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Rehm FBH, Tyler TJ, Zhou Y, Huang YH, Wang CK, Lawrence N, Craik DJ, Durek T. Repurposing a plant peptide cyclase for targeted lysine acylation. Nat Chem 2024:10.1038/s41557-024-01520-1. [PMID: 38789555 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01520-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Transpeptidases are powerful tools for protein engineering but are largely restricted to acting at protein backbone termini. Alternative enzymatic approaches for internal protein labelling require bulky recognition motifs or non-proteinogenic reaction partners, potentially restricting which proteins can be modified or the types of modification that can be installed. Here we report a strategy for labelling lysine side chain ε-amines by repurposing an engineered asparaginyl ligase, which naturally catalyses peptide head-to-tail cyclization, for versatile isopeptide ligations that are compatible with peptidic substrates. We find that internal lysines with an adjacent leucine residue mimic the conventional N-terminal glycine-leucine substrate. This dipeptide motif enables efficient intra- or intermolecular ligation through internal lysine side chains, minimally leaving an asparagine C-terminally linked to the lysine side chain via an isopeptide bond. The versatility of this approach is demonstrated by the chemoenzymatic synthesis of peptides with non-native C terminus-to-side chain topology and the conjugation of chemically modified peptides to recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian B H Rehm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Tristan J Tyler
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yan Zhou
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicole Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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2
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de Veer SJ, Zhou Y, Durek T, Craik DJ, Rehm FBH. Tertiary amide bond formation by an engineered asparaginyl ligase. Chem Sci 2024; 15:5248-5255. [PMID: 38577369 PMCID: PMC10988630 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc06352f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Transpeptidases are powerful tools for site-specific protein modification, enabling the production of tailored biologics to investigate protein function and aiding the development of next-generation therapeutics and diagnostics. Although protein labelling at the N- or C-terminus is readily accomplished using a range of established transpeptidases, these reactions are generally limited to forming products that are linked by a standard (secondary) amide bond. Here we show that, unlike other widely used transpeptidases, an engineered asparaginyl ligase is able to efficiently synthesise tertiary amide bonds by accepting diverse secondary amine nucleophiles. These reactions proceed efficiently under mild conditions (near-neutral pH) and allow the optimal recognition elements for asparaginyl ligases (P1 Asn and P2'' Leu) to be preserved. Certain products, particularly proline-containing products, were found to be protected from recognition by the enzyme, allowing for straightforward sequential labelling of proteins. Additionally, incorporation of 4-azidoproline enables one-pot dual labelling directly at the ligation junction. These capabilities further expand the chemical diversity of asparaginyl ligase-catalysed reactions and provide an alternative approach for straightforward, successive modification of protein substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Yan Zhou
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Fabian B H Rehm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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3
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Listov D, Goverde CA, Correia BE, Fleishman SJ. Opportunities and challenges in design and optimization of protein function. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024:10.1038/s41580-024-00718-y. [PMID: 38565617 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00718-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The field of protein design has made remarkable progress over the past decade. Historically, the low reliability of purely structure-based design methods limited their application, but recent strategies that combine structure-based and sequence-based calculations, as well as machine learning tools, have dramatically improved protein engineering and design. In this Review, we discuss how these methods have enabled the design of increasingly complex structures and therapeutically relevant activities. Additionally, protein optimization methods have improved the stability and activity of complex eukaryotic proteins. Thanks to their increased reliability, computational design methods have been applied to improve therapeutics and enzymes for green chemistry and have generated vaccine antigens, antivirals and drug-delivery nano-vehicles. Moreover, the high success of design methods reflects an increased understanding of basic rules that govern the relationships among protein sequence, structure and function. However, de novo design is still limited mostly to α-helix bundles, restricting its potential to generate sophisticated enzymes and diverse protein and small-molecule binders. Designing complex protein structures is a challenging but necessary next step if we are to realize our objective of generating new-to-nature activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Listov
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Casper A Goverde
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bruno E Correia
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Sarel Jacob Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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4
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Chen Z, Yuan Y, Hu Q, Zhu A, Chen F, Li S, Guan X, Lv C, Tang T, He Y, Cheng J, Zheng J, Hu X, Zhao J, Zhao J, Sun J. SARS-CoV-2 immunity in animal models. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:119-133. [PMID: 38238440 PMCID: PMC10806257 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-01122-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, which was caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a worldwide health crisis due to its transmissibility. SARS-CoV-2 infection results in severe respiratory illness and can lead to significant complications in affected individuals. These complications encompass symptoms such as coughing, respiratory distress, fever, infectious shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and even multiple-organ failure. Animal models serve as crucial tools for investigating pathogenic mechanisms, immune responses, immune escape mechanisms, antiviral drug development, and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Currently, various animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as nonhuman primates (NHPs), ferrets, hamsters, and many different mouse models, have been developed. Each model possesses distinctive features and applications. In this review, we elucidate the immune response elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients and provide an overview of the characteristics of various animal models mainly used for SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the corresponding immune responses and applications of these models. A comparative analysis of transcriptomic alterations in the lungs from different animal models revealed that the K18-hACE2 and mouse-adapted virus mouse models exhibited the highest similarity with the deceased COVID-19 patients. Finally, we highlighted the current gaps in related research between animal model studies and clinical investigations, underscoring lingering scientific questions that demand further clarification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Yaochang Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Qingtao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, China
| | - Airu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Fenghua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Shu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Xin Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Chao Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Tian Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Yiyun He
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Jinling Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Jie Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Jingxian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China.
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510005, China.
| | - Jincun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China.
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510005, China.
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518005, China.
| | - Jing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, National Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China.
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5
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Lim S, Kwon HJ, Jeong DG, Nie H, Lee S, Ko SR, Lee KS, Ryu YB, Mason HS, Kim HS, Shin AY, Kwon SY. Enhanced binding and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 by a plant-derived ACE2 protein containing a fused mu tailpiece. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300319. [PMID: 37853601 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases such as Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) present an increasingly persistent crisis in many parts of the world. COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a crucial cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Inhibition of the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 has been proposed as a target for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. We produced four recombinant plant-derived ACE2 isoforms with or without the mu tailpiece (μ-tp) of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and the KDEL endoplasmic reticulum retention motif in a plant expression system. The plant-derived ACE2 isoforms bound whole SARS-CoV-2 virus and the isolated receptor binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants. Fusion of μ-tp and KDEL to the ACE2 protein (ACE2 μK) had enhanced binding activity with SARS-CoV-2 in comparison with unmodified ACE2 protein derived from CHO cells. Furthermore, the plant-derived ACE2 μK protein exhibited no cytotoxic effects on Vero E6 cells and effectively inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection. The efficient and rapid scalability of plant-derived ACE2 μK protein offers potential for the development of preventive and therapeutic agents in the early response to future viral outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohee Lim
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Jun Kwon
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Gwin Jeong
- Bionanotechnology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Bio-Analytical Science Division, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hualin Nie
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghee Lee
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seo-Rin Ko
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bioinformatics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology School of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Sun Lee
- Bionanotechnology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Bio-Analytical Science Division, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Bae Ryu
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup, Republic of Korea
| | - Hugh S Mason
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines, and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute at ASU, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Hyun-Soon Kim
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ah-Young Shin
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bioinformatics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology School of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk-Yoon Kwon
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Saravanan V, Chagaleti BK, Narayanan PL, Anandan VB, Manoharan H, Anjana GV, Peraman R, Namasivayam SKR, Kavisri M, Arockiaraj J, Muthu Kumaradoss K, Moovendhan M. Discovery and development of COVID-19 vaccine from laboratory to clinic. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 103:e14383. [PMID: 37953736 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The world has recently experienced one of the biggest and most severe public health disasters with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) which is one of the most widespread and powerful infections affecting human lungs. Current figures show that the epidemic had reached 216 nations, where it had killed about 6,438,926 individuals and infected 590,405,710. WHO proclaimed the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), in 2014 that killed hundreds of people in West Africa. The development of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 becomes more difficult due to the viral mutation in its non-structural proteins (NSPs) especially NSP2 and NSP3, S protein, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Continuous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2, dynamics of the genomic sequence, and spike protein mutations are very important for the successful development of vaccines with good efficacy. Hence, the vaccine development for SARS-CoV-2 faces specific challenges starting from viral mutation. The requirement of long-term immunity development, safety, efficacy, stability, vaccine allocation, distribution, and finally, its cost is discussed in detail. Currently, 169 vaccines are in the clinical development stage, while 198 vaccines are in the preclinical development stage. The majority of these vaccines belong to the Ps-Protein subunit type which has 54, and the minor BacAg-SPV (Bacterial antigen-spore expression vector) type, at least 1 vaccination. The use of computational methods and models for vaccine development has revolutionized the traditional methods of vaccine development. Further, this updated review highlights the upcoming vaccine development strategies in response to the current pandemic and post-pandemic era, in the field of vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatesan Saravanan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Bharath Kumar Chagaleti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Pavithra Lakshmi Narayanan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Vijay Babu Anandan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Haritha Manoharan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - G V Anjana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Ramalingam Peraman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Hajipur, Hajipur, India
| | - S Karthik Raja Namasivayam
- Department of Research & Innovation, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | - M Kavisri
- Department of Civil Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS Deemed University, Chennai, India
| | - Jesu Arockiaraj
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Kathiravan Muthu Kumaradoss
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Research Lab, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Meivelu Moovendhan
- Centre for Ocean Research, Col. Dr. Jeppiar Research Park, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
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7
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Keri D, Walker M, Singh I, Nishikawa K, Garces F. Next generation of multispecific antibody engineering. Antib Ther 2024; 7:37-52. [PMID: 38235376 PMCID: PMC10791046 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbad027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Multispecific antibodies recognize two or more epitopes located on the same or distinct targets. This added capability through protein design allows these man-made molecules to address unmet medical needs that are no longer possible with single targeting such as with monoclonal antibodies or cytokines alone. However, the approach to the development of these multispecific molecules has been met with numerous road bumps, which suggests that a new workflow for multispecific molecules is required. The investigation of the molecular basis that mediates the successful assembly of the building blocks into non-native quaternary structures will lead to the writing of a playbook for multispecifics. This is a must do if we are to design workflows that we can control and in turn predict success. Here, we reflect on the current state-of-the-art of therapeutic biologics and look at the building blocks, in terms of proteins, and tools that can be used to build the foundations of such a next-generation workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Keri
