1
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Alugubelli Y, Xiao J, Khatua K, Kumar S, Sun L, Ma Y, Ma XR, Vulupala VR, Atla S, Blankenship LR, Coleman D, Xie X, Neuman BW, Liu WR, Xu S. Discovery of First-in-Class PROTAC Degraders of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Med Chem 2024; 67:6495-6507. [PMID: 38608245 PMCID: PMC11056980 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
We have witnessed three coronavirus (CoV) outbreaks in the past two decades, including the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. Main protease (MPro), a highly conserved protease among various CoVs, is essential for viral replication and pathogenesis, making it a prime target for antiviral drug development. Here, we leverage proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology to develop a new class of small-molecule antivirals that induce the degradation of SARS-CoV-2 MPro. Among them, MPD2 was demonstrated to effectively reduce MPro protein levels in 293T cells, relying on a time-dependent, CRBN-mediated, and proteasome-driven mechanism. Furthermore, MPD2 exhibited remarkable efficacy in diminishing MPro protein levels in SARS-CoV-2-infected A549-ACE2 cells. MPD2 also displayed potent antiviral activity against various SARS-CoV-2 strains and exhibited enhanced potency against nirmatrelvir-resistant viruses. Overall, this proof-of-concept study highlights the potential of targeted protein degradation of MPro as an innovative approach for developing antivirals that could fight against drug-resistant viral variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugendar
R. Alugubelli
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Jing Xiao
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Kaustav Khatua
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Sathish Kumar
- Department
of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Long Sun
- Department
of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Yuying Ma
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Xinyu R. Ma
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Veerabhadra R. Vulupala
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Sandeep Atla
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Lauren R. Blankenship
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Demonta Coleman
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department
of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Benjamin W. Neuman
- Department
of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Texas
A&M Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Wenshe Ray Liu
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Institute
of Biosciences and Technology and Department of Translational Medical
Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M
University, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Shiqing Xu
- Texas
A&M Drug Discovery Center, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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2
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Zou J, Kurhade C, Chang HC, Hu Y, Meza JA, Beaver D, Trinh K, Omlid J, Elghetany B, Desai R, McCaffrey P, Garcia JD, Shi PY, Ren P, Xie X. An Integrated Research-Clinical BSL-2 Platform for a Live SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Assay. Viruses 2023; 15:1855. [PMID: 37766263 PMCID: PMC10536566 DOI: 10.3390/v15091855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A reliable and efficient serological test is crucial for monitoring neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs). Here, we present an integrated research-clinical platform for a live SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assay, utilizing highly attenuated SARS-CoV-2 (Δ3678_WA1-spike). This strain contains mutations in viral transcription regulation sequences and deletion in the open-reading-frames 3, 6, 7, and 8, allowing for safe handling in biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories. Building on this backbone, we constructed a genetically stable reporter virus (mGFP Δ3678_WA1-spike) by incorporating a modified green fluorescent protein sequence (mGFP). We also constructed mGFP Δ3678_BA.5-spike and mGFP Δ3678_XBB.1.5-spike by substituting the WA1 spike with variants BA.5 and XBB.1.5 spike, respectively. All three viruses exhibit robust fluorescent signals in infected cells and neutralization titers in an optimized fluorescence reduction neutralization assay that highly correlates with a conventional plaque reduction assay. Furthermore, we established that a streamlined robot-aided Bench-to-Clinics COVID-19 Neutralization Test workflow demonstrated remarkably sensitive, specific, reproducible, and accurate characteristics, allowing the assessment of neutralization titers against SARS-CoV-2 variants within 24 h after sample receiving. Overall, our innovative approach provides a valuable avenue for large-scale testing of clinical samples against SARS-CoV-2 and VOCs at BSL-2, supporting pandemic preparedness and response strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zou
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Chaitanya Kurhade
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Hope C Chang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Yanping Hu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Jose A Meza
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - David Beaver
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Ky Trinh
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Joseph Omlid
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Bassem Elghetany
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Ragini Desai
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Peter McCaffrey
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Juan D Garcia
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Ping Ren
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Sealy Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
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3
