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Freidel MR, Armen RS. Research Progress on Spike-Dependent SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Inhibitors and Small Molecules Targeting the S2 Subunit of Spike. Viruses 2024; 16:712. [PMID: 38793593 DOI: 10.3390/v16050712] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive drug repurposing efforts have sought to identify small-molecule antivirals with various mechanisms of action. Here, we aim to review research progress on small-molecule viral entry and fusion inhibitors that directly bind to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Early in the pandemic, numerous small molecules were identified in drug repurposing screens and reported to be effective in in vitro SARS-CoV-2 viral entry or fusion inhibitors. However, given minimal experimental information regarding the exact location of small-molecule binding sites on Spike, it was unclear what the specific mechanism of action was or where the exact binding sites were on Spike for some inhibitor candidates. The work of countless researchers has yielded great progress, with the identification of many viral entry inhibitors that target elements on the S1 receptor-binding domain (RBD) or N-terminal domain (NTD) and disrupt the S1 receptor-binding function. In this review, we will also focus on highlighting fusion inhibitors that target inhibition of the S2 fusion function, either by disrupting the formation of the postfusion S2 conformation or alternatively by stabilizing structural elements of the prefusion S2 conformation to prevent conformational changes associated with S2 function. We highlight experimentally validated binding sites on the S1/S2 interface and on the S2 subunit. While most substitutions to the Spike protein to date in variants of concern (VOCs) have been localized to the S1 subunit, the S2 subunit sequence is more conserved, with only a few observed substitutions in proximity to S2 binding sites. Several recent small molecules targeting S2 have been shown to have robust activity over recent VOC mutant strains and/or greater broad-spectrum antiviral activity for other more distantly related coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Freidel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, 901 Walnut St. Suite 918, Philadelphia, PA 19170, USA
| | - Roger S Armen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, 901 Walnut St. Suite 918, Philadelphia, PA 19170, USA
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2
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Chowdhury N, Kundu A. Nanotechnology Platform for Advancing Vaccine Development against the COVID-19 Virus. Diseases 2023; 11:177. [PMID: 38131983 PMCID: PMC10742622 DOI: 10.3390/diseases11040177] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on societies, public health, healthcare systems, and the world economy. With over 771 million people infected worldwide and a staggering death toll exceeding 6,960,783 as of 4 October 2023 (according to the World Health Organization), the urgency for a solution was paramount. Since the outbreak, the demand for immediate treatment for COVID-19 viral infection, as well as for effective vaccination against this virus, was soaring, which led scientists, pharmaceutical/biotech companies, government health agencies, etc., to think about a treatment strategy that could control and minimize this outbreak as soon as possible. Vaccination emerged as the most effective strategy to combat this infectious disease. For vaccination strategies, any conventional vaccine approach using attenuated live or inactivated/engineered virus, as well as other approaches, typically requires years of research and assessment. However, the urgency of the situation promoted a faster and more effective approach to vaccine development against COVID-19. The role of nanotechnology in designing, manufacturing, boosting, and delivering vaccines to the host to counter this virus was unquestionably valued and assessed. Several nanoformulations are discussed here in terms of their composition, physical properties, credibility, and applications in past vaccine development (as well as the possibility of using those used in previous applications for the generation of the COVID-19 vaccine). Controlling and eliminating the spread of the virus and preventing future recurrence requires a safe, tolerable, and effective vaccine strategy. In this review, we discuss the potential of nanoformulations as the basis for an effective vaccine strategy against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anup Kundu
- Department of Biology, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA 70125, USA;
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3
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Yánez Arcos DL, Thirumuruganandham SP. Structural and pKa Estimation of the Amphipathic HR1 in SARS-CoV-2: Insights from Constant pH MD, Linear vs. Nonlinear Normal Mode Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16190. [PMID: 38003380 PMCID: PMC10671649 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216190] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of molecular interactions and functions is imperative for unraveling the intricacies of viral protein behavior and conformational dynamics during cellular entry. Focusing on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SARS-CoV-2 sp), a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on a subset comprising 131 A-chain structures in presence of various inhibitors was conducted. Our analyses unveiled a compelling correlation between PCA modes and Anisotropic Network Model (ANM) modes, underscoring the reliability and functional significance of low-frequency modes in adapting to diverse inhibitor binding scenarios. The role of HR1 in viral processing, both linear Normal Mode Analysis (NMA) and Nonlinear NMA were implemented. Linear NMA exhibited substantial inter-structure variability, as evident from a higher Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) range (7.30 Å), nonlinear NMA show stability throughout the simulations (RMSD 4.85 Å). Frequency analysis further emphasized that the energy requirements for conformational changes in nonlinear modes are notably lower compared to their linear counterparts. Using simulations of molecular dynamics at constant pH (cpH-MD), we successfully predicted the pKa order of the interconnected residues within the HR1 mutations at lower pH values, suggesting a transition to a post-fusion structure. The pKa determination study illustrates the profound effects of pH variations on protein structure. Key results include pKa values of 9.5179 for lys-921 in the D936H mutant, 9.50 for the D950N mutant, and a slightly higher value of 10.49 for the D936Y variant. To further understand the behavior and physicochemical characteristics of the protein in a biologically relevant setting, we also examine hydrophobic regions in the prefused states of the HR1 protein mutants D950N, D936Y, and D936H in our study. This analysis was conducted to ascertain the hydrophobic moment of the protein within a lipid environment, shedding light on its behavior and physicochemical properties in a biologically relevant context.
