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Nemčovičová I, Lopušná K, Štibrániová I, Benedetti F, Berti F, Felluga F, Drioli S, Vidali M, Katrlík J, Pažitná L, Holazová A, Blahutová J, Lenhartová S, Sláviková M, Klempa B, Ondrejovič M, Chmelová D, Legerská B, Miertuš S, Klacsová M, Uhríková D, Kerti L, Frecer V. Identification and evaluation of antiviral activity of novel compounds targeting SARS-CoV-2 virus by enzymatic and antiviral assays, and computational analysis. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2301772. [PMID: 38221792 PMCID: PMC10791089 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2024.2301772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The viral genome of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the aetiologic agent of COVID-19, encodes structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins. Most of these components undergo rapid genetic variations, though to a lesser extent the essential viral proteases. Consequently, the protease and/or deubiquitinase activities of the cysteine proteases Mpro and PLpro became attractive targets for the design of antiviral agents. Here, we develop and evaluate new bis(benzylidene)cyclohexanones (BBC) and identify potential antiviral compounds. Three compounds were found to be effective in reducing the SARS-CoV-2 load, with EC50 values in the low micromolar concentration range. However, these compounds also exhibited inhibitory activity IC50 against PLpro at approximately 10-fold higher micromolar concentrations. Although originally developed as PLpro inhibitors, the comparison between IC50 and EC50 of BBC indicates that the mechanism of their in vitro antiviral activity is probably not directly related to inhibition of viral cysteine proteases. In conclusion, our study has identified new potential noncytotoxic antiviral compounds suitable for in vivo testing and further improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Nemčovičová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Lopušná
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Iveta Štibrániová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Fabio Benedetti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Federico Berti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fulvia Felluga
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Drioli
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Mattia Vidali
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Jaroslav Katrlík
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Pažitná
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Alena Holazová
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Blahutová
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Simona Lenhartová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Sláviková
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Boris Klempa
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miroslav Ondrejovič
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
- ICARST n.o, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Chmelová
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Barbora Legerská
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Stanislav Miertuš
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
- ICARST n.o, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Mária Klacsová
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Uhríková
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lukáš Kerti
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimír Frecer
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
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2
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Ueno S, Amarbayasgalan S, Sugiura Y, Takahashi T, Shimizu K, Nakagawa K, Kawabata-Iwakawa R, Kamitani W. Eight-amino-acid sequence at the N-terminus of SARS-CoV-2 nsp1 is involved in stabilizing viral genome replication. Virology 2024; 595:110068. [PMID: 38593595 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) enveloped virus with a single-stranded positive-sense ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome. The CoV non-structural protein (nsp) 1 is a multifunctional protein that undergoes translation shutoff, messenger RNA (mRNA) cleavage, and RNA binding. The C-terminal region is involved in translational shutoff and RNA cleavage. The N-terminal region of SARS-CoV-2 nsp1 is highly conserved among isolated SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, the I-004 variant, isolated during the early SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, lost eight amino acids in the nsp1 region. In this study, we showed that the eight amino acids are important for viral replication in infected interferon-incompetent cells and that the recombinant virus that lost these amino acids had low pathogenicity in the lungs of hamster models. The loss of eight amino acids-induced mutations occurred in the 5' untranslated region (UTR), suggesting that nsp1 contributes to the stability of the viral genome during replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiori Ueno
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Host Defense, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan
| | | | - Yoshiro Sugiura
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Host Defense, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan
| | - Tatsuki Takahashi
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Host Defense, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan
| | - Kenta Shimizu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Host Defense, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan
| | - Keisuke Nakagawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Microbiology, Joint Department of Veterinary Medicine, Gifu University, Yanagido, Gifu, Japan
| | - Reika Kawabata-Iwakawa
- Division of Integrated Oncology Research, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan
| | - Wataru Kamitani
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Host Defense, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan.
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3
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Voss S, Rademann J, Nitsche C. Characterisation of ten NS2B-NS3 proteases: Paving the way for pan-flavivirus drugs. Antiviral Res 2024; 226:105878. [PMID: 38582134 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Flaviviruses can cause severe illness in humans. Effective and safe vaccines are available for some species; however, for many flaviviruses disease prevention or specific treatments remain unavailable. The viral replication cycle depends on the proteolytic activity of the NS2B-NS3 protease, which releases functional viral proteins from a non-functional polyprotein precursor, rendering the protease a promising drug target. In this study, we characterised recombinant NS2B-NS3 proteases from ten flaviviruses including three unreported proteases from the Usutu, Kyasanur forest disease and Powassan viruses. All protease constructs comprise a covalent Gly4-Ser-Gly4 linker connecting the NS3 serine protease domain with its cofactor NS2B. We conducted a comprehensive cleavage site analysis revealing areas of high conversion. While all proteases were active in enzymatic assays, we noted a 1000-fold difference in catalytic efficiency across proteases from different flaviviruses. Two bicyclic peptide inhibitors displayed anti-pan-flaviviral protease activity with inhibition constants ranging from 10 to 1000 nM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saan Voss
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jörg Rademann
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
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Esposito G, Hunashal Y, Percipalle M, Fogolari F, Venit T, Leonchiks A, Gunsalus KC, Piano F, Percipalle P. Assessing nanobody interaction with SARS-CoV-2 Nsp9. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303839. [PMID: 38758765 PMCID: PMC11101046 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The interaction between SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein Nsp9 and the nanobody 2NSP90 was investigated by NMR spectroscopy using the paramagnetic perturbation methodology PENELOP (Paramagnetic Equilibrium vs Nonequilibrium magnetization Enhancement or LOss Perturbation). The Nsp9 monomer is an essential component of the replication and transcription complex (RTC) that reproduces the viral gRNA for subsequent propagation. Therefore preventing Nsp9 recruitment in RTC would represent an efficient antiviral strategy that could be applied to different coronaviruses, given the Nsp9 relative invariance. The NMR results were consistent with a previous characterization suggesting a 4:4 Nsp9-to-nanobody stoichiometry with the occurrence of two epitope pairs on each of the Nsp9 units that establish the inter-dimer contacts of Nsp9 tetramer. The oligomerization state of Nsp9 was also analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations and both dimers and tetramers resulted plausible. A different distribution of the mapped epitopes on the tetramer surface with respect to the former 4:4 complex could also be possible, as well as different stoichiometries of the Nsp9-nanobody assemblies such as the 2:2 stoichiometry suggested by the recent crystal structure of the Nsp9 complex with 2NSP23 (PDB ID: 8dqu), a nanobody exhibiting essentially the same affinity as 2NSP90. The experimental NMR evidence, however, ruled out the occurrence in liquid state of the relevant Nsp9 conformational change observed in the same crystal structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennaro Esposito
- Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi, Roma, Italy
| | | | | | - Federico Fogolari
- Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche, Informatiche e Fisiche, Università di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Tomas Venit
- Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | | | - Kristin C. Gunsalus
- Department of Biology and Center Genomics System Biology, NYU, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center Genomics System Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Fabio Piano
- Department of Biology and Center Genomics System Biology, NYU, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center Genomics System Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Piergiorgio Percipalle
- Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Center Genomics System Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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5
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Doga H, Raubenolt B, Cumbo F, Joshi J, DiFilippo FP, Qin J, Blankenberg D, Shehab O. A Perspective on Protein Structure Prediction Using Quantum Computers. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:3359-3378. [PMID: 38703105 PMCID: PMC11099973 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Despite the recent advancements by deep learning methods such as AlphaFold2, in silico protein structure prediction remains a challenging problem in biomedical research. With the rapid evolution of quantum computing, it is natural to ask whether quantum computers can offer some meaningful benefits for approaching this problem. Yet, identifying specific problem instances amenable to quantum advantage and estimating the quantum resources required are equally challenging tasks. Here, we share our perspective on how to create a framework for systematically selecting protein structure prediction problems that are amenable for quantum advantage, and estimate quantum resources for such problems on a utility-scale quantum computer. As a proof-of-concept, we validate our problem selection framework by accurately predicting the structure of a catalytic loop of the Zika Virus NS3 Helicase, on quantum hardware.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakan Doga
- IBM Quantum,
Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California 95120, United States
| | - Bryan Raubenolt
- Center
for Computational Life Sciences, Lerner
Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Fabio Cumbo
- Center
for Computational Life Sciences, Lerner
Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Jayadev Joshi
- Center
for Computational Life Sciences, Lerner
Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Frank P. DiFilippo
- Center
for Computational Life Sciences, Lerner
Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Jun Qin
- Center
for Computational Life Sciences, Lerner
Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Daniel Blankenberg
- Center
for Computational Life Sciences, Lerner
Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Omar Shehab
- IBM
Quantum, IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
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6
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Han Y, Yuan Z, Yi Z. Identification of a membrane-associated element (MAE) in the C-terminal region of SARS-CoV-2 nsp6 that is essential for viral replication. J Virol 2024; 98:e0034924. [PMID: 38639488 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00349-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread worldwide since its emergence in late 2019. Its ongoing evolution poses challenges for antiviral drug development. Coronavirus nsp6, a multiple-spanning transmembrane protein, participates in the biogenesis of the viral replication complex, which accommodates the viral replication-transcription complex. The roles of its structural domains in viral replication are not well studied. Herein, we predicted the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 nsp6 protein using AlphaFold2 and identified a highly folded C-terminal region (nsp6C) downstream of the transmembrane helices. The enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-fused nsp6C was found to cluster in the cytoplasm and associate with membranes. Functional mapping identified a minimal membrane-associated element (MAE) as the region from amino acids 237 to 276 (LGV-KLL), which is mainly composed of the α-helix H1 and the α-helix H2; the latter exhibits characteristics of an amphipathic helix (AH). Mutagenesis studies and membrane flotation experiments demonstrate that AH-like H2 is required for MAE-mediated membrane association. This MAE was functionally conserved across MERS-CoV, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-HKU1, and HCoV-NL63, all capable of mediating membrane association. In a SARS-CoV-2 replicon system, mutagenesis studies of H2 and replacements of H1 and H2 with their homologous counterparts demonstrated requirements of residues on both sides of the H2 and properly paired H1-H2 for MAE-mediated membrane association and viral replication. Notably, mutations I266A and K274A significantly attenuated viral replication without dramatically affecting membrane association, suggesting a dual role of the MAE in viral replication: mediating membrane association as well as participating in protein-protein interactions.IMPORTANCESevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) assembles a double-membrane vesicle (DMV) by the viral non-structural proteins for viral replication. Understanding the mechanisms of the DMV assembly is of paramount importance for antiviral development. Nsp6, a multiple-spanning transmembrane protein, plays an important role in the DMV biogenesis. Herein, we predicted the nsp6 structure of SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronaviruses using AlphaFold2 and identified a putative membrane-associated element (MAE) in the highly conserved C-terminal regions of nsp6. Experimentally, we verified a functionally conserved minimal MAE composed of two α-helices, the H1, and the amphipathic helix-like H2. Mutagenesis studies confirmed the requirement of H2 for MAE-mediated membrane association and viral replication and demonstrated a dual role of the MAE in viral replication, by mediating membrane association and participating in residue-specific interactions. This functionally conserved MAE may serve as a novel anti-viral target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuying Han