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Pawlak JB, Hsu JCC, Xia H, Han P, Suh HW, Grove TL, Morrison J, Shi PY, Cresswell P, Laurent-Rolle M. CMPK2 restricts Zika virus replication by inhibiting viral translation. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011286. [PMID: 37075076 PMCID: PMC10150978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses continue to emerge as global health threats. There are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antiviral treatments for flaviviral infections. Therefore, there is a pressing need to identify host and viral factors that can be targeted for effective therapeutic intervention. Type I interferon (IFN-I) production in response to microbial products is one of the host's first line of defense against invading pathogens. Cytidine/uridine monophosphate kinase 2 (CMPK2) is a type I interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) that exerts antiviral effects. However, the molecular mechanism by which CMPK2 inhibits viral replication is unclear. Here, we report that CMPK2 expression restricts Zika virus (ZIKV) replication by specifically inhibiting viral translation and that IFN-I- induced CMPK2 contributes significantly to the overall antiviral response against ZIKV. We demonstrate that expression of CMPK2 results in a significant decrease in the replication of other pathogenic flaviviruses including dengue virus (DENV-2), Kunjin virus (KUNV) and yellow fever virus (YFV). Importantly, we determine that the N-terminal domain (NTD) of CMPK2, which lacks kinase activity, is sufficient to restrict viral translation. Thus, its kinase function is not required for CMPK2's antiviral activity. Furthermore, we identify seven conserved cysteine residues within the NTD as critical for CMPK2 antiviral activity. Thus, these residues may form an unknown functional site in the NTD of CMPK2 contributing to its antiviral function. Finally, we show that mitochondrial localization of CMPK2 is required for its antiviral effects. Given its broad antiviral activity against flaviviruses, CMPK2 is a promising potential pan-flavivirus inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna B. Pawlak
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jack Chun-Chieh Hsu
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Hongjie Xia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Patrick Han
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Hee-Won Suh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Science, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Tyler L. Grove
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Juliet Morrison
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Sealy Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter Cresswell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Maudry Laurent-Rolle
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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4
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Muruato A, Vu MN, Johnson BA, Davis-Gardner ME, Vanderheiden A, Lokugamage K, Schindewolf C, Crocquet-Valdes PA, Langsjoen RM, Plante JA, Plante KS, Weaver SC, Debbink K, Routh AL, Walker D, Suthar MS, Shi PY, Xie X, Menachery VD. Mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 protects animals from lethal SARS-CoV challenge. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001284. [PMID: 34735434 PMCID: PMC8594810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a pandemic causing significant damage to public health and the economy. Efforts to understand the mechanisms of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been hampered by the lack of robust mouse models. To overcome this barrier, we used a reverse genetic system to generate a mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV-2. Incorporating key mutations found in SARS-CoV-2 variants, this model recapitulates critical elements of human infection including viral replication in the lung, immune cell infiltration, and significant in vivo disease. Importantly, mouse adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 does not impair replication in human airway cells and maintains antigenicity similar to human SARS-CoV-2 strains. Coupled with the incorporation of mutations found in variants of concern, CMA3p20 offers several advantages over other mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 strains. Using this model, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2-infected mice are protected from lethal challenge with the original Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), suggesting immunity from heterologous Coronavirus (CoV) strains. Together, the results highlight the use of this mouse model for further study of SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Muruato
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michelle N. Vu
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Bryan A. Johnson
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Meredith E. Davis-Gardner
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Abigail Vanderheiden
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Kumari Lokugamage
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Craig Schindewolf
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Rose M. Langsjoen
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jessica A. Plante
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kenneth S. Plante
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Scott C. Weaver
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kari Debbink
- Department of Natural Science, Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Andrew L. Routh
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - David Walker
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Mehul S. Suthar
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xuping Xie
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Vineet D. Menachery
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
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5
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Li Y, Shi S, Xia F, Shan C, Ha Y, Zou J, Adam A, Zhang M, Wang T, Liu H, Shi PY, Zhang W. Zika virus induces neuronal and vascular degeneration in developing mouse retina. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:97. [PMID: 34034828 PMCID: PMC8147371 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01195-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, can cause severe eye disease and even blindness in newborns. However, ZIKV-induced retinal lesions have not been studied in a comprehensive way, mechanisms of ZIKV-induced retinal abnormