1
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Rasul HO, Thomas NV, Ghafour DD, Aziz BK, Salgado M G, Mendoza-Huizar LH, Candia LG. Searching possible SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors in constituents from herbal medicines using in silico studies. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:4234-4248. [PMID: 37349945 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2220040] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The largest threat to civilization since the Second World War is the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Therefore, there is an urgent need for innovative therapeutic medicines to treat COVID-19. Reusing bio-actives is a workable and efficient strategy in the battle against new epidemics because the process of developing new drugs is time-consuming. This research aimed to identify which herbal remedies had the highest affinity for the receptor and assess a variety of them for potential targets to suppress the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The use of AutoDock Vina for structure-based virtual screening was done first due to the importance of protein interactions in the development of drugs. Molecular docking was used in the comparative study to assess 89 different chemicals from medicinal herbs. To anticipate their effectiveness against the primary protease of SARS-CoV-2, more analysis was done on the ADMET profile, drug-likeness, and Lipinski's rule of five. The next step involved three replicas of 100 ns-long molecular dynamics simulations on the potential candidates, which were preceded by calculations of the binding free energy of MM-GBSA. The outcomes showed that Achyrodimer A, Cinchonain Ib, Symphonone F, and Lupeol acetate all performed well and had the highest 6LU7 binding affinities. Using RMSD, RMSF, and protein-ligand interactions, the stability of the protein-ligand complex was assessed. The studies indicate that bioactive substances obtained from herbal medicines may function as a COVID-19 therapeutic agent, necessitating additional wet lab research to confirm their therapeutic potential, efficacy, and pharmacological capacity against the condition.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hezha O Rasul
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Science, Charmo University, Chamchamal, Sulaimani, Iraq
| | - Noel Vinay Thomas
- Department of BioMedical Science, College of Science, Komar University of Science and Technology, Sulaimani, Iraq
| | - Dlzar D Ghafour
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Science, Komar University of Science and Technology, Sulaimani, Iraq
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimani, Iraq
| | - Bakhtyar K Aziz
- Department of Nanoscience and Applied Chemistry, College of Science, Charmo University, Chamchamal, Sulaimani, Iraq
| | | | - L H Mendoza-Huizar
- Academic Area of Chemistry, Mineral de la Reforma, Autonomous University of Hidalgo State, Hidalgo, México
| | - Lorena Gerli Candia
- Departamento de Química Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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2
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Vega-Rodriguez W, Ly H. Epidemiological, serological, and genetic evidence of influenza D virus infection in humans: Is it a justifiable cause for concern? Virulence 2023; 14:2150443. [PMID: 36411274 PMCID: PMC9817117 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2150443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hinh Ly
- Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, USA,CONTACT Hinh Ly
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3
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Abstract
A new virus, named Langya henipavirus (LayV), has recently been identified in Shandong and Henan provinces in China and has so far infected 35 individuals between April 2018 and August 2021. It is closely related to other known henipaviruses (Nipah and Hendra viruses) that can cause up to 70% human case fatality. Even though LayV has not been shown to be fatal in humans and does not appear to be transmitted from human-to-human, it is an RNA virus with the capacity to evolve genetically in the infected hosts (e.g. shrews) and can infect humans (e.g. farmers who have been in close contacts with shrews). It is therefore important to be vigilant about this new viral outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shania Sanchez
- Comparative and Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Hinh Ly
- Comparative and Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA,CONTACT Hinh Ly Comparative and Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
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4
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van Bree JW, Visser I, Duyvestyn JM, Aguilar-Bretones M, Marshall EM, van Hemert MJ, Pijlman GP, van Nierop GP, Kikkert M, Rockx BH, Miesen P, Fros JJ. Novel approaches for the rapid development of rationally designed arbovirus vaccines. One Health 2023; 16:100565. [PMID: 37363258 PMCID: PMC10288159 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases, including those transmitted by mosquitoes, account for more than 17% of infectious diseases worldwide. This number is expected to rise with an increased spread of vector mosquitoes and viruses due to climate change and man-made alterations to ecosystems. Among the most common, medically relevant mosquito-borne infections are those caused by arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), especially members of the genera Flavivirus and Alphavirus. Arbovirus infections can cause severe disease in humans, livestock and wildlife. Severe consequences from infections include congenital malformations as well as arthritogenic, haemorrhagic or neuroinvasive disease. Inactivated or live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are available for a small number of arboviruses; however there are no licensed vaccines for the majority of these infections. Here we discuss recent developments in pan-arbovirus LAV approaches, from site-directed attenuation strategies targeting conserved determinants of virulence to universal strategies that utilize genome-wide re-coding of viral genomes. In addition to these approaches, we discuss novel strategies targeting mosquito saliva proteins that play an important role in virus transmission and pathogenesis in vertebrate hosts. For rapid pre-clinical evaluations of novel arbovirus vaccine candidates, representative in vitro and in vivo experimental systems are required to assess the desired specific immune responses. Here we discuss promising models to study attenuation of neuroinvasion, neurovirulence and virus transmission, as well as antibody induction and potential for cross-reactivity. Investigating broadly applicable vaccination strategies to target the direct interface of the vertebrate host, the mosquito vector and the viral pathogen is a prime example of a One Health strategy to tackle human and animal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce W.M. van Bree
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Imke Visser
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jo M. Duyvestyn
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Eleanor M. Marshall
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martijn J. van Hemert
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gorben P. Pijlman
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Marjolein Kikkert
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Barry H.G. Rockx
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pascal Miesen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jelke J. Fros
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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5
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Basu R, Moles CM. Rational selection of an ideal oncolytic virus to address current limitations in clinical translation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37541726 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Oncolytic virus therapy (OVT) is a promising modality that leverages the propensity of natural or engineered viruses to selectively replicate in and kill cancer cells. Over the past decade, (pre)clinical studies have focused on the development and testing of adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, and vaccinia virus-based vectors. These studies have identified barriers to success confronting the field. Here, we propose a set of selection criteria or ideal properties of a successful oncolytic virus, which include lack of pathogenicity, low seroprevalence, selectivity (infection and replication), transgene carrying capacity, and genome stability. We use these requirements to analyze the oncolytic virus landscape, and then identify a potentially optimal species for platform development - vesicular stomatitis virus.