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenghong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhigang Yi
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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7
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Morales M, Yang MY, Goddard WA, Gray HB, Winkler JR. Copper(II) coordination to the intrinsically disordered region of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2402653121. [PMID: 38722808 PMCID: PMC11098128 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402653121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The intrinsically disordered C-terminal peptide region of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 nonstructural protein-1 (Nsp1-CT) inhibits host protein synthesis by blocking messenger RNA (mRNA) access to the 40S ribosome entrance tunnel. Aqueous copper(II) ions bind to the disordered peptide with micromolar affinity, creating a possible strategy to restore protein synthesis during host infection. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and tryptophan fluorescence measurements on a 10-residue model of the disordered protein region (Nsp1-CT10), combined with advanced quantum mechanics calculations, suggest that the peptide binds to copper(II) as a multidentate ligand. Two optimized computational models of the copper(II)-peptide complexes were derived: One corresponding to pH 6.5 and the other describing the complex at pH 7.5 to 8.5. Simulated EPR spectra based on the calculated model structures are in good agreement with experimental spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryann Morales
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Moon Young Yang
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - William A. Goddard
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Harry B. Gray
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Jay R. Winkler
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
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8
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Yadav AJ, Kumar S, Maurya S, Bhagat K, Padhi AK. Interface design of SARS-CoV-2 symmetrical nsp7 dimer and machine learning-guided nsp7 sequence prediction reveals physicochemical properties and hotspots for nsp7 stability, adaptation, and therapeutic design. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:14046-14061. [PMID: 38686454 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp01014k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, driven by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), necessitates a profound understanding of the virus and its lifecycle. As an RNA virus with high mutation rates, SARS-CoV-2 exhibits genetic variability leading to the emergence of variants with potential implications. Among its key proteins, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is pivotal for viral replication. Notably, RdRp forms dimers via non-structural protein (nsp) subunits, particularly nsp7, crucial for efficient viral RNA copying. Similar to the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, there is a possibility that the nsp7 might also undergo mutational selection events to generate more stable and adaptable versions of nsp7 dimer during virus evolution. However, efforts to obtain such cohesive and comprehensive information are lacking. To address this, we performed this study focused on deciphering the molecular intricacies of nsp7 dimerization using a multifaceted approach. Leveraging computational protein design (CPD), machine learning (ML), AlphaFold v2.0-based structural analysis, and several related computational approaches, we aimed to identify critical residues and mutations influencing nsp7 dimer stability and adaptation. Our methodology involved identifying potential hotspot residues within the dimeric nsp7 interface using an interface-based CPD approach. Through Rosetta-based symmetrical protein design, we designed and modulated nsp7 dimerization, considering selected interface residues. Analysis of physicochemical features revealed acceptable structural changes and several structural and residue-specific insights emphasizing the intricate nature of such protein-protein complexes. Our ML models, particularly the random forest regressor (RFR), accurately predicted binding affinities and ML-guided sequence predictions corroborated CPD findings, elucidating potential nsp7 mutations and their impact on binding affinity. Validation against clinical sequencing data demonstrated the predictive accuracy of our approach. Moreover, AlphaFold v2.0 structural analyses validated optimal dimeric configurations of affinity-enhancing designs, affirming methodological precision. Affinity-enhancing designs exhibited favourable energetics and higher binding affinity as compared to their counterparts. The obtained physicochemical properties, molecular interactions, and sequence predictions advance our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 evolution and inform potential avenues for therapeutic intervention against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Jeet Yadav
- Laboratory for Computational Biology & Biomolecular Design, School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Shivank Kumar
- Laboratory for Computational Biology & Biomolecular Design, School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Shweata Maurya
- Laboratory for Computational Biology & Biomolecular Design, School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Khushboo Bhagat
- Laboratory for Computational Biology & Biomolecular Design, School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Aditya K Padhi
- Laboratory for Computational Biology & Biomolecular Design, School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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9
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Pan Q, Jiao H, Zhang W, Chen Q, Zhang G, Yu J, Zhao W, Hu H. The step-by-step assembly mechanism of secreted flavivirus NS1 tetramer and hexamer captured at atomic resolution. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadm8275. [PMID: 38691607 PMCID: PMC11062569 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm8275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Flaviviruses encode a conserved, membrane-associated nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) with replication and immune evasion functions. The current knowledge of secreted NS1 (sNS1) oligomers is based on several low-resolution structures, thus hindering the development of drugs and vaccines against flaviviruses. Here, we revealed that recombinant sNS1 from flaviviruses exists in a dynamic equilibrium of dimer-tetramer-hexamer states. Two DENV4 hexameric NS1 structures and several tetrameric NS1 structures from multiple flaviviruses were solved at atomic resolution by cryo-EM. The stacking of the tetrameric NS1 and hexameric NS1 is facilitated by the hydrophobic β-roll and connector domains. Additionally, a triacylglycerol molecule located within the central cavity may play a role in stabilizing the hexamer. Based on differentiated interactions between the dimeric NS1, two distinct hexamer models (head-to-head and side-to-side hexamer) and the step-by-step assembly mechanisms of NS1 dimer into hexamer were proposed. We believe that our study sheds light on the understanding of the NS1 oligomerization and contributes to NS1-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Pan
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
| | - Haizhan Jiao
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
| | - Wanqin Zhang
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
| | - Geshu Zhang
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
| | - Jianhai Yu
- BSL-3 Laboratory (Guangdong), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- BSL-3 Laboratory (Guangdong), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Hongli Hu
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
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10
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Thibert S, Reid DJ, Wilson JW, Varikoti R, Maltseva N, Schultz KJ, Kruel A, Babnigg G, Joachimiak A, Kumar N, Zhou M. Native Mass Spectrometry Dissects the Structural Dynamics of an Allosteric Heterodimer of SARS-CoV-2 Nonstructural Proteins. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2024; 35:912-921. [PMID: 38535992 PMCID: PMC11066969 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Structure-based drug design, which relies on precise understanding of the target protein and its interaction with the drug candidate, is dramatically expedited by advances in computational methods for candidate prediction. Yet, the accuracy needs to be improved with more structural data from high throughput experiments, which are challenging to generate, especially for dynamic and weak associations. Herein, we applied native mass spectrometry (native MS) to rapidly characterize ligand binding of an allosteric heterodimeric complex of SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural proteins (nsp) nsp10 and nsp16 (nsp10/16), a complex essential for virus survival in the host and thus a desirable drug target. Native MS showed that the dimer is in equilibrium with monomeric states in solution. Consistent with the literature, well characterized small cosubstrate, RNA substrate, and product bind with high specificity and affinity to the dimer but not the free monomers. Unsuccessfully designed ligands bind indiscriminately to all forms. Using neutral gas collision, the nsp16 monomer with bound cosubstrate can be released from the holo dimer complex, confirming the binding to nsp16 as revealed by the crystal structure. However, we observed an unusual migration of the endogenous zinc ions bound to nsp10 to nsp16 after collisional dissociation. The metal migration can be suppressed by using surface collision with reduced precursor charge states, which presumably resulted in minimal gas-phase structural rearrangement and highlighted the importance of complementary techniques. With minimal sample input (∼μg), native MS can rapidly detect ligand binding affinities and locations in dynamic multisubunit protein complexes, demonstrating the potential of an "all-in-one" native MS assay for rapid structural profiling of protein-to-AI-based compound systems to expedite drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie
M. Thibert
- Environmental
Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Deseree J. Reid
- Chemical
and Biological Signature Sciences, Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Jesse W. Wilson
- Environmental
Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Rohith Varikoti
- Biological
Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Natalia Maltseva
- Center
for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Consortium for Advanced
Science and Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Structural
Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Katherine J. Schultz
- Biological
Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Agustin Kruel
- Biological
Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Gyorgy Babnigg
- Center
for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Consortium for Advanced
Science and Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Biosciences
Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Andrzej Joachimiak
- Center
for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Consortium for Advanced
Science and Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Structural
Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Neeraj Kumar
- Biological
Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Mowei Zhou
- Environmental
Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
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11
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Bu G, Danelius E, Wieske LH, Gonen T. Polymorphic Structure Determination of the Macrocyclic Drug Paritaprevir by MicroED. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300570. [PMID: 38381052 PMCID: PMC11090733 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Paritaprevir is an orally bioavailable, macrocyclic drug used for treating chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Its structures have been elusive to the public until recently when one of the crystal forms is solved by microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED). In this work, the MicroED structures of two distinct polymorphic crystal forms of paritaprevir are reported from the same experiment. The different polymorphs show conformational changes in the macrocyclic core, as well as the cyclopropyl sulfonamide and methyl pyrazinamide substituents. Molecular docking shows that one of the conformations fits well into the active site pocket of the HCV non-structural 3/4A (NS3/4A) serine protease target, and can interact with the pocket and catalytic triad via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. These results can provide further insight for optimization of the binding of acyl sulfonamide inhibitors to the HCV NS3/4A serine protease. In addition, this also demonstrates the opportunity to derive different polymorphs and distinct macrocycle conformations from the same experiments using MicroED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanhong Bu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emma Danelius
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lianne H.E. Wieske
- Department of Chemistry – BMC, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 75237 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tamir Gonen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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12
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Shahab M, Khan A, Khan SA, Zheng G. Unraveling the mechanisms of Sofosbuvir resistance in HCV NS3/4A protease: Structural and molecular simulation-based insights. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 267:131629. [PMID: 38631585 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Current management of HCV infection is based on Direct-Acting Antiviral Drugs (DAAs). However, resistance-associated mutations, especially in the NS3 and NS5B regions are gradually decreasing the efficacy of DAAs. Among the most effective HCV NS3/4A protease drugs, Sofosbuvir also develops resistance due to mutations in the NS3 and NS5B regions. Four mutations at positions A156Y, L36P, Q41H, and Q80K are classified as high-level resistance mutations. The resistance mechanism of HCV NS3/4A protease toward Sofosbuvir caused by these mutations is still unclear, as there is less information available regarding the structural and functional effects of the mutations against Sofosbuvir. In this work, we combined molecular dynamics simulation, molecular mechanics/Generalized-Born surface area calculation, principal component analysis, and free energy landscape analysis to explore the resistance mechanism of HCV NS3/4A protease due to these mutations, as well as compare interaction changes in wild-type. Subsequently, we identified that the mutant form of HCV NS3/4A protease affects the activity of Sofosbuvir. In this study, the resistance mechanism of Sofosbuvir at the atomic level is proposed. The proposed drug-resistance mechanism will provide valuable guidance for the design of HCV drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shahab
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China
| | - Abbas Khan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China
| | - Salman Ali Khan
- Tunneling Group, Biotechnology Centre, Doctoral School, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 2, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Guojun Zheng
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China.
