1
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Matheny CJ, Qadota H, Bailey AO, Valdebenito-Silva S, Oberhauser AF, Benian GM. The myosin chaperone UNC-45 has an important role in maintaining the structure and function of muscle sarcomeres during adult aging. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:ar98. [PMID: 38809582 PMCID: PMC11244168 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-12-0488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
C. elegans undergo age-dependent declines in muscle organization and function, similar to human sarcopenia. The chaperone UNC-45 is required to fold myosin heads after translation and is likely used for refolding after thermally- or chemically-induced unfolding. UNC-45's TPR region binds HSP-90 and its UCS domain binds myosin heads. We observe early onset sarcopenia when UNC-45 is reduced at the beginning of adulthood. There is sequential decline of HSP-90, UNC-45, and MHC B myosin. A mutation in age-1 delays sarcopenia and loss of HSP-90, UNC-45, and myosin. UNC-45 undergoes age-dependent phosphorylation, and mass spectrometry reveals phosphorylation of six serines and two threonines, seven of which occur in the UCS domain. Additional expression of UNC-45 results in maintenance of MHC B myosin and suppression of A-band disorganization in old animals. Our results suggest that increased expression or activity of UNC-45 might be a strategy for prevention or treatment of sarcopenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiroshi Qadota
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Aaron O Bailey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550
| | | | - Andres F Oberhauser
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550
| | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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2
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Wang D, Zhang Z, Baudys J, Haynes C, Osman SH, Zhou B, Barr JR, Gumbart JC. Enhanced Surface Accessibility of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Spike Protein Due to an Altered Glycosylation Profile. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:2032-2046. [PMID: 38728322 PMCID: PMC11184558 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) proteins undergo extensive glycosylation, aiding in proper folding, enhancing stability, and evading host immune surveillance. In this study, we used mass spectrometric analysis to elucidate the N-glycosylation characteristics and disulfide bonding of recombinant spike proteins derived from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) in comparison with the D614G spike variant. Furthermore, we conducted microsecond-long molecular dynamics simulations on spike proteins to resolve how the different N-glycans impact spike conformational sampling in the two variants. Our findings reveal that the Omicron spike protein maintains an overall resemblance to the D614G spike variant in terms of site-specific glycan processing and disulfide bond formation. Nonetheless, alterations in glycans were observed at certain N-glycosylation sites. These changes, in synergy with mutations within the Omicron spike protein, result in increased surface accessibility of the macromolecule, including the ectodomain, receptor-binding domain, and N-terminal domain. Additionally, mutagenesis and pull-down assays reveal the role of glycosylation of a specific sequon (N149); furthermore, the correlation of MD simulation and HDX-MS identified several high-dynamic areas of the spike proteins. These insights contribute to our understanding of the interplay between structure and function, thereby advancing effective vaccination and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxia Wang
- National
Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30322 United States
| | - Zijian Zhang
- School
of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 United States
| | - Jakub Baudys
- National
Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30322 United States
| | - Christopher Haynes
- National
Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30322 United States
| | - Sarah H. Osman
- National
Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30322 United States
| | - Bin Zhou
- National
Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30322 United States
| | - John R. Barr
- National
Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30322 United States
| | - James C. Gumbart
- School
of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 United States
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3
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Wang S, Ran W, Sun L, Fan Q, Zhao Y, Wang B, Yang J, He Y, Wu Y, Wang Y, Chen L, Chuchuay A, You Y, Zhu X, Wang X, Chen Y, Wang Y, Chen YQ, Yuan Y, Zhao J, Mao Y. Sequential glycosylations at the multibasic cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein regulate viral activity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4162. [PMID: 38755139 PMCID: PMC11099032 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48503-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The multibasic furin cleavage site at the S1/S2 boundary of the spike protein is a hallmark of SARS-CoV-2 and plays a crucial role in viral infection. However, the mechanism underlying furin activation and its regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we show that GalNAc-T3 and T7 jointly initiate clustered O-glycosylations in the furin cleavage site of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which inhibit furin processing, suppress the incorporation of the spike protein into virus-like-particles and affect viral infection. Mechanistic analysis reveals that the assembly of the spike protein into virus-like particles relies on interactions between the furin-cleaved spike protein and the membrane protein of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting a possible mechanism for furin activation. Interestingly, mutations in the spike protein of the alpha and delta variants of the virus confer resistance against glycosylation by GalNAc-T3 and T7. In the omicron variant, additional mutations reverse this resistance, making the spike protein susceptible to glycosylation in vitro and sensitive to GalNAc-T3 and T7 expression in human lung cells. Our findings highlight the role of glycosylation as a defense mechanism employed by host cells against SARS-CoV-2 and shed light on the evolutionary interplay between the host and the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjun Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Wei Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lingyu Sun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingchi Fan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanqi Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Foshan Institute for Food and Drug Control, Foshan, China
| | - Bowen Wang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jinghong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuqi He
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Luoyi Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Arpaporn Chuchuay
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuyu You
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinhai Zhu
- Instrumental Analysis & Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojuan Wang
- Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ye Chen
- Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yanqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao-Qing Chen
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanqiu Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Discovery and Development, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jincun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Institute of Infectious Disease, Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Bio-island, Guangzhou, China.