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6
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Thakor JC, Dinesh M, Manikandan R, Bindu S, Sahoo M, Sahoo D, Dhawan M, Pandey MK, Tiwari R, Emran TB, Dhama K, Chaicumpa W. Swine coronaviruses (SCoVs) and their emerging threats to swine population, inter-species transmission, exploring the susceptibility of pigs for SARS-CoV-2 and zoonotic concerns. Vet Q 2022; 42:125-147. [PMID: 35584308 PMCID: PMC9225692 DOI: 10.1080/01652176.2022.2079756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Swine coronaviruses (SCoVs) are one of the most devastating pathogens affecting the livelihoods of farmers and swine industry across the world. These include transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV), porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV), swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), and porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV). Coronaviruses infect a wide variety of animal species and humans because these are having single stranded-RNA that accounts for high mutation rates and thus could break the species barrier. The gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems are the primary organ systems affected by SCoVs. Infection is very common in piglets compared to adult swine causing high mortality in the former. Bat is implicated to be the origin of all CoVs affecting animals and humans. Since pig is the only domestic animal in which CoVs cause a wide range of diseases; new coronaviruses with high zoonotic potential could likely emerge in the future as observed in the past. The recently emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing COVID-19 pandemic in humans, has been implicated to have animal origin, also reported from few animal species, though its zoonotic concerns are still under investigation. This review discusses SCoVs and their epidemiology, virology, evolution, pathology, wildlife reservoirs, interspecies transmission, spill-over events and highlighting their emerging threats to swine population. The role of pigs amid ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will also be discussed. A thorough investigation should be conducted to rule out zoonotic potential of SCoVs and to design appropriate strategies for their prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jigarji C Thakor
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh-243122, India
| | - Murali Dinesh
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh-243122, India
| | - Rajendran Manikandan
- Immunology Section, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh-243122, India
| | - Suresh Bindu
- Immunology Section, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh-243122, India
| | - Monalisa Sahoo
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh-243122, India
| | - Diptimayee Sahoo
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh-243122, India
| | - Manish Dhawan
- Department of Microbiology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, India.,The Trafford Group of Colleges, Manchester-WA14 5PQ, United Kingdom
| | - Megha Katare Pandey
- Department of Translational Medicine Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal-462043, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Ruchi Tiwari
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Uttar Pradesh Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura-281001, India
| | - Talha Bin Emran
- Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong-4381, Bangladesh
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh-243122, India
| | - Wanpen Chaicumpa
- Center of Research Excellence on Therapeutic Proteins and Antibody Engineering, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok-10700, Thailand
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7
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Caldwell HS, Pata JD, Ciota AT. The Role of the Flavivirus Replicase in Viral Diversity and Adaptation. Viruses 2022; 14:1076. [PMID: 35632818 PMCID: PMC9143365 DOI: 10.3390/v14051076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses include several emerging and re-emerging arboviruses which cause millions of infections each year. Although relatively well-studied, much remains unknown regarding the mechanisms and means by which these viruses readily alternate and adapt to different hosts and environments. Here, we review a subset of the different aspects of flaviviral biology which impact host switching and viral fitness. These include the mechanism of replication and structural biology of the NS3 and NS5 proteins, which reproduce the viral genome; rates of mutation resulting from this replication and the role of mutational frequency in viral fitness; and the theory of quasispecies evolution and how it contributes to our understanding of genetic and phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley S. Caldwell
- The Arbovirus Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
| | - Janice D. Pata
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Alexander T. Ciota
- The Arbovirus Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA;
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8
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Tisthammer KH, Solis C, Orcales F, Nzerem M, Winstead R, Dong W, Joy JB, Pennings PS. Assessing in vivo mutation frequencies and creating a high-resolution genome-wide map of fitness costs of Hepatitis C virus. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010179. [PMID: 35500034 PMCID: PMC9113599 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Like many viruses, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) has a high mutation rate, which helps the virus adapt quickly, but mutations come with fitness costs. Fitness costs can be studied by different approaches, such as experimental or frequency-based approaches. The frequency-based approach is particularly useful to estimate in vivo fitness costs, but this approach works best with deep sequencing data from many hosts are. In this study, we applied the frequency-based approach to a large dataset of 195 patients and estimated the fitness costs of mutations at 7957 sites along the HCV genome. We used beta regression and random forest models to better understand how different factors influenced fitness costs. Our results revealed that costs of nonsynonymous mutations were three times higher than those of synonymous mutations, and mutations at nucleotides A or T had higher costs than those at C or G. Genome location had a modest effect, with lower costs for mutations in HVR1 and higher costs for mutations in Core and NS5B. Resistance mutations were, on average, costlier than other mutations. Our results show that in vivo fitness costs of mutations can be site and virus specific, reinforcing the utility of constructing in vivo fitness cost maps of viral genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaho H. Tisthammer
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Caroline Solis
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Faye Orcales