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13
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Kim HJ, Han CW, Jeong MS, Jang SB. Cryo-EM structure of Influenza A virus NS1 and antiviral protein kinase PKR complex. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 706:149728. [PMID: 38479246 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Influenza A virus is the cause of a widespread human disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. The influenza virus encodes non-structural protein 1 (NS1), an exceedingly multifunctional virulence component. NS1 plays essential roles in viral replication and evasion of the cellular innate immune system. Protein kinase RNA-activated also known as protein kinase R (PKR) phosphorylates translation initiation factor eIF-2α on serine 51 to inhibit protein synthesis in virus-infected mammalian cells. Consequently, PKR activation inhibits mRNA translation, which results in the assert of both viral protein synthesis and cellular and possibly apoptosis in response to virus infection. Host signaling pathways are important in the replication of influenza virus, but the mechanisms involved remain to be characterized. Herein, the structure of NS1 and PKR complex was determined using Cryo-EM. We found the N91, E94, and G95 residues of PKR bind directly with N188, D125, and K126, respectively, of NS1. Furthermore, the study shows that PKR peptide offers a potential treatment for Influenza A virus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon Jin Kim
- Insitute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Woo Han
- Insitute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Suk Jeong
- Insitute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
| | - Se Bok Jang
- Insitute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea; Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, 2, Busandaehak-ro 63beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
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14
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Thomas J, Ghosh A, Ranjan S, Satija J. Cheminformatics approach to identify andrographolide derivatives as dual inhibitors of methyltransferases (nsp14 and nsp16) of SARS-CoV-2. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9801. [PMID: 38684706 PMCID: PMC11058777 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58532-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic outbreak has accelerated tremendous efforts to discover a therapeutic strategy that targets severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to control viral infection. Various viral proteins have been identified as potential drug targets, however, to date, no specific therapeutic cure is available against the SARS-CoV-2. To address this issue, the present work reports a systematic cheminformatic approach to identify the potent andrographolide derivatives that can target methyltransferases of SARS-CoV-2, i.e. nsp14 and nsp16 which are crucial for the replication of the virus and host immune evasion. A consensus of cheminformatics methodologies including virtual screening, molecular docking, ADMET profiling, molecular dynamics simulations, free-energy landscape analysis, molecular mechanics generalized born surface area (MM-GBSA), and density functional theory (DFT) was utilized. Our study reveals two new andrographolide derivatives (PubChem CID: 2734589 and 138968421) as natural bioactive molecules that can form stable complexes with both proteins via hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. The toxicity analysis predicts class four toxicity for both compounds with LD50 value in the range of 500-700 mg/kg. MD simulation reveals the stable formation of the complex for both the compounds and their average trajectory values were found to be lower than the control inhibitor and protein alone. MMGBSA analysis corroborates the MD simulation result and showed the lowest energy for the compounds 2734589 and 138968421. The DFT and MEP analysis also predicts the better reactivity and stability of both the hit compounds. Overall, both andrographolide derivatives exhibit good potential as potent inhibitors for both nsp14 and nsp16 proteins, however, in-vitro and in vivo assessment would be required to prove their efficacy and safety in clinical settings. Moreover, the drug discovery strategy aiming at the dual target approach might serve as a useful model for inventing novel drug molecules for various other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jobin Thomas
- Centre for Nanobiotechnology (CNBT), Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Anupam Ghosh
- NanoBio Research Lab, School of Nano Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721301, India
| | - Shivendu Ranjan
- NanoBio Research Lab, School of Nano Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721301, India
| | - Jitendra Satija
- Centre for Nanobiotechnology (CNBT), Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
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15
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Starvaggi J, Previti S, Zappalà M, Ettari R. The Inhibition of NS2B/NS3 Protease: A New Therapeutic Opportunity to Treat Dengue and Zika Virus Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4376. [PMID: 38673962 PMCID: PMC11050111 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In the global pandemic scenario, dengue and zika viruses (DENV and ZIKV, respectively), both mosquito-borne members of the flaviviridae family, represent a serious health problem, and considering the absence of specific antiviral drugs and available vaccines, there is a dire need to identify new targets to treat these types of viral infections. Within this drug discovery process, the protease NS2B/NS3 is considered the primary target for the development of novel anti-flavivirus drugs. The NS2B/NS3 is a serine protease that has a dual function both in the viral replication process and in the elusion of the innate immunity. To date, two main classes of NS2B/NS3 of DENV and ZIKV protease inhibitors have been discovered: those that bind to the orthosteric site and those that act at the allosteric site. Therefore, this perspective article aims to discuss the main features of the use of the most potent NS2B/NS3 inhibitors and their impact at the social level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (J.S.); (S.P.); (M.Z.)
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16
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Huang YJ, Cheng TL, Wang YT, Chen CS, Leu YL, Chang CS, Ho CH, Chao SW, Li CT, Chuang CH. Exploring the therapeutic potential of DV-B-120 as an inhibitor of dengue virus infection. J Virol 2024; 98:e0125823. [PMID: 38546211 PMCID: PMC11019862 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01258-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Dengue fever, an infectious disease prevalent in subtropical and tropical regions, currently lacks effective small-molecule drugs as treatment. In this study, we used a fluorescence peptide cleavage assay to screen seven compounds to assess their inhibition of the dengue virus (DENV) NS2B-NS3 protease. DV-B-120 demonstrated superior inhibition of NS2B-NS3 protease activity and lower toxicity compared to ARDP0006. The selectivity index of DV-B-120 was higher than that of ARDP0006. In vivo assessments of the antiviral efficacy of DV-B-120 against DENV replication demonstrated delayed mortality of suckling mice treated with the compound, with 60-80% protection against life-threatening effects, compared to the outcomes of DENV-infected mice treated with saline. The lower clinical scores of DENV-infected mice treated with DV-B-120 indicated a reduction in acute-progressive illness symptoms, underscoring the potential therapeutic impact of DV-B-120. Investigations of DV-B-120's ability to restore the antiviral type I IFN response in the brain tissue of DENV-infected ICR suckling mice demonstrated its capacity to stimulate IFN and antiviral IFN-stimulated gene expression. DV-B-120 not only significantly delayed DENV-2-induced mortality and illness symptoms but also reduced viral numbers in the brain, ultimately restoring the innate antiviral response. These findings strongly suggest that DV-B-120 holds promise as a therapeutic agent against DENV infection and highlight its potential contribution in addressing the current lack of effective treatments for this infectious disease.IMPORTANCEThe prevalence of dengue virus (DENV) infection in tropical and subtropical regions is escalating due to factors like climate change and mosquito vector expansion. With over 300 million annual infections and potentially fatal outcomes, the urgent need for effective treatments is evident. While the approved Dengvaxia vaccine has variable efficacy, there are currently no antiviral drugs for DENV. This study explores seven compounds targeting the NS2B-NS3 protease, a crucial protein in DENV replication. These compounds exhibit inhibitory effects on DENV-2 NS2B-NS3, holding promise for disrupting viral replication and preventing severe manifestations. However, further research, including animal testing, is imperative to assess therapeutic efficacy and potential toxicity. Developing safe and potent treatments for DENV infection is critical in addressing the rising global health threat posed by this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jung Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Post Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Tian-Lu Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Post Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Tseng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Post Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Shu Chen
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ling Leu
- Department of Pharmacy, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy & Science, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Shiang Chang
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Drug Development Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Han Ho
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Wei Chao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Tse Li
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hung Chuang
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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17
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Zabrodskaya Y, Tsvetkov V, Shurygina AP, Vasyliev K, Shaldzhyan A, Gorshkov A, Kuklin A, Fedorova N, Egorov V. How the immune mousetrap works: Structural evidence for the immunomodulatory action of a peptide from influenza NS1 protein. Biophys Chem 2024; 307:107176. [PMID: 38219420 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
One of the critical stages of the T-cell immune response is the dimerization of the intramembrane domains of T-cell receptors (TCR). Structural similarities between the immunosuppressive domains of viral proteins and the transmembrane domains of TCR have led several authors to hypothesize the mechanism of immune response suppression by highly pathogenic viruses: viral proteins embed themselves in the membrane and act on the intramembrane domain of the TCRalpha subunit, hindering its functional oligomerization. It has also been suggested that this mechanism is used by influenza A virus in NS1-mediated immunosuppression. We have shown that the peptide corresponding to the primary structure of the potential immunosuppressive domain of NS1 protein (G51) can reduce concanavalin A-induced proliferation of PBMC cells, as well as in vitro, G51 can affect the oligomerization of the core peptide corresponding to the intramembrane domain of TCR, using AFM and small-angle neutron scattering. The results obtained using in cellulo and in vitro model systems suggest the presence of functional interaction between the NS1 fragment and the intramembrane domain of the TCR alpha subunit. We have proposed a possible scheme for such interaction obtained by computer modeling. This suggests the existence of another NS1-mediated mechanism of immunosuppression in influenza.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Zabrodskaya
- Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, 29 Ulitsa Polytechnicheskaya, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Russian Ministry of Health, 15/17 Ulitsa Prof. Popova, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia.
| | - Vladimir Tsvetkov
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Russian Ministry of Health, 15/17 Ulitsa Prof. Popova, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia; Federal Research and Clinical Center for Physical Chemical Medicine, 1a Ulitsa Malaya Pirogovskaya, Moscow 119435, Russia; Center for Mathematical Modeling in Drug Development, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119146, Russia
| | - Anna-Polina Shurygina
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Russian Ministry of Health, 15/17 Ulitsa Prof. Popova, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia
| | - Kirill Vasyliev
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Russian Ministry of Health, 15/17 Ulitsa Prof. Popova, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia
| | - Aram Shaldzhyan
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Russian Ministry of Health, 15/17 Ulitsa Prof. Popova, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia
| | - Andrey Gorshkov
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Russian Ministry of Health, 15/17 Ulitsa Prof. Popova, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia
| | - Alexander Kuklin
- International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 6 Ulitsa Joliot-Curie, Dubna 141980, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), 9 Institutskiy pereulok, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Natalya Fedorova
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute Named by B. P. Konstantinov of National Research Center, Kurchatov Institute, 1 mkr. Orlova Roshcha, Gatchina 188300, Russia
| | - Vladimir Egorov
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, 12 Ulitsa Akademika Pavlova, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia
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18
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Chakraborty C, Bhattacharya M, Sharma AR, Chatterjee S, Agoramoorthy G, Lee SS. Structural Landscape of nsp Coding Genomic Regions of SARS-CoV-2-ssRNA Genome: A Structural Genomics Approach Toward Identification of Druggable Genome, Ligand-Binding Pockets, and Structure-Based Druggability. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:641-662. [PMID: 36463562 PMCID: PMC9735222 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has a single-stranded RNA genome (+ssRNA), and synthesizes structural and non-structural proteins (nsps). All 16 nsp are synthesized from the ORF1a, and ORF1b regions associated with different life cycle preprocesses, including replication. The regions of ORF1a synthesizes nsp1 to 11, and ORF1b synthesizes nsp12 to 16. In this paper, we have predicted the secondary structure conformations, entropy & mountain plots, RNA secondary structure in a linear fashion, and 3D structure of nsp coding genes of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. We have also analyzed the A, T, G, C, A+T, and G+C contents, GC-profiling of these genes, showing the range of the GC content from 34.23 to 48.52%. We have observed that the GC-profile value of the nsp coding genomic regions was less (about 0.375) compared to the whole genome (about 0.38). Additionally, druggable pockets were identified from the secondary structure-guided 3D structural conformations. For secondary structure generation of all the nsp coding genes (nsp 1-16), we used a recent algorithm-based tool (deep learning-based) along with the conventional algorithms (centroid and MFE-based) to develop secondary structural conformations, and we found stem-loop, multi-branch loop, pseudoknot, and the bulge structural components, etc. The 3D model shows bound and unbound forms, branched structures, duplex structures, three-way junctions, four-way junctions, etc. Finally, we identified binding pockets of nsp coding genes which will help as a fundamental resource for future researchers to develop RNA-targeted therapeutics using the druggable genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiranjib Chakraborty
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700126, India.