- Department of Protein Therapeutics, Research, Gilead Research, 324 Lakeside Dr, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
| | - Matt Walker
- Department of Protein Therapeutics, Research, Gilead Research, 324 Lakeside Dr, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
| | - Isha Singh
- Department of Protein Therapeutics, Research, Gilead Research, 324 Lakeside Dr, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
| | - Kyle Nishikawa
- Department of Protein Therapeutics, Research, Gilead Research, 324 Lakeside Dr, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
| | - Fernando Garces
- Department of Protein Therapeutics, Research, Gilead Research, 324 Lakeside Dr, Foster City, CA 94404, USA
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Sarmadi S, Rahbar MR, Najafi H, Chukwudozie OS, Morowvat MH. In Silico Design and Evaluation of a Novel Therapeutic Agent Against the Spike Protein as a Novel Treatment Strategy for COVID-19 Treatment. Recent Pat Biotechnol 2024; 18:162-176. [PMID: 37231757 DOI: 10.2174/1872208317666230523105759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral respiratory disease that is associated with severe damage to other human organs. It causes by a novel coronavirus, and it is spreading all over the world. To date, there is some approved vaccine or therapeutic agent which could be effective against this disease. But their effectiveness against mutated strains is not studied completely. The spike glycoprotein on the surface of the coronaviruses gives the virus the ability to bind to host cell receptors and enter cells. Inhibition of attachment of these spikes can lead to virus neutralization by inhibiting viral entrance. AIMS In this study, we tried to use the virus entrance strategy against itself by utilizing virus receptor (ACE-2) in order to design an engineered protein consisting of a human Fc antibody fragment and a part of ACE-2, which reacts with virus RBD, and we also evaluated this interaction by computational methods and in silico methods. Subsequently, we have designed a new protein structure to bind with this site and inhibit the virus from attaching to its cell receptor, mechanically or chemically. METHODS Various in silico software, bioinformatics, and patent databases were used to retrieve the requested gene and protein sequences. The physicochemical properties and possibility of allergenicity were also examined. Three-dimensional structure prediction and molecular docking were also performed to develop the most suitable therapeutic protein. RESULTS The designed protein consisted of a total of 256 amino acids with a molecular weight of 28984.62 and 5.92 as a theoretical isoelectric point. Instability and aliphatic index and grand average of hydropathicity are 49.99, 69.57 and -0.594, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In silico studies can provide a good opportunity to study viral proteins and new drugs or compounds since they do not need direct exposure to infectious agents or equipped laboratories. The suggested therapeutic agent should be further characterized in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soroush Sarmadi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 71468-64685, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, P.O. Box 71441-11731, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Rahbar
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 71468-64685, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hamideh Najafi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14199-63111, Tehran, Iran
| | - Onyeka S Chukwudozie
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mohammad Hossein Morowvat
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 71468-64685, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 71468-64685, Shiraz, Iran
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9
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Jin H, Gong Y, Cheng L, Zhu Y, Zhang Z, He Y. Susceptibility and Resistance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants to LCB1 and Its Multivalent Derivatives. Viruses 2023; 16:36. [PMID: 38257736 PMCID: PMC10819472 DOI: 10.3390/v16010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
LCB1 is a computationally designed three-helix miniprotein that precisely targets the spike (S) receptor-binding motif (RBM) of SARS-CoV-2, exhibiting remarkable antiviral efficacy; however, emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants could substantially compromise its neutralization effectiveness. In this study, we constructed two multivalent LCB1 fusion proteins termed LCB1T and LCB1T-Fc, and characterized their potency in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and authentic virus in vitro. In the inhibition of various SARS-CoV-2 variants, the two LCB1 fusion proteins exhibited markedly improved inhibitory activities compared to LCB1 as anticipated; however, it was observed that relative to the D614G mutation hosting variant, the variants Delta, Lambda, and Omicron BQ.1.1, XBB, XBB.1.5, and EG.5.1 caused various degrees of resistance to the two fusion proteins' inhibition, with XBB, XBB.1.5, and EG.5.1 variants showing high-level resistance. Moreover, we demonstrated that bat coronavirus RaTG13 and pangolin coronavirus PCoV-GD/PCoV-GX were highly sensitive to two LCB1 fusion proteins, but not LCB1, inhibition. Importantly, our findings revealed a notable decrease in the blocking capacity of the multivalent LCB1 inhibitor on the interaction between the virus's RBD/S and the cell receptor ACE2 when confronted with the XBB variant compared to WT and the Omicron BA.1 variant. In conclusion, our studies provide valuable insights into the antiviral profiling of multivalent LCB1 inhibitors and offer a promising avenue for the development of novel broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongliang Jin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 102600, China; (H.J.); (Y.G.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yani Gong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 102600, China; (H.J.); (Y.G.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Lin Cheng
- Institute of Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, China;
| | - Yuanmei Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 102600, China; (H.J.); (Y.G.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Institute of Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, China;
| | - Yuxian He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 102600, China; (H.J.); (Y.G.); (Y.Z.)
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10
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Wang Z, Zhao C, Li C, Liu S, Ding J, He C, Liu J, Dong B, Yang Z, Liu Q, Zhu H, Liu Y. Molecular PET/CT mapping of rhACE2 distribution and quantification in organs to aid in SARS-CoV-2 targeted therapy. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e29221. [PMID: 38009705 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, poses a significant threat to public health. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a key receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Recombinant human ACE2 (RhACE2), as a soluble supplement for human ACE2, can competitively block SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, a mouse organ in situ rhACE2 high aggregation model was constructed for the first time, and in vivo real-time positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of rhACE2 in the mouse model was performed using an ACE2-specific agent 68 Ga-HZ20. This radiotracer exhibits reliable radiochemical properties in vitro and maintains a high affinity for rhACE2 in vivo. In terms of probe uptake, 68 Ga-HZ20 showed a good target-to-nontarget ratio and was rapidly cleared from the circulatory system and excreted by the kidneys and urinary system. PET imaging with this radiotracer can noninvasively and accurately monitor the content and distribution of rhACE2 in the body, which clarifies that rhACE2 can aggregate in multiple organs, suggesting the preventive and therapeutic potential of rhACE2 for SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilei Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Beijing Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanke Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Chuangui Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Song Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Beijing Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Beijing Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Chengxue He
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Beijing Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Beijing Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Dong
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Central Laboratory, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Beijing Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- International Cancer Center, Department of medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Beijing Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals (National Medical Products Administration), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Youping Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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11
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Padhi AK, Kalita P, Maurya S, Poluri KM, Tripathi T. From De Novo Design to Redesign: Harnessing Computational Protein Design for Understanding SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Mechanisms and Developing Therapeutics. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:8717-8735. [PMID: 37815479 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
The continuous emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants serves as compelling evidence that COVID-19 is an ongoing concern. The swift, well-coordinated response to the pandemic highlights how technological advancements can accelerate the detection, monitoring, and treatment of the disease. Robust surveillance systems have been established to understand the clinical characteristics of new variants, although the unpredictable nature of these variants presents significant challenges. Some variants have shown resistance to current treatments, but innovative technologies like computational protein design (CPD) offer promising solutions and versatile therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. Advances in computing power, coupled with open-source platforms like AlphaFold and RFdiffusion (employing deep neural network and diffusion generative models), among many others, have accelerated the design of protein therapeutics with precise structures and intended functions. CPD has played a pivotal role in developing peptide inhibitors, mini proteins, protein mimics, decoy receptors, nanobodies, monoclonal antibodies, identifying drug-resistance mutations, and even redesigning native SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Pending regulatory approval, these designed therapies hold the potential for a lasting impact on human health and sustainability. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, use of such technologies enables the ongoing development of alternative strategies, thus equipping us for the "New Normal".
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya K Padhi
- Laboratory for Computational Biology & Biomolecular Design, School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Parismita Kalita
- Molecular and Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
| | - Shweata Maurya
- Laboratory for Computational Biology & Biomolecular Design, School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Krishna Mohan Poluri
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India
- Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Timir Tripathi
- Molecular and Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
- Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
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12
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Ghoula M, Deyawe Kongmeneck A, Eid R, Camproux AC, Moroy G. Comparative Study of the Mutations Observed in the SARS-CoV-2 RBD Variants of Concern and Their Impact on the Interaction with the ACE2 Protein. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:8586-8602. [PMID: 37775095 PMCID: PMC10578311 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 strains have made an appearance across the globe, causing over 757 million cases and over 6.85 million deaths at the time of writing. The emergence of these variants shows the amplitude of genetic variation to which the wild-type strains have been subjected. The rise of the different SARS-CoV-2 variants resulting from such genetic modification has significantly affected COVD-19's major impact on proliferation, virulence, and clinics. With the emergence of the variants of concern, the spike protein has been identified as a possible therapeutic target due to its critical role in binding to human cells and pathogenesis. These mutations could be linked to functional heterogeneity and use a different infection strategy. For example, the Omicron variant's multiple mutations should be carefully examined, as they represent one of the most widely spread strains and hint to us that there may be more genetic changes in the virus. As a result, we applied a common protocol where we reconstructed SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and performed molecular dynamics simulations to study the stability of the ACE2-RBD complex in each variant. We also carried out free energy calculations to compare the binding and biophysical properties of the different SARS-CoV-2 variants when they interact with ACE2. Therefore, we were able to obtain consistent results and uncover new crucial residues that were essential for preserving a balance between maintaining a high affinity for ACE2 and the capacity to evade RBD-targeted antibodies. Our detailed structural analysis showed that SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern show a higher affinity for ACE2 compared to the Wuhan strain. Additionally, residues K417N and E484K/A might play a crucial role in antibody evasion, whereas Q498R and N501Y are specifically mutated to strengthen RBD affinity to ACE2 and, thereby, increase the viral effect of the COVID-19 virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariem Ghoula
- Université de Paris, CNRS,
INSERM, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Audrey Deyawe Kongmeneck
- Université de Paris, CNRS,
INSERM, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Rita Eid
- Université de Paris, CNRS,
INSERM, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Anne-Claude Camproux
- Université de Paris, CNRS,
INSERM, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Gautier Moroy
- Université de Paris, CNRS,
INSERM, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, F-75013 Paris, France
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13
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Rucker G, Qin H, Zhang L. Structure, dynamics and free energy studies on the effect of point mutations on SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding with ACE2 receptor. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289432. [PMID: 37796794 PMCID: PMC10553274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to infect people worldwide, and the virus continues to evolve in significant ways which can pose challenges to the efficiency of available vaccines and therapeutic drugs and cause future pandemic. Therefore, it is important to investigate the binding and interaction of ACE2 with different RBD variants. A comparative study using all-atom MD simulations was conducted on ACE2 binding with 8 different RBD variants, including N501Y, E484K, P479S, T478I, S477N, N439K, K417N and N501Y-E484K-K417N on RBD. Based on the RMSD, RMSF, and DSSP results, overall the binding of RBD variants with ACE2 is stable, and the secondary structure of RBD and ACE2 are consistent after the point mutation. Besides that, a similar buried surface area, a consistent binding interface and a similar amount of hydrogen bonds formed between RBD and ACE2 although the exact residue pairs on the binding interface were modified. The change of binding free energy from point mutation was predicted using the free energy perturbation (FEP) method. It is found that N501Y, N439K, and K417N can strengthen the binding of RBD with ACE2, while E484K and P479S weaken the binding, and S477N and T478I have negligible effect on the binding. Point mutations modified the dynamic correlation of residues in RBD based on the dihedral angle covariance matrix calculation. Doing dynamic network analysis, a common intrinsic network community extending from the tail of RBD to central, then to the binding interface region was found, which could communicate the dynamics in the binding interface region to the tail thus to the other sections of S protein. The result can supply unique methodology and molecular insight on studying the molecular structure and dynamics of possible future pandemics and design novel drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Rucker