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Madu Nzerem
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan Winstead
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Weiyan Dong
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
| | - Jeffrey B. Joy
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Bioinformatics Programme, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
| | - Pleuni S. Pennings
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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9
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Borrego B, Moreno S, López-Valiñas Á, de la Losa N, Weber F, Núñez JI, Brun A. Identification of Single Amino Acid Changes in the Rift Valley Fever Virus Polymerase Core Domain Contributing to Virus Attenuation In Vivo. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:875539. [PMID: 35573791 PMCID: PMC9096444 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.875539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an arboviral zoonotic disease affecting many African countries with the potential to spread to other geographical areas. RVF affects sheep, goats, cattle and camels, causing a high rate of abortions and death of newborn lambs. Also, humans can be infected, developing a usually self-limiting disease that can turn into a more severe illness in a low percentage of cases. Although different veterinary vaccines are available in endemic areas in Africa, to date no human vaccine has been licensed. In previous works, we described the selection and characterization of a favipiravir-mutagenized RVFV variant, termed 40Fp8, with potential as a RVF vaccine candidate due to the strong attenuation shown in immunocompromised animal models. Compared to the parental South African 56/74 viral strain, 40Fp8 displayed 7 amino acid substitutions in the L-protein, three of them located in the central region corresponding to the catalytic core of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). In this work, by means of a reverse genetics system, we have analyzed the effect on virulence of these amino acid changes, alone or combined, both in vitro and in vivo. We found that the simultaneous introduction of two changes (G924S and A1303T) in the heterologous ZH548-RVFV Egyptian strain conferred attenuated phenotypes to the rescued viruses as shown in infected mice without affecting virus immunogenicity. Our results suggest that both changes induce resistance to favipiravir likely associated to some fitness cost that could be the basis for the observed attenuation in vivo. Conversely, the third change, I1050V, appears to be a compensatory mutation increasing viral fitness. Altogether, these results provide relevant information for the safety improvement of novel live attenuated RVFV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belén Borrego
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (INIA/CSIC)), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Belén Borrego, ; Alejandro Brun,
| | - Sandra Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (INIA/CSIC)), Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro López-Valiñas
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) Institut de Recerca en Tecnologies Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria de la Losa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (INIA/CSIC)), Madrid, Spain
| | - Friedemann Weber
- Institut für Virologie, FB10-Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - José Ignacio Núñez
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) Institut de Recerca en Tecnologies Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandro Brun
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (INIA/CSIC)), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Belén Borrego, ; Alejandro Brun,
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10
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Space and Genotype-Dependent Virus Distribution during Infection Progression. MATHEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/math10010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The paper is devoted to a nonlocal reaction-diffusion equation describing the development of viral infection in tissue, taking into account virus distribution in the space of genotypes, the antiviral immune response, and natural genotype-dependent virus death. It is shown that infection propagates as a reaction-diffusion wave. In some particular cases, the 2D problem can be reduced to a 1D problem by separation of variables, allowing for proof of wave existence and stability. In general, this reduction provides an approximation of the 2D problem by a 1D problem. The analysis of the reduced problem allows us to determine how viral load and virulence depend on genotype distribution, the strength of the immune response, and the level of immunity.
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11
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Jurković M, Slović A, Forčić D, Ivančić-Jelečki J, Košutić-Gulija T, Jagušić M. Influence of Ribavirin on Mumps Virus Population Diversity. Viruses 2021; 13:2535. [PMID: 34960805 PMCID: PMC8706638 DOI: 10.3390/v13122535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Frequent mumps outbreaks in vaccinated populations and the occurrence of neurological complications (e.g., aseptic meningitis or encephalitis) in patients with mumps indicate the need for the development of more efficient vaccines as well as specific antiviral therapies. RNA viruses are genetically highly heterogeneous populations that exist on the edge of an error threshold, such that additional increases in mutational burden can lead to extinction of the virus population. Deliberate modulation of their natural mutation rate is being exploited as an antiviral strategy and a possibility for rational vaccine design. The aim of this study was to examine the ability of ribavirin, a broad-spectrum antiviral agent, to introduce mutations in the mumps virus (MuV) genome and to investigate if resistance develops during long-term in vitro exposure to ribavirin. An increase in MuV population heterogeneity in the presence of ribavirin has been observed after one passage in cell culture, as well as a bias toward C-to-U and G-to-A transitions, which have previously been defined as ribavirin-related. At higher ribavirin concentration, MuV loses its infectivity during serial passaging and does not recover. At low ribavirin concentration, serial passaging leads to a more significant increase in population diversity and a stronger bias towards ribavirin-related transitions, independently of viral strain or cell culture. In these conditions, the virus retains its initial growth capacity, without development of resistance at a whole-virus population level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Maja Jagušić
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Rockefellerova 10, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (M.J.); (A.S.); (D.F.); (J.I.-J.); (T.K.-G.)
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12
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Enhancing the Antiviral Potency of Nucleobases for Potential Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Therapies. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122508. [PMID: 34960780 PMCID: PMC8705664 DOI: 10.3390/v13122508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Broad-spectrum antiviral therapies hold promise as a first-line defense against emerging viruses by blunting illness severity and spread until vaccines and virus-specific antivirals are developed. The nucleobase favipiravir, often discussed as a broad-spectrum inhibitor, was not effective in recent clinical trials involving patients infected with Ebola virus or SARS-CoV-2. A drawback of favipiravir use is its rapid clearance before conversion to its active nucleoside-5′-triphosphate form. In this work, we report a synergistic reduction of flavivirus (dengue, Zika), orthomyxovirus (influenza A), and coronavirus (HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2) replication when the nucleobases favipiravir or T-1105 were combined with the antimetabolite 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside (6MMPr). The 6MMPr/T-1105 combination increased the C-U and G-A mutation frequency compared to treatment with T-1105 or 6MMPr alone. A further analysis revealed that the 6MMPr/T-1105 co-treatment reduced cellular purine nucleotide triphosphate synthesis and increased conversion of the antiviral nucleobase to its nucleoside-5′-monophosphate, -diphosphate, and -triphosphate forms. The 6MMPr co-treatment specifically increased production of the active antiviral form of the nucleobases (but not corresponding nucleosides) while also reducing levels of competing cellular NTPs to produce the synergistic effect. This in-depth work establishes a foundation for development of small molecules as possible co-treatments with nucleobases like favipiravir in response to emerging RNA virus infections.
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13
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Alphavirus Virulence Determinants. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10080981. [PMID: 34451445 PMCID: PMC8401390 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10080981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alphaviruses are important pathogens that continue to cause outbreaks of disease in humans and animals worldwide. Diseases caused by alphavirus infections include acute symptoms of fever, rash, and nausea as well as chronic arthritis and severe-to-fatal conditions including myocarditis and encephalitis. Despite their prevalence and the significant public health threat they pose, there are currently no effective antiviral treatments or vaccines against alphaviruses. Various genetic determinants of alphavirus virulence, including genomic RNA elements and specific protein residues and domains, have been described by researchers to play key roles in the development of disease, the immune response to infection, and virus transmissibility. Here, we focus on the determinants that are currently described in the literature. Understanding how these molecular determinants shape viral infections can lead to new strategies for the development of therapies and vaccines to combat these viruses.
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14
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Winston DS, Boehr DD. Allosteric and dynamic control of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase function and fidelity. Enzymes 2021; 49:149-193. [PMID: 34696831 DOI: 10.1016/bs.enz.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
All RNA viruses encode an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) responsible for genome replication. It is now recognized that enzymes in general, and RdRps specifically, are dynamic macromolecular machines such that their moving parts, including active site loops, play direct functional roles. While X-ray crystallography has provided deep insight into structural elements important for RdRp function, this methodology generally provides only static snapshots, and so is limited in its ability to report on dynamic fluctuations away from the lowest energy conformation. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and other biophysical techniques have brought new insight into RdRp function by their ability to characterize the trajectories, kinetics and thermodynamics of conformational motions. In particular, these methodologies have identified coordinated motions among conserved structural motifs necessary for nucleotide selection and incorporation. Disruption of these motions through amino acid substitutions or inhibitor binding impairs RdRp function. Understanding and re-engineering these motions thus provides exciting new avenues for anti-viral strategies. This chapter outlines the basics of these methodologies, summarizes the dynamic motions observed in different RdRps important for nucleotide selection and incorporation, and illustrates how this information can be leveraged towards rational vaccine strain development and anti-viral drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis S Winston
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - David D Boehr
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.
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15
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The direct evidence and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine treatment of COVID-19. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 137:111267. [PMID: 33508618 PMCID: PMC7836975 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the third coronavirus causing serious human disease to spread across the world in the past 20 years, after SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome. As of mid-September 2020, more than 200 countries and territories have reported 30 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, including 950,000 deaths. Supportive treatment remains the mainstay of therapy for COVID-19. The World Health Organization reported that four candidate drugs, including remdesivir, are ineffective or have little effect on COVID-19. According to China News, 90 % of Chinese patients with COVID-19 use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with an effectiveness rate of 80 %, and no deterioration in patient condition. We have compiled the direct evidence of TCM treatment for COVID-19 as of December 31, 2020. We describe the advantages of TCM in the treatment of COVID-19 based on clinical evidence and the required methods for its clinical use. TCM can inhibit virus replication and transcription, prevent the combination of SARS-CoV-2 and the host, and attenuate the cytokine storm and immune deficiency caused by the virus infection. The cooperation of many countries is required to establish international guidelines regarding the use of TCM in patients with severe COVID-19 from other regions and of different ethnicities. Studies on the psychological abnormalities in patients with COVID-19, and medical staff, is lacking; it is necessary to provide a complete chain of evidence to determine the efficacy of TCM in the related prevention, treatment, and recovery. This study aims to provide a reference for the rational use of TCM in the treatment of COVID-19.