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yang Mao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Non-Clinical Evaluation and Research, Guangzhou, China.
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4
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Schwarze M, Volke D, Rojas Echeverri JC, Schick R, Lakowa N, Grünewald T, Wolf J, Borte S, Scholz M, Krizsan A, Hoffmann R. Influence of Mutations and N-Glycosylation Sites in the Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD) and the Membrane Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern on Antibody Binding in ELISA. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:207. [PMID: 38666819 PMCID: PMC11047955 DOI: 10.3390/biology13040207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect human cells by first attaching to the ACE-2 receptor via its receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the spike protein. Here, we report the influence of N-glycosylation sites of the RBD and the membrane (M) protein on IgG antibody binding in serum samples from patients infected with the original SARS-CoV-2 strain in Germany. The RBDs of the wildtype, alpha, beta, gamma, and kappa variants expressed in HEK293S GnTI- cells were all N-glycosylated at Asn331, Asn334, Asn343, and Asn360 or Asn370, whereas the M-protein was glycosylated at Asn5. An ELISA using a coated RBD and probed with anti-RBD IgG antibodies gave a sensitivity of 96.3% and a specificity of 100% for the wildtype RBD, while the sensitivity decreased by 5% to 10% for the variants of concern, essentially in the order of appearance. Deglycosylation of the wildtype RBD strongly reduced antibody recognition by ~20%, considering the mean of the absorbances recorded for the ELISA. This effect was even stronger for the unglycosylated RBD expressed in Escherichia coli, suggesting structural changes affecting epitope recognition. Interestingly, the N-glycosylated M-protein expressed in HEK293S GnTI- cells gave good sensitivity (95%), which also decreased to 65% after deglycosylation, and selectivity (100%). In conclusion, N-glycosylation of the M-protein, the RBD, and most likely the spike protein are important for proper antibody binding and immunological assays, whereas the type of N-glycosylation is less relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Schwarze
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniela Volke
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Juan Camilo Rojas Echeverri
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robin Schick
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Lakowa
- Klinik für Infektions- und Tropenmedizin, Klinikum Chemnitz gGmbH, 09113 Chemnitz, Germany (T.G.)
| | - Thomas Grünewald
- Klinik für Infektions- und Tropenmedizin, Klinikum Chemnitz gGmbH, 09113 Chemnitz, Germany (T.G.)
| | - Johannes Wolf
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital St. Georg gGmbH, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
- Immuno Deficiency Center Leipzig, Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, Hospital St. Georg gGmbH, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephan Borte
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital St. Georg gGmbH, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
- Immuno Deficiency Center Leipzig, Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, Hospital St. Georg gGmbH, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Scholz
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Universität Leipzig, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
- LIFE Research Center of Civilization Diseases, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andor Krizsan
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ralf Hoffmann
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (M.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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5
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Pasala C, Sharma S, Roychowdhury T, Moroni E, Colombo G, Chiosis G. N-Glycosylation as a Modulator of Protein Conformation and Assembly in Disease. Biomolecules 2024; 14:282. [PMID: 38540703 PMCID: PMC10968129 DOI: 10.3390/biom14030282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation, a prevalent post-translational modification, plays a pivotal role in regulating intricate cellular processes by covalently attaching glycans to macromolecules. Dysregulated glycosylation is linked to a spectrum of diseases, encompassing cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, congenital disorders, infections, and inflammation. This review delves into the intricate interplay between glycosylation and protein conformation, with a specific focus on the profound impact of N-glycans on the selection of distinct protein conformations characterized by distinct interactomes-namely, protein assemblies-under normal and pathological conditions across various diseases. We begin by examining the spike protein of the SARS virus, illustrating how N-glycans regulate the infectivity of pathogenic agents. Subsequently, we utilize the prion protein and the chaperone glucose-regulated protein 94 as examples, exploring instances where N-glycosylation transforms physiological protein structures into disease-associated forms. Unraveling these connections provides valuable insights into potential therapeutic avenues and a deeper comprehension of the molecular intricacies that underlie disease conditions. This exploration of glycosylation's influence on protein conformation effectively bridges the gap between the glycome and disease, offering a comprehensive perspective on the therapeutic implications of targeting conformational mutants and their pathologic assemblies in various diseases. The goal is to unravel the nuances of these post-translational modifications, shedding light on how they contribute to the intricate interplay between protein conformation, assembly, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiranjeevi Pasala
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (C.P.); (S.S.); (T.R.)
