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Goldstein SA, Feeley TM, Babler KM, Hilbert ZA, Downhour DM, Moshiri N, Elde NC. Hidden evolutionary constraints dictate the retention of coronavirus accessory genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.12.561935. [PMID: 37873270 PMCID: PMC10592793 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.12.561935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses exhibit many mechanisms of genetic innovation (1-5), including the acquisition of accessory genes that originate by capture of cellular genes or through duplication of existing viral genes (6,7). Accessory genes influence viral host range and cellular tropism, but little is known about how selection acts on these variable regions of virus genomes. We used experimental evolution of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) encoding a cellular AKAP7 phosphodiesterase and an inactive native phosphodiesterase, NS2 (ref 8) to simulate the capture of a host gene and analyze its evolution. After courses of serial infection, the gene encoding inactive NS2, ORF2, unexpectedly remained intact, suggesting it is under cryptic constraint uncoupled from the function of NS2. In contrast, AKAP7 was retained under strong selection but rapidly lost under relaxed selection. Guided by the retention of ORF2 and similar patterns in related betacoronaviruses, we analyzed ORF8 of SARS-CoV-2, which arose via gene duplication6 and contains premature stop codons in several globally successful lineages. As with MHV ORF2, the coding-defective SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 gene remains largely intact, mirroring patterns observed during MHV experimental evolution, challenging assumptions on the dynamics of gene loss in virus genomes and extending these findings to viruses currently adapting to humans.
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Srivastava M, Dukeshire MR, Mir Q, Omoru OB, Manzourolajdad A, Janga SC. Experimental and computational methods for studying the dynamics of RNA-RNA interactions in SARS-COV2 genomes. Brief Funct Genomics 2024; 23:46-54. [PMID: 36752040 PMCID: PMC10799312 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elac050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-range ribonucleic acid (RNA)-RNA interactions (RRI) are prevalent in positive-strand RNA viruses, including Beta-coronaviruses, and these take part in regulatory roles, including the regulation of sub-genomic RNA production rates. Crosslinking of interacting RNAs and short read-based deep sequencing of resulting RNA-RNA hybrids have shown that these long-range structures exist in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 on both genomic and sub-genomic levels and in dynamic topologies. Furthermore, co-evolution of coronaviruses with their hosts is navigated by genetic variations made possible by its large genome, high recombination frequency and a high mutation rate. SARS-CoV-2's mutations are known to occur spontaneously during replication, and thousands of aggregate mutations have been reported since the emergence of the virus. Although many long-range RRIs have been experimentally identified using high-throughput methods for the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 strain, evolutionary trajectory of these RRIs across variants, impact of mutations on RRIs and interaction of SARS-CoV-2 RNAs with the host have been largely open questions in the field. In this review, we summarize recent computational tools and experimental methods that have been enabling the mapping of RRIs in viral genomes, with a specific focus on SARS-CoV-2. We also present available informatics resources to navigate the RRI maps and shed light on the impact of mutations on the RRI space in viral genomes. Investigating the evolution of long-range RNA interactions and that of virus-host interactions can contribute to the understanding of new and emerging variants as well as aid in developing improved RNA therapeutics critical for combating future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Srivastava
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University Purdue University, 535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East 3 St, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA
| | - Matthew R Dukeshire
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University Purdue University, 535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
| | - Quoseena Mir
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University Purdue University, 535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
| | - Okiemute Beatrice Omoru
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University Purdue University, 535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
| | - Amirhossein Manzourolajdad
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University Purdue University, 535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
| | - Sarath Chandra Janga
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University Purdue University, 535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Medical Research and Library Building, 975 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 5021 Health Information and Translational Sciences (HITS), 410 West 10th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
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Gao X, Xia Y, Liu X, Xu Y, Lu P, dong Z, Liu J, Liang G. A perspective on SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles vaccines. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 115:109650. [PMID: 36649673 PMCID: PMC9832101 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has spread to almost all corners of the world at an alarming rate. Vaccination is important for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts are underway worldwide to develop an effective vaccine against COVID-19 using both traditional and innovative vaccine strategies. Compared to other vaccine platforms, SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (VLPs )vaccines, as a new vaccine platform, have unique advantages: they have artificial nanostructures similar to natural SARS-CoV-2, which can stimulate good cellular and humoral immune responses in the organism; they have no viral nucleic acids, have good safety and thermal stability, and can be mass-produced and stored; their surfaces can be processed and modified, such as the adjuvant addition, etc.; they can be considered as an ideal platform for COVID-19 vaccine development. This review aims to shed light on the current knowledge and progress of VLPs vaccines against COVID-19, especially those undergoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Gao
- Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University of Science & Technology, Luoyang 471023, China
| | - Yeting Xia
- Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Xiaofang Liu
- The First People's Hospital of Nanyang Affiliated to Henan University, Nanyang 473000, China
| | - Yinlan Xu
- School of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan Province 453003, China
| | - Pengyang Lu
- Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Zhipeng dong
- Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China.
| | - Gaofeng Liang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University of Science & Technology, Luoyang 471023, China.
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Variant-Specific Analysis Reveals a Novel Long-Range RNA-RNA Interaction in SARS-CoV-2 Orf1a. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911050. [PMID: 36232353 PMCID: PMC9570297 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the pathology of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA virus and its life cycle has been the priority of many researchers. Currently, new variants of the virus have emerged with various levels of pathogenicity and abundance within the human-host population. Although much of viral pathogenicity is attributed to the viral Spike protein’s binding affinity to human lung cells’ ACE2 receptor, comprehensive knowledge on the distinctive features of viral variants that might affect their life cycle and pathogenicity is yet to be attained. Recent in vivo studies into the RNA structure of the SARS-CoV-2 genome have revealed certain long-range RNA-RNA interactions. Using in silico predictions and a large population of SARS-CoV-2 sequences, we observed variant-specific evolutionary changes for certain long-range RRIs. We also found statistical evidence for the existence of one of the thermodynamic-based RRI predictions, namely Comp1, in the Beta variant sequences. A similar test that disregarded sequence variant information did not, however, lead to significant results. When performing population-based analyses, aggregate tests may fail to identify novel interactions due to variant-specific changes. Variant-specific analyses can result in de novo RRI identification.
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