| | - Manojit Bhattacharya
- Department of Zoology, Fakir Mohan University, Vyasa Vihar, Balasore, Odisha, 756020, India
| | - Ashish Ranjan Sharma
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopaedic Surgery, Hallym University-Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Srijan Chatterjee
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700126, India
| | | | - Sang-Soo Lee
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopaedic Surgery, Hallym University-Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, 24252, Republic of Korea
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19
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Wralstad EC, Raines RT. Sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 main protease 3CL pro with an engineered ribonuclease zymogen. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4916. [PMID: 38501598 PMCID: PMC10949392 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Alongside vaccines and antiviral therapeutics, diagnostic tools are a crucial aid in combating the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the etiological agent SARS-CoV-2. All common assays for infection rely on the detection of viral sub-components, including structural proteins of the virion or fragments of the viral genome. Selective pressure imposed by human intervention of COVID-19 can, however, induce viral mutations that decrease the sensitivity of diagnostic assays based on biomolecular structure, leading to an increase in false-negative results. In comparison, mutations are unlikely to alter the function of viral proteins, and viral machinery is under less selective pressure from vaccines and therapeutics. Accordingly, diagnostic assays that rely on biomolecular function can be more robust than ones that rely on biopolymer structure. Toward this end, we used a split intein to create a circular ribonuclease zymogen that is activated by the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, 3CLpro . Zymogen activation by 3CLpro leads to a >300-fold increase in ribonucleolytic activity, which can be detected with a highly sensitive fluorogenic substrate. This coupled assay can detect low nanomolar concentrations of 3CLpro within a timeframe comparable to that of common antigen-detection protocols. More generally, the concept of detecting a protease by activating a ribonuclease could be the basis of diagnostic tools for other indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evans C. Wralstad
- Department of ChemistryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Ronald T. Raines
- Department of ChemistryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
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20
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Purohit P, Barik D, Agasti S, Panda M, Meher BR. Evaluation of the inhibitory potency of anti-dengue phytocompounds against DENV-2 NS2B-NS3 protease: virtual screening, ADMET profiling and molecular dynamics simulation investigations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:2990-3009. [PMID: 37194462 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2212798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Dengue fever has been a worldwide concern, with 50-100 million new infections each year mainly due to five different serotypes of the Dengue virus (DENV). Designing a perfect anti-dengue agent that can inhibit all the serotypes by distinguishing antigenic differences is quite difficult. Previous anti-dengue researches have included chemical compounds screening against DENV enzymes. The ongoing analysis is meant for investigation of the plant-based compounds as antagonistic to DENV-2 focusing on the specific NS2B-NS3Pro target, a trypsin like serine protease that cuts the DENV polyprotein into separate proteins crucial for viral reproduction. Initially, a virtual library of more than 130 phytocompounds was prepared from previously published reports of plants with anti-dengue properties, which were then virtually screened and shortlisted against the WT, H51N and S135A mutant of DENV-2 NS2B-NS3Pro. The three top-most compounds were viewed as Gallocatechin (GAL), Flavokawain-C (FLV), and Isorhamnetin (ISO) showing docking scores of -5.8, -5.7, -5.7 kcal/mol for WT, -7.5, -6.8, -7.6 kcal/mol for the H51N, and -6.9, -6.5, -6.1 kcal/mol for the S135A mutant protease, respectively. 100 ns long MD simulations and MM-GBSA based free energy calculations were performed on the NS2B-NS3Pro complexes to witness the relative binding affinity of the compounds and favourable molecular interactions network. A comprehensive analysis of the study reveals some promising outcomes with ISO as the topmost compound with favourable pharmacokinetic properties for the WT and mutants (H51N and S135A) as well, suggesting as a novel anti-NS2B-NS3Pro agent with better adapting characters in both the mutants.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Purohit
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Debashis Barik
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Sidhartha Agasti
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Madhusmita Panda
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Biswa Ranjan Meher
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
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21
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Ruiz-Moreno AJ, Cedillo-González R, Cordova-Bahena L, An Z, Medina-Franco JL, Velasco-Velázquez MA. Consensus Pharmacophore Strategy For Identifying Novel SARS-Cov-2 M pro Inhibitors from Large Chemical Libraries. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:1984-1995. [PMID: 38472094 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main Protease (Mpro) is an enzyme that cleaves viral polyproteins translated from the viral genome and is critical for viral replication. Mpro is a target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug development, and multiple Mpro crystals complexed with competitive inhibitors have been reported. In this study, we aimed to develop an Mpro consensus pharmacophore as a tool to expand the search for inhibitors. We generated a consensus model by aligning and summarizing pharmacophoric points from 152 bioactive conformers of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors. Validation against a library of conformers from a subset of ligands showed that our model retrieved poses that reproduced the crystal-binding mode in 77% of the cases. Using models derived from a consensus pharmacophore, we screened >340 million compounds. Pharmacophore-matching and chemoinformatics analyses identified new potential Mpro inhibitors. The candidate compounds were chemically dissimilar to the reference set, and among them, demonstrating the relevance of our model. We evaluated the effect of 16 candidates on Mpro enzymatic activity finding that seven have inhibitory activity. Three compounds (1, 4, and 5) had IC50 values in the midmicromolar range. The Mpro consensus pharmacophore reported herein can be used to identify compounds with improved activity and novel chemical scaffolds against Mpro. The method developed for its generation is provided as an open-access code (https://github.com/AngelRuizMoreno/ConcensusPharmacophore) and can be applied to other pharmacological targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel J Ruiz-Moreno
- School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Raziel Cedillo-González
- School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Graduate Program in Biochemical Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Luis Cordova-Bahena
- School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnología, Mexico City 03940, Mexico
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - José L Medina-Franco
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Marco A Velasco-Velázquez
- School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
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22
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Chamera S, Wycisk K, Czarnocki-Cieciura M, Nowotny M. Cryo-EM structure of rotavirus B NSP2 reveals its unique tertiary architecture. J Virol 2024; 98:e0166023. [PMID: 38421167 PMCID: PMC10949507 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01660-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Rotavirus (RV) NSP2 is a multifunctional RNA chaperone that exhibits numerous activities that are essential for replication and viral genome packaging. We performed an in silico analysis that highlighted a distant relationship of NSP2 from rotavirus B (RVB) to proteins from other human RVs. We solved a cryo-electron microscopy structure of RVB NSP2 that shows structural differences with corresponding proteins from other human RVs. Based on the structure, we identified amino acid residues that are involved in RNA interactions. Anisotropy titration experiments showed that these residues are important for nucleic acid binding. We also identified structural motifs that are conserved in all RV species. Collectively, our data complete the structural characterization of rotaviral NSP2 protein and demonstrate its structural diversity among RV species.IMPORTANCERotavirus B (RVB), also known as adult diarrhea rotavirus, has caused epidemics of severe diarrhea in China, India, and Bangladesh. Thousands of people are infected in a single RVB epidemic. However, information on this group of rotaviruses remains limited. As NSP2 is an essential protein in the viral life cycle, including its role in the formation of replication factories, it may be a target for future antiviral strategy against viruses with similar mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Chamera
- Laboratory of Protein Structure, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Wycisk
- Laboratory of Protein Structure, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Marcin Nowotny
- Laboratory of Protein Structure, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
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23
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Zheng N, Liu S, Chen J, Xu Y, Cao W, Lin J, Lu G, Zhang G. SARS-CoV-2 NSP2 as a Potential Delivery Vehicle for Proteins. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:1149-1159. [PMID: 38288708 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The development of biomolecule delivery systems is essential for the treatment of various diseases such as cancer, immunological diseases, and metabolic disorders. For the first time, we found that SARS-CoV-2-encoded nonstructural protein 2 (NSP2) can be secreted from the cells, where it is synthesized. Brefeldin A and H89, inhibitors of ER/Golgi secretion pathways, did not inhibit NSP2 secretion. NSP2 is likely secreted via an unconventional secretory pathway. Moreover, both secreted and purified NSP2 proteins were able to traverse the plasma membrane barrier and enter both immortalized human umbilical vein endothelial cells and tumor cell lines. After entry, the NSP2 protein was localized in only the cytoplasm. Cytochalasin D, a potent inhibitor of actin polymerization, inhibited the entry of NSP2. NSP2 can carry other molecules into cells. Burkholderia lethal factor 1, a monomeric toxin from the intracellular pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei, has demonstrated antitumor activity by targeting host eukaryotic initiation translation factor 4A. An NSP2-BLF1 fusion protein was translocated across the cellular membranes of Huh7 cells and mediated cell killing. By using different approaches, including protein purification, chemical inhibition, and cell imaging, we confirm that NSP2 is able to deliver heterologous proteins into cells. NSP2 can act as a potential delivery vehicle for proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningze Zheng
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Shurui Liu
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Jianheng Chen
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yue Xu
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Wenyin Cao
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Jinyi Lin
- Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Guang Lu
- Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Guigen Zhang
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
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24
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Muttaqien SE, Khoris IM, Suryanggono J, Sadhukhan PC, Pambudi S, Chowdhury AD, Park EY. Point-of-care dengue detection: polydopamine-modified electrode for rapid NS1 protein testing for clinical samples. Mikrochim Acta 2024; 191:174. [PMID: 38436801 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-024-06259-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Early diagnosis of dengue infection by detecting the dengue virus non-structural protein 1 (DENV-NS1) is important to the patients to initiate speedy treatment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based NS1 detection and RT-PCR are time-consuming and too complex to be employed in remote areas of dengue-endemic countries. Meanwhile, those of NS1 rapid test by lateral flow assay suffer from low detection limit. Electrochemical-based biosensors using screen-printed gold electrodes (SPGEs) have become a reliable detection method to convey both ELISA's high sensitivity and rapid test portability. In this research, we developed an electrochemical biosensor for DENV-NS1 detection by employing polydopamine (PDA)-modified SPGE. The electrodeposition of PDA on the surface of SPGE serves as a bioconjugation avenue for anti-NS1 antibody through a simple and low-cost immobilization procedure. The biosensor performance was evaluated to detect DENV-NS1 protein in PBS and human serum through a differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) technique. The developed sensing platform displayed a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.63 pg mL-1 and a wide linear range of 10 pg mL-1 to 1 ng mL-1 (R2 ∼ 0.969). The sensing platform also detected DEV-NS1 from four different serotypes in the clinical samples collected from dengue patients in India and Indonesia, with acceptable sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values of 90.00%, 80.95%, and 87.65%, respectively. This result showcased the facile and versatile method of PDA coating onto the surface of screen-printed gold electrodes for a miniaturized point-of-care (PoC) detection device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjaikhurrizal El Muttaqien
- Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya Suruga-Ku, Shizuoka, 422-8529, Japan
- Research Center for Vaccine and Drugs, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), LAPTIAB 1, PUSPIPTEK, Tangerang Selatan, 15314, Indonesia
| | - Indra Memdi Khoris
- Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya Suruga-Ku, Shizuoka, 422-8529, Japan
- Nanomaterials Research Division, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8565, Japan
| | - Jodi Suryanggono
- Research Center for Vaccine and Drugs, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), LAPTIAB 1, PUSPIPTEK, Tangerang Selatan, 15314, Indonesia
| | - Provash C Sadhukhan
- ICMR-NICED Virus Laboratory, Kolkata, I.D. & B.G. Hospital, Banerjee Road, Kolkata, 700010, West Bengal, India
| | - Sabar Pambudi
- Research Center for Vaccine and Drugs, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), LAPTIAB 1, PUSPIPTEK, Tangerang Selatan, 15314, Indonesia
| | - Ankan Dutta Chowdhury
- Amity Institute of Nanotechnology, Amity University Kolkata, Kolkata, 700084, West Bengal, India
| | - Enoch Y Park
- Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya Suruga-Ku, Shizuoka, 422-8529, Japan.
