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Inniss NL, Rzhetskaya M, Ling-Hu T, Lorenzo-Redondo R, Bachta KE, Satchell KJF, Hultquist JF. Activity and inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron nsp13 R392C variant using RNA duplex unwinding assays. SLAS Discov 2024; 29:100145. [PMID: 38301954 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 nsp13 helicase is an essential enzyme for viral replication and a promising target for antiviral drug development. This study compares the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) unwinding activity of nsp13 and the Omicron nsp13R392C variant, which is predominant in currently circulating lineages. Using in vitro gel- and fluorescence-based assays, we found that both nsp13 and nsp13R392C have dsRNA unwinding activity with equivalent kinetics. Furthermore, the R392C mutation had no effect on the efficiency of the nsp13-specific helicase inhibitor SSYA10-001. We additionally confirmed the activity of several other helicase inhibitors against nsp13, including punicalagin that inhibited dsRNA unwinding at nanomolar concentrations. Overall, this study reveals the utility of using dsRNA unwinding assays to screen small molecules for antiviral activity against nsp13 and the Omicron nsp13R392C variant. Continual monitoring of newly emergent variants will be essential for considering resistance profiles of lead compounds as they are advanced towards next-generation therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Inniss
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Margarita Rzhetskaya
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Ted Ling-Hu
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Kelly E Bachta
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Karla J F Satchell
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA.
| | - Judd F Hultquist
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA; Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA.
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Bohnsack KE, Yi S, Venus S, Jankowsky E, Bohnsack MT. Cellular functions of eukaryotic RNA helicases and their links to human diseases. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:749-769. [PMID: 37474727 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00628-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
RNA helicases are highly conserved proteins that use nucleoside triphosphates to bind or remodel RNA, RNA-protein complexes or both. RNA helicases are classified into the DEAD-box, DEAH/RHA, Ski2-like, Upf1-like and RIG-I families, and are the largest class of enzymes active in eukaryotic RNA metabolism - virtually all aspects of gene expression and its regulation involve RNA helicases. Mutation and dysregulation of these enzymes have been linked to a multitude of diseases, including cancer and neurological disorders. In this Review, we discuss the regulation and functional mechanisms of RNA helicases and their roles in eukaryotic RNA metabolism, including in transcription regulation, pre-mRNA splicing, ribosome assembly, translation and RNA decay. We highlight intriguing models that link helicase structure, mechanisms of function (such as local strand unwinding, translocation, winching, RNA clamping and displacing RNA-binding proteins) and biological roles, including emerging connections between RNA helicases and cellular condensates formed through liquid-liquid phase separation. We also discuss associations of RNA helicases with human diseases and recent efforts towards the design of small-molecule inhibitors of these pivotal regulators of eukaryotic gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Bohnsack
- Department of Molecular Biology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Soon Yi
- Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sarah Venus
- Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Eckhard Jankowsky
- Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Moderna, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Markus T Bohnsack
- Department of Molecular Biology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Göttingen Centre for Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
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Serman T, Chiang C, Liu G, Sayyad Z, Pandey S, Volcic M, Lee H, Muppala S, Acharya D, Goins C, Stauffer SR, Sparrer KMJ, Gack MU. Acetylation of the NS3 helicase by KAT5γ is essential for flavivirus replication. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:1317-1330.e10. [PMID: 37478852 PMCID: PMC10782998 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Direct targeting of essential viral enzymes such as proteases, polymerases, and helicases has long been the major focus of antiviral drug design. Although successful for some viral enzymes, targeting viral helicases is notoriously difficult to achieve, demanding alternative strategies. Here, we show that the NS3 helicase of Zika virus (ZIKV) undergoes acetylation in its RNA-binding tunnel. Regulation of the acetylated state of K389 in ZIKV NS3 modulates RNA binding and unwinding and is required for efficient viral replication. NS3 acetylation is mediated by a specific isoform of the host acetyltransferase KAT5 (KAT5γ), which translocates from the nucleus to viral replication complexes upon infection. NS3 acetylation by KAT5γ and its proviral role are also conserved in West Nile virus (WNV), dengue virus (DENV), and yellow fever virus (YFV). Our study provides molecular insight into how a cellular acetyltransferase regulates viral helicase functions, unveiling a previously unknown target for antiviral drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taryn Serman
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA; Department of Microbiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Cindy Chiang
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - GuanQun Liu
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Zuberwasim Sayyad
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Shanti Pandey
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Meta Volcic
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Haejeong Lee
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Santoshi Muppala
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Dhiraj Acharya
