential role in processing the polyproteins that are translated from the viral RNA. We report the x-ray structures of the unliganded SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and its complex with an α-ketoamide inhibitor. This was derived from a previously designed inhibitor but with the P3-P2 amide bond incorporated into a pyridone ring to enhance the half-life of the compound in plasma. On the basis of the unliganded structure, we developed the lead compound into a potent inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro The pharmacokinetic characterization of the optimized inhibitor reveals a pronounced lung tropism and suitability for administration by the inhalative route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhang
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Daizong Lin
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- Changchun Discovery Sciences Ltd., 789 Shunda Road, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Xinyuanyuan Sun
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ute Curth
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucie Sauerhering
- Institute of Virology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Rox
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Site, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rolf Hilgenfeld
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
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50
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Structurally- and dynamically-driven allostery of the chymotrypsin-like proteases of SARS, Dengue and Zika viruses. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 143:52-66. [PMID: 30217495 PMCID: PMC7111307 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus 3C-like and Flavivirus NS2B-NS3 proteases utilize the chymotrypsin fold to harbor their catalytic machineries but also contain additional domains/co-factors. Over the past decade, we aimed to decipher how the extra domains/co-factors mediate the catalytic machineries of SARS 3C-like, Dengue and Zika NS2B-NS3 proteases by characterizing their folding, structures, dynamics and inhibition with NMR, X-ray crystallography and MD simulations, and the results revealed: 1) the chymotrypsin fold of the SARS 3C-like protease can independently fold, while, by contrast, those of Dengue and Zika proteases lack the intrinsic capacity to fold without co-factors. 2) Mutations on the extra domain of SARS 3C-like protease can transform the active catalytic machinery into the inactive collapsed state by structurally-driven allostery. 3) Amazingly, even without detectable structural changes, mutations on the extra domain are sufficient to either inactivate or enhance the catalytic machinery of SARS 3C-like protease by dynamically-driven allostery. 4) Global networks of correlated motions have been identified: for SARS 3C-like protease, N214A inactivates the catalytic machinery by decoupling the network, while STI/A and STIF/A enhance by altering the patterns of the network. The global networks of Dengue and Zika proteases are coordinated by their NS2B-cofactors. 5) Natural products were identified to allosterically inhibit Zika and Dengue proteases through binding a pocket on the back of the active site. Therefore, by introducing extra domains/cofactors, nature develops diverse strategies to regulate the catalytic machinery embedded on the chymotrypsin fold through folding, structurally- and dynamically-driven allostery, all of which might be exploited to develop antiviral drugs.
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