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Wu L, Zheng A, Tang Y, Chai Y, Chen J, Cheng L, Hu Y, Qu J, Lei W, Liu WJ, Wu G, Zeng S, Yang H, Wang Q, Gao GF. A pan-coronavirus peptide inhibitor prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice by intranasal delivery. Sci China Life Sci 2023; 66:2201-2213. [PMID: 37574525 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2410-5] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoVs) have brought serious threats to humans, particularly severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which continually evolves into multiple variants. These variants, especially Omicron, reportedly escape therapeutic antibodies and vaccines, indicating an urgent need for new antivirals with pan-SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory activity. We previously reported that a peptide fusion inhibitor, P3, targeting heptad repeated-1 (HR1) of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, could inhibit viral infections. Here, we further designed multiple derivatives of the P3 based on structural analysis and found that one derivative, the P315V3, showed the most efficient antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants and several other sarbecoviruses, as well as other human-CoVs (HCoVs). P315V3 also exhibited effective prophylactic efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants in mice via intranasal administration. These results suggest that P315V3, which is in Phase II clinical trial, is promising for further development as a nasal pan-SARS-CoV-2 or pan-CoVs inhibitor to prevent or treat CoV diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Anqi Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yangming Tang
- Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518109, China
| | - Yan Chai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jiantao Chen
- Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518109, China
| | - Lin Cheng
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518112, China
| | - Yu Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Jing Qu
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Wenwen Lei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - William Jun Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Guizhen Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Shaogui Zeng
- Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518109, China
| | - Hang Yang
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan, 430299, China.
| | - Qihui Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - George Fu Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), Beijing, 102206, China.
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5
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Nguyen H, Nguyen HL, Lan PD, Thai NQ, Sikora M, Li MS. Interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with host cells and antibodies: experiment and simulation. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:6497-6553. [PMID: 37650302 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs01170g] [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: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the devastating global COVID-19 pandemic announced by WHO in March 2020. Through unprecedented scientific effort, several vaccines, drugs and antibodies have been developed, saving millions of lives, but the fight against COVID-19 continues as immune escape variants of concern such as Delta and Omicron emerge. To develop more effective treatments and to elucidate the side effects caused by vaccines and therapeutic agents, a deeper understanding of the molecular interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with them and human cells is required. With special interest in computational approaches, we will focus on the structure of SARS-CoV-2 and the interaction of its spike protein with human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) as a prime entry point of the virus into host cells. In addition, other possible viral receptors will be considered. The fusion of viral and human membranes and the interaction of the spike protein with antibodies and nanobodies will be discussed, as well as the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on protein synthesis in host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung Nguyen
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Hoang Linh Nguyen
- Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Faculty of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
| | - Pham Dang Lan
- Life Science Lab, Institute for Computational Science and Technology, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, 729110 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Physics and Engineering Physics, VNUHCM-University of Science, 227, Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, 749000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Quoc Thai
- Dong Thap University, 783 Pham Huu Lau Street, Ward 6, Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap, Vietnam
| | - Mateusz Sikora
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
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6
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Qing E, Gallagher T. Adaptive variations in SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins: effects on distinct virus-cell entry stages. mBio 2023; 14:e0017123. [PMID: 37382441 PMCID: PMC10470846 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00171-23] [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: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolved SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) spread through human populations in succession. Major virus variations are in the entry-facilitating viral spike (S) proteins; Omicron VOCs have 29-40 S mutations relative to ancestral D614G viruses. The impacts of this Omicron divergence on S protein structure, antigenicity, cell entry pathways, and pathogenicity have been extensively evaluated, yet gaps remain in correlating specific alterations with S protein functions. In this study, we compared the functions of ancestral D614G and Omicron VOCs using cell-free assays that can reveal differences in several distinct steps of the S-directed virus entry process. Relative to ancestral D614G, Omicron BA.1 S proteins were hypersensitized to receptor activation, to conversion into intermediate conformational states, and to membrane fusion-activating proteases. We identified mutations conferring these changes in S protein character by evaluating domain-exchanged D614G/Omicron recombinants in the cell-free assays. Each of the three functional alterations was mapped to specific S protein domains, with the recombinants providing insights on inter-domain interactions that fine-tune S-directed virus entry. Our results provide a structure-function atlas of the S protein variations that may promote the transmissibility and infectivity of current and future SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. IMPORTANCE Continuous SARS-CoV-2 adaptations generate increasingly transmissible variants. These succeeding variants show ever-increasing evasion of suppressive antibodies and host factors, as well as increasing invasion of susceptible host cells. Here, we evaluated the adaptations enhancing invasion. We used reductionist cell-free assays to compare the entry steps of ancestral (D614G) and Omicron (BA.1) variants. Relative to D614G, Omicron entry was distinguished by heightened responsiveness to entry-facilitating receptors and proteases and by enhanced formation of intermediate states that execute virus-cell membrane fusion. We found that these Omicron-specific characteristics arose from mutations in specific S protein domains and subdomains. The results reveal the inter-domain networks controlling S protein dynamics and efficiencies of entry steps, and they offer insights on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants that arise and ultimately dominate infections worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enya Qing