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16
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Hao R, Ma K, Ru Y, Li D, Song G, Lu B, Liu H, Li Y, Zhang J, Wu C, Zhang G, Hu H, Luo J, Zheng H. Amber codon is genetically unstable in generation of premature termination codon (PTC)-harbouring Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) via genetic code expansion. RNA Biol 2021; 18:2330-2341. [PMID: 33849391 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1907055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is the causative agent of FMD, a highly infectious and devastating viral disease of domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals. FMD affects livestock and animal products' national and international trade, causing severe economic losses and social consequences. Currently, inactivated vaccines play a vital role in FMD control, but they have several limitations. The genetic code expansion technology provides powerful strategies for generating premature termination codon (PTC)-harbouring virus as a live but replication-incompetent viral vaccine. However, this technology has not been explored for the design and development of new FMD vaccines. In this study, we first expanded the genetic code of the FMDV genome via a transgenic cell line containing an orthogonal translation machinery. We demonstrated that the transgenic cells stably integrated the orthogonal pyltRNA/pylRS pair into the genome and enabled efficient, homogeneous incorporation of unnatural amino acids into target proteins in mammalian cells. Next, we constructed 129 single-PTC FMDV mutants and four dual-PTC FMDV mutants after considering the tolerance, location, and potential functions of those mutated sites. Amber stop codons individually substituted the selected amino acid codons in four viral proteins (3D, L, VP1, and VP4) of FMDV. We successfully rescued PTC-FMDV mutants, but the amber codon unexpectedly showed a highly degree of mutation rate during PTC-FMDV packaging and replication. Our findings highlight that the genetic code expansion technology for the generation of PTC-FMD vaccines needs to be further improved and that the genetic stability of amber codons during the packaging and replication of FMDV is a concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongzeng Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Kun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yi Ru
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Gaoyuan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Bingzhou Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huanan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yajun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jiaoyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chunping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guicai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Haitao Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development and Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Haixue Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, OIE/National Foot and Mouth Diseases Reference Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
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Mattenberger F, Vila-Nistal M, Geller R. Increased RNA virus population diversity improves adaptability. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6824. [PMID: 33767337 PMCID: PMC7994910 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86375-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The replication machinery of most RNA viruses lacks proofreading mechanisms. As a result, RNA virus populations harbor a large amount of genetic diversity that confers them the ability to rapidly adapt to changes in their environment. In this work, we investigate whether further increasing the initial population diversity of a model RNA virus can improve adaptation to a single selection pressure, thermal inactivation. For this, we experimentally increased the diversity of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) populations across the capsid region. We then compared the ability of these high diversity CVB3 populations to achieve resistance to thermal inactivation relative to standard CVB3 populations in an experimental evolution setting. We find that viral populations with high diversity are better able to achieve resistance to thermal inactivation at both the temperature employed during experimental evolution as well as at a more extreme temperature. Moreover, we identify mutations in the CVB3 capsid that confer resistance to thermal inactivation, finding significant mutational epistasis. Our results indicate that even naturally diverse RNA virus populations can benefit from experimental augmentation of population diversity for optimal adaptation and support the use of such viral populations in directed evolution efforts that aim to select viruses with desired characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Mattenberger
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, I2SysBio (Universitat de València-CSIC), C. Catedràtic José Beltrán 2, 46980, Paterna, Spain
| | - Marina Vila-Nistal
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, Universidad de Alicante, C. San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ron Geller
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, I2SysBio (Universitat de València-CSIC), C. Catedràtic José Beltrán 2, 46980, Paterna, Spain.
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18
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Abstract
Population genetic diversity plays a prominent role in viral evolution, pathogenesis, immune escape, and drug resistance. Different mechanisms are responsible for creating and maintaining genetic diversity in viruses, including error-prone replication, repair avoidance, and genome editing, among others. This diversity is subsequently modulated by natural selection and random genetic drift, whose action in turn depends on multiple factors including viral genetic architecture, viral demography, and ecology. Understanding these processes should contribute to the development of more efficient control and treatment strategies against viral pathogens.