- Chemical Engineering Department, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, United States of America
| | - Hong Qin
- Computer Science Department, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, United States of America
| | - Liqun Zhang
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States of America
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14
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Thakkar R, Agarwal DK, Ranaweera CB, Ishiguro S, Conda-Sheridan M, Gaudreault NN, Richt JA, Tamura M, Comer J. De novo design of a stapled peptide targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1722-1733. [PMID: 37731704 PMCID: PMC10507807 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00222e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Although effective vaccines have been developed against SARS-CoV-2, many regions in the world still have low rates of vaccination and new variants with mutations in the viral spike protein have reduced the effectiveness of most available vaccines and treatments. There is an urgent need for a drug to cure this disease and prevent infection. The SARS-CoV-2 virus enters the host cell through protein-protein interaction between the virus's spike protein and the host's angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE2). Using protein design software and molecular dynamics simulations, we have designed a 17-residue peptide (pep39), that binds to the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) and blocks interaction of spike protein with ACE2. We have confirmed the binding activity of the designed peptide for the original spike protein and the delta variant spike protein using micro-cantilever and bio-layer interferometry (BLI) based methods. We also confirmed that pep39 strongly inhibits SARS-CoV-2 virus replication in Vero E6 cells. Taken together these data suggest that a newly designed spike protein RBD blocking peptide pep39 has a potential as a SARS-CoV-2 virus inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravindra Thakkar
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - Dilip K Agarwal
- Department of Material Science and Engineering and NUANCE Center, Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
| | - Chathuranga B Ranaweera
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University Colombo Sri Lanka
| | - Susumu Ishiguro
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha Nebraska USA
| | - Natasha N Gaudreault
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - Juergen A Richt
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - Masaaki Tamura
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - Jeffrey Comer
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Manhattan Kansas USA
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15
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Rebelo M, Tang C, Coelho AR, Labão-Almeida C, Schneider MM, Tatalick L, Ruivo P, de Miranda MP, Gomes A, Carvalho T, Walker MJ, Ausserwoeger H, Pedro Simas J, Veldhoen M, Knowles TPJ, Silva DA, Shoultz D, Bernardes GJL. De Novo Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Decoy NL-CVX1 Protects Mice From Severe Disease After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:723-733. [PMID: 37279654 PMCID: PMC10503951 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of novel variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) underscores the need to investigate alternative approaches to prevent infection and treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Here, we report the preclinical efficacy of NL-CVX1, a de novo decoy that blocks virus entry into cells by binding with nanomolar affinity and high specificity to the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Using a transgenic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we showed that a single prophylactic intranasal dose of NL-CVX1 conferred complete protection from severe disease following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Multiple therapeutic administrations of NL-CVX1 also protected mice from succumbing to infection. Finally, we showed that infected mice treated with NL-CVX1 developed both anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and memory T cells and were protected against reinfection a month after treatment. Overall, these observations suggest NL-CVX1 is a promising therapeutic candidate for preventing and treating severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rebelo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Cong Tang
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana R Coelho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos Labão-Almeida
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Matthias M Schneider
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Pedro Ruivo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marta Pires de Miranda
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Andreia Gomes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Tânia Carvalho
- Histopathology Unit, Champalimaud Research, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Hannes Ausserwoeger
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - J Pedro Simas
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Católica Biomedical Research and Católica Medical School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marc Veldhoen
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Gonçalo J L Bernardes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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16
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Chenna A, Khan WH, Dash R, Saraswat S, Chugh A, Rathore AS, Goel G. An efficient computational protocol for template-based design of peptides that inhibit interactions involving SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Proteins 2023; 91:1222-1234. [PMID: 37283297 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex of SARS-CoV-2 lies at the core of its replication and transcription processes. The interfaces between holo-RdRp subunits are highly conserved, facilitating the design of inhibitors with high affinity for the interaction interface hotspots. We, therefore, take this as a model protein complex for the application of a structural bioinformatics protocol to design peptides that inhibit RdRp complexation by preferential binding at the interface of its core subunit nonstructural protein, nsp12, with accessory factor nsp7. Here, the interaction hotspots of the nsp7-nsp12 subunit of RdRp, determined from a long molecular dynamics trajectory, are used as a template. A large library of peptide sequences constructed from multiple hotspot motifs of nsp12 is screened in-silico to determine sequences with high geometric complementarity and interaction specificity for the binding interface of nsp7 (target) in the complex. Two lead designed peptides are extensively characterized using orthogonal bioanalytical methods to determine their suitability for inhibition of RdRp complexation. Binding affinity of these peptides to accessory factor nsp7, determined using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay, is slightly better than that of nsp12: dissociation constant of 133nM and 167nM, respectively, compared to 473nM for nsp12. A competitive ELISA is used to quantify inhibition of nsp7-nsp12 complexation, with one of the lead peptides giving an IC50 of 25μM . Cell penetrability and cytotoxicity are characterized using a cargo delivery assay and MTT cytotoxicity assay, respectively. Overall, this work presents a proof-of-concept of an approach for rational discovery of peptide inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Chenna
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Wajihul Hasan Khan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
- Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rozaleen Dash
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Saurabh Saraswat
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Archana Chugh
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Anurag S Rathore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Gaurav Goel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
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17
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Vergara R, Berrocal T, Juárez Mejía EI, Romero-Romero S, Velázquez-López I, Pulido NO, López Sanchez HA, Silva DA, Costas M, Rodríguez-Romero A, Rodríguez-Sotres R, Sosa-Peinado A, Fernández-Velasco DA. Thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of the LAO binding protein and its isolated domains reveal non-additivity in stability, folding and function. FEBS J 2023; 290:4496-4512. [PMID: 37178351 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Substrate-binding proteins (SBPs) are used by organisms from the three domains of life for transport and signalling. SBPs are composed of two domains that collectively trap ligands with high affinity and selectivity. To explore the role of the domains and the integrity of the hinge region between them in the function and conformation of SBPs, here, we describe the ligand binding, conformational stability and folding kinetics of the Lysine Arginine Ornithine (LAO) binding protein from Salmonella thiphimurium and constructs corresponding to its two independent domains. LAO is a class II SBP formed by a continuous and a discontinuous domain. Contrary to the expected behaviour based on their connectivity, the discontinuous domain shows a stable native-like structure that binds l-arginine with moderate affinity, whereas the continuous domain is barely stable and shows no detectable ligand binding. Regarding folding kinetics, studies of the entire protein revealed the presence of at least two intermediates. While the unfolding and refolding of the continuous domain exhibited only a single intermediate and simpler and faster kinetics than LAO, the folding mechanism of the discontinuous domain was complex and involved multiple intermediates. These findings suggest that in the complete protein the continuous domain nucleates folding and that its presence funnels the folding of the discontinuous domain avoiding nonproductive interactions. The strong dependence of the function, stability and folding pathway of the lobes on their covalent association is most likely the result of the coevolution of both domains as a single unit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renan Vergara
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Tania Berrocal
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Eva Isela Juárez Mejía
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sergio Romero-Romero
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Isabel Velázquez-López
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Nancy O Pulido
- Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Haven A López Sanchez
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Daniel-Adriano Silva
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Miguel Costas
- Laboratorio de Biofisicoquímica, Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | - Rogelio Rodríguez-Sotres
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Sosa-Peinado
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - D Alejandro Fernández-Velasco
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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18
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Chen J, Woldring DR, Huang F, Huang X, Wei GW. Topological deep learning based deep mutational scanning. Comput Biol Med 2023; 164:107258. [PMID: 37506452 PMCID: PMC10528359 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput deep mutational scanning (DMS) experiments have significantly impacted protein engineering, drug discovery, immunology, cancer biology, and evolutionary biology by enabling the systematic understanding of protein functions. However, the mutational space associated with proteins is astronomically large, making it overwhelming for current experimental capabilities. Therefore, alternative methods for DMS are imperative. We propose a topological deep learning (TDL) paradigm to facilitate in silico DMS. We utilize a new topological data analysis (TDA) technique based on the persistent spectral theory, also known as persistent Laplacian, to capture both topological invariants and the homotopic shape evolution of data. To validate our TDL-DMS model, we use SARS-CoV-2 datasets and show excellent accuracy and reliability for binding interface mutations. This finding is significant for SARS-CoV-2 variant forecasting and designing effective antibodies and vaccines. Our proposed model is expected to have a significant impact on drug discovery, vaccine design, precision medicine, and protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Chen
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Daniel R Woldring
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Faqing Huang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Xuefei Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; The Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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19
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Guarra F, Colombo G. Computational Methods in Immunology and Vaccinology: Design and Development of Antibodies and Immunogens. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:5315-5333. [PMID: 37527403 PMCID: PMC10448727 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
The design of new biomolecules able to harness immune mechanisms for the treatment of diseases is a prime challenge for computational and simulative approaches. For instance, in recent years, antibodies have emerged as an important class of therapeutics against a spectrum of pathologies. In cancer, immune-inspired approaches are witnessing a surge thanks to a better understanding of tumor-associated antigens and the mechanisms of their engagement or evasion from the human immune system. Here, we provide a summary of the main state-of-the-art computational approaches that are used to design antibodies and antigens, and in parallel, we review key methodologies for epitope identification for both B- and T-cell mediated responses. A special focus is devoted to the description of structure- and physics-based models, privileged over purely sequence-based approaches. We discuss the implications of novel methods in engineering biomolecules with tailored immunological properties for possible therapeutic uses. Finally, we highlight the extraordinary challenges and opportunities presented by the possible integration of structure- and physics-based methods with emerging Artificial Intelligence technologies for the prediction and design of novel antigens, epitopes, and antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Guarra
- Department of Chemistry, University
of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Department of Chemistry, University
of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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20
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Minami S, Kobayashi N, Sugiki T, Nagashima T, Fujiwara T, Tatsumi-Koga R, Chikenji G, Koga N. Exploration of novel αβ-protein folds through de novo design. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1132-1140. [PMID: 37400653 PMCID: PMC10442233 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01029-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental question in protein evolution is whether nature has exhaustively sampled nearly all possible protein folds throughout evolution, or whether a large fraction of the possible folds remains unexplored. To address this question, we defined a set of rules for β-sheet topology to predict novel αβ-folds and carried out a systematic de novo protein design exploration of the novel αβ-folds predicted by the rules. The designs for all eight of the predicted novel αβ-folds with a four-stranded β-sheet, including a knot-forming one, folded into structures close to the design models. Further, the rules predicted more than 10,000 novel αβ-folds with five- to eight-stranded β-sheets; this number far exceeds the number of αβ-folds observed in nature so far. This result suggests that a vast number of αβ-folds are possible, but have not emerged or have become extinct due to evolutionary bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Minami
- Protein Design Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Naohiro Kobayashi
- Institute for Protein Research (IPR), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Sugiki
- Institute for Protein Research (IPR), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshio Nagashima
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama, Japan
| | | | - Rie Tatsumi-Koga
- Protein Design Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Okazaki, Japan
| | - George Chikenji
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Nobuyasu Koga
- Protein Design Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Okazaki, Japan.