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25
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Yang XY, Liu T, Jiang SC, Zhang ZW, Fu YF, Li ZL, Hu J, Yuan S. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 3 cross-react with human muscle cells and neuroglial cells. Vaccine 2024; 42:1259-1267. [PMID: 38281898 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines protect the public and limit viral spread. However, inactivated viral vaccines use the whole virus particle, which contains many non-capsid proteins that may cause adverse immune responses. A report has found that the ADP-ribose-binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 3 (NSP3) and human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase family member 14 (PARP14) share a significant degree of homology. Here, we further show that antibodies against 2019 novel SARS-like coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) NSP3 can bind human PARP14 protein. However, when G159R + G162R mutations were introduced into NSP3, the antibody titer against human PARP14 decreased 14-fold. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 NSP3 can cross-react with human skeletal muscle cells and astrocytes, but not human embryonic kidney 293T cells. However, when G159R + G162R mutations were introduced into NSP3, the cross-reaction was largely inhibited. The results imply that COVID-19 patients with high antibody titers against NSP3 may have high risks of muscular and/or neurological complications. And the possible strategies to improve the safety of inactivated viral vaccines are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yue Yang
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Ting Liu
- Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Comp. Ltd., Chengdu 610071, China
| | - Si-Cong Jiang
- Haisco Pharmaceutical Group Comp. Ltd., Chengdu 611138, China
| | - Zhong-Wei Zhang
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yu-Fan Fu
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Zi-Lin Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Medical University of the Air Force, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Jing Hu
- School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Shu Yuan
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
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26
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Khamto N, Utama K, Boontawee P, Janthong A, Tatieng S, Arthan S, Choommongkol V, Sangthong P, Yenjai C, Suree N, Meepowpan P. Inhibitory Activity of Flavonoid Scaffolds on SARS-CoV-2 3CL pro: Insights from the Computational and Experimental Investigations. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:874-891. [PMID: 38277124 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of the COVID-19 situation has become a global issue due to the lack of effective antiviral drugs for treatment. Flavonoids are a class of plant secondary metabolites that have antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 through inhibition of the main protease (3CLpro). In this study, 22 flavonoids obtained from natural sources and semisynthetic approaches were investigated for their inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro, along with cytotoxicity on Vero cells. The protein-ligand interactions were examined using molecular dynamics simulation. Moreover, QSAR analysis was conducted to clarify the structural effects on bioactivity. Accordingly, the in vitro investigation demonstrated that four flavonoids, namely, tectochrysin (7), 6″,6″-dimethylchromeno-[2″,3″:7,8]-flavone (9), panduratin A (19), and genistein (20), showed higher protease inhibitory activity compared to the standard flavonoid baicalein. Finally, our finding suggests that genistein (20), an isoflavone discovered in Millettia brandisiana, has potential for further development as a SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nopawit Khamto
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary School, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Kraikrit Utama
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Panida Boontawee
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary School, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Atchara Janthong
- Program in Biotechnology, Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary School, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Suriya Tatieng
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Supakorn Arthan
- Program of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University, Sakon Nakhon47000, Thailand
| | - Vachira Choommongkol
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Maejo University, 63 Nong Han, Chiang Mai 50290, Thailand
| | - Padchanee Sangthong
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Chavi Yenjai
- Natural Products Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, 123, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Nuttee Suree
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Puttinan Meepowpan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
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27
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Wang R, Chen X, Li H, Chen X, Sun D, Yu D, Lu J, Xie Y, Zhang Q, Xu J, Zhang W, Chen H, Liu S, Chen L. Danshensu inhibits SARS-CoV-2 by targeting its main protease as a specific covalent inhibitor and discovery of bifunctional compounds eliciting antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128623. [PMID: 38070810 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a serious threat to human. Since there are still no effective treatment options against the new emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary to devote a continuous endeavor for more targeted drugs and the preparation for the next pandemic. Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients possess wide antiviral activities, including against SARS-CoV-2. Danshensu, as one of the most important active ingredients in Salvia miltiorrhiza, has been reported to inhibit the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2)-overexpressed HEK-293T cells and Vero-E6 cells. However, there is a paucity of information regarding its detailed target and mechanism against SARS-CoV-2. Here, we present Danshensu as a covalent inhibitor of 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) against SARS-CoV-2 by the time-dependent inhibition assay (TDI) and mass spectrometry analysis. Further molecular docking, site-directed mutagenesis, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectra revealed that Danshensu covalently binds to C145 of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro, meanwhile forming the hydrogen bonds with S144, H163 and E166 in the S1 site. Structure-based optimization of Danshensu led to the discovery of the promising compounds with good inhibitory activity and microsomal stability in vitro. Due to Danshensu inhibiting lung inflammation in the mouse model, we found that Danshensu derivatives also showed better anti-inflammatory activity than Danshensu in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Thus, our study provides not only the clue of the efficacy of Salvia miltiorrhiza against SARS-CoV-2, but also a detailed mechanistic insight into the covalent mode of action of Danshensu for design of covalent inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro, highlighting its potential as a bifunctional molecule with antivirus and anti-inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyu Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xuwen Chen
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Hongtao Li
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xixiang Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Donghui Sun
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Danmei Yu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiani Lu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yuanyuan Xie
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianrong Xu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hongzhuan Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Shunying Liu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
| | - Lili Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
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Rabaan AA, AlShehail BM, Halwani MA, Alshengeti A, Najim MA, Garout M, Bajunaid HA, Alshamrani SA, Al Fares MA, Alissa M, Alwashmi ASS. Investigation of Zika virus methyl transferase inhibitors using steered molecular dynamics. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:1711-1724. [PMID: 37325855 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2224882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) spread is considered a major public health threat by the World Health Organization (WHO). There are no vaccines or drugs available to control the infection of the Zika virus, therefore a highly effective medicinal molecule is urgently required. In this study, a computationally intensive investigation was performed to identify a potent natural compound that could inhibit the ZIKV NS5 methyltransferase. This research approach is based on target-based drug identification principles where the native inhibitor SAH (S-adenosylhomocysteine) of ZIKV NS5 methyltransferase was selected as a reference. High-throughput virtual screening and tanimoto similarity coefficient were applied to the natural compound library for ranking the potential candidates. The top five compounds were selected for interaction analysis, MD simulation, total binding free energy through MM/GBSA, and steered MD simulation. Among these compounds, Adenosine 5'-monophosphate monohydrate, Tubercidin, and 5-Iodotubercidin showed stable binding to the protein compared to the native compound, SAH. These three compounds also showed less fluctuations in RMSF in contrast to native compound. Additionally, the same interacting residues observed in SAH also made strong interactions with these three compounds. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate monohydrate and 5-Iodotubercidin had greater total binding free energies than the reference ligand. Moreover, the dissociation resistance of all three compounds was equivalent to that of the reference ligand. This study suggested binding properties of three-hit compounds that could be used to develop drugs against Zika virus infections.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A Rabaan
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haripur, Haripur, Pakistan
| | - Bashayer M AlShehail
- Pharmacy Practice Department, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad A Halwani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Al Baha University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amer Alshengeti
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, National Guard Health Affairs, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mustafa A Najim
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Garout
- Department of Community Medicine and Health Care for Pilgrims, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Huda A Bajunaid
- Makkah Specialized Laboratory, Fakeeh Care group, Hadda, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Alshamrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona A Al Fares
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alissa
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ameen S S Alwashmi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
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Jiang H, Zou X, Zhou X, Zhang J, Li J. Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro) mutants in complex with the non-covalent inhibitor CCF0058981. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 692:149352. [PMID: 38056159 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 constantly circulates and evolves worldwide, generating many variants and posing a menace to global health. It is urgently needed to discover effective medicines to treat the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. An established target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug discovery is the main protease (Mpro), since it exerts an irreplaceable action in viral life cycle. CCF0058981, derived from ML300, is a non-covalent inhibitor that exhibits low nanomolar potency against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and submicromolar anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, thereby providing a valuable starting point for drug design. However, structural basis underlying inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro by CCF0058981 remains undetermined. In this study, the crystal structures of CCF0058981 in complex with two SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutants (M49I and V186F), which have been identified in the recently emerged Omicron subvariants, were solved. Structural analysis defined the pivotal molecular factors responsible for the interactions between CCF0058981 and these two Mpro mutants, and revealed the binding modes of CCF0058981 to Mpro M49I and V186F mutants. These data not only provide structural insights for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibition by CCF0058981, but also add to develop effective broad-spectrum drugs against SARS-CoV-2 as well as its variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihai Jiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Xiaofang Zou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Xuelan Zhou
- Jiangxi Jmerry Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ganzhou, 341000, China; Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518118, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Jian Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
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Huang Y, Peng Q, Tian X, Chen C, Zhu X, Huang C, Huo Z, Liu Y, Yang C, Liu C, Zhang P. Nuclear membrane protein SUN2 promotes replication of flaviviruses through modulating cytoskeleton reorganization mediated by NS1. Nat Commun 2024; 15:296. [PMID: 38177122 PMCID: PMC10766649 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44580-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytoskeleton is extensively recruited by flaviviruses for their infection. In this study, we uncovered an essential role of a nuclear membrane protein, SAD1/UNC84 domain protein 2 (SUN2) linking cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton in the flavivirus replication. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of SUN2, but not SUN1, significantly reduces the replication of Zika virus (ZIKV), dengue virus (DENV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). In contrast, SUN2 does not affect the infection of non-flaviviridae RNA viruses. All three regions of SUN2 are required for its proviral effect. Mechanistically, SUN2 facilitates rearrangement of cytoskeleton and formation of replication organelles induced by viral infection, and hence promotes viral RNA synthesis. SUN2 is required for the interaction between cytoskeleton actin and ZIKV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1). Expression of dominant negative Nesprin-1 and Nesprin-2, which connect SUN2 to cytoskeleton proteins, alleviates the interaction between actin and NS1 and reduces viral replication levels. In a neonatal mouse infection model, SUN2 knockout dramatically alleviates the in vivo ZIKV replication and development of neuropathology. This work elucidates that recruitment of cytoskeleton proteins by flavivirus is coordinated by nuclear membrane proteins SUN2 and Nesprins, providing evidence for a link between nuclear membrane proteins and flavivirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxia Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Qinyu Peng
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xu Tian
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cancan Chen
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xuanfeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Changbai Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiting Huo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangxi Hospital Division of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangxi, China.