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Yang CW, Peng TT, Hsu HY, Lee YZ, Wu SH, Lin WH, Ke YY, Hsu TA, Yeh TK, Huang WZ, Lin JH, Sytwu HK, Chen CT, Lee SJ. Repurposing old drugs as antiviral agents for coronaviruses. Biomed J 2020; 43:368-374. [PMID: 32563698 PMCID: PMC7245249 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background New therapeutic options to address the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are urgently needed. One possible strategy is the repurposing of existing drugs approved for other indications as antiviral agents for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Due to the commercial unavailability of SARS-CoV-2 drugs for treating COVID-19, we screened approximately 250 existing drugs or pharmacologically active compounds for their inhibitory activities against feline infectious peritonitis coronavirus (FIPV) and human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), a human coronavirus in the same genus (Betacoronavirus) as SARS-CoV-2. Methods FIPV was proliferated in feline Fcwf-4 cells and HCoV-OC43 in human HCT-8 cells. Viral proliferation was assayed by visualization of cytopathic effects on the infected Fcwf-4 cells and immunofluorescent assay for detection of the nucleocapsid proteins of HCoV-OC43 in the HCT-8 cells. The concentrations (EC50) of each drug necessary to diminish viral activity to 50% of that for the untreated controls were determined. The viabilities of Fcwf-4 and HCT-8 cells were measured by crystal violet staining and MTS/PMS assay, respectively. Results Fifteen out of the 252 drugs or pharmacologically active compounds screened were found to be active against both FIPV and HCoV-OC43, with EC50 values ranging from 11 nM to 75 μM. They are all old drugs as follows, anisomycin, antimycin A, atovaquone, chloroquine, conivaptan, emetine, gemcitabine, homoharringtonine, niclosamide, nitazoxanide, oligomycin, salinomycin, tilorone, valinomycin, and vismodegib. Conclusion All of the old drugs identified as having activity against FIPV and HCoV-OC43 have seen clinical use in their respective indications and are associated with known dosing schedules and adverse effect or toxicity profiles in humans. Those, when later confirmed to have an anti-viral effect on SARS-CoV-2, should be considered for immediate uses in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Wei Yang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ting Peng
- Animal Technology Laboratories, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Yu Hsu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Yue-Zhi Lee
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Huei Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hsing Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Yu Ke
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Tsu-An Hsu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Teng-Kuang Yeh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Zheng Huang
- Animal Technology Laboratories, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Jiunn-Horng Lin
- Animal Technology Laboratories, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Huey-Kang Sytwu
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chiung-Tong Chen
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
| | - Shiow-Ju Lee
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
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20
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Patterson EI, Khanipov K, Swetnam DM, Walsdorf S, Kautz TF, Thangamani S, Fofanov Y, Forrester NL. Measuring Alphavirus Fidelity Using Non-Infectious Virus Particles. Viruses 2020; 12:v12050546. [PMID: 32429270 PMCID: PMC7291308 DOI: 10.3390/v12050546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations are incorporated into the genomes of RNA viruses at an optimal frequency and altering this precise frequency has been proposed as a strategy to create live-attenuated vaccines. However, determining the effect of specific mutations that alter fidelity has been difficult because of the rapid selection of the virus population during replication. By deleting residues of the structural polyprotein PE2 cleavage site, E3Δ56-59, in Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) TC-83 vaccine strain, non-infectious virus particles were used to assess the effect of single mutations on mutation frequency without the interference of selection that results from multiple replication cycles. Next-generation sequencing analysis revealed a significantly lower frequency of transversion mutations and overall mutation frequency for the fidelity mutants compared to VEEV TC-83 E3Δ56-59. We demonstrate that deletion of the PE2 cleavage site halts virus infection while making the virus particles available for downstream sequencing. The conservation of the site will allow the evaluation of suspected fidelity mutants across alphaviruses of medical importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward I. Patterson
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (S.W.); (S.T.); (N.L.F.)
- Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Departments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Kamil Khanipov
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (K.K.); (Y.F.)
| | - Daniele M. Swetnam
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - Samantha Walsdorf
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (S.W.); (S.T.); (N.L.F.)
| | - Tiffany F. Kautz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA;
| | - Saravanan Thangamani
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (S.W.); (S.T.); (N.L.F.)
| | - Yuriy Fofanov
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (K.K.); (Y.F.)
| | - Naomi L. Forrester
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (S.W.); (S.T.); (N.L.F.)
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21
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Uddin M, Mustafa F, Rizvi TA, Loney T, Al Suwaidi H, Al-Marzouqi AHH, Kamal Eldin A, Alsabeeha N, Adrian TE, Stefanini C, Nowotny N, Alsheikh-Ali A, Senok AC. SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19: Viral Genomics, Epidemiology, Vaccines, and Therapeutic Interventions. Viruses 2020; 12:E526. [PMID: 32397688 PMCID: PMC7290442 DOI: 10.3390/v12050526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is due to infection caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus that impacts the lower respiratory tract. The spectrum of symptoms ranges from asymptomatic infections to mild respiratory symptoms to the lethal form of COVID-19 which is associated with severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, and fatality. To address this global crisis, up-to-date information on viral genomics and transcriptomics is crucial for understanding the origins and global dispersion of the virus, providing insights into viral pathogenicity, transmission, and epidemiology, and enabling strategies for therapeutic interventions, drug discovery, and vaccine development. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of COVID-19 epidemiology, genomic etiology, findings from recent transcriptomic map analysis, viral-human protein interactions, molecular diagnostics, and the current status of vaccine and novel therapeutic intervention development. Moreover, we provide an extensive list of resources that will help the scientific community access numerous types of databases related to SARS-CoV-2 OMICs and approaches to therapeutics related to COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Uddin
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE; (M.U.); (T.L.); (H.A.S.); (T.E.A.); (N.N.)
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Farah Mustafa
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE; (F.M.); (A.H.H.A.-M.)
| | - Tahir A. Rizvi
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE;
| | - Tom Loney
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE; (M.U.); (T.L.); (H.A.S.); (T.E.A.); (N.N.)
| | - Hanan Al Suwaidi
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE; (M.U.); (T.L.); (H.A.S.); (T.E.A.); (N.N.)
| | - Ahmed H. Hassan Al-Marzouqi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE; (F.M.); (A.H.H.A.-M.)
| | - Afaf Kamal Eldin
- Department of Food, Nutrition and Health, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE;
| | | | - Thomas E. Adrian
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE; (M.U.); (T.L.); (H.A.S.); (T.E.A.); (N.N.)