- SOKENDAI, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Japan.
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems, Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Okazaki, Japan.
- Laboratory for Protein Design, Institute for Protein Research (IPR), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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21
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Beeg M, Baroni S, Piotti A, Porta A, De Luigi A, Cagnotto A, Gobbi M, Diomede L, Salmona M. A Comprehensive Technology Platform for the Rapid Discovery of Peptide Inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 Pseudovirus Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12146. [PMID: 37569522 PMCID: PMC10418426 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed and validated a technology platform for designing and testing peptides inhibiting the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-based pseudoviruses. This platform integrates target evaluation, in silico inhibitor design, peptide synthesis, and efficacy screening. We generated a cyclic peptide library derived from the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. The cell-free validation process by ELISA competition assays and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) studies revealed that the cyclic peptide c9_05, but not its linear form, binds well to ACE2. Moreover, it effectively inhibited the transduction in HEK293, stably expressing the human ACE2 receptor of pseudovirus particles displaying the SARS-CoV-2 spike in the Wuhan or UK variants. However, the inhibitory efficacy of c9_05 was negligible against the Omicron variant, and it failed to impede the entry of pseudoviruses carrying the B.1.351 (South African) spike. These variants contain three or more mutations known to increase affinity to ACE2. This suggests further refinement is needed for potential SARS-CoV-2 inhibition. Our study hints at a promising approach to develop inhibitors targeting viral infectivity receptors, including SARS-CoV-2's. This platform also promises swift identification and evaluation of inhibitors for other emergent viruses.
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22
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Liu P, Li Y, Liu Y, Liu J, Dong K, Jia Q. Molecular Insights into the Binding Behavior of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids to the Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:4396-4405. [PMID: 37194950 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c00593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is considered as a key target for the design and development of COVID-19 drugs and inhibitors. Due to their unique structure and properties, ionic liquids (ILs) have many special interactions with proteins, showing great potential in biomedicine. Nevertheless, few research studies have been carried out on ILs and the spike RBD protein. Here, we explore the interaction of ILs and the RBD protein through large-scale molecular dynamics simulations (4 μs in total). It was found that IL cations with long alkyl chain lengths (nchain) could spontaneously bind to the cavity region of the RBD protein. The longer the alkyl chain is, the stabler the cations bind to the protein. The binding free energy (ΔG) had the same trend, peaking at nchain = 12 with -101.19 kJ/mol. The cationic chain lengths and their fit to the pocket are decisive factors that influence the binding strength of cations and proteins. The cationic imidazole ring has a high contact frequency with phenylalanine and tryptophan, and the hydrophobic residues phenylalanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine are the most interacting residues with side chains of cations. Meanwhile, through analysis of the interaction energy, the hydrophobic and π-π interactions are the main contributors to the high affinity between cations and the RBD protein. In addition, the long-chain ILs would also act on the protein through clustering. These studies not only provide insights into the molecular interaction between ILs and the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 but also contribute to the rational design of IL-based drugs, drug carriers, and selective inhibitors as a therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Liu
- School of Marine and Environmental Science, Tianjin Marine Environmental Protection and Restoration Technology Engineering Center, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, 13St. 29, TEDA, 300457 Tianjin, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yao Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Zhengzhou Institute of Emerging Industrial Technology, Zhengzhou 450000, P. R. China
- Longzihu New Energy Laboratory, Zhengzhou Institute of Emerging Industrial Technology, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450000, P. R. China
| | - Yawei Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Longzihu New Energy Laboratory, Zhengzhou Institute of Emerging Industrial Technology, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450000, P. R. China
| | - Ju Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Kun Dong
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ionic Liquids Clean Process, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Longzihu New Energy Laboratory, Zhengzhou Institute of Emerging Industrial Technology, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450000, P. R. China
| | - Qingzhu Jia
- School of Marine and Environmental Science, Tianjin Marine Environmental Protection and Restoration Technology Engineering Center, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, 13St. 29, TEDA, 300457 Tianjin, P. R. China
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23
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Kalita P, Tripathi T, Padhi AK. Computational Protein Design for COVID-19 Research and Emerging Therapeutics. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:602-613. [PMID: 37122454 PMCID: PMC10042144 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c01513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
As the world struggles with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented obstacles have continuously been traversed as new SARS-CoV-2 variants continually emerge. Infectious disease outbreaks are unavoidable, but the knowledge gained from the successes and failures will help create a robust health management system to deal with such pandemics. Previously, scientists required years to develop diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines; however, we have seen that, with the rapid deployment of high-throughput technologies and unprecedented scientific collaboration worldwide, breakthrough discoveries can be accelerated and insights broadened. Computational protein design (CPD) is a game-changing new technology that has provided alternative therapeutic strategies for pandemic management. In addition to the development of peptide-based inhibitors, miniprotein binders, decoys, biosensors, nanobodies, and monoclonal antibodies, CPD has also been used to redesign native SARS-CoV-2 proteins and human ACE2 receptors. We discuss how novel CPD strategies have been exploited to develop rationally designed and robust COVID-19 treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parismita Kalita
- Molecular
and Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
| | - Timir Tripathi
- Molecular
and Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
- Regional
Director’s Office, Indira Gandhi
National Open University, Regional Centre Kohima, Kenuozou, Kohima 797001, 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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24
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Curreli F, Chau K, Tran TT, Nicolau I, Ahmed S, Das P, Hillyer CD, Premenko-Lanier M, Debnath AK. Discovery of Highly Potent Small Molecule Pan-Coronavirus Fusion Inhibitors. Viruses 2023; 15:v15041001. [PMID: 37112982 PMCID: PMC10141620 DOI: 10.3390/v15041001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19, caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and its highly transmissible variants, led to massive human suffering, death, and economic devastation worldwide. Recently, antibody-evasive SARS-CoV-2 subvariants, BQ and XBB, have been reported. Therefore, the continued development of novel drugs with pan-coronavirus inhibition is critical to treat and prevent infection of COVID-19 and any new pandemics that may emerge. We report the discovery of several highly potent small-molecule inhibitors. One of which, NBCoV63, showed low nM potency against SARS-CoV-2 (IC50: 55 nM), SARS-CoV-1 (IC50: 59 nM), and MERS-CoV (IC50: 75 nM) in pseudovirus-based assays with excellent selectivity indices (SI > 900), suggesting its pan-coronavirus inhibition. NBCoV63 showed equally effective antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2 mutant (D614G) and several variants of concerns (VOCs) such as B.1.617.2 (Delta), B.1.1.529/BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 (Omicron), and K417T/E484K/N501Y (Gamma). NBCoV63 also showed similar efficacy profiles to Remdesivir against authentic SARS-CoV-2 (Hong Kong strain) and two of its variants (Delta and Omicron), SARS-CoV-1, and MERS-CoV by plaque reduction in Calu-3 cells. Additionally, we show that NBCoV63 inhibits virus-mediated cell-to-cell fusion in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) data of NBCoV63 demonstrated drug-like properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Curreli
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kent Chau
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Thanh-Thuy Tran
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Isabella Nicolau
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shahad Ahmed
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pujita Das
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christopher D Hillyer
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mary Premenko-Lanier
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
- Department of Basic Science, Samuel Merritt University, 3100 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
| | - Asim K Debnath
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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25
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Zhang H, Lv P, Jiang J, Liu Y, Yan R, Shu S, Hu B, Xiao H, Cai K, Yuan S, Li Y. Advances in developing ACE2 derivatives against SARS-CoV-2. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2023; 4:e369-e378. [PMID: 36934742 PMCID: PMC10019897 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00011-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Extensive immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 rendered therapeutic antibodies ineffective in the COVID-19 pandemic. Propagating SARS-CoV-2 variants are characterised by immune evasion capacity through key amino acid mutations, but can still bind human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through the spike protein and are, thus, sensitive to ACE2-mimicking decoys as inhibitors. In this Review, we examine advances in the development of ACE2 derivatives from the past 3 years, including the recombinant ACE2 proteins, ACE2-loaded extracellular vesicles, ACE2-mimicking antibodies, and peptide or mini-protein mimetics of ACE2. Several ACE2 derivatives are granted potent neutralisation efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants that rival or surpass endogenous antibodies by various auxiliary techniques such as chemical modification and practical recombinant design. The derivatives also represent enhanced production efficiency and improved bioavailability. In addition to these derivatives of ACE2, new effective therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 variants are expected to be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Panjing Lv
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingrui Jiang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yahui Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ruixi Yan
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sainan Shu
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bing Hu
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Xiao
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kun Cai
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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26
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Kimball IH, Nguyen PT, Olivera BM, Sack JT, Yarov-Yarovoy V. Molecular determinants of μ-conotoxin KIIIA interaction with the human voltage-gated sodium channel Na V1.7. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1156855. [PMID: 37007002 PMCID: PMC10060530 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1156855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel subtype NaV1.7 plays a critical role in pain signaling, making it an important drug target. Here we studied the molecular interactions between μ-Conotoxin KIIIA (KIIIA) and the human NaV1.7 channel (hNaV1.7). We developed a structural model of hNaV1.7 using Rosetta computational modeling and performed in silico docking of KIIIA using RosettaDock to predict residues forming specific pairwise contacts between KIIIA and hNaV1.7. We experimentally validated these contacts using mutant cycle analysis. Comparison between our KIIIA-hNaV1.7 model and the cryo-EM structure of KIIIA-hNaV1.2 revealed key similarities and differences between NaV channel subtypes with potential implications for the molecular mechanism of toxin block. The accuracy of our integrative approach, combining structural data with computational modeling, experimental validation, and molecular dynamics simulations, suggests that Rosetta structural predictions will be useful for rational design of novel biologics targeting specific NaV channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H. Kimball