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Christopher Goins
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Shaun R Stauffer
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | | | - Michaela U Gack
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA; Department of Microbiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Zhao JZ, Xu LM, Ren GM, Shao YZ, Lu TY. Identification and characterization of DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX3 in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and its relationship with infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus infection. Dev Comp Immunol 2022; 135:104493. [PMID: 35840014 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
DDX3, a member of the DEAD-box RNA helicase family and has highly conserved ATP-dependent RNA helicase activity, has important roles in RNA metabolism and innate anti-viral immune responses. In this study, five transcript variants of the DDX3 gene were cloned and characterized from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). These five transcript variants of DDX3 encoded proteins were 74.2 kDa (686 aa), 76.4 kDa (709 aa), 77.8 kDa (711 aa), 78.0 kDa (718 aa), and 78.8 kDa (729 aa) and the predicted isoelectric points were 6.91, 7.63, 7.63, 7.18, and 7.23, respectively. All rainbow trout DDX3 proteins contained two conserved RecA-like domains that were similar to the DDX3 protein reported in mammals. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the five cloned rainbow trout DDX3 were separate from mammals but clustered with fish, especially Northern pike (Esox lucius) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). RT-qPCR analysis showed that the DDX3 gene was broadly expressed in all tissues studied. The expression of DDX3 after infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) infection increased gradually after the early stage of IHNV infection, decreased gradually with the proliferation of IHNV in vivo (liver, spleen, and kidney), and was significantly decreased after the in vitro infection of epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) and rainbow trout gonad cell line-2 (RTG-2) cell lines. We also found that rainbow trout DDX3 was significantly increased by a time-dependent mechanism after the poly I:C treatment of EPC and RTG cells; however no significant changes were observed with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. Knockdown of DDX3 by siRNA showed significantly increased IHNV replication in infected RTG cells. This study suggests that DDX3 has an important role in host defense against IHNV infection and these results may provide new insights into IHNV pathogenesis and antiviral drug research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Zhuang Zhao
- Heilongjiang River Fishery Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin, 150070, PR China; Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Immune Technology of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150070, PR China.
| | - Li-Ming Xu
- Heilongjiang River Fishery Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin, 150070, PR China.
| | - Guang-Ming Ren
- Heilongjiang River Fishery Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin, 150070, PR China.
| | - Yi-Zhi Shao
- Heilongjiang River Fishery Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin, 150070, PR China.
| | - Tong-Yan Lu
- Heilongjiang River Fishery Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin, 150070, PR China.
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Belachew B, Gao J, Byrd AK, Raney KD. Hepatitis C virus non-structural protein NS3 unfolds viral G-quadruplex RNA structures. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102486. [PMID: 36108740 PMCID: PMC9582721 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver-related diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma. The helicase domain of one of the nonstructural proteins of HCV, NS3 (nonstructural protein 3), is essential for viral replication; however, its specific biological role is still under investigation. Here, we set out to determine the interaction between a purified recombinant full length NS3 and synthetic guanine-rich substrates that represent the conserved G-quadruplex (G4)-forming sequences in the HCV-positive and HCV-negative strands. We performed fluorescence anisotropy binding, G4 reporter duplex unwinding, and G4RNA trapping assays to determine the binding and G4 unfolding activity of NS3. Our data suggest that NS3 can unfold the conserved G4 structures present within the genome and the negative strand of HCV. Additionally, we found the activity of NS3 on a G4RNA was reduced significantly in the presence of a G4 ligand. The ability of NS3 to unfold HCV G4RNA could imply a novel biological role of the viral helicase in replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binyam Belachew
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Jun Gao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Alicia K Byrd
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
| | - Kevin D Raney
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.
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Venus S, Jankowsky E. Measuring the impact of cofactors on RNA helicase activities. Methods 2022; 204:376-385. [PMID: 35429628 PMCID: PMC9306305 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA helicases are the largest class of enzymes in eukaryotic RNA metabolism. In cells, protein cofactors regulate RNA helicase functions and impact biochemical helicase activities. Understanding how cofactors affect enzymatic activities of RNA helicases is thus critical for delineating physical roles and regulation of RNA helicases in cells. Here, we discuss approaches and conceptual considerations for the design of experiments to interrogate cofactor effects on RNA helicase activities in vitro. We outline the mechanistic frame for helicase reactions, discuss optimization of experimental setup and reaction parameters for measuring cofactor effects on RNA helicase activities, and provide basic guides to data analysis and interpretation. The described approaches are also instructive for determining the impact of small molecule inhibitors of RNA helicases.
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