| | - Chao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Ping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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Kamal S, Shahzad A, Rehman K, Tariq K, Akash MSH, Imran M, Assiri MA. Therapeutic Intervention of Serine Protease Inhibitors against Hepatitis C Virus. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2052-2072. [PMID: 37855348 DOI: 10.2174/0109298673234823230921090431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a globally prevalent and hazardous disorder that is responsible for inducing several persistent and potentially fatal liver diseases. Current treatment strategies offer limited efficacy, often accompanied by severe and debilitating adverse effects. Consequently, there is an urgent and compelling need to develop novel therapeutic interventions that can provide maximum efficacy in combating HCV while minimizing the burden of adverse effects on patients. One promising target against HCV is the NS3-4A serine protease, a complex composed of two HCV-encoded proteins. This non-covalent heterodimer is crucial in the viral life cycle and has become a primary focus for therapeutic interventions. Although peginterferon, combined with ribavirin, is commonly employed for HCV treatment, its efficacy is hampered by significant adverse effects that can profoundly impact patients' quality of life. In recent years, the development of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) has emerged as a breakthrough in HCV therapy. These agents exhibit remarkable potency against the virus and have demonstrated fewer adverse effects when combined with other DAAs. However, it is important to note that there is a potential for developing resistance to DAAs due to alterations in the amino acid position of the NS3-4A protease. This emphasizes the need for ongoing research to identify strategies that can minimize the emergence of resistance and ensure long-term effectiveness. While the combination of DAAs holds promise for HCV treatment, it is crucial to consider the possibility of drug-drug interactions. These interactions may occur when different DAAs are used concurrently, potentially compromising their therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, carefully evaluating and monitoring potential drug interactions are vital to optimize treatment outcomes. In the pursuit of novel therapeutic interventions for HCV, the field of computational biology and bioinformatics has emerged as a valuable tool. These advanced technologies and methodologies enable the development and design of new drugs and therapeutic agents that exhibit maximum efficacy, reduced risk of resistance, and minimal adverse effects. By leveraging computational approaches, researchers can efficiently screen and optimize potential candidates, accelerating the discovery and development of highly effective treatments for HCV, treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shagufta Kamal
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Asif Shahzad
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Kanwal Rehman
- Department of Pharmacy, The Women University, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Komal Tariq
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Imran
- Research center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Ali Assiri
- Research center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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32
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Zhang C, Li Y, Samad A, He H, Ma H, Chen Y, Jin T. Kyasanur Forest disease virus NS3 helicase: Insights into structure, activity, and inhibitors. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127856. [PMID: 37924898 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), a tick-borne flavivirus prevalent in India, presents a serious threat to human health. KFDV NS3 helicase (NS3hel) is considered a potential drug target due to its involvement in the viral replication complex. Here, we resolved the crystal structures of KFDV NS3hel apo and its complex with three phosphate molecules, which indicates a conformational switch during ATP hydrolysis. Our data revealed that KFDV NS3hel has a higher binding affinity for dsRNA, and its intrinsic ATPase activity was enhanced by dsRNA while being inhibited by DNA. Through mutagenesis analysis, several residues within motifs I, Ia, III, V, and VI were identified to be crucial for NS3hel ATPase activity. Notably, the M419A mutation drastically reduced NS3hel ATPase activity. We propose that the methionine-aromatic interaction between residues M419 and W294, located on the surface of the RNA-binding channel, could be a target for the design of efficient inhibitor probes. Moreover, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a tea-derived polyphenol, strongly inhibited NS3hel ATPase activity with an IC50 value of 0.8 μM. Our computational docking data show that EGCG binds at the predicted druggable hotspots of NS3hel. Overall, these findings contribute to the development and design of more effective and specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiying Zhang
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China; Ganjiang Chinese Medicine Innovation Center, Nanchang 330000, China.
| | - Yuelong Li
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Abdus Samad
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Hongliang He
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, PR China; Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Yang Chen
- Ganjiang Chinese Medicine Innovation Center, Nanchang 330000, China
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China; Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, PR China; Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Core Facility Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China; Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, China; Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; Clinical Research Hospital of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Hefei), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
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Hisamuddin M, Rizvi I, Malik A, Nabi F, Hassan MN, Ali SM, Khan JM, Khan TH, Khan RH. Characterization of pH-induced conformational changes in recombinant DENV NS2B-NS3pro. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126823. [PMID: 37703975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The increasing frequency of Dengue is a cause of severe epidemics and therefore demands strategies for effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. DENV-protease is being investigated as a potential therapeutic target. However, due to the flat and highly charged active site of the DENV-protease, designing orthosteric medicines is very difficult. In this study, we have done a thorough analysis of pH-dependent conformational changes in recombinantly expressed DENV protease using various spectroscopic techniques. Our spectroscopic study of DENV protease (NS2B-NS3pro) at different pH conditions gives important insights into the dynamicity of structural conformation. At physiological pH, the DENV-protease exists in a random-coiled state. Lowering the pH promotes the formation of alpha-helical and beta-sheet structures i.e. gain of secondary structure as shown by Far-UV CD. The light scattering and Thioflavin T (ThT)-binding assay proved the aggregation-prone tendency of DENV-protease at pH 4.0. Further, the confocal microscopy image intensity showed the amorphous aggregate formation of DENV protease at pH 4.0. Thus, the DENV protease acquires different conformations with changes in pH conditions. Together, these results have the potential to facilitate the design of a conformation destabilizer-based therapeutic strategy for dengue fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malik Hisamuddin
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India
| | - Irum Rizvi
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India
| | - Ajamaluddin Malik
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal Nabi
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India
| | - Md Nadir Hassan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India
| | - Syed Moasfar Ali
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India
| | - Javed Masood Khan
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tabish H Khan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, MO, USA
| | - Rizwan H Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India.
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Li Q, Ng HQ, Loh YR, Kang C. Backbone 1H, 15N and 13C resonance assignments for dengue NS2B without the NS3 protease cofactor region in detergent micelles. Biomol NMR Assign 2023; 17:205-209. [PMID: 37405583 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-023-10142-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Dengue virus is an important human pathogen affecting people especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Its genome encodes seven non-structural proteins that are important for viral assembly and replication. Dengue NS2B is a membrane protein containing four transmembrane helices and involved in protein-protein interactions. Its transmembrane helices are critical for location of NS2B on the cell membrane while one cytoplasmic region composed of approximately 40 amino acids serves as a cofactor of viral NS3 protease by forming a tight complex with the N-terminal region of NS3. Here, we report the backbone resonance assignments for a dengue NS2B construct referred to as mini-NS2B containing only the transmembrane regions without NS3 cofactor region in detergent micelles. Mini-NS2B exhibits well-dispersed cross-peaks in the 1H-15N-HSQC spectrum and contains four helices in solution. The available mini-NS2B and its assignment will be useful for determining the structure of NS2B and identifying small molecules binding to the transmembrane regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxin Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Biomass High Value Utilization, Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510316, China
| | - Hui Qi Ng
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos, #05-01, Singapore, 138670, Singapore
| | - Ying Ru Loh
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos, #05-01, Singapore, 138670, Singapore
| | - CongBao Kang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos, #05-01, Singapore, 138670, Singapore.
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Vijay Gone N, Ghalib Enayathullah M, Thomas J, Rathee P, Prabhakar R, Kumar Bokara K, Sanjayan GJ. Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors Featuring Novel Histidine α-Nitrile Motif. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202300957. [PMID: 37888938 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
As COVID-19 infection caused severe public health concerns recently, the development of novel antivirals has become the need of the hour. Main protease (Mpro ) has been an attractive target for antiviral drugs since it plays a vital role in polyprotein processing and virus maturation. Herein we report the discovery of a novel class of inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2, bearing histidine α-nitrile motif embedded on a simple dipeptide framework. In-vitro and in-silico studies revealed that the histidine α-nitrile motif envisioned to target the Mpro contributes to the inhibitory activity. Among a series of dipeptides synthesized featuring this novel structural motif, some dipeptides displayed strong viral reduction (EC50 =0.48 μM) with a high selectivity index, SI>454.54. These compounds also exhibit strong binding energies in the range of -28.7 to -34.2 Kcal/mol. The simple dipeptide structural framework, amenable to quick structural variations, coupled with ease of synthesis from readily available commercial starting materials are the major attractive features of this novel class of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. The histidine α-nitrile dipeptides raise the hope of discovering potent drug candidates based on this motif to fight the dreaded SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilu Vijay Gone
- Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Mohammed Ghalib Enayathullah
- Annexe-II, Medical Biotechnology Complex, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Jessie Thomas
- Annexe-II, Medical Biotechnology Complex, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Parth Rathee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Rajeev Prabhakar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Kiran Kumar Bokara
- Annexe-II, Medical Biotechnology Complex, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Gangadhar J Sanjayan
- Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
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Frolova EI, Palchevska O, Dominguez F, Frolov I. Alphavirus-induced transcriptional and translational shutoffs play major roles in blocking the formation of stress granules. J Virol 2023; 97:e0097923. [PMID: 37902397 PMCID: PMC10688339 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00979-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Our study highlights the mechanisms behind the cell's resistance to stress granule (SG) formation after infection with Old World alphaviruses. Shortly after infection, the replication of these viruses hinders the cell's ability to form SGs, even when exposed to chemical inducers such as sodium arsenite. This resistance is primarily attributed to virus-induced transcriptional and translational shutoffs, rather than interactions between the viral nsP3 and the key components of SGs, G3BP1/2, or the ADP-ribosylhydrolase activity of nsP3 macro domain. While interactions between G3BPs and nsP3 are essential for the formation of viral replication complexes, their role in regulating SG development appears to be small, if any. Cells harboring replicating viruses or replicons with lower abilities to inhibit transcription and/or translation, but expressing wild-type nsP3, retain the ability for SG development. Understanding these mechanisms of regulation of SG formation contributes to our knowledge of viral replication and the intricate relationships between alphaviruses and host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena I. Frolova
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Oksana Palchevska
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Francisco Dominguez
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Ilya Frolov
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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Agback T, Lesovoy D, Han X, Lomzov A, Sun R, Sandalova T, Orekhov VY, Achour A, Agback P. Combined NMR and molecular dynamics conformational filter identifies unambiguously dynamic ensembles of Dengue protease NS2B/NS3pro. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1193. [PMID: 38001280 PMCID: PMC10673835 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05584-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The dengue protease NS2B/NS3pro has been reported to adopt either an 'open' or a 'closed' conformation. We have developed a conformational filter that combines NMR with MD simulations to identify conformational ensembles that dominate in solution. Experimental values derived from relaxation parameters for the backbone and methyl side chains were compared with the corresponding back-calculated relaxation parameters of different conformational ensembles obtained from free MD simulations. Our results demonstrate a high prevalence for the 'closed' conformational ensemble while the 'open' conformation is absent, indicating that the latter conformation is most probably due to crystal contacts. Conversely, conformational ensembles in which the positioning of the co-factor NS2B results in a 'partially' open conformation, previously described in both MD simulations and X-ray studies, were identified by our conformational filter. Altogether, we believe that our approach allows for unambiguous identification of true conformational ensembles, an essential step for reliable drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Agback
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7015, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dmitry Lesovoy
- Department of Structural Biology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 117997, Moscow, Russia
- Swedish NMR Centre, University of Gothenburg, Box 465, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Xiao Han
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Lomzov
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Renhua Sun
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tatyana Sandalova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vladislav Yu Orekhov
- Swedish NMR Centre, University of Gothenburg, Box 465, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 465, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Peter Agback
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7015, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
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38