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Tom Gallagher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
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7
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Guo L, Lin S, Chen Z, Cao Y, He B, Lu G. Targetable elements in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit for the design of pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors and vaccines. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:197. [PMID: 37164987 PMCID: PMC10170451 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused devastating impacts on the public health and the global economy. Rapid viral antigenic evolution has led to the continual generation of new variants. Of special note is the recently expanding Omicron subvariants that are capable of immune evasion from most of the existing neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). This has posed new challenges for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Therefore, exploring broad-spectrum antiviral agents to combat the emerging variants is imperative. In sharp contrast to the massive accumulation of mutations within the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), the S2 fusion subunit has remained highly conserved among variants. Hence, S2-based therapeutics may provide effective cross-protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we summarize the most recently developed broad-spectrum fusion inhibitors (e.g., nAbs, peptides, proteins, and small-molecule compounds) and candidate vaccines targeting the conserved elements in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit. The main focus includes all the targetable S2 elements, namely, the fusion peptide, stem helix, and heptad repeats 1 and 2 (HR1-HR2) bundle. Moreover, we provide a detailed summary of the characteristics and action-mechanisms for each class of cross-reactive fusion inhibitors, which should guide and promote future design of S2-based inhibitors and vaccines against new coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyan Guo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Sheng Lin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Zimin Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- Disaster Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Bin He
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
| | - Guangwen Lu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
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8
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Chen Z, Wu C, Yuan Y, Xie Z, Li T, Huang H, Li S, Deng J, Lin H, Shi Z, Li C, Hao Y, Tang Y, You Y, Al-Hartomy OA, Wageh S, Al-Sehemi AG, Lu R, Zhang L, Lin X, He Y, Zhao G, Li D, Zhang H. CRISPR-Cas13a-powered electrochemical biosensor for the detection of the L452R mutation in clinical samples of SARS-CoV-2 variants. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:141. [PMID: 37120637 PMCID: PMC10148006 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01903-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the end of 2019, a highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has deprived numerous lives worldwide, called COVID-19. Up to date, omicron is the latest variant of concern, and BA.5 is replacing the BA.2 variant to become the main subtype rampaging worldwide. These subtypes harbor an L452R mutation, which increases their transmissibility among vaccinated people. Current methods for identifying SARS-CoV-2 variants are mainly based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by gene sequencing, making time-consuming processes and expensive instrumentation indispensable. In this study, we developed a rapid and ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor to achieve the goals of high sensitivity, the ability of distinguishing the variants, and the direct detection of RNAs from viruses simultaneously. We used electrodes made of MXene-AuNP (gold nanoparticle) composites for improved sensitivity and the CRISPR/Cas13a system for high specificity in detecting the single-base L452R mutation in RNAs and clinical samples. Our biosensor will be an excellent supplement to the RT-qPCR method enabling the early diagnosis and quick distinguishment of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5 and BA.2 variants and more potential variants that might arise in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Chen
- Qingyuan People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan, Guangdong, 511518, People's Republic of China
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D, Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenshuo Wu
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D, Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
- Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou, 313001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxuan Yuan
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D, Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongjian Xie
- Institute of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Institute of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Clinical Medical College of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518038, P. R. China
| | - Tianzhong Li
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D, Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Huang
- Qingyuan People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan, Guangdong, 511518, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuang Li
- College of Pharmacy, Dali University, Dali, 671000, P. R. China
| | - Jiefeng Deng
- College of Pharmacy, Dali University, Dali, 671000, P. R. China
| | - Huiling Lin
- Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Zhe Shi
- School of Physics & New Energy, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221018, People's Republic of China
| | - Chaozhou Li
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D, Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Yabin Hao
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D, Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxuan Tang
- Shenzhen Metasensing Tech Limited Company, Shenzhen, 518000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuehua You
- Department of Stomatology, Longhua People's Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518109, People's Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, People's Republic of China
| | - Omar A Al-Hartomy
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Swelm Wageh
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah G Al-Sehemi
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ruitao Lu
- Shenzhen International Institute for Biomedical Research, Shenzhen, 518110, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Key Lab of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xuechun Lin
- Laboratory of All-Solid-State Light Sources, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yaqing He
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China.
| | - Guojun Zhao
- Qingyuan People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan, Guangdong, 511518, People's Republic of China.
| | - Defa Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518038, People's Republic of China.
| | - Han Zhang
- International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D, Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Yang K, Wang C, Kreutzberger AJB, White KI, Pfuetzner RA, Esquivies L, Kirchhausen T, Brunger AT. Structure-based design of a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron-specific inhibitor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300360120. [PMID: 36940324 PMCID: PMC10068829 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300360120] [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: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) introduced a relatively large number of mutations, including three mutations in the highly conserved heptad repeat 1 (HR1) region of the spike glycoprotein (S) critical for its membrane fusion activity. We show that one of these mutations, N969K induces a substantial displacement in the structure of the heptad repeat 2 (HR2) backbone in the HR1HR2 postfusion bundle. Due to this mutation, fusion-entry peptide inhibitors based on the Wuhan strain sequence are less efficacious. Here, we report an Omicron-specific peptide inhibitor designed based on the structure of the Omicron HR1HR2 postfusion bundle. Specifically, we inserted an additional residue in HR2 near the Omicron HR1 K969 residue to better accommodate the N969K mutation and relieve the distortion in the structure of the HR1HR2 postfusion bundle it introduced. The designed inhibitor recovers the loss of inhibition activity of the original longHR2_42 peptide with the Wuhan strain sequence against the Omicron variant in both a cell-cell fusion assay and a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-SARS-CoV-2 chimera infection assay, suggesting that a similar approach could be used to combat future variants. From a mechanistic perspective, our work suggests the interactions in the extended region of HR2 may mediate the initial landing of HR2 onto HR1 during the transition of the S protein from the prehairpin intermediate to the postfusion state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailu Yang
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Chuchu Wang
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Alex J. B. Kreutzberger
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - K. Ian White
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Richard A. Pfuetzner
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Luis Esquivies
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Tomas Kirchhausen
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Axel T. Brunger
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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10
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Samanta A, Alam SSM, Ali S, Hoque M. Evaluating the transmission feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant to 143 mammalian hosts: insights from S protein RBD and host ACE2 interaction studies. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:36. [PMID: 36631570 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-00962-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In comparison to previously known severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, the newly emerged Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant shows higher infectivity in humans. Exceptionally high infectivity of this variant raises concern of its possible transmission via other intermediate hosts. The SARS-CoV-2 infectivity is established via the association of spike (S) protein receptor binding domain (RBD) with host angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor. In the course of this study, we investigated the interaction between Omicron S protein RBD with the ACE2 receptor of 143 mammalian hosts including human by protein-protein interaction analysis. The goal of this study was to forecast the likelihood that the virus may infect other mammalian species that coexist with or are close to humans in the household, rural, agricultural, or zoological environments. The Omicron RBD was found to interact with higher binding affinity with the ACE2 receptor of 122 mammalian hosts via different amino acid residues from the human ACE2 (hACE2). The rat (Rattus rattus) ACE2 was found to show the strongest interaction with Omicron RBD with a binding affinity of -1393.6 kcal/mol. These distinct strong binding affinity of RBD of Omicron with host ACE2 indicates a greater potential of new host transmissibility and infection via intermediate hosts. Though expected but the phylogenetic position of the mammalian species may not dictate the Omicron RBD binding to the host ACE2 receptor suggesting an involvement of multiple factors in guiding host divergence of the variant.
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11
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Lan Q, Wang L, Jiao F, Lu L, Xia S, Jiang S. Pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors to combat COVID-19 and other emerging coronavirus infectious diseases. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28143. [PMID: 36098460 PMCID: PMC9539121 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the currently ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has posed a serious threat to global public health. Recently, several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) have emerged and caused numerous cases of reinfection in convalescent COVID-19 patients, as well as breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals. This calls for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2 and its VOCs. Pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors, targeting the conserved heptad repeat 1 (HR1) in spike protein S2 subunit, can broadly and potently inhibit infection of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, as well as other human coronaviruses. In this review, we summarized the most recent development of pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors, such as EK1, EK1C4, and EKL1C, and highlighted their potential application in combating current COVID-19 infection and reinfection, as well as future emerging coronavirus infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoshuai Lan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Lijue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Fanke Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shuai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Pathogenic Microbes and Infection, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and BiosecurityFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Peng
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang-Xin Fu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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13