| | - Sahil Sharma
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (C.P.); (S.S.); (T.R.)
| | - Tanaya Roychowdhury
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (C.P.); (S.S.); (T.R.)
| | - Elisabetta Moroni
- The Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies (SCITEC), Italian National Research Council (CNR), 20131 Milano, Italy; (E.M.); (G.C.)
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- The Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies (SCITEC), Italian National Research Council (CNR), 20131 Milano, Italy; (E.M.); (G.C.)
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Gabriela Chiosis
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (C.P.); (S.S.); (T.R.)
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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6
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Lusvarghi S, Stauft CB, Vassell R, Williams B, Baha H, Wang W, Neerukonda SN, Wang T, Weiss CD. Effects of N-glycan modifications on spike expression, virus infectivity, and neutralization sensitivity in ancestral compared to Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011788. [PMID: 37943965 PMCID: PMC10662749 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein has 22 potential N-linked glycosylation sites per monomer that are highly conserved among diverse variants, but how individual glycans affect virus entry and neutralization of Omicron variants has not been extensively characterized. Here we compared the effects of specific glycan deletions or modifications in the Omicron BA.1 and D614G spikes on spike expression, processing, and incorporation into pseudoviruses, as well as on virus infectivity and neutralization by therapeutic antibodies. We found that loss of potential glycans at spike residues N717 and N801 each conferred a loss of pseudovirus infectivity for Omicron but not for D614G or Delta variants. This decrease in infectivity correlated with decreased spike processing and incorporation into Omicron pseudoviruses. Oligomannose-enriched Omicron pseudoviruses generated in GnTI- cells or in the presence of kifunensine were non-infectious, whereas D614G or Delta pseudoviruses generated under similar conditions remained infectious. Similarly, growth of live (authentic) SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of kifunensine resulted in a greater reduction of titers for the BA.1.1 variant than Delta or D614G variants relative to their respective, untreated controls. Finally, we found that loss of some N-glycans, including N343 and N234, increased the maximum percent neutralization by the class 3 S309 monoclonal antibody against D614G but not BA.1 variants, while these glycan deletions altered the neutralization potency of the class 1 COV2-2196 and Etesevimab monoclonal antibodies without affecting maximum percent neutralization. The maximum neutralization by some antibodies also varied with the glycan composition, with oligomannose-enriched pseudoviruses conferring the highest percent neutralization. These results highlight differences in the interactions between glycans and residues among SARS-CoV-2 variants that can affect spike expression, virus infectivity, and susceptibility of variants to antibody neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Lusvarghi
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Charles B. Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Russell Vassell
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brittany Williams
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Haseebullah Baha
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Wei Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sabari Nath Neerukonda
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tony Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Carol D. Weiss
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
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7
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Onigbinde S, Reyes CDG, Fowowe M, Daramola O, Atashi M, Bennett AI, Mechref Y. Variations in O-Glycosylation Patterns Influence Viral Pathogenicity, Infectivity, and Transmissibility in SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1467. [PMID: 37892149 PMCID: PMC10604390 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The highly glycosylated S protein plays a vital role in host cell invasion, making it the principal target for vaccine development. Differences in mutations observed on the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants may result in distinct glycosylation patterns, thus influencing immunological evasion, infectivity, and transmissibility. The glycans can mask key epitopes on the S1 protein and alter its structural conformation, allowing the virus to escape the immune system. Therefore, we comprehensively characterize O-glycosylation in eleven variants of SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunits to understand the differences observed in the biology of the variants. In-depth characterization was performed with a double digestion strategy and an efficient LC-MS/MS approach. We observed that O-glycosylation is highly conserved across all variants in the region between the NTD and RBD, whereas other domains and regions exhibit variation in O-glycosylation. Notably, omicron has the highest number of O-glycosylation sites on the S1 subunit. Also, omicron has the highest level of sialylation in the RBD and RBM functional motifs. Our findings may shed light on how differences in O-glycosylation impact viral pathogenicity in variants of SARS-CoV-2 and facilitate the development of a robust vaccine with high protective efficacy against the variants of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yehia Mechref
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA; (S.O.); (C.D.G.R.); (M.F.); (O.D.); (M.A.); (A.I.B.)
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8
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Bains A, Guan W, LiWang PJ. The Effect of Select SARS-CoV-2 N-Linked Glycan and Variant of Concern Spike Protein Mutations on C-Type Lectin-Receptor-Mediated Infection. Viruses 2023; 15:1901. [PMID: 37766307 PMCID: PMC10535197 DOI: 10.3390/v15091901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virion has shown remarkable resilience, capable of mutating to escape immune detection and re-establishing infectious capabilities despite new vaccine rollouts. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify relatively immutable epitopes on the SARS-CoV-2 virion that are resistant to future mutations the virus may accumulate. While hACE2 has been identified as the receptor that mediates SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility, it is only modestly expressed in lung tissue. C-type lectin receptors like DC-SIGN can act as attachment sites to enhance SARS-CoV-2 infection of cells with moderate or low hACE2 expression. We developed an easy-to-implement assay system that allows for the testing of SARS-CoV-2 trans-infection. Using our assay, we assessed how SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1-domain glycans and spike proteins from different strains affected the ability of pseudotyped lentivirions to undergo DC-SIGN-mediated trans-infection. Through our experiments with seven glycan point mutants, two glycan cluster mutants and four strains of SARS-CoV-2 spike, we found that glycans N17 and N122 appear to have significant roles in maintaining COVID-19's infectious capabilities. We further found that the virus cannot retain infectivity upon the loss of multiple glycosylation sites, and that Omicron BA.2 pseudovirions may have an increased ability to bind to other non-lectin receptor proteins on the surface of cells. Taken together, our work opens the door to the development of new therapeutics that can target overlooked epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 virion to prevent C-type lectin-receptor-mediated trans-infection in lung tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjan Bains
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Merced, 5200 North Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343, USA;
| | - Wenyan Guan
- Materials and Biomaterials Science and Engineering, University of California Merced, 5200 North Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343, USA;
| | - Patricia J. LiWang
- Molecular Cell Biology, Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California Merced, 5200 North Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343, USA
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9
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Wang D, Baudys J, Osman SH, Barr JR. Analysis of the N-glycosylation profiles of the spike proteins from the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants of SARS-CoV-2. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023:10.1007/s00216-023-04771-y. [PMID: 37354227 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04771-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
N-Glycosylation plays an important role in the structure and function of membrane and secreted proteins. Viral proteins used in cell entry are often extensively glycosylated to assist in protein folding, provide stability, and shield the virus from immune recognition by its host (described as a "glycan shield"). The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S) is a prime example, having 22 potential sites of N-glycosylation per protein protomer, as predicted from the primary sequence. In this report, we conducted mass spectrometric analysis of the N-glycosylation profiles of recombinant spike proteins derived from four common SARS-CoV-2 variants classified as Variant of Concern, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta along with D614G variant spike as a control. Our data reveal that the amino acid substitutions and deletions between variants impact the abundance and type of glycans on glycosylation sites of the spike protein. Some of the N-glycosylation sequons in S show differences between SARS-CoV-2 variants in the distribution of glycan forms. In comparison with our previously reported site-specific glycan analysis on the S-D614G and its ancestral protein, glycan types on later variants showed high similarity on the site-specific glycan content to S-D614G. Additionally, we applied multiple digestion methods on each sample, and confirmed the results for individual glycosylation sites from different experiment conditions to improve the identification and quantification of glycopeptides. Detailed site-specific glycan analysis of a wide variety of SARS-CoV-2 variants provides useful information toward the understanding of the role of protein glycosylation on viral protein structure and function and development of effective vaccines and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxia Wang
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Jakub Baudys
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sarah H Osman
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - John R Barr
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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10
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Muñoz-Basagoiti J, Monteiro FLL, Krumpe LRH, Armario-Najera V, Shenoy SR, Perez-Zsolt D, Westgarth HJ, Villorbina G, Bomfim LM, Raïch-Regué D, Nogueras L, Henrich CJ, Gallemí M, Moreira FRR, Torres P, Wilson J, D’arc M, Marfil S, Herlinger AL, Pradenas E, Higa LM, Portero-Otin M, Trinité B, Twyman RM, Capell T, Tanuri A, Blanco J, Izquierdo-Useros N, Rech EL, Christou P, O’Keefe BR. Cyanovirin-N binds to select SARS-CoV-2 spike oligosaccharides outside of the receptor binding domain and blocks infection by SARS-CoV-2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2214561120. [PMID: 36853940 PMCID: PMC10013841 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214561120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped positive stranded RNA virus which has caused the recent deadly pandemic called COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virion is coated with a heavily glycosylated Spike glycoprotein which is responsible for attachment and entry into target cells. One, as yet unexploited strategy for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections, is the targeting of the glycans on Spike. Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins produced by plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Some lectins can neutralize enveloped viruses displaying external glycoproteins, offering an alternative therapeutic approach for the prevention of infection with virulent β-coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. Here we show that the cyanobacterial lectin cyanovirin-N (CV-N) can selectively target SARS-CoV-2 Spike oligosaccharides and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro and in vivo. CV-N neutralizes Delta and Omicron variants in vitro better than earlier circulating viral variants. CV-N binds selectively to Spike with a Kd as low as 15 nM and a stoichiometry of 2 CV-N: 1 Spike but does not bind to the receptor binding domain (RBD). Further mapping of CV-N binding sites on Spike shows that select high-mannose oligosaccharides in the S1 domain of Spike are targeted by CV-N. CV-N also reduced viral loads in the nares and lungs in vivo to protect hamsters against a lethal viral challenge. In summary, we present an anti-coronavirus agent that works by an unexploited mechanism and prevents infection by a broad range of SARS-CoV-2 strains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fábio Luís Lima Monteiro
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro21941-90, Brazil
| | - Lauren R. H. Krumpe
- Molecular Targets Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD21702
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD21702
| | - Victoria Armario-Najera
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida25198, Spain
| | - Shilpa R. Shenoy
- Molecular Targets Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD21702
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD21702
| | - Daniel Perez-Zsolt
- IrsiCaixa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
| | - Harrison James Westgarth
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro21941-90, Brazil
| | - Gemma Villorbina
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida25198, Spain
| | - Larissa Maciel Bomfim
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro21941-90, Brazil
| | - Dàlia Raïch-Regué
- IrsiCaixa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
| | - Lara Nogueras
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida25198, Spain
| | - Curtis J. Henrich
- Molecular Targets Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD21702
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD21702
| | - Marçal Gallemí
- IrsiCaixa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
| | - Filipe Romero Rebello Moreira
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro21941-90, Brazil
| | - Pascual Torres
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida25198, Spain
| | - Jennifer Wilson
- Molecular Targets Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD21702
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD21702
| | - Mirela D’arc
- Laboratory of Diversity and Viral Diseases, Institute of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro21941-90, Brazil
| | - Silvia Marfil
- IrsiCaixa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
| | - Alice Laschuk Herlinger
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro21941-90, Brazil
| | - Edwards Pradenas
- IrsiCaixa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
| | - Luiza Mendonça Higa
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro21941-90, Brazil
| | - Manuel Portero-Otin
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida25198, Spain
| | - Benjamin Trinité
- IrsiCaixa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
| | | | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida25198, Spain
| | - Amilcar Tanuri
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro21941-90, Brazil
| | - Julià Blanco
- IrsiCaixa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid28029, Spain
- Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya, Vic08500, Spain
| | - Nuria Izquierdo-Useros
- IrsiCaixa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Badalona08916, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid28029, Spain
| | - Elibio L. Rech
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology National Institute of Science and Technology in Synthetic Biology, Brasília70770-917, Brazil
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida25198, Spain
- ICREA, Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona08010, Spain
| | - Barry R. O’Keefe
- Molecular Targets Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD21702
- Natural Products Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD21702
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11