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Zhou K, Chen D. Conventional Understanding of SARS-CoV-2 M pro and Common Strategies for Developing Its Inhibitors. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300301. [PMID: 37577869 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought a widespread influence on the world, especially in the face of sudden coronavirus infections, and there is still an urgent need for specific small molecule therapies to cope with possible future pandemics. The pathogen responsible for this pandemic is Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and understanding its structure and lifecycle is beneficial for designing specific drugs of treatment for COVID-19. The main protease (Mpro ) which has conservative and specific advantages is essential for viral replication and transcription. It is regarded as one of the most potential targets for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug development. This review introduces the popular knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in drug development and lists a series of design principles and relevant activities of advanced Mpro inhibitors, hoping to provide some new directions and ideas for researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, RT 264005, P. R. China
| | - Daquan Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, RT 264005, P. R. China
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39
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Amrein F, Sarto C, Cababie LA, Gonzalez Flecha FL, Kaufman S, Arrar M. Impact of bound ssRNA length on allostery in the Dengue Virus NS3 helicase. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:11213-11224. [PMID: 37823592 PMCID: PMC10639040 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of ATP is known to stimulate helicase activity of the Dengue Virus Non-structural protein 3 helicase (NS3h), and the presence of RNA stimulates NS3h ATPase activity, however this coupling is still mechanistically unclear. Here we use atomistic models and molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the single-stranded RNA (ssRNA)-length dependence of the NS3h-ssRNA binding affinity and its modulation by bound ATP. Considering complexes with 7, 11, 16 and 26 nucleotides (nts), we observe that both the binding affinity and its modulation by bound ATP are augmented with increased ssRNA lengths. In models with at least 11 nts bound, the binding of ATP results in a shift from a tightly bound to a weakly bound state. We find that the weakly bound state persists during both the ADP-Pi- and ADP-bound stages of the catalytic cycle. We obtain the equilibrium association constants for NS3h binding to an ssRNA 10-mer in vitro, both in the absence and presence of ADP, which further support the alternation between tightly and weakly bound states during the catalytic cycle. The length of bound ssRNA is critical for understanding the NS3h-RNA interaction as well as how it is modulated during the catalytic cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Amrein
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Junín 956, CABA 1113, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Cálculo, Intendente Guiraldes 2160, CABA 1428, Argentina
| | - Carolina Sarto
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Intendente Guiraldes 2160, CABA 1428, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Cálculo, Intendente Guiraldes 2160, CABA 1428, Argentina
| | - Leila A Cababie
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Junín 956, CABA 1113, Argentina
| | - F Luis Gonzalez Flecha
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Junín 956, CABA 1113, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Junín 956, CABA 1113, Argentina
| | - Sergio B Kaufman
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Junín 956, CABA 1113, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Junín 956, CABA 1113, Argentina
| | - Mehrnoosh Arrar
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Instituto de Cálculo, Intendente Guiraldes 2160, CABA 1428, Argentina
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40
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Maurina SF, O'Sullivan JP, Sharma G, Pineda Rodriguez DC, MacFadden A, Cendali F, Henen MA, Vögeli B, Kieft JS, Glasgow A, Steckelberg AL. An Evolutionarily Conserved Strategy for Ribosome Binding and Host Translation Inhibition by β-coronavirus Non-structural Protein 1. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168259. [PMID: 37660941 PMCID: PMC10543557 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
An important pathogenicity factor of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses is Non-structural protein 1 (Nsp1), which suppresses host gene expression and stunts antiviral signaling. SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 binds the ribosome to inhibit translation through mRNA displacement and induces degradation of host mRNAs. Here we show that Nsp1-dependent host shutoff is conserved in diverse coronaviruses, but only Nsp1 from β-Coronaviruses (β-CoV) inhibits translation through ribosome binding. The C-terminal domain (CTD) of all β-CoV Nsp1s confers high-affinity ribosome binding despite low sequence conservation. Modeling of interactions of four Nsp1s with the ribosome identified the few absolutely conserved amino acids that, together with an overall conservation in surface charge, form the β-CoV Nsp1 ribosome-binding domain. Contrary to previous models, the Nsp1 ribosome-binding domain is an inefficient translation inhibitor. Instead, the Nsp1-CTD likely functions by recruiting Nsp1's N-terminal "effector" domain. Finally, we show that a cis-acting viral RNA element has co-evolved to fine-tune SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 function, but does not provide similar protection against Nsp1 from related viruses. Together, our work provides new insight into the diversity and conservation of ribosome-dependent host-shutoff functions of Nsp1, knowledge that could aid future efforts in pharmacological targeting of Nsp1 from SARS-CoV-2 and related human-pathogenic β-CoVs. Our study also exemplifies how comparing highly divergent Nsp1 variants can help to dissect the different modalities of this multi-functional viral protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie F Maurina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - John P O'Sullivan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Geetika Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Andrea MacFadden
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Francesca Cendali
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Morkos A Henen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Beat Vögeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Kieft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA; RNA BioScience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Anum Glasgow
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna-Lena Steckelberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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41
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Xie L, Lin F, Dong P, Li Y. MAb Targeting a Link Between ExoN and MTase of TGEV NSP14. Monoclon Antib Immunodiagn Immunother 2023; 42:178-181. [PMID: 37855908 PMCID: PMC10621669 DOI: 10.1089/mab.2023.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) infection results in severe gastrointestinal disease manifesting vomiting, diarrhea in neonatal porcine, with extremely high mortality. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific to TGEV nonstructural protein (NSP)14 that contains two functional domains, exonuclease (ExoN) and methyltransferase (MTase) domains, may help elucidate the role of NSP14 in the viral life-cycle. In this study, we developed a murine MAb, designated 12F1, against TGEV NSP14 using traditional cell-fusion technique. It was shown the MAb can exclusively bind to viral NSP14, as evidenced by the results of indirect fluorescent assay and western blotting. Intriguingly, epitope screening assay shown that 12F1 targets a hinge region connecting ExoN and N7-MTase of NSP14.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilan Xie
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Renal Disease Occurrence and Intervention, Department of Basic Medicine, Medical School, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, China
| | - Fang Lin
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of Viral Vector, Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Wuhan University of Bioengineering, Wuhan, China
| | - Peiling Dong
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of Viral Vector, Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Wuhan University of Bioengineering, Wuhan, China
| | - Yaoming Li
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of Viral Vector, Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Wuhan University of Bioengineering, Wuhan, China
- Department of Biology of Mucosal Pathogen, College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Bioengineering, Wuhan, China
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42
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Andrade MA, Mottin M, Sousa BKDP, Barbosa JARG, Dos Santos Azevedo C, Lasse Silva C, Gonçalves de Andrade M, Motta FN, Maulay-Bailly C, Amand S, Santana JMD, Horta Andrade C, Grellier P, Bastos IMD. Identification of novel Zika virus NS3 protease inhibitors with different inhibition modes by integrative experimental and computational approaches. Biochimie 2023; 212:143-152. [PMID: 37088408 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is associated with severe neurological disorders and congenital malformation. Despite efforts to eradicate the disease, there is still neither vaccine nor approved drugs to treat ZIKV infection. The NS2B-NS3 protease is a validated drug target since it is essential to polyprotein virus maturation. In the present study, we describe an experimental screening of 2,320 compounds from the chemical library of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle of Paris on ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease. A total of 96 hits were identified with 90% or more of inhibitory activity at 10 μM. Amongst the most active compounds, five were analyzed for their inhibitory mechanisms by kinetics assays and computational approaches such as molecular docking. 2-(3-methoxyphenoxy) benzoic acid (compound 945) show characteristics of a competitive inhibition (Ki = 0.49 μM) that was corroborated by its molecular docking at the active site of the NS2B-NS3 protease. Taxifolin (compound 2292) behaves as an allosteric inhibitor whereas 3,8,9-trihydroxy-2-methyl-1H-phenalen-1-one (compound 128), harmol (compound 368) and anthrapurpurin (compound 1499) show uncompetitive inhibitions. These new NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitors are valuable hits to further hit-to-lead optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milene Aparecida Andrade
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Melina Mottin
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil; Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design - LabMol, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Bruna K de P Sousa
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design - LabMol, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | | | - Clênia Dos Santos Azevedo
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Camila Lasse Silva
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | | | - Flávia Nader Motta
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil; Faculdade de Ceilândia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Christine Maulay-Bailly
- UMR 7245 MCAM, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Amand
- UMR 7245 MCAM, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Jaime Martins de Santana
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design - LabMol, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Philippe Grellier
- UMR 7245 MCAM, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France.
| | - Izabela M D Bastos
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
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43
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Abaeva IS, Arhab Y, Miścicka A, Hellen CUT, Pestova TV. In vitro reconstitution of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1-induced mRNA cleavage reveals the key roles of the N-terminal domain of Nsp1 and the RRM domain of eIF3g. Genes Dev 2023; 37:844-860. [PMID: 37821106 PMCID: PMC10620056 DOI: 10.1101/gad.350829.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
SARS CoV-2 nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) is the major pathogenesis factor that inhibits host translation using a dual strategy of impairing initiation and inducing endonucleolytic cleavage of cellular mRNAs. To investigate the mechanism of cleavage, we reconstituted it in vitro on β-globin, EMCV IRES, and CrPV IRES mRNAs that use unrelated initiation mechanisms. In all instances, cleavage required Nsp1 and only canonical translational components (40S subunits and initiation factors), arguing against involvement of a putative cellular RNA endonuclease. Requirements for initiation factors differed for these mRNAs, reflecting their requirements for ribosomal attachment. Cleavage of CrPV IRES mRNA was supported by a minimal set of components consisting of 40S subunits and eIF3g's RRM domain. The cleavage site was located in the coding region 18 nt downstream from the mRNA entrance, indicating that cleavage occurs on the solvent side of the 40S subunit. Mutational analysis identified a positively charged surface on Nsp1's N-terminal domain (NTD) and a surface above the mRNA-binding channel on eIF3g's RRM domain that contain residues essential for cleavage. These residues were required for cleavage on all three mRNAs, highlighting general roles of the Nsp1 NTD and eIF3g's RRM domain in cleavage per se, irrespective of the mode of ribosomal attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina S Abaeva
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA
| | - Yani Arhab
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA
| | - Anna Miścicka
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA
| | - Christopher U T Hellen
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA
| | - Tatyana V Pestova
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA
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44
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Fink EA, Bardine C, Gahbauer S, Singh I, Detomasi TC, White K, Gu S, Wan X, Chen J, Ary B, Glenn I, O'Connell J, O'Donnell H, Fajtová P, Lyu J, Vigneron S, Young NJ, Kondratov IS, Alisoltani A, Simons LM, Lorenzo‐Redondo R, Ozer EA, Hultquist JF, O'Donoghue AJ, Moroz YS, Taunton J, Renslo AR, Irwin JJ, García‐Sastre A, Shoichet BK, Craik CS. Large library docking for novel SARS-CoV-2 main protease non-covalent and covalent inhibitors. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4712. [PMID: 37354015 PMCID: PMC10364469 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Antiviral therapeutics to treat SARS-CoV-2 are needed to diminish the morbidity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A well-precedented drug target is the main viral protease (MPro ), which is targeted by an approved drug and by several investigational drugs. Emerging viral resistance has made new inhibitor chemotypes more pressing. Adopting a structure-based approach, we docked 1.2 billion non-covalent lead-like molecules and a new library of 6.5 million electrophiles against the enzyme structure. From these, 29 non-covalent and 11 covalent inhibitors were identified in 37 series, the most potent having an IC50 of 29 and 20 μM, respectively. Several series were optimized, resulting in low micromolar inhibitors. Subsequent crystallography confirmed the docking predicted binding modes and may template further optimization. While the new chemotypes may aid further optimization of MPro inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2, the modest success rate also reveals weaknesses in our approach for challenging targets like MPro versus other targets where it has been more successful, and versus other structure-based techniques against MPro itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa A. Fink
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Graduate Program in BiophysicsUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Conner Bardine
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Graduate Program in Chemistry and Chemical BiologyUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Stefan Gahbauer
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Isha Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Tyler C. Detomasi
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kris White
- Department of MicrobiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Shuo Gu
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Xiaobo Wan
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Beatrice Ary
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Isabella Glenn
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Joseph O'Connell
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Henry O'Donnell
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Pavla Fajtová
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of California‐San DiegoSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jiankun Lyu
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Seth Vigneron
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Nicholas J. Young