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Fredericks AM, East KW, Shi Y, Liu J, Maschietto F, Ayala A, Cioffi WG, Cohen M, Fairbrother WG, Lefort CT, Nau GJ, Levy MM, Wang J, Batista VS, Lisi GP, Monaghan SF. Identification and mechanistic basis of non-ACE2 blocking neutralizing antibodies from COVID-19 patients with deep RNA sequencing and molecular dynamics simulations. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1080964. [PMID: 36589229 PMCID: PMC9800910 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1080964] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue to cause disease and impair the effectiveness of treatments. The therapeutic potential of convergent neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) from fully recovered patients has been explored in several early stages of novel drugs. Here, we identified initially elicited NAbs (Ig Heavy, Ig lambda, Ig kappa) in response to COVID-19 infection in patients admitted to the intensive care unit at a single center with deep RNA sequencing (>100 million reads) of peripheral blood as a diagnostic tool for predicting the severity of the disease and as a means to pinpoint specific compensatory NAb treatments. Clinical data were prospectively collected at multiple time points during ICU admission, and amino acid sequences for the NAb CDR3 segments were identified. Patients who survived severe COVID-19 had significantly more of a Class 3 antibody (C135) to SARS-CoV-2 compared to non-survivors (15059.4 vs. 1412.7, p = 0.016). In addition to highlighting the utility of RNA sequencing in revealing unique NAb profiles in COVID-19 patients with different outcomes, we provided a physical basis for our findings via atomistic modeling combined with molecular dynamics simulations. We established the interactions of the Class 3 NAb C135 with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, proposing a mechanistic basis for inhibition via multiple conformations that can effectively prevent ACE2 from binding to the spike protein, despite C135 not directly blocking the ACE2 binding motif. Overall, we demonstrate that deep RNA sequencing combined with structural modeling offers the new potential to identify and understand novel therapeutic(s) NAbs in individuals lacking certain immune responses due to their poor endogenous production. Our results suggest a possible window of opportunity for administration of such NAbs when their full sequence becomes available. A method involving rapid deep RNA sequencing of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 or its variants at the earliest infection time could help to develop personalized treatments using the identified specific NAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alger M. Fredericks
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Research, The Miriam Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Kyle W. East
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Yuanjun Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jinchan Liu
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Alfred Ayala
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Research, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, United States
| | - William G. Cioffi
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Research, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Maya Cohen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, United States
| | - William G. Fairbrother
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Craig T. Lefort
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Research, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Gerard J. Nau
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Mitchell M. Levy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Jimin Wang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Victor S. Batista
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - George P. Lisi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Sean F. Monaghan
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Research, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, United States
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14
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Alisoltani A, Jaroszewski L, Godzik A, Iranzadeh A, Simons LM, Dean TJ, Lorenzo-Redondo R, Hultquist JF, Ozer EA. ViralVar: A Web Tool for Multilevel Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 Genomes. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122714. [PMID: 36560718 PMCID: PMC9781208 DOI: 10.3390/v14122714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented growth of publicly available SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence data has increased the demand for effective and accessible SARS-CoV-2 data analysis and visualization tools. The majority of the currently available tools either require computational expertise to deploy them or limit user input to preselected subsets of SARS-CoV-2 genomes. To address these limitations, we developed ViralVar, a publicly available, point-and-click webtool that gives users the freedom to investigate and visualize user-selected subsets of SARS-CoV-2 genomes obtained from the GISAID public database. ViralVar has two primary features that enable: (1) the visualization of the spatiotemporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 lineages and (2) a structural/functional analysis of genomic mutations. As proof-of-principle, ViralVar was used to explore the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the USA in pediatric, adult, and elderly populations (n > 1.7 million genomes). Whereas the spatiotemporal dynamics of the variants did not differ between these age groups, several USA-specific sublineages arose relative to the rest of the world. Our development and utilization of ViralVar to provide insights on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in the USA demonstrates the importance of developing accessible tools to facilitate and accelerate the large-scale surveillance of circulating pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghavan Alisoltani
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (E.A.O.)
| | - Lukasz Jaroszewski
- Biosciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
| | - Adam Godzik
- Biosciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
| | - Arash Iranzadeh
- Computational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Lacy M. Simons
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Taylor J. Dean
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Judd F. Hultquist
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Egon A. Ozer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (E.A.O.)
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15
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Burley SK, Berman HM, Chiu W, Dai W, Flatt JW, Hudson BP, Kaelber JT, Khare SD, Kulczyk AW, Lawson CL, Pintilie GD, Sali A, Vallat B, Westbrook JD, Young JY, Zardecki C. Electron microscopy holdings of the Protein Data Bank: the impact of the resolution revolution, new validation tools, and implications for the future. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:1281-1301. [PMID: 36474933 PMCID: PMC9715422 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-022-01013-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
As a discipline, structural biology has been transformed by the three-dimensional electron microscopy (3DEM) "Resolution Revolution" made possible by convergence of robust cryo-preservation of vitrified biological materials, sample handling systems, and measurement stages operating a liquid nitrogen temperature, improvements in electron optics that preserve phase information at the atomic level, direct electron detectors (DEDs), high-speed computing with graphics processing units, and rapid advances in data acquisition and processing software. 3DEM structure information (atomic coordinates and related metadata) are archived in the open-access Protein Data Bank (PDB), which currently holds more than 11,000 3DEM structures of proteins and nucleic acids, and their complexes with one another and small-molecule ligands (~ 6% of the archive). Underlying experimental data (3DEM density maps and related metadata) are stored in the Electron Microscopy Data Bank (EMDB), which currently holds more than 21,000 3DEM density maps. After describing the history of the PDB and the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) partnership, which jointly manages both the PDB and EMDB archives, this review examines the origins of the resolution revolution and analyzes its impact on structural biology viewed through the lens of PDB holdings. Six areas of focus exemplifying the impact of 3DEM across the biosciences are discussed in detail (icosahedral viruses, ribosomes, integral membrane proteins, SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, cryogenic electron tomography, and integrative structure determination combining 3DEM with complementary biophysical measurement techniques), followed by a review of 3DEM structure validation by the wwPDB that underscores the importance of community engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen K. Burley