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Healthcare Engineering Innovation Center (HEIC), Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE;
| | - Norbert Nowotny
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE; (M.U.); (T.L.); (H.A.S.); (T.E.A.); (N.N.)
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alawi Alsheikh-Ali
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE; (M.U.); (T.L.); (H.A.S.); (T.E.A.); (N.N.)
| | - Abiola C. Senok
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE; (M.U.); (T.L.); (H.A.S.); (T.E.A.); (N.N.)
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Zhang L, Sun M, Zhang Q, Wang J, Cao Y, Cui S, Su J. Long-term passage of duck Tembusu virus in BHK-21 cells generates a completely attenuated and immunogenic population with increased genetic diversity. Vaccine 2019; 38:933-941. [PMID: 31708180 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.10.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Duck Tembusu virus (TMUV) is an emerging pathogenic flavivirus that causes severe egg-drop and fatal encephalitis in domestic ducks and geese. Although a live-attenuated virus vaccine is effective for disease control, the stability of the attenuation has not been clearly evaluated due to a poor understanding of the attenuation mechanism. Here, a virulent duck TMUV isolate was successively passaged in BHK-21 cells, leading to an approximately 100-fold increase of virus production in cell culture and a complete attenuation of virulence for ducks. The passaged virus induced high titers of TMUV-specific antibody and provided efficient protection against a virulent TMUV challenge after a single-dose vaccination. One hundred and two, and eighteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at a frequency of >1% were respectively identified in the attenuated virus population and the original isolate by deep sequencing. The increased SNPs numbers suggested that the accumulated variants of virus population may have conferred the phenotypic changes. We cloned and characterized a dominant variant exhibiting similar fitness to the mixed population, and 23 amino acid substitutions were identified across the viral open reading frame. Using reverse genetics, two chimeric viruses were generated by introducing the mutated E or NS5 gene into the backbone of virulent TMUV. We found that mutations in the E gene conferred a fitness advantage in BHK-21 cells and decreased the virus pathogenicity, whereas NS5 mutations reduced the virus infectivity in ducklings without altering the in vitro fitness. In conclusion, increased mutations in a virulent TMUV strain did substantially reduce the virus virulence, and mutations in multiple genes co-contribute to TMUV attenuation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijiao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Mengxu Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qingshui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanxin Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shangjin Cui
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Beijing Observation Station for Veterinary Biological Technique, Ministry of Agricultural, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Jingliang Su
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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23
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Tyr82 Amino Acid Mutation in PB1 Polymerase Induces an Influenza Virus Mutator Phenotype. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.00834-19. [PMID: 31462570 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00834-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In various positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, a low-fidelity viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) confers attenuated phenotypes by increasing the mutation frequency. We report a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus RdRp mutant strain with a mutator phenotype. Based on structural data of RdRp, rational targeting of key residues, and screening of fidelity variants, we isolated a novel low-fidelity mutator strain of influenza virus that harbors a Tyr82-to-Cys (Y82C) single-amino-acid substitution in the PB1 polymerase subunit. The purified PB1-Y82C polymerase indeed showed an increased frequency of misincorporation compared with the wild-type PB1 in an in vitro biochemical assay. To further investigate the effects of position 82 on PB1 polymerase fidelity, we substituted various amino acids at this position. As a result, we isolated various novel mutators other than PB1-Y82C with higher mutation frequencies. The structural model of influenza virus polymerase complex suggested that the Tyr82 residue, which is located at the nucleoside triphosphate entrance tunnel, may influence a fidelity checkpoint. Interestingly, although the PB1-Y82C variant replicated with wild-type PB1-like kinetics in tissue culture, the 50% lethal dose of the PB1-Y82C mutant was 10 times lower than that of wild-type PB1 in embryonated chicken eggs. In conclusion, our data indicate that the Tyr82 residue of PB1 has a crucial role in regulating polymerase fidelity of influenza virus and is closely related to attenuated pathogenic phenotypes in vivo IMPORTANCE Influenza A virus rapidly acquires antigenic changes and antiviral drug resistance, which limit the effectiveness of vaccines and drug treatments, primarily owing to its high rate of evolution. Virus populations formed by quasispecies can contain resistance mutations even before a selective pressure is applied. To study the effects of the viral mutation spectrum and quasispecies, high- and low-fidelity variants have been isolated for several RNA viruses. Here, we report the discovery of a low-fidelity RdRp variant of influenza A virus that contains a substitution at Tyr82 in PB1. Viruses containing the PB1-Y82C substitution showed growth kinetics and viral RNA synthesis levels similar to those of the wild-type virus in cell culture; however, they had significantly attenuated phenotypes in a chicken egg infection experiment. These data demonstrated that decreased RdRp fidelity attenuates influenza A virus in vivo, which is a desirable feature for the development of safer live attenuated vaccine candidates.
