Identification of the SARS-CoV-2 surface therapeutic targets and drugs using molecular modeling methods for inhibition the virus entry

Although COVID-19 emerged as a major concern to public health around the world, no licensed medication has been found as of yet to efficiently stop the virus spread and treat the infection. The SARS-CoV-2 entry into the host cell is driven by the direct interaction of the S1 domain with the ACE-2 receptor followed by conformational changes in the S2 domain, as a result of which fusion peptide is inserted into the target cell membrane, and the fusion process is mediated by the specific interactions between the heptad repeats 1 and 2 (HR1 and HR2) that form the six-helical bundle. Since blocking this interaction between HRs stops virus fusion and prevents its subsequent replication, the HRs inhibitors can be used as anti-COVID drugs. The initial drug selection is based on existing molecular databases to screen for molecules that may have a therapeutic effect on coronavirus. Based on these premises, we chose two approved drugs to investigate their interactions with the HRs (based on docking methods). To this end, molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking were carried out to investigate the changes in the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Our results revealed, cefpiramide has the highest affinity to S protein, thereby revealing its potential to become an anti-COVID-19 clinical medicine. Therefore, this study offers new ways to re-use existing drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Genetic characterization of Streptococcus iniae in diseased farmed rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) in Iran

Genetic characterization of strains of Streptococcus iniae recovered from morbidity and mortality of farmed rainbow trout in different provinces of Iran were studied. The Gram-positive cocci isolates were obtained from the kidney tissues of diseased rainbow trout on blood agar at 25°C for 72 h. The grown bacteria were then characterized using biochemical and molecular works. The identified 26 isolates of S. iniae producing a 513 bp in PCR procedure were then compared using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using 9 random primers. The phylogenetic tree of the RAPD product using UPMGA software included these strains in one genetic group but into two clusters. The results of this study show that S. iniae strains from the diseased rainbow trout in the north part of Iran are genetically similar to those strains in the south and west parts of the country.