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Helen M. Berman
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Wah Chiu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA USA
| | - Wei Dai
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Justin W. Flatt
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Brian P. Hudson
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Jason T. Kaelber
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Sagar D. Khare
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Arkadiusz W. Kulczyk
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08901 USA
| | - Catherine L. Lawson
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | | | - Andrej Sali
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
| | - Brinda Vallat
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA
| | - John D. Westbrook
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA
| | - Jasmine Y. Young
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Christine Zardecki
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
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16
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Cano-Muñoz M, Polo-Megías D, Cámara-Artigas A, Gavira JA, López-Rodríguez MJ, Laumond G, Schmidt S, Demiselle J, Bahram S, Moog C, Conejero-Lara F. Novel chimeric proteins mimicking SARS-CoV-2 spike epitopes with broad inhibitory activity. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 222:2467-78. [PMID: 36220405 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein mediates virus attachment to the cells and fusion between viral and cell membranes. Membrane fusion is driven by mutual interaction between the highly conserved heptad-repeat regions 1 and 2 (HR1 and HR2) of the S2 subunit of the spike. For this reason, these S2 regions are interesting therapeutic targets for COVID-19. Although HR1 and HR2 have been described as transiently exposed during the fusion process, no significant antibody responses against these S2 regions have been reported. Here we designed chimeric proteins that imitate highly stable HR1 helical trimers and strongly bind to HR2. The proteins have broad inhibitory activity against WT B.1 and BA.1 viruses. Sera from COVID-19 convalescent donors showed significant levels of reactive antibodies (IgG and IgA) against the HR1 mimetic proteins, whereas these antibody responses were absent in sera from uninfected donors. Moreover, both inhibitory activity and antigenicity of the proteins correlate positively with their structural stability but not with the number of amino acid changes in their HR1 sequences, indicating a conformational and conserved nature of the involved epitopes. Our results reveal previously undetected spike epitopes that may guide the design of new robust COVID-19 vaccines and therapies.
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17
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Asif A, Ilyas I, Abdullah M, Sarfraz S, Mustafa M, Mahmood A. The Comparison of Mutational Progression in SARS-CoV-2: A Short Updated Overview. JMP 2022; 3:201-218. [DOI: 10.3390/jmp3040018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world population adversely, posing a threat to human health. In the past few years, various strains of SARS-CoV-2, each with different mutations in its structure, have impacted human health in negative ways. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutations influence the virulence, antibody evasion, and Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) affinity of the virus. These mutations are essential to understanding how a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 has changed and its possible effects on the human body. This review provides an insight into the spike mutations of SARS-CoV-2 variants. As the current scientific data offer a scattered outlook on the various type of mutations, we aimed to categorize the mutations of Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.612.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529) systematically according to their location in the subunit 1 (S1) and subunit 2 (S2) domains and summarized their consequences as a result. We also compared the miscellany of mutations that have emerged in all four variants to date. The comparison shows that mutations such as D614G and N501Y have emerged in all four variants of concern and that all four variants have multiple mutations within the N-terminal domain (NTD), as in the case of the Delta variant. Other mutations are scattered in the receptor binding domain (RBD) and subdomain 2 (SD2) of the S1 domain. Mutations in RBD or NTD are often associated with antibody evasion. Few mutations lie in the S2 domain in the Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants. However, in the Omicron variant many mutations occupy the S2 domain, hinting towards a much more evasive virus.
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18
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Yang K, Wang C, Kreutzberger AJB, Ojha R, Kuivanen S, Couoh-Cardel S, Muratcioglu S, Eisen TJ, White KI, Held RG, Subramanian S, Marcus K, Pfuetzner RA, Esquivies L, Doyle CA, Kuriyan J, Vapalahti O, Balistreri G, Kirchhausen T, Brunger AT. Nanomolar inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection by an unmodified peptide targeting the prehairpin intermediate of the spike protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2210990119. [PMID: 36122200 PMCID: PMC9546559 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2210990119] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) challenge currently available coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies through epitope change on the receptor binding domain of the viral spike glycoprotein. Hence, there is a specific urgent need for alternative antivirals that target processes less likely to be affected by mutation, such as the membrane fusion step of viral entry into the host cell. One such antiviral class includes peptide inhibitors, which block formation of the so-called heptad repeat 1 and 2 (HR1HR2) six-helix bundle of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and thus interfere with viral membrane fusion. We performed structural studies of the HR1HR2 bundle, revealing an extended, well-folded N-terminal region of HR2 that interacts with the HR1 triple helix. Based on this structure, we designed an extended HR2 peptide that achieves single-digit nanomolar inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in cell-based and virus-based assays without the need for modifications such as lipidation or chemical stapling. The peptide also strongly inhibits all major SARS-CoV-2 variants to date. This extended peptide is ∼100-fold more potent than all previously published short, unmodified HR2 peptides, and it has a very long inhibition lifetime after washout in virus infection assays, suggesting that it targets a prehairpin intermediate of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Together, these results suggest that regions outside the HR2 helical region may offer new opportunities for potent peptide-derived therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, and even more distantly related viruses, and provide further support for the prehairpin intermediate of the S protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailu Yang