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Vu MN, Lokugamage KG, Plante JA, Scharton D, Bailey AO, Sotcheff S, Swetnam DM, Johnson BA, Schindewolf C, Alvarado RE, Crocquet-Valdes PA, Debbink K, Weaver SC, Walker DH, Russell WK, Routh AL, Plante KS, Menachery VD. QTQTN motif upstream of the furin-cleavage site plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2205690119. [PMID: 35881779 PMCID: PMC9371735 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205690119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The furin cleavage site (FCS), an unusual feature in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, has been spotlighted as a factor key to facilitating infection and pathogenesis by increasing spike processing. Similarly, the QTQTN motif directly upstream of the FCS is also an unusual feature for group 2B coronaviruses (CoVs). The QTQTN deletion has consistently been observed in in vitro cultured virus stocks and some clinical isolates. To determine whether the QTQTN motif is critical to SARS-CoV-2 replication and pathogenesis, we generated a mutant deleting the QTQTN motif (ΔQTQTN). Here, we report that the QTQTN deletion attenuates viral replication in respiratory cells in vitro and attenuates disease in vivo. The deletion results in a shortened, more rigid peptide loop that contains the FCS and is less accessible to host proteases, such as TMPRSS2. Thus, the deletion reduced the efficiency of spike processing and attenuates SARS-CoV-2 infection. Importantly, the QTQTN motif also contains residues that are glycosylated, and disruption of its glycosylation also attenuates virus replication in a TMPRSS2-dependent manner. Together, our results reveal that three aspects of the S1/S2 cleavage site-the FCS, loop length, and glycosylation-are required for efficient SARS-CoV-2 replication and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle N. Vu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Kumari G. Lokugamage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Jessica A. Plante
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Dionna Scharton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Aaron O. Bailey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Stephanea Sotcheff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Daniele M. Swetnam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Bryan A. Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Craig Schindewolf
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - R. Elias Alvarado
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
| | | | - Kari Debbink
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21211
| | - Scott C. Weaver
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - David H. Walker
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - William K. Russell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Andrew L. Routh
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Kenneth S. Plante
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Vineet D. Menachery
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
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12
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Campos D, Girgis M, Sanda M. Site-specific glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2: Big challenges in mass spectrometry analysis. Proteomics 2022; 22:e2100322. [PMID: 35700310 PMCID: PMC9349404 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202100322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glycosylation of viral proteins is required for the progeny formation and infectivity of virtually all viruses. It is increasingly clear that distinct glycans also play pivotal roles in the virus's ability to shield and evade the host's immune system. Recently, there has been a great advancement in structural identification and quantitation of viral glycosylation, especially spike proteins. Given the ongoing pandemic and the high demand for structure analysis of SARS-CoV-2 densely glycosylated spike protein, mass spectrometry methodologies have been employed to accurately determine glycosylation patterns. There are still many challenges in the determination of site-specific glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein. This is compounded by some conflicting results regarding glycan site occupancy and glycan structural characterization. These are probably due to differences in the expression systems, form of expressed spike glycoprotein, MS methodologies, and analysis software. In this review, we recap the glycosylation of spike protein and compare among various studies. Also, we describe the most recent advancements in glycosylation analysis in greater detail and we explain some misinterpretation of previously observed data in recent publications. Our study provides a comprehensive view of the spike protein glycosylation and highlights the importance of consistent glycosylation determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Campos
- Max‐Planck‐Institut fuer Herz‐ und LungenforschungBad NauheimGermany
| | - Michael Girgis
- Department of BioengineeringVolgenau School of Engineering and ComputingGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVirginiaUSA
| | - Miloslav Sanda
- Max‐Planck‐Institut fuer Herz‐ und LungenforschungBad NauheimGermany
- Clinical and Translational Glycoscience Research CenterGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
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13
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Stagnoli S, Peccati F, Connell SR, Martinez-Castillo A, Charro D, Millet O, Bruzzone C, Palazon A, Ardá A, Jiménez-Barbero J, Ereño-Orbea J, Abrescia NGA, Jiménez-Osés G. Assessing the Mobility of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Spike Protein Glycans by Structural and Computational Methods. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:870938. [PMID: 35495643 PMCID: PMC9053831 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.870938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Two years after its emergence, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains difficult to control despite the availability of several vaccines. The extensively glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, which mediates host cell entry by binding to the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its receptor binding domain (RBD), is the major target of neutralizing antibodies. Like to many other viral fusion proteins, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein utilizes a glycan shield to thwart the host immune response. To grasp the influence of chemical signatures on carbohydrate mobility and reconcile the cryo-EM density of specific glycans we combined our cryo-EM map of the S ectodomain to 4.1 Å resolution, reconstructed from a limited number of particles, and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Chemical modifications modeled on representative glycans (defucosylation, sialylation and addition of terminal LacNAc units) show no significant influence on either protein shielding or glycan flexibility. By estimating at selected sites the local correlation between the full density map and atomic model-based maps derived from molecular dynamics simulations, we provide insight into the geometries of the α-Man-(1→3)-[α-Man-(1→6)-]-β-Man-(1→4)-β-GlcNAc(1→4)-β-GlcNAc core common to all N-glycosylation sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soledad Stagnoli
- Structure and Cell Biology of Viruses Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Francesca Peccati
- Computational Chemistry Lab, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Sean R. Connell
- Structure and Cell Biology of Viruses Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Structural Biology Unit, BioCruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Ane Martinez-Castillo
- Structure and Cell Biology of Viruses Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Diego Charro
- Structure and Cell Biology of Viruses Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Oscar Millet
- Precision Medicine and Metabolism Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Chiara Bruzzone
- Precision Medicine and Metabolism Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Asis Palazon
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Lab, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Ana Ardá
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Chemical Glycobiology Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Jesús Jiménez-Barbero
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Chemical Glycobiology Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - June Ereño-Orbea
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Chemical Glycobiology Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Nicola G. A. Abrescia
- Structure and Cell Biology of Viruses Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Nicola G. A. Abrescia,
| | - Gonzalo Jiménez-Osés
- Computational Chemistry Lab, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Gonzalo Jiménez-Osés,
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14
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Ropón-Palacios G, Pérez-Silva J, Rojas-Humpire R, Olivos-Ramírez GE, Chenet-Zuta M, Cornejo-Villanueva V, Carmen-Sifuentes S, Otazu K, Ramirez-Díaz YL, Chozo KV, Camps I. Glycosylation is key for enhancing drug recognition into spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. Comput Biol Chem 2022; 98:107668. [PMID: 35339763 PMCID: PMC8941845 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 and its spread since 2019 represents the major public health problem worldwide nowadays, which has generated a high number of infections and deaths. The spike protein (S protein) is the most studied protein of SARS-CoV-2, and key to host-cell entry through ACE2 receptor. This protein presents a large pattern of glycosylations with important roles in immunity and infection mechanisms. Therefore, understanding key aspects of the molecular mechanisms of these structures, during drug recognition in SARS-CoV-2, may contribute to therapeutic alternatives. In this work, we explored the impact of glycosylations on the drug recognition on two domains of the S protein, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the N-terminal domain (NTD) through molecular dynamics simulations and computational biophysics analysis. Our results show that glycosylations in the S protein induce structural stability and changes in rigidity/flexibility related to the number of glycosylations in the structure. These structural changes are important for its biological activity as well as the correct interaction of ligands in the RBD and NTD regions. Additionally, we evidenced a roto-translation phenomenon in the interaction of the ligand with RBD in the absence of glycosylation, which disappears due to the influence of glycosylation and the convergence of metastable states in RBM. Similarly, glycosylations in NTD promote an induced fit phenomenon, which is not observed in the absence of glycosylations; this process is decisive for the activity of the ligand at the cryptic site. Altogether, these results provide an explanation of glycosylation relevance in biophysical properties and drug recognition to S protein of SARS-CoV-2, which must be considered in the rational drug development and virtual screening targeting S protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georcki Ropón-Palacios
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil.
| | - Jhon Pérez-Silva
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Rojas-Humpire
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Gustavo E Olivos-Ramírez
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | | | | | - Sheyla Carmen-Sifuentes
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Kewin Otazu
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Yaritza L Ramirez-Díaz
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Karolyn Vega Chozo
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Ihosvany Camps
- Laboratório de Modelagem Computacional, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil; High Performance & Quantum Computing Labs, Waterloo, Canada.
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