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ivan S. Kondratov
- Enamine Ltd.KyïvUkraine
- V.P. Kukhar Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and PetrochemistryNational Academy of Sciences of UkraineKyïvUkraine
| | - Arghavan Alisoltani
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Lacy M. Simons
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Ramon Lorenzo‐Redondo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Egon A. Ozer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Judd F. Hultquist
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Anthony J. O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of California‐San DiegoSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yurii S. Moroz
- National Taras Shevchenko University of KyïvKyïvUkraine
- Chemspace LLCKyïvUkraine
| | - Jack Taunton
- Department of Cellular and Molecular PharmacologyUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Adam R. Renslo
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - John J. Irwin
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Adolfo García‐Sastre
- Department of MicrobiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious DiseasesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell‐Based MedicineIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- QBI COVID‐19 Research Group (QCRG)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Brian K. Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- QBI COVID‐19 Research Group (QCRG)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Charles S. Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California‐San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- QBI COVID‐19 Research Group (QCRG)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
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45
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Godoy AS, Nakamura AM, Douangamath A, Song Y, Noske GD, Gawriljuk VO, Fernandes RS, Pereira H, Oliveira K, Fearon D, Dias A, Krojer T, Fairhead M, Powell A, Dunnet L, Brandao-Neto J, Skyner R, Chalk R, Bajusz D, Bege M, Borbás A, Keserű GM, von Delft F, Oliva G. Allosteric regulation and crystallographic fragment screening of SARS-CoV-2 NSP15 endoribonuclease. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:5255-5270. [PMID: 37115000 PMCID: PMC10250223 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The NSP15 endoribonuclease enzyme, known as NendoU, is highly conserved and plays a critical role in the ability of the virus to evade the immune system. NendoU is a promising target for the development of new antiviral drugs. However, the complexity of the enzyme's structure and kinetics, along with the broad range of recognition sequences and lack of structural complexes, hampers the development of inhibitors. Here, we performed enzymatic characterization of NendoU in its monomeric and hexameric form, showing that hexamers are allosteric enzymes with a positive cooperative index, and with no influence of manganese on enzymatic activity. Through combining cryo-electron microscopy at different pHs, X-ray crystallography and biochemical and structural analysis, we showed that NendoU can shift between open and closed forms, which probably correspond to active and inactive states, respectively. We also explored the possibility of NendoU assembling into larger supramolecular structures and proposed a mechanism for allosteric regulation. In addition, we conducted a large fragment screening campaign against NendoU and identified several new allosteric sites that could be targeted for the development of new inhibitors. Overall, our findings provide insights into the complex structure and function of NendoU and offer new opportunities for the development of inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Schutzer Godoy
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Aline Minalli Nakamura
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Alice Douangamath
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Yun Song
- Electron Bio-imaging Centre, Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Gabriela Dias Noske
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Victor Oliveira Gawriljuk
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Sachetto Fernandes
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Humberto D Muniz Pereira
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Ketllyn Irene Zagato Oliveira
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Daren Fearon
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Alexandre Dias
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Tobias Krojer
- BioMAX, MAX IV Laboratory, Fotongatan 2, Lund 224 84, Sweden
| | - Michael Fairhead
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Alisa Powell
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Louise Dunnet
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Jose Brandao-Neto
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Rachael Skyner
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Rod Chalk
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Dávid Bajusz
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklós Bege
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Molecular Recognition and Interaction Research Group, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Anikó Borbás
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, University of Pécs, Ifjúság útja 20, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - György Miklós Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Frank von Delft
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | - Glaucius Oliva
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Joao Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, Sao Carlos, 13563-120, Brazil
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Ghavami G, Adibzadeh S, Amiri S, Sardari S. Combined in silico strategy for repurposing DrugBank entries towards introducing potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2023; 101:268-285. [PMID: 36848647 DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2022-0309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) from China in December 2019 led to the coronavirus disorder 2019 pandemic, which has affected tens of millions of humans worldwide. Various in silico research via bio-cheminformatics methods were performed to examine the efficiency of a range of repurposed approved drugs with a new role as anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. The current study has been performed to screen the approved drugs in the DrugBank database based on a novel bioinformatics/cheminformatics strategy to repurpose available approved drugs towards introducing them as a possible anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug. As a result, 96 approved drugs with the best docking scores passed through several relevant filters were presented as the candidate drugs with potential novel antiviral activities against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazaleh Ghavami
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Setare Adibzadeh
- Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Amiri
- Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soroush Sardari
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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47
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Roy KK, Jyothi D, Paul U, Sukla S. Identification and validation of novel non-nucleoside class of molecules inhibiting the dengue virus replication. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:13993-14002. [PMID: 36970872 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2192796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
There is currently no drug available to treat mosquito-borne dengue. The C-terminal RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain in the non-structural type 5 (NS5) protein of the dengue virus (DENV) is essential for viral RNA synthesis and replication, and therefore, it is an attractive target for the anti-dengue drug development. We report herein the discovery and validation of two novel non-nucleoside classes of small molecules as DENV RdRp inhibitors. Firstly, using the refined X-ray structure of the DENV NS5 RdRp domain (PDB-ID: 4V0R), we conducted docking, binding free-energy studies, and short-scale molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the binding sites of known small molecules that led to the optimized protein-ligand complex. Subsequently, protein structure-based screening of a commercial database (∼500,000 synthetic compounds), pre-filtered for the drug-likeness, led to the top-ranked 171 molecules, which was then subjected to structural diversity analysis and clustering. This process led to six structurally distinct and best-scored compounds that were procured from the commercial vendor, and then subjected to the in vitro testing in the MTT and dengue infection assays. It revealed two unique and structurally unique compounds, KKR-D-02 and KKR-D-03, exhibiting 84 and 81% reductions, respectively, in DENV copy number in repeated assays in comparison to the virus-infected cell controls. These active compounds represent novel scaffolds for further structure-based discovery of novel candidate molecules for the intervention of dengue.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeep K Roy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Chunilal Bhawan, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Deeti Jyothi
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Chunilal Bhawan, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Udita Paul
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Chunilal Bhawan, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Soumi Sukla
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Chunilal Bhawan, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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48
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Yang KS, Blankenship LR, Kuo STA, Sheng YJ, Li P, Fierke CA, Russell DH, Yan X, Xu S, Liu WR. A Novel Y-Shaped, S-O-N-O-S-Bridged Cross-Link between Three Residues C22, C44, and K61 Is Frequently Observed in the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:449-455. [PMID: 36629751 PMCID: PMC10023456 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
As the COVID-19 pathogen, SARS-CoV-2 relies on its main protease (MPro) for pathogenesis and replication. During crystallographic analyses of MPro crystals that were exposed to the air, a uniquely Y-shaped, S-O-N-O-S-bridged post-translational cross-link that connects three residues C22, C44, and K61 at their side chains was frequently observed. As a novel covalent modification, this cross-link serves potentially as a redox switch to regulate the catalytic activity of MPro, a demonstrated drug target of COVID-19. The formation of this linkage leads to a much more open active site that can potentially be targeted for the development of novel SARS-CoV-2 antivirals. The structural rearrangement of MPro by this cross-link indicates that small molecules that lock MPro in the cross-linked form can potentially be used with other active-site-targeting molecules such as paxlovid for synergistic effects in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai S. Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Syuan-Ting Alex Kuo
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yan J. Sheng
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Pingwei Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Carol A. Fierke
- Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - David H. Russell
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Xin Yan
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Shiqing Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Wenshe Ray Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology and Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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49
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Cheng J, Hao Y, Shi Q, Hou G, Wang Y, Wang Y, Xiao W, Othman J, Qi J, Wang Y, Chen Y, Yu G. Discovery of Novel Chinese Medicine Compounds Targeting 3CL Protease by Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28030937. [PMID: 36770604 PMCID: PMC9921503 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28030937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The transmission and infectivity of COVID-19 have caused a pandemic that has lasted for several years. This is due to the constantly changing variants and subvariants that have evolved rapidly from SARS-CoV-2. To discover drugs with therapeutic potential for COVID-19, we focused on the 3CL protease (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2, which has been proven to be an important target for COVID-19 infection. Computational prediction techniques are quick and accurate enough to facilitate the discovery of drugs against the 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. In this paper, we used both ligand-based virtual screening and structure-based virtual screening to screen the traditional Chinese medicine small molecules that have the potential to target the 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. MD simulations were used to confirm these results for future in vitro testing. MCCS was then used to calculate the normalized free energy of each ligand and the residue energy contribution. As a result, we found ZINC15676170, ZINC09033700, and ZINC12530139 to be the most promising antiviral therapies against the 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Cheng
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China
| | - Yixuan Hao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Qin Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China
| | - Guanyu Hou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yanan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China
| | - Yong Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China
| | - Wen Xiao
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China
| | - Joseph Othman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Junnan Qi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yuanqiang Wang
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (G.Y.); Tel.: +86-2362563190 (Y.W.); +86-57188813483 (Y.C.); +86-13401772896 (G.Y.)
| | - Yan Chen
- College of Pharmacology Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (G.Y.); Tel.: +86-2362563190 (Y.W.); +86-57188813483 (Y.C.); +86-13401772896 (G.Y.)
| | - Guanghua Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China
- Correspondence: (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (G.Y.); Tel.: +86-2362563190 (Y.W.); +86-57188813483 (Y.C.); +86-13401772896 (G.Y.)
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50
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Ren J, Vaid TM, Lee H, Ojeda I, Johnson ME. Evaluation of interactions between the hepatitis C virus NS3/4A and sulfonamidobenzamide based molecules using molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2023; 37:53-65. [PMID: 36427108 PMCID: PMC9839505 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-022-00490-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) NS3/4A is an attractive target for the treatment of Hepatitis C infection. Herein, we present an investigation of HCV NS3/4A inhibitors based on a sulfonamidobenzamide scaffold. Inhibitor interactions with HCV NS3/4A were explored by molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and MM/PBSA binding free energy calculations. All of the inhibitors adopt similar molecular docking poses in the catalytic site of the protease that are stabilized by hydrogen bond interactions with G137 and the catalytic S139, which are known to be important for potency and binding stability. The quantitative assessments of binding free energies from MM/PBSA correlate well with the experimental results, with a high coefficient of determination, R2 of 0.92. Binding free energy decomposition analyses elucidate the different contributions of Q41, F43, H57, R109, K136, G137, S138, S139, A156, M485, and Q526 in binding different inhibitors. The importance of these sidechain contributions was further confirmed by computational alanine scanning mutagenesis. In addition, the sidechains of K136 and S139 show crucial but distinct contributions to inhibitor binding with HCV NS3/4A. The structural basis of the potency has been elucidated, demonstrating the importance of the R155 sidechain conformation. This extensive exploration of binding energies and interactions between these compounds and HCV NS3/4A at the atomic level should benefit future antiviral drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhong Ren
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
- BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd, No. 30 Science Park Road, Zhong-Guan-Cun Life Sciences Park, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Tasneem M Vaid
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Hyun Lee
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
- Biophysics Core at Research Resource Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1100 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Isabel Ojeda
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Michael E Johnson
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
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