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Chuchu Wang
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Alex J. B. Kreutzberger
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ravi Ojha
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Suvi Kuivanen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Sergio Couoh-Cardel
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Serena Muratcioglu
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Timothy J. Eisen
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - K. Ian White
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Richard G. Held
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Subu Subramanian
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Kendra Marcus
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Richard A. Pfuetzner
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Luis Esquivies
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Catherine A. Doyle
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - John Kuriyan
- HHMI, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
- Helsinki University Hospital Diagnostic Center, Clinical Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | | | - Tom Kirchhausen
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Axel T. Brunger
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Photon Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
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19
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Pastorio C, Zech F, Noettger S, Jung C, Jacob T, Sanderson T, Sparrer KMJ, Kirchhoff F. Determinants of Spike infectivity, processing, and neutralization in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2. Cell Host Microbe 2022; 30:1255-1268.e5. [PMID: 35931073 PMCID: PMC9289044 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron rapidly outcompeted other variants and currently dominates the COVID-19 pandemic. Its enhanced transmission and immune evasion are thought to be driven by numerous mutations in the Omicron Spike protein. Here, we systematically introduced BA.1 and/or BA.2 Omicron Spike mutations into the ancestral Spike protein and examined the impacts on Spike function, processing, and susceptibility to neutralization. Individual mutations of S371F/L, S375F, and T376A in the ACE2-receptor-binding domain as well as Q954H and N969K in the hinge region 1 impaired infectivity, while changes to G339D, D614G, N764K, and L981F moderately enhanced it. Most mutations in the N-terminal region and receptor-binding domain reduced the sensitivity of the Spike protein to neutralization by sera from individuals vaccinated with the BNT162b2 vaccine and by therapeutic antibodies. Our results represent a systematic functional analysis of Omicron Spike adaptations that have allowed this SARS-CoV-2 variant to dominate the current pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Pastorio
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Centre, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Fabian Zech
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Centre, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sabrina Noettger
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Centre, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Christoph Jung
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; Electrochemical Energy Storage, Helmholtz-Institute-Ulm (HIU), 89081 Ulm, Germany; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76344 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Timo Jacob
- Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Centre, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
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20
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Chen L, Qi X, Liang D, Li G, Peng X, Li X, Ke B, Zheng H, Liu Z, Ke C, Liao G, Liu L, Feng Q. Human Fc-Conjugated Receptor Binding Domain-Based Recombinant Subunit Vaccines with Short Linker Induce Potent Neutralizing Antibodies against Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10091502. [PMID: 36146579 PMCID: PMC9505662 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10091502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has been ongoing since December 2019, with more than 6.3 million deaths reported globally as of August 2022. Despite the success of several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the rise in variants, some of which are resistant to the effects of vaccination, highlights the need for a so-called pan-coronavirus (universal) vaccine. Here, we performed an immunogenicity comparison of prototype vaccines containing spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) residues 319–541, or spike protein regions S1, S2 and S fused to a histidine-tagged or human IgG1 Fc (hFC) fragment with either a longer (six residues) or shorter (three residues) linker. While all recombinant protein vaccines developed were effective in eliciting humoral immunity, the RBD-hFc vaccine was able to generate a potent neutralizing antibody response as well as a cellular immune response. We then compared the effects of recombinant protein length and linker size on immunogenicity in vivo. We found that a longer recombinant RBD protein (residues 319–583; RBD-Plus-hFc) containing a small alanine linker (AAA) was able to trigger long-lasting, high-titer neutralizing antibodies in mice. Finally, we evaluated cross-neutralization of wild-type and mutant RBD-Plus-hFc vaccines against wild-type, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants. Significantly, at the same antigen dose, wild-type RBD-Plus-hFc immune sera induced broadly neutralizing antibodies against wild-type, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants. Taken together, our findings provide valuable information for the continued development of recombinant protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and a basic foundation for booster vaccinations to avoid reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqing Chen
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Qi
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Dan Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guiqi Li
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaofang Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Bixia Ke
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Huanying Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhongqiu Liu
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Changwen Ke
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guochao Liao
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Hengda Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510006, China
- Correspondence: (G.L.); (L.L.); (Q.F.)
| | - Liang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Hengda Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Correspondence: (G.L.); (L.L.); (Q.F.)
| | - Qian Feng
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Correspondence: (G.L.); (L.L.); (Q.F.)