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Phuong T. Nguyen
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | | | - Jon T. Sack
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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27
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Kumar THV, Srinivasan S, Krishnan V, Vaidyanathan R, Babu KA, Natarajan S, Veerapandian M. Peptide-based direct electrochemical detection of receptor binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in pristine samples. SENSORS AND ACTUATORS. B, CHEMICAL 2023; 377:133052. [PMID: 36438197 PMCID: PMC9682882 DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2022.133052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
RNA isolation and amplification-free user-friendly detection of SARS-CoV-2 is the need of hour especially at resource limited settings. Herein, we devised the peptides of human angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (hACE-2) as bioreceptor at electrode interface for selective targeting of receptor binding domains (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SP). Disposable carbon-screen printed electrode modified with methylene blue (MB) electroadsorbed graphene oxide (GO) has been constructed as cost-efficient and scalable platform for hACE-2 peptide-based SARS-CoV-2 detection. In silico molecular docking of customized 25 mer peptides with RBD of SARS-CoV-2 SP were validated by AutoDock CrankPep. N-terminal region of ACE-2 showed higher binding affinity of - 20.6 kcal/mol with 15 H-bond, 9 of which were < 3 Å. Electrochemical biosensing of different concentrations of SPs were determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA), enabling a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.58 pg/mL and 0.71 pg/mL, respectively. MB-GO devised hACE-2 peptide platform exert an enhanced current sensitivity of 0.0105 mA/pg mL-1 cm-2 (R2 = 0.9792) (CV) and 0.45 nA/pg mL-1 (R2 = 0.9570) (CA) against SP in the range of 1 pg/mL to 1 µg/mL. For clinical feasibility, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens in viral transport medium were directly tested with the prepared peptide biosensor and validated with RT-PCR, promising for point-of-need analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- T H Vignesh Kumar
- Electrodics and Electrocatalysis Division, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi 630003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sowmiya Srinivasan
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Center of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai 600095, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Vinoth Krishnan
- Electrodics and Electrocatalysis Division, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi 630003, Tamil Nadu, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Rama Vaidyanathan
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Center of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai 600095, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai 600095, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kannadasan Anand Babu
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Center of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai 600095, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sudhakar Natarajan
- Department of Virology and Biotechnology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai 600031, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Murugan Veerapandian
- Electrodics and Electrocatalysis Division, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi 630003, Tamil Nadu, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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28
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Erickson HP, Corbin Goodman L. Recently Designed Multivalent Spike Binders Cannot Bind Multivalently─How Do They Achieve Enhanced Avidity to SARS-CoV-2? Biochemistry 2023; 62:163-168. [PMID: 35943748 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The trimeric spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 has been targeted by antibody mimics that bind near or at the receptor-binding domain to neutralize the virus. Several independent studies have reported enhanced binding avidity for dimers and trimers, where binding domains are connected by short peptides. The enhanced avidity of the multivalent constructs was attributed to their simultaneously binding two or three sites within a single spike trimer. We argue here that the 15-20 amino acid peptide linkers, when considered as worm-like-chains, are too short to span the binding sites within a single spike. The enhanced avidity of the multivalent constructs may be explained by a rebinding mechanism, which does not involve multivalent binding.
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29
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Köchl K, Schopper T, Durmaz V, Parigger L, Singh A, Krassnigg A, Cespugli M, Wu W, Yang X, Zhang Y, Wang WWS, Selluski C, Zhao T, Zhang X, Bai C, Lin L, Hu Y, Xie Z, Zhang Z, Yan J, Zatloukal K, Gruber K, Steinkellner G, Gruber CC. Optimizing variant-specific therapeutic SARS-CoV-2 decoys using deep-learning-guided molecular dynamics simulations. Sci Rep 2023; 13:774. [PMID: 36641503 PMCID: PMC9840421 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27636-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of COVID-19 with a soluble version of ACE2 that binds to SARS-CoV-2 virions before they enter host cells is a promising approach, however it needs to be optimized and adapted to emerging viral variants. The computational workflow presented here consists of molecular dynamics simulations for spike RBD-hACE2 binding affinity assessments of multiple spike RBD/hACE2 variants and a novel convolutional neural network architecture working on pairs of voxelized force-fields for efficient search-space reduction. We identified hACE2-Fc K31W and multi-mutation variants as high-affinity candidates, which we validated in vitro with virus neutralization assays. We evaluated binding affinities of these ACE2 variants with the RBDs of Omicron BA.3, Omicron BA.4/BA.5, and Omicron BA.2.75 in silico. In addition, candidates produced in Nicotiana benthamiana, an expression organism for potential large-scale production, showed a 4.6-fold reduction in half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) compared with the same variant produced in CHO cells and an almost six-fold IC50 reduction compared with wild-type hACE2-Fc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Köchl
- Innophore GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Amit Singh
- Innophore GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Wei Wu
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Xiaoli Yang
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Yanchong Zhang
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Welson Wen-Shang Wang
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Crystal Selluski
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Tiehan Zhao
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Xin Zhang
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Caihong Bai
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Leon Lin
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Yuxiang Hu
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Zhiwei Xie
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Zaihui Zhang
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Jun Yan
- SignalChem Lifesciences Corp., 110-13120 Vanier Place, Richmond, BC, V6V 2J2, Canada
| | - Kurt Zatloukal
- Diagnostic- and Research Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Karl Gruber
- Innophore GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Field of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Georg Steinkellner
- Innophore GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- Field of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| | - Christian C Gruber
- Innophore GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- Field of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria.
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30
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Tada T, Dcosta BM, Minnee J, Landau NR. Vectored Immunoprophylaxis and Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523649. [PMID: 36711584 PMCID: PMC9882093 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Vectored immunoprophylaxis was first developed as a means to establish engineered immunity to HIV through the use of an adeno-associated viral vector expressing a broadly neutralizing antibody. We have applied this concept to establish long-term prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 by adeno-associated and lentiviral vectors expressing a high affinity ACE2 decoy receptor. Administration of decoy-expressing AAV vectors based on AAV2.retro and AAV6.2 by intranasal instillation or intramuscular injection protected mice against high-titered SARS-CoV-2 infection. AAV and lentiviral vectored immunoprophylaxis was durable and active against recent SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants. The AAV vectors were also effective when administered up to 24 hours post-infection. Vectored immunoprophylaxis could be of value for immunocompromised individuals for whom vaccination is not practical and as a means to rapidly establish protection from infection. Unlike monoclonal antibody therapy, the approach is expected to remain active despite continued evolution viral variants.
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31
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Chen J, Wang R, Hozumi Y, Liu G, Qiu Y, Wei X, Wei GW. Emerging Dominant SARS-CoV-2 Variants. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:335-342. [PMID: 36577010 PMCID: PMC9843632 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Accurate and reliable forecasting of emerging dominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants enables policymakers and vaccine makers to get prepared for future waves of infections. The last three waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections caused by dominant variants, Omicron (BA.1), BA.2, and BA.4/BA.5, were accurately foretold by our artificial intelligence (AI) models built with biophysics, genotyping of viral genomes, experimental data, algebraic topology, and deep learning. On the basis of newly available experimental data, we analyzed the impacts of all possible viral spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Our analysis sheds light on viral evolutionary mechanisms, i.e., natural selection through infectivity strengthening and antibody resistance. We forecast that BP.1, BL*, BA.2.75*, BQ.1*, and particularly BN.1* have a high potential to become the new dominant variants to drive the next surge. Our key projection about these variants dominance made on Oct. 18, 2022 (see arXiv:2210.09485) became reality in late November 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Chen
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Yuta Hozumi
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Gengzhuo Liu
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Yuchi Qiu
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Xiaoqi Wei
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
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32
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Verstraete MM, Heinkel F, Li J, Cao S, Tran A, Halverson EC, Gene R, Stangle E, Silva-Moreno B, Arrafi S, Bavananthasivam J, Fung M, Eji-Lasisi M, Masterman S, Xanthoudakis S, Dixit S, Babcook J, Clavette B, Fogg M, Escobar-Cabrera E. Multivalent IgM scaffold enhances the therapeutic potential of variant-agnostic ACE2 decoys against SARS-CoV-2. MAbs 2023; 15:2212415. [PMID: 37229608 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2212415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
As immunological selection for escape mutants continues to give rise to future SARS-CoV-2 variants, novel universal therapeutic strategies against ACE2-dependent viruses are needed. Here we present an IgM-based decavalent ACE2 decoy that has variant-agnostic efficacy. In immuno-, pseudovirus, and live virus assays, IgM ACE2 decoy had potency comparable or superior to leading SARS-CoV-2 IgG-based mAb therapeutics evaluated in the clinic, which were variant-sensitive in their potency. We found that increased ACE2 valency translated into increased apparent affinity for spike protein and superior potency in biological assays when decavalent IgM ACE2 was compared to tetravalent, bivalent, and monovalent ACE2 decoys. Furthermore, a single intranasal dose of IgM ACE2 decoy at 1 mg/kg conferred therapeutic benefit against SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infection in a hamster model. Taken together, this engineered IgM ACE2 decoy represents a SARS-CoV-2 variant-agnostic therapeutic that leverages avidity to drive enhanced target binding, viral neutralization, and in vivo respiratory protection against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Anh Tran
- Department of Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Canada
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33
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Syrlybaeva R, Strauch EM. Deep learning of protein sequence design of protein-protein interactions. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:6827796. [PMID: 36377772 PMCID: PMC9947925 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION As more data of experimentally determined protein structures are becoming available, data-driven models to describe protein sequence-structure relationships become more feasible. Within this space, the amino acid sequence design of protein-protein interactions is still a rather challenging subproblem with very low success rates-yet, it is central to most biological processes. RESULTS We developed an attention-based deep learning model inspired by algorithms used for image-caption assignments to design peptides or protein fragment sequences. Our trained model can be applied for the redesign of natural protein interfaces or the designed protein interaction fragments. Here, we validate the potential by recapitulating naturally occurring protein-protein interactions including antibody-antigen complexes. The designed interfaces accurately capture essential native interactions and have comparable native-like binding affinities in silico. Furthermore, our model does not need a precise backbone location, making it an attractive tool for working with de novo design of protein-protein interactions. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The source code of the method is available at https://github.com/strauchlab/iNNterfaceDesign. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raulia Syrlybaeva
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Eva-Maria Strauch
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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34
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Chan K, Farias AG, Lee H, Guvenc F, Mero P, Brown KR, Ward H, Billmann M, Aulakh K, Astori A, Haider S, Marcon E, Braunschweig U, Pu S, Habsid A, Yan Tong AH, Christie-Holmes N, Budylowski P, Ghalami A, Mubareka S, Maguire F, Banerjee A, Mossman KL, Greenblatt J, Gray-Owen SD, Raught B, Blencowe BJ, Taipale M, Myers C, Moffat J. Survival-based CRISPR genetic screens across a panel of permissive cell lines identify common and cell-specific SARS-CoV-2 host factors. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12744. [PMID: 36597481 PMCID: PMC9800021 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 depends on host cell components for infection and replication. Identification of virus-host dependencies offers an effective way to elucidate mechanisms involved in viral infection and replication. If druggable, host factor dependencies may present an attractive strategy for anti-viral therapy. In this study, we performed genome wide CRISPR knockout screens in Vero E6 cells and four human cell lines including Calu-3, UM-UC-4, HEK-293 and HuH-7 to identify genetic regulators of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings identified only ACE2, the cognate SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor, as a common host dependency factor across all cell lines, while other host genes identified were largely cell line specific, including known factors TMPRSS2 and CTSL. Several of the discovered host-dependency factors converged on pathways involved in cell signalling, immune-related pathways, and chromatin modification. Notably, the chromatin modifier gene KMT2C in Calu-3 cells had the strongest impact in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection when perturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Chan
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Corresponding author
| | - Adrian Granda Farias
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Hunsang Lee
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Furkan Guvenc
- Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Patricia Mero
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Kevin R. Brown
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Henry Ward
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Maximilian Billmann
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kamaldeep Aulakh
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Audrey Astori
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shahan Haider
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Edyta Marcon
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Ulrich Braunschweig
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Shuye Pu
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Andrea Habsid
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Amy Hin Yan Tong
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Natasha Christie-Holmes
- Combined Containment Level 3 Unit, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Patrick Budylowski
- Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Ayoob Ghalami
- Office of Environmental Health & Safety, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samira Mubareka
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Finlay Maguire
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada,Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Arinjay Banerjee
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Karen L. Mossman
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jack Greenblatt
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Scott D. Gray-Owen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Brian Raught
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin J. Blencowe
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Mikko Taipale
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Chad Myers
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jason Moffat
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Rosebrugh Building, 164 College Street, Room 407, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3G9,Corresponding author. Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
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35
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Du Y, Miah KM, Habib O, Meyer-Berg H, Conway CC, Viegas MA, Dean R, Satyapertiwi D, Zhao J, Wang Y, Temperton NJ, Gamlen TPE, Gill DR, Hyde SC. Lung directed antibody gene transfer confers protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thorax 2022; 77:1229-1236. [PMID: 35165144 PMCID: PMC8861887 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-217650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a worldwide threat and effective antiviral drugs and vaccines are being developed in a joint global effort. However, some elderly and immune-compromised populations are unable to raise an effective immune response against traditional vaccines. AIMS We hypothesised that passive immunity engineered by the in vivo expression of anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), an approach termed vectored-immunoprophylaxis (VIP), could offer sustained protection against COVID-19 in all populations irrespective of their immune status or age. METHODS We developed three key reagents to evaluate VIP for SARS-CoV-2: (i) we engineered standard laboratory mice to express human ACE2 via rAAV9 in vivo gene transfer, to allow in vivo assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, (ii) to simplify in vivo challenge studies, we generated SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein pseudotyped lentiviral vectors as a simple mimic of authentic SARS-CoV-2 that could be used under standard laboratory containment conditions and (iii) we developed in vivo gene transfer vectors to express anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs. CONCLUSIONS A single intranasal dose of rAAV9 or rSIV.F/HN vectors expressing anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 mimic infection in the lower respiratory tract of hACE2-expressing mice. If translated, the VIP approach could potentially offer a highly effective, long-term protection against COVID-19 for highly vulnerable populations; especially immune-deficient/senescent individuals, who fail to respond to conventional SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The in vivo expression of multiple anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs could enhance protection and prevent rapid mutational escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Du
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kamran M Miah
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Omar Habib
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Helena Meyer-Berg
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Catriona C Conway
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mariana A Viegas
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rebecca Dean
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Jincun Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanqun Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | | | - Toby P E Gamlen
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Deborah R Gill
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen C Hyde
- NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Chen J, Qiu Y, Wang R, Wei GW. Persistent Laplacian projected Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 to become new dominating variants. Comput Biol Med 2022; 151:106262. [PMID: 36379191 PMCID: PMC10754203 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Due to its high transmissibility, Omicron BA.1 ousted the Delta variant to become a dominating variant in late 2021 and was replaced by more transmissible Omicron BA.2 in March 2022. An important question is which new variants will dominate in the future. Topology-based deep learning models have had tremendous success in forecasting emerging variants in the past. However, topology is insensitive to homotopic shape evolution in virus-human protein-protein binding, which is crucial to viral evolution and transmission. This challenge is tackled with persistent Laplacian, which is able to capture both the topological change and homotopic shape evolution of data. Persistent Laplacian-based deep learning models are developed to systematically evaluate variant infectivity. Our comparative analysis of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Lambda, Mu, and Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.2.11, BA.2.12.1, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5 unveils that Omicron BA.2.11, BA.2.12.1, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5 are more contagious than BA.2. In particular, BA.4 and BA.5 are about 36% more infectious than BA.2 and are projected to become new dominant variants by natural selection. Moreover, the proposed models outperform the state-of-the-art methods on three major benchmark datasets for mutation-induced protein-protein binding free energy changes. Our key projection about BA4 and BA.5's dominance made on May 1, 2022 (see arXiv:2205.00532) became a reality in late June 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Chen
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Yuchi Qiu
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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37
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Zhang L, Zhang Y, Qin X, Jiang X, Zhang J, Mao L, Jiang Z, Jiang Y, Liu G, Qiu J, Chen C, Qiu F, Zou Z. Recombinant ACE2 protein protects against acute lung injury induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein. Crit Care 2022; 26:171. [PMID: 35681221 PMCID: PMC9178547 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-022-04034-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Both clinical data and animal experiments suggest that the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is involved in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2-induced ALI. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and a crucial negative regulator of RAS. Recombinant ACE2 protein (rACE2) has been demonstrated to play protective role against SARS-CoV and avian influenza-induced ALI, and more relevant, rACE2 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 proliferation in vitro. However, whether rACE2 protects against SARS-CoV-2-induced ALI in animal models and the underlying mechanisms have yet to be elucidated.
Methods and Results
Here, we demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein aggravated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in mice. SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein directly binds and downregulated ACE2, leading to an elevation in angiotensin (Ang) II. AngII further increased the NOX1/2 through AT1R, subsequently causing oxidative stress and uncontrolled inflammation and eventually resulting in ALI/ARDS. Importantly, rACE2 remarkably reversed SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein-induced ALI by directly binding SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein, cleaving AngI or cleaving AngII.
Conclusion
This study is the first to prove that rACE2 plays a protective role against SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein-aggravated LPS-induced ALI in an animal model and illustrate the mechanism by which the ACE2-AngII-AT1R-NOX1/2 axis might contribute to SARS-CoV-2-induced ALI.
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38
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Deep generative molecular design reshapes drug discovery. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100794. [PMID: 36306797 PMCID: PMC9797947 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances and accomplishments of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep generative models have established their usefulness in medicinal applications, especially in drug discovery and development. To correctly apply AI, the developer and user face questions such as which protocols to consider, which factors to scrutinize, and how the deep generative models can integrate the relevant disciplines. This review summarizes classical and newly developed AI approaches, providing an updated and accessible guide to the broad computational drug discovery and development community. We introduce deep generative models from different standpoints and describe the theoretical frameworks for representing chemical and biological structures and their applications. We discuss the data and technical challenges and highlight future directions of multimodal deep generative models for accelerating drug discovery.
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Hampton JT, Lalonde TJ, Tharp JM, Kurra Y, Alugubelli YR, Roundy CM, Hamer GL, Xu S, Liu WR. Novel Regioselective Approach to Cyclize Phage-Displayed Peptides in Combination with Epitope-Directed Selection to Identify a Potent Neutralizing Macrocyclic Peptide for SARS-CoV-2. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:2911-2922. [PMID: 36174018 PMCID: PMC9528030 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Using the regioselective cyanobenzothiazole condensation reaction with an N-terminal cysteine and the chloroacetamide reaction with an internal cysteine, a phage-displayed macrocyclic 12-mer peptide library was constructed and subsequently validated. Using this library in combination with iterative selections against two epitopes from the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike protein, macrocyclic peptides that strongly inhibit the interaction between the Spike RBD and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the human host receptor of SARS-CoV-2, were identified. The two epitopes were used instead of the Spike RBD to avoid selection of nonproductive macrocyclic peptides that bind RBD but do not directly inhibit its interactions with ACE2. Antiviral tests against SARS-CoV-2 showed that one macrocyclic peptide is highly potent against viral reproduction in Vero E6 cells with an EC50 value of 3.1 μM. The AlphaLISA-detected IC50 value for this macrocyclic peptide was 0.3 μM. The current study demonstrates that two kinetically controlled reactions toward N-terminal and internal cysteines, respectively, are highly effective in the construction of phage-displayed macrocyclic peptides, and the selection based on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike epitopes is a promising methodology in the identification of peptidyl antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Trae Hampton
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Tyler J. Lalonde
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jeffery M. Tharp
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yadagiri Kurra
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yugendar R. Alugubelli
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Gabriel L. Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Shiqing Xu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Wenshe Ray Liu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, 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
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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40
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Chen J, Wang R, Hozumi Y, Liu G, Qiu Y, Wei X, Wei GW. Emerging dominant SARS-CoV-2 variants. ARXIV 2022:arXiv:2210.09485v1. [PMID: 36299737 PMCID: PMC9603820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Accurate and reliable forecasting of emerging dominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants enables policymakers and vaccine makers to get prepared for future waves of infections. The last three waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections caused by dominant variants Omicron (BA.1), BA.2, and BA.4/BA.5 were accurately foretold by our artificial intelligence (AI) models built with biophysics, genotyping of viral genomes, experimental data, algebraic topology, and deep learning. Based on newly available experimental data, we analyzed the impacts of all possible viral spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Our analysis sheds light on viral evolutionary mechanisms, i.e., natural selection through infectivity strengthening and antibody resistance. We forecast that BA.2.10.4, BA.2.75, BQ.1.1, and particularly, BA.2.75+R346T, have high potential to become new dominant variants to drive the next surge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Chen
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Yuta Hozumi
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Gengzhuo Liu
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Yuchi Qiu
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Xiaoqi Wei
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, MI 48824, USA
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41
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Costa CFS, Barbosa AJM, Dias AMGC, Roque ACA. Native, engineered and de novo designed ligands targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107986. [PMID: 35598822 PMCID: PMC9119173 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and is a concerning hazard to public health. This virus infects cells by establishing a contact between its spike protein (S-protein) and host human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor, subsequently initiating viral fusion. The inhibition of the interaction between the S-protein and hACE2 has immediately drawn attention amongst the scientific community, and the S-protein was considered the prime target to design vaccines and to develop affinity ligands for diagnostics and therapy. Several S-protein binders have been reported at a fast pace, ranging from antibodies isolated from immunised patients to de novo designed ligands, with some binders already yielding promising in vivo results in protecting against SARS-CoV-2. Natural, engineered and designed affinity ligands targeting the S-protein are herein summarised, focusing on molecular recognition aspects, whilst identifying preferred hot spots for ligand binding. This review serves as inspiration for the improvement of already existing ligands or for the design of new affinity ligands towards SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic are also important to consolidate tools and processes in protein engineering to enable the fast discovery, production and delivery of diagnostic, prophylactic, and therapeutic solutions in future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos F S Costa
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Arménio J M Barbosa
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Ana Margarida G C Dias
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Ana Cecília A Roque
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
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42
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Khatri B, Pramanick I, Malladi SK, Rajmani RS, Kumar S, Ghosh P, Sengupta N, Rahisuddin R, Kumar N, Kumaran S, Ringe RP, Varadarajan R, Dutta S, Chatterjee J. A dimeric proteomimetic prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection by dimerizing the spike protein. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:1046-1055. [PMID: 35654847 PMCID: PMC9512702 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01060-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Protein tertiary structure mimetics are valuable tools to target large protein-protein interaction interfaces. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for designing dimeric helix-hairpin motifs from a previously reported three-helix-bundle miniprotein that targets the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Through truncation of the third helix and optimization of the interhelical loop residues of the miniprotein, we developed a thermostable dimeric helix-hairpin. The dimeric four-helix bundle competes with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in binding to RBD with 2:2 stoichiometry. Cryogenic-electron microscopy revealed the formation of dimeric spike ectodomain trimer by the four-helix bundle, where all the three RBDs from either spike protein are attached head-to-head in an open conformation, revealing a novel mechanism for virus neutralization. The proteomimetic protects hamsters from high dose viral challenge with replicative SARS-CoV-2 viruses, demonstrating the promise of this class of peptides that inhibit protein-protein interaction through target dimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavesh Khatri
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Ishika Pramanick
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Raju S Rajmani
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Sahil Kumar
- Virology Unit, Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - Pritha Ghosh
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Nayanika Sengupta
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - R Rahisuddin
- Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - Narender Kumar
- Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - S Kumaran
- Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - Rajesh P Ringe
- Virology Unit, Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | | | - Somnath Dutta
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
| | - Jayanta Chatterjee
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
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43
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Shaukat N, Amin J, Sharif M, Azam F, Kadry S, Krishnamoorthy S. Three-Dimensional Semantic Segmentation of Diabetic Retinopathy Lesions and Grading Using Transfer Learning. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12091454. [PMID: 36143239 PMCID: PMC9501488 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12091454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a drastic disease. DR embarks on vision impairment when it is left undetected. In this article, learning-based techniques are presented for the segmentation and classification of DR lesions. The pre-trained Xception model is utilized for deep feature extraction in the segmentation phase. The extracted features are fed to Deeplabv3 for semantic segmentation. For the training of the segmentation model, an experiment is performed for the selection of the optimal hyperparameters that provided effective segmentation results in the testing phase. The multi-classification model is developed for feature extraction using the fully connected (FC) MatMul layer of efficient-net-b0 and pool-10 of the squeeze-net. The extracted features from both models are fused serially, having the dimension of N × 2020, amidst the best N × 1032 features chosen by applying the marine predictor algorithm (MPA). The multi-classification of the DR lesions into grades 0, 1, 2, and 3 is performed using neural network and KNN classifiers. The proposed method performance is validated on open access datasets such as DIARETDB1, e-ophtha-EX, IDRiD, and Messidor. The obtained results are better compared to those of the latest published works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Shaukat
- Department of Computer Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus, Wah Cantt 47010, Pakistan
| | - Javeria Amin
- Department of Computer Science, University of Wah, Wah Campus, Wah Cantt 47010, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sharif
- Department of Computer Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus, Wah Cantt 47010, Pakistan
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Faisal Azam
- Department of Computer Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus, Wah Cantt 47010, Pakistan
| | - Seifedine Kadry
- Department of Applied Data Science, Noroff University College, 4612 Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Sujatha Krishnamoorthy
- Zhejiang Bioinformatics International Science and Technology Cooperation Center, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou 325060, China
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Lab of Applied Biomedical and Biopharmaceutical Informatics, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou 325060, China
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (S.K.)
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44
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Banerjee S, Wang X, Du S, Zhu C, Jia Y, Wang Y, Cai Q. Comprehensive role of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein in regulating host signaling pathway. J Med Virol 2022; 94:4071-4087. [PMID: 35488404 PMCID: PMC9348444 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, global public health and the economy have suffered unprecedented damage. Based on the increasing related literature, the characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms of the virus, and epidemiological and clinical features of the disease are being rapidly discovered. The spike glycoprotein (S protein), as a key antigen of SARS-CoV-2 for developing vaccines, antibodies, and drug targets, has been shown to play an important role in viral entry, tissue tropism, and pathogenesis. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of interaction between S protein and host factors, especially receptor-mediated viral modulation of host signaling pathways, and highlight the progression of potential therapeutic targets, prophylactic and therapeutic agents for prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuvomoy Banerjee
- Department of Biotechnology and BioengineeringKoba Institutional AreaGandhinagarGujaratIndia
| | - Xinyu Wang
- MOE&NHC&CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Institute of Infections Disease and Biosecurity, & School of Basic Medical Science, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shujuan Du
- MOE&NHC&CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Institute of Infections Disease and Biosecurity, & School of Basic Medical Science, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Caixia Zhu
- MOE&NHC&CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Institute of Infections Disease and Biosecurity, & School of Basic Medical Science, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yuping Jia
- Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical SciencesJinanChina
| | - Yuyan Wang
- MOE&NHC&CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Institute of Infections Disease and Biosecurity, & School of Basic Medical Science, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qiliang Cai
- MOE&NHC&CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Institute of Infections Disease and Biosecurity, & School of Basic Medical Science, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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45
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Kayabolen A, Akcan U, Özturan D, Ulbegi‐Polat H, Sahin GN, Pinarbasi‐Degirmenci N, Bayraktar C, Soyler G, Sarayloo E, Nurtop E, Ozer B, Guney‐Esken G, Barlas T, Yildirim IS, Dogan O, Karahuseyinoglu S, Lack NA, Kaya M, Albayrak C, Can F, Solaroglu I, Bagci‐Onder T. Protein Scaffold-Based Multimerization of Soluble ACE2 Efficiently Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Infection In Vitro and In Vivo. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2201294. [PMID: 35896894 PMCID: PMC9353362 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202201294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Soluble ACE2 (sACE2) decoys are promising agents to inhibit SARS-CoV-2, as their efficiency is unlikely to be affected by escape mutations. However, their success is limited by their relatively poor potency. To address this challenge, multimeric sACE2 consisting of SunTag or MoonTag systems is developed. These systems are extremely effective in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 in pseudoviral systems and in clinical isolates, perform better than the dimeric or trimeric sACE2, and exhibit greater than 100-fold neutralization efficiency, compared to monomeric sACE2. SunTag or MoonTag fused to a more potent sACE2 (v1) achieves a sub-nanomolar IC50 , comparable with clinical monoclonal antibodies. Pseudoviruses bearing mutations for variants of concern, including delta and omicron, are also neutralized efficiently with multimeric sACE2. Finally, therapeutic treatment of sACE2(v1)-MoonTag provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in an in vivo mouse model. Therefore, highly potent multimeric sACE2 may offer a promising treatment approach against SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisan Kayabolen
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Ugur Akcan
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Doğancan Özturan
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Hivda Ulbegi‐Polat
- Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology InstituteTUBITAK Marmara Research CenterKocaeli41470Turkey
| | - Gizem Nur Sahin
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | | | - Canan Bayraktar
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Gizem Soyler
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Ehsan Sarayloo
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Department of BiotechnologyBeykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (BILSAB)Bezmialem Vakif UniversityIstanbul34820Turkey
| | - Elif Nurtop
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
| | - Berna Ozer
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
| | - Gulen Guney‐Esken
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
| | - Tayfun Barlas
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
| | - Ismail Selim Yildirim
- Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology InstituteTUBITAK Marmara Research CenterKocaeli41470Turkey
| | - Ozlem Dogan
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
- Koç University School of MedicineDepartment of Medical MicrobiologyIstanbul34010Turkey
| | - Sercin Karahuseyinoglu
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Koç University School of Medicine, Department of Histology and EmbryologyIstanbul34450Türkiye
| | - Nathan A. Lack
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Vancouver Prostate CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBC V6H 3Z6Canada
| | - Mehmet Kaya
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
| | - Cem Albayrak
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Department of BiotechnologyBeykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (BILSAB)Bezmialem Vakif UniversityIstanbul34820Turkey
| | - Fusun Can
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Istanbul34010Turkey
- Koç University School of MedicineDepartment of Medical MicrobiologyIstanbul34010Turkey
| | - Ihsan Solaroglu
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
- Department of Basic SciencesLoma Linda UniversityLoma LindaCA92354USA
| | - Tugba Bagci‐Onder
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM)Koç UniversityIstanbul34450Turkey
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Wu J, Zhang J, Zhang HX. Computational Design of Miniprotein Inhibitors Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:10690-10703. [PMID: 35984970 PMCID: PMC9437664 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a global health problem. There is an urgent need to develop therapeutic drugs, effective therapies, and vaccines to prevent the spread of the virus. The virus first enters the host cell through the interaction between the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein and the peptidase domain (PD) of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Therefore, blocking the binding of RBD and ACE2 is a promising strategy to inhibit the invasion and infection of the virus in the host cell. In the study, we designed several miniprotein inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 by single/double/triple-point mutant, based on the initial inhibitor LCB3. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and trajectory analysis were performed for an in-depth analysis of the structural stability, essential protein motions, and per-residue energy decomposition involved in the interaction of inhibitors with the RBD. The results showed that the inhibitors have adapted the protein RBD in the binding interface, thereby forming stable complexes. These inhibitors display low binding free energy in the MM/PBSA calculations, substantiating their strong interaction with RBD. Moreover, the binding affinity of the best miniprotein inhibitor, H6Y-M7L-L17F mutant, to RBD was ∼45 980 times (ΔG = RT ln Ki) higher than that of the initial inhibitor LCB3. Following H6Y-M7L-L17F mutant, the inhibitors with strong binding activity are successively H6Y-L17F, L17F, H6Y, and F30Y mutants. Our research proves that the miniprotein inhibitors can maintain their secondary structure and have a highly stable blocking (binding) effect on SARS-CoV-2. This study proposes novel miniprotein mutant inhibitors with enhanced binding to spike protein and provides potential guidance for the rational design of new SARS-CoV-2 spike protein inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Wu
- Institute
of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jilong Zhang
- Institute
of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong-Xing Zhang
- Institute
of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
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47
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Monteil V, Eaton B, Postnikova E, Murphy M, Braunsfeld B, Crozier I, Kricek F, Niederhöfer J, Schwarzböck A, Breid H, Devignot S, Klingström J, Thålin C, Kellner MJ, Christ W, Havervall S, Mereiter S, Knapp S, Sanchez Jimenez A, Bugajska‐Schretter A, Dohnal A, Ruf C, Gugenberger R, Hagelkruys A, Montserrat N, Kozieradzki I, Hasan Ali O, Stadlmann J, Holbrook MR, Schmaljohn C, Oostenbrink C, Shoemaker RH, Mirazimi A, Wirnsberger G, Penninger JM. Clinical grade ACE2 as a universal agent to block SARS-CoV-2 variants. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e15230. [PMID: 35781796 PMCID: PMC9350269 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202115230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent emergence of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants has caused considerable concern due to both reduced vaccine efficacy and escape from neutralizing antibody therapeutics. It is, therefore, paramount to develop therapeutic strategies that inhibit all known and future SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we report that all SARS-CoV-2 variants analyzed, including variants of concern (VOC) Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, exhibit enhanced binding affinity to clinical grade and phase 2 tested recombinant human soluble ACE2 (APN01). Importantly, soluble ACE2 neutralized infection of VeroE6 cells and human lung epithelial cells by all current VOC strains with markedly enhanced potency when compared to reference SARS-CoV-2 isolates. Effective inhibition of infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants was validated and confirmed in two independent laboratories. These data show that SARS-CoV-2 variants that have emerged around the world, including current VOC and several variants of interest, can be inhibited by soluble ACE2, providing proof of principle of a pan-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Monteil
- Unit of Clinical MicrobiologyKarolinska Institutet and Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Brett Eaton
- NIAID Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF‐Frederick)FrederickMarylandUSA
| | - Elena Postnikova
- NIAID Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF‐Frederick)FrederickMarylandUSA
| | - Michael Murphy
- NIAID Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF‐Frederick)FrederickMarylandUSA
| | - Benedict Braunsfeld
- Institute for Molecular Modeling and SimulationUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
| | - Ian Crozier
- Clinical Research Monitoring Program DirectorateFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederickMarylandUSA
| | | | | | | | | | - Stephanie Devignot
- Unit of Clinical MicrobiologyKarolinska Institutet and Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Jonas Klingström
- Center for Infectious MedicineDepartment of Medicine HuddingeKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Charlotte Thålin
- Department of Clinical SciencesKarolinska Institute Danderyd HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Max J Kellner
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University at Vienna and MedicalUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Wanda Christ
- Center for Infectious MedicineDepartment of Medicine HuddingeKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Sebastian Havervall
- Department of Clinical SciencesKarolinska Institute Danderyd HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Stefan Mereiter
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Sylvia Knapp
- Department of Medicine 1, Laboratory of Infection BiologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Astrid Hagelkruys
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Nuria Montserrat
- Pluripotency for Organ RegenerationInstitute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST)BarcelonaSpain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Ivona Kozieradzki
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences InstituteUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Omar Hasan Ali
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences InstituteUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Johannes Stadlmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Department of ChemistryUniversity of Natural resources and Life, Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
| | - Michael R Holbrook
- NIAID Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF‐Frederick)FrederickMarylandUSA
| | - Connie Schmaljohn
- NIAID Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF‐Frederick)FrederickMarylandUSA
| | - Chris Oostenbrink
- Institute for Molecular Modeling and SimulationUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
| | - Robert H Shoemaker
- Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group, Division of Cancer PreventionNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Ali Mirazimi
- Unit of Clinical MicrobiologyKarolinska Institutet and Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | | | - Josef M Penninger
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences InstituteUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
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48
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Wang J, Lisanza S, Juergens D, Tischer D, Watson JL, Castro KM, Ragotte R, Saragovi A, Milles LF, Baek M, Anishchenko I, Yang W, Hicks DR, Expòsit M, Schlichthaerle T, Chun JH, Dauparas J, Bennett N, Wicky BIM, Muenks A, DiMaio F, Correia B, Ovchinnikov S, Baker D. Scaffolding protein functional sites using deep learning. Science 2022; 377:387-394. [PMID: 35862514 PMCID: PMC9621694 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn2100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The binding and catalytic functions of proteins are generally mediated by a small number of functional residues held in place by the overall protein structure. Here, we describe deep learning approaches for scaffolding such functional sites without needing to prespecify the fold or secondary structure of the scaffold. The first approach, "constrained hallucination," optimizes sequences such that their predicted structures contain the desired functional site. The second approach, "inpainting," starts from the functional site and fills in additional sequence and structure to create a viable protein scaffold in a single forward pass through a specifically trained RoseTTAFold network. We use these two methods to design candidate immunogens, receptor traps, metalloproteins, enzymes, and protein-binding proteins and validate the designs using a combination of in silico and experimental tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jue Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Sidney Lisanza
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Graduate program in Biological Physics, Structure and
Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - David Juergens
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Molecular Engineering Graduate Program, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Doug Tischer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Joseph L. Watson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Karla M. Castro
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Robert Ragotte
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Amijai Saragovi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Lukas F. Milles
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Minkyung Baek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Ivan Anishchenko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Derrick R. Hicks
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Marc Expòsit
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Molecular Engineering Graduate Program, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Thomas Schlichthaerle
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Jung-Ho Chun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Graduate program in Biological Physics, Structure and
Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Justas Dauparas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Nathaniel Bennett
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Molecular Engineering Graduate Program, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Basile I. M. Wicky
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Andrew Muenks
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Frank DiMaio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Bruno Correia
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Sergey Ovchinnikov
- FAS Division of Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
02138, USA
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellowship Program,
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98105, USA
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49
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Gao K, Wang R, Chen J, Cheng L, Frishcosy J, Huzumi Y, Qiu Y, Schluckbier T, Wei X, Wei GW. Methodology-Centered Review of Molecular Modeling, Simulation, and Prediction of SARS-CoV-2. Chem Rev 2022; 122:11287-11368. [PMID: 35594413 PMCID: PMC9159519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite tremendous efforts in the past two years, our understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), virus-host interactions, immune response, virulence, transmission, and evolution is still very limited. This limitation calls for further in-depth investigation. Computational studies have become an indispensable component in combating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their low cost, their efficiency, and the fact that they are free from safety and ethical constraints. Additionally, the mechanism that governs the global evolution and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 cannot be revealed from individual experiments and was discovered by integrating genotyping of massive viral sequences, biophysical modeling of protein-protein interactions, deep mutational data, deep learning, and advanced mathematics. There exists a tsunami of literature on the molecular modeling, simulations, and predictions of SARS-CoV-2 and related developments of drugs, vaccines, antibodies, and diagnostics. To provide readers with a quick update about this literature, we present a comprehensive and systematic methodology-centered review. Aspects such as molecular biophysics, bioinformatics, cheminformatics, machine learning, and mathematics are discussed. This review will be beneficial to researchers who are looking for ways to contribute to SARS-CoV-2 studies and those who are interested in the status of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifu Gao
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Rui Wang
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Limei Cheng
- Clinical
Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics, Bristol
Myers Squibb, Princeton, New Jersey 08536, United States
| | - Jaclyn Frishcosy
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Yuta Huzumi
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Yuchi Qiu
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Tom Schluckbier
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Xiaoqi Wei
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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50
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Shoemaker RH, Panettieri RA, Libutti SK, Hochster HS, Watts NR, Wingfield PT, Starkl P, Pimenov L, Gawish R, Hladik A, Knapp S, Boring D, White JM, Lawrence Q, Boone J, Marshall JD, Matthews RL, Cholewa BD, Richig JW, Chen BT, McCormick DL, Gugensberger R, Höller S, Penninger JM, Wirnsberger G. Development of an aerosol intervention for COVID-19 disease: Tolerability of soluble ACE2 (APN01) administered via nebulizer. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271066. [PMID: 35816490 PMCID: PMC9273060 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As ACE2 is the critical SARS-CoV-2 receptor, we hypothesized that aerosol administration of clinical grade soluble human recombinant ACE2 (APN01) will neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in the airways, limit spread of infection in the lung, and mitigate lung damage caused by deregulated signaling in the renin-angiotensin (RAS) and Kinin pathways. Here, after demonstrating in vitro neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by APN01, and after obtaining preliminary evidence of its tolerability and preventive efficacy in a mouse model, we pursued development of an aerosol formulation. As a prerequisite to a clinical trial, we evaluated both virus binding activity and enzymatic activity for cleavage of Ang II following aerosolization. We report successful aerosolization for APN01, retaining viral binding as well as catalytic RAS activity. Dose range-finding and IND-enabling repeat-dose aerosol toxicology testing were conducted in dogs. Twice daily aerosol administration for two weeks at the maximum feasible concentration revealed no notable toxicities. Based on these results, a Phase I clinical trial in healthy volunteers has now been initiated (NCT05065645), with subsequent Phase II testing planned for individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H. Shoemaker
- Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Reynold A. Panettieri
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Steven K. Libutti
- Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Howard S. Hochster
- Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Norman R. Watts
- Protein Expression Laboratory, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Paul T. Wingfield
- Protein Expression Laboratory, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Philipp Starkl
- Department of Medicine I, Laboratory of Infection Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisabeth Pimenov
- Department of Medicine I, Laboratory of Infection Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Riem Gawish
- Department of Medicine I, Laboratory of Infection Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anastasiya Hladik
- Department of Medicine I, Laboratory of Infection Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sylvia Knapp
- Department of Medicine I, Laboratory of Infection Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Boring
- Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | | | - Jeremy Boone
- MRIGlobal, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jason D. Marshall
- Cancer ImmunoPrevention Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Rebecca L. Matthews
- Cancer ImmunoPrevention Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brian D. Cholewa
- Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Ben T. Chen
- IIT Research Institute, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | | | - Sonja Höller
- Apeiron Biologics AG, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 5, Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef M. Penninger
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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