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24
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Muslin C, Mac Kain A, Bessaud M, Blondel B, Delpeyroux F. Recombination in Enteroviruses, a Multi-Step Modular Evolutionary Process. Viruses 2019; 11:E859. [PMID: 31540135 PMCID: PMC6784155 DOI: 10.3390/v11090859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA recombination is a major driving force in the evolution and genetic architecture shaping of enteroviruses. In particular, intertypic recombination is implicated in the emergence of most pathogenic circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses, which have caused numerous outbreaks of paralytic poliomyelitis worldwide. Recent experimental studies that relied on recombination cellular systems mimicking natural genetic exchanges between enteroviruses provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms of enterovirus recombination and enabled to define a new model of genetic plasticity for enteroviruses. Homologous intertypic recombinant enteroviruses that were observed in nature would be the final products of a multi-step process, during which precursor nonhomologous recombinant genomes are generated through an initial inter-genomic RNA recombination event and can then evolve into a diversity of fitter homologous recombinant genomes over subsequent intra-genomic rearrangements. Moreover, these experimental studies demonstrated that the enterovirus genome could be defined as a combination of genomic modules that can be preferentially exchanged through recombination, and enabled defining the boundaries of these recombination modules. These results provided the first experimental evidence supporting the theoretical model of enterovirus modular evolution previously elaborated from phylogenetic studies of circulating enterovirus strains. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding the mechanisms of recombination in enteroviruses and presents a new evolutionary process that may apply to other RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Muslin
- One Health Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de las Américas, Quito EC170125, Pichincha, Ecuador.
| | - Alice Mac Kain
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, CNRS UMR 3569, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Maël Bessaud
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, CNRS UMR 3569, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Bruno Blondel
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Enteric Viruses Unit, 75015 Paris, France.
- INSERM U994, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Francis Delpeyroux
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Enteric Viruses Unit, 75015 Paris, France.
- INSERM U994, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, 75015 Paris, France.
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25
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Shi J, Perryman JM, Yang X, Liu X, Musser DM, Boehr AK, Moustafa IM, Arnold JJ, Cameron CE, Boehr DD. Rational Control of Poliovirus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Fidelity by Modulating Motif-D Loop Conformational Dynamics. Biochemistry 2019; 58:3735-3743. [PMID: 31424194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The conserved structural motif D is an important determinant of the speed and fidelity of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps). Structural and computational studies have suggested that conformational changes in the motif-D loop that help to reposition the catalytic lysine represent critical steps in nucleotide selection and incorporation. Conformations of the motif-D loop in the poliovirus RdRp are likely controlled in part by noncovalent interactions involving the motif-D residue Glu364. This residue swivels between making interactions with Lys228 and Asn370 to stabilize the open and closed loop conformations, respectively. We show here that we can rationally control the motif-D loop conformation by breaking these interactions. The K228A variant favors a more active closed conformation, leading to increased nucleotide incorporation rates and decreased nucleotide selectivity, and the N370A variant favors a less active open conformation, leading to decreased nucleotide incorporation rates and increased nucleotide selectivity. Similar competing interactions likely control nucleotide incorporation rates and fidelity in other viral RdRps. Rational engineering of these interactions may be important in the generation of live, attenuated vaccine strains, considering the established relationships between RdRp function and viral pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Shi
- Department of Chemistry , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Jacob M Perryman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Xiaorong Yang
- Department of Chemistry , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Xinran Liu
- Department of Chemistry , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Derek M Musser
- Department of Chemistry , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Alyson K Boehr
- Department of Chemistry , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Ibrahim M Moustafa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Jamie J Arnold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - Craig E Cameron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
| | - David D Boehr
- Department of Chemistry , The Pennsylvania State University , University Park , Pennsylvania 16802 , United States
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Majerová T, Novotný P, Krýsová E, Konvalinka J. Exploiting the unique features of Zika and Dengue proteases for inhibitor design. Biochimie 2019; 166:132-141. [PMID: 31077760 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Zika and Dengue viruses have attracted substantial attention from researchers in light of recent outbreaks of Dengue fever and increases in cases of congenital microcephaly in areas with Zika incidence. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about Zika and Dengue proteases. These enzymes have several interesting features: 1) NS3 serine protease requires the activating co-factor NS2B, which is anchored in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum; 2) NS2B displays extensive conformational dynamics; 3) NS3 is a multidomain protein with proteolytic, NTPase, RNA 5' triphosphatase and helicase activity and has many protein-protein interaction partners; 4) NS3 is autoproteolytically released from its precursor. Attempts to design tight-binding and specific active-site inhibitors are complicated by the facts that the substrate pocket of the NS2B-NS3 protease is flat and the active-site ligands are charged. The ionic character of potential active-site inhibitors negatively influences their cell permeability. Possibilities to block cis-autoprocessing of the protease precursor have recently been considered. Additionally, potential allosteric sites on NS2B-NS3 proteases have been identified and allosteric compounds have been designed to impair substrate binding and/or block the NS2B-NS3 interaction. Such compounds could be specific to viral proteases, without off-target effects on host serine proteases, and could have favorable pharmacokinetic profiles. This review discusses various groups of inhibitors of these proteases according to their mechanisms of action and chemical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taťána Majerová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Nám. 2, 16610, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Novotný
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Nám. 2, 16610, Prague 6, Czech Republic; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, 12843, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eliška Krýsová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Nám. 2, 16610, Prague 6, Czech Republic; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, 12843, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Konvalinka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Nám. 2, 16610, Prague 6, Czech Republic; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, 12843, Prague, Czech Republic.
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