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21
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Yang K, Wang C, Kreutzberger AJB, Ojha R, Kuivanen S, Couoh-Cardel S, Muratcioglu S, Eisen TJ, White KI, Held RG, Subramanian S, Marcus K, Pfuetzner RA, Esquivies L, Doyle CA, Kuriyan J, Vapalahti O, Balistreri G, Kirchhausen T, Brunger AT. Nanomolar inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection by an unmodified peptide targeting the pre-hairpin intermediate of the spike protein. bioRxiv 2022:2022.08.11.503553. [PMID: 35982670 PMCID: PMC9387137 DOI: 10.1101/2022.08.11.503553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) challenge currently available COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies through epitope change on the receptor binding domain of the viral spike glycoprotein. Hence, there is a specific urgent need for alternative antivirals that target processes less likely to be affected by mutation, such as the membrane fusion step of viral entry into the host cell. One such antiviral class includes peptide inhibitors which block formation of the so-called HR1HR2 six-helix bundle of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and thus interfere with viral membrane fusion. Here we performed structural studies of the HR1HR2 bundle, revealing an extended, well-folded N-terminal region of HR2 that interacts with the HR1 triple helix. Based on this structure, we designed an extended HR2 peptide that achieves single-digit nanomolar inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in cell-based fusion, VSV-SARS-CoV-2 chimera, and authentic SARS-CoV-2 infection assays without the need for modifications such as lipidation or chemical stapling. The peptide also strongly inhibits all major SARS-CoV-2 variants to date. This extended peptide is ~100-fold more potent than all previously published short, unmodified HR2 peptides, and it has a very long inhibition lifetime after washout in virus infection assays, suggesting that it targets a pre-hairpin intermediate of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Together, these results suggest that regions outside the HR2 helical region may offer new opportunities for potent peptide-derived therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, and even more distantly related viruses, and provide further support for the pre-hairpin intermediate of the S protein. Significance Statement SARS-CoV-2 infection requires fusion of viral and host membranes, mediated by the viral spike glycoprotein (S). Due to the importance of viral membrane fusion, S has been a popular target for developing vaccines and therapeutics. We discovered a simple peptide that inhibits infection by all major variants of SARS-CoV-2 with nanomolar efficacies. In marked contrast, widely used shorter peptides that lack a key N-terminal extension are about 100 x less potent than this peptide. Our results suggest that a simple peptide with a suitable sequence can be a potent and cost-effective therapeutic against COVID-19 and they provide new insights at the virus entry mechanism.
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22
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Chen Z, Li J, Li T, Fan T, Meng C, Li C, Kang J, Chai L, Hao Y, Tang Y, Al-Hartomy OA, Wageh S, Al-Sehemi AG, Luo Z, Yu J, Shao Y, Li D, Feng S, Liu WJ, He Y, Ma X, Xie Z, Zhang H. A CRISPR/Cas12a empowered surface plasmon resonance platform for rapid and specific diagnosis of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. Natl Sci Rev 2022; 9:nwac104. [PMID: 35992231 PMCID: PMC9385456 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwac104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was partially due to the challenge of identifying asymptomatic and presymptomatic carriers of the virus, and thus highlights a strong motivation for diagnostics with high sensitivity that can be rapidly deployed. On the other hand, several concerning SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron, are required to be identified as soon as the samples are identified as ‘positive’. Unfortunately, a traditional PCR test does not allow their specific identification. Herein, for the first time, we have developed MOPCS (Methodologies of Photonic CRISPR Sensing), which combines an optical sensing technology-surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with the ‘gene scissors’ clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) technique to achieve both high sensitivity and specificity when it comes to measurement of viral variants. MOPCS is a low-cost, CRISPR/Cas12a-system-empowered SPR gene-detecting platform that can analyze viral RNA, without the need for amplification, within 38 min from sample input to results output, and achieve a limit of detection of 15 fM. MOPCS achieves a highly sensitive analysis of SARS-CoV-2, and mutations appear in variants B.1.617.2 (Delta), B.1.1.529 (Omicron) and BA.1 (a subtype of Omicron). This platform was also used to analyze some recently collected patient samples from a local outbreak in China, identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This innovative CRISPR-empowered SPR platform will further contribute to the fast, sensitive and accurate detection of target nucleic acid sequences with single-base mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Chen
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
| | - Jinfeng Li
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
- Shenzhen International Institute for Biomedical Research , Shenzhen 518116 , Guangdong , China
| | - Tianzhong Li
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
- Shenzhen International Institute for Biomedical Research , Shenzhen 518116 , Guangdong , China
| | - Taojian Fan
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
| | - Changle Meng
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
| | - Chaozhou Li
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
| | - Jianlong Kang
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
| | - Luxiao Chai
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
| | - Yabin Hao
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
- Shenzhen Han's Tech Limited Company. Shenzhen 518000 , China
| | - Yuxuan Tang
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
- Shenzhen Metasensing Tech Limited Company. Shenzhen 518000 , China
| | - Omar A Al-Hartomy
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Swelm Wageh
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah G Al-Sehemi
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University , Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University , Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zhiguang Luo
- Zhongmin (Shenzhen) intelligent ecology Co. , Ltd., Shenzhen 518055 , China
| | - Jiangtian Yu
- Shenzhen International Institute for Biomedical Research , Shenzhen 518116 , Guangdong , China
| | - Yonghong Shao
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
| | - Defa Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shenzhen Children's Hospital , Shenzhen 518038 , China
| | - Shuai Feng
- Optoelectronics Research Center, School of Science, Minzu University of China , Beijing 100081 , China
| | - William J Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing 102206 , China
- Research Unit of Adaptive Evolution and Control of Emerging Viruses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences , Beijing 102206 , China
| | - Yaqing He
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Shenzhen 518055 , China
| | - Xiaopeng Ma
- Department of Respiratory, Shenzhen Children's Hospital , Shenzhen 518038 , China
| | - Zhongjian Xie
- Institute of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Children's Hospital , Shenzhen 518038 , China
| | - Han Zhang
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics; International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education; Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital; the First Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University , Shenzhen 518060 , China
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