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Motsa BB, Sharma T, Cioffi MD, Chapagain PP, Stahelin RV. Minor electrostatic changes robustly increase VP40 membrane binding, assembly, and budding of Ebola virus matrix protein derived virus-like particles. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107213. [PMID: 38522519 PMCID: PMC11061732 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) is a filamentous negative-sense RNA virus, which causes severe hemorrhagic fever. There are limited vaccines or therapeutics for prevention and treatment of EBOV, so it is important to get a detailed understanding of the virus lifecycle to illuminate new drug targets. EBOV encodes for the matrix protein, VP40, which regulates assembly and budding of new virions from the inner leaflet of the host cell plasma membrane (PM). In this work, we determine the effects of VP40 mutations altering electrostatics on PM interactions and subsequent budding. VP40 mutations that modify surface electrostatics affect viral assembly and budding by altering VP40 membrane-binding capabilities. Mutations that increase VP40 net positive charge by one (e.g., Gly to Arg or Asp to Ala) increase VP40 affinity for phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in the host cell PM. This increased affinity enhances PM association and budding efficiency leading to more effective formation of virus-like particles. In contrast, mutations that decrease net positive charge by one (e.g., Gly to Asp) lead to a decrease in assembly and budding because of decreased interactions with the anionic PM. Taken together, our results highlight the sensitivity of slight electrostatic changes on the VP40 surface for assembly and budding. Understanding the effects of single amino acid substitutions on viral budding and assembly will be useful for explaining changes in the infectivity and virulence of different EBOV strains, VP40 variants that occur in nature, and for long-term drug discovery endeavors aimed at EBOV assembly and budding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balindile B Motsa
- Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Tej Sharma
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Michael D Cioffi
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Prem P Chapagain
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA; Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Robert V Stahelin
- Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
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Motsa BB, Sharma T, Chapagain PP, Stahelin RV. Minor changes in electrostatics robustly increase VP40 membrane binding, assembly, and budding of Ebola virus matrix protein derived virus-like particles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.30.578092. [PMID: 38352396 PMCID: PMC10862912 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.30.578092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) is a filamentous negative-sense RNA virus which causes severe hemorrhagic fever. There are limited vaccines or therapeutics for prevention and treatment of EBOV, so it is important to get a detailed understanding of the virus lifecycle to illuminate new drug targets. EBOV encodes for the matrix protein, VP40, which regulates assembly and budding of new virions from the inner leaflet of the host cell plasma membrane (PM). In this work we determine the effects of VP40 mutations altering electrostatics on PM interactions and subsequent budding. VP40 mutations that modify surface electrostatics affect viral assembly and budding by altering VP40 membrane binding capabilities. Mutations that increase VP40 net positive charge by one (e.g., Gly to Arg or Asp to Ala) increase VP40 affinity for phosphatidylserine (PS) and PI(4,5)P2 in the host cell PM. This increased affinity enhances PM association and budding efficiency leading to more effective formation of virus-like particles (VLPs). In contrast, mutations that decrease net positive charge by one (e.g., Gly to Asp) lead to a decrease in assembly and budding because of decreased interactions with the anionic PM. Taken together our results highlight the sensitivity of slight electrostatic changes on the VP40 surface for assembly and budding. Understanding the effects of single amino acid substitutions on viral budding and assembly will be useful for explaining changes in the infectivity and virulence of different EBOV strains, VP40 variants that occur in nature, and for long-term drug discovery endeavors aimed at EBOV assembly and budding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balindile B. Motsa
- Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Tej Sharma
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Prem P. Chapagain
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Robert V. Stahelin
- Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Abdul-Rahman T, Lawal L, Meale E, Ajetunmobi OA, Toluwalashe S, Alao UH, Ghosh S, Garg N, Aborode AT, Wireko AA, Mehta A, Sikora K. Inequitable access to Ebola vaccines and the resurgence of Ebola in Africa: A state of arts review. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28986. [PMID: 37534818 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28986] [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: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
The Ebola virus, a member of the filoviridae family of viruses, is responsible for causing Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) with a case fatality rate as high as 50%. The largest EVD outbreak was recorded in West Africa from March 2013 to June 2016, leading to over 28 000 cases and 11 000 deaths. It affected several countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Until then, EVD was predominantly reported in remote villages in central and west Africa close to tropical rainforests. Human mobility, behavioral and cultural norms, the use of bushmeat, burial customs, preference for traditional remedies and treatments, and resistance to health interventions are just a few of the social factors that considerably aid and amplify the risk of transmission. The scale and persistence of recent ebola outbreaks, as well as the risk of widespread global transmission and its ability for bioterrorism, have led to a rethinking of public health strategies to curb the disease, such as the expedition of Ebola vaccine production. However, as vaccine production lags in the subcontinent, among other challenges, the risk of another ebola outbreak is likely and feared by public health authorities in the region. This review describes the inequality of vaccine production in Africa and the resurgence of EVD, emphasizing the significance of health equality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toufik Abdul-Rahman
- Medical Institute, Sumy State University, Sumy, Ukraine
- ICORMed Collaborative, Sumy, Ukraine
| | - Lukman Lawal
- Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Emily Meale
- Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Soyemi Toluwalashe
- Lagos State University of College of Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ikeja, Nigeria
| | - Uthman Hassan Alao
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Shankhaneel Ghosh
- Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Neil Garg
- Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Andrew Awuah Wireko
- Medical Institute, Sumy State University, Sumy, Ukraine
- ICORMed Collaborative, Sumy, Ukraine
| | - Aashna Mehta
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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Protein Folding Interdiction Strategy for Therapeutic Drug Development in Viral Diseases: Ebola VP40 and Influenza A M1. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073906. [PMID: 35409264 PMCID: PMC8998936 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073906] [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: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In a recent paper, we proposed the folding interdiction target region (FITR) strategy for therapeutic drug design in SARS-CoV-2. This paper expands the application of the FITR strategy by proposing therapeutic drug design approaches against Ebola virus disease and influenza A. We predict target regions for folding interdicting drugs on correspondingly relevant structural proteins of both pathogenic viruses: VP40 of Ebola, and matrix protein M1 of influenza A. Identification of the protein targets employs the sequential collapse model (SCM) for protein folding. It is explained that the model predicts natural peptide candidates in each case from which to start the search for therapeutic drugs. The paper also discusses how these predictions could be tested, as well as some challenges likely to be found when designing effective therapeutic drugs from the proposed peptide candidates. The FITR strategy opens a potential new avenue for the design of therapeutic drugs that promises to be effective against infectious diseases.
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Remdesivir inhibits the polymerases of the novel filoviruses Lloviu and Bombali virus. Antiviral Res 2021; 192:105120. [PMID: 34126139 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2021.105120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, a number of novel filoviruses (e.g. Lloviu virus (LLOV) and Bombali virus (BOMV)) have been discovered. While antibody-based therapeutics have recently been approved for treatment of infections with the filovirus Ebola virus (EBOV), no treatment options for novel filoviruses currently exist. Further, the development of antivirals against them is complicated by the fact that only sequence information, but no actual virus isolates, are available. To address this issue, we developed a reverse genetics-based minigenome system for BOMV, which allows us to assess the activity of the BOMV polymerase. Together with similar systems that we have developed for other filoviruses in the past (i.e. LLOV and Reston virus (RESTV)), we then assessed the efficiency of remdesivir, a known inhibitor of the EBOV polymerase that has recently been tested in a clinical trial for efficacy against Ebola disease. We show that remdesivir is indeed also active against the polymerases of BOMV, LLOV, and RESTV, with comparable IC50 values to its activity against EBOV. This suggests that treatment with remdesivir might represent a viable option in case of infections with novel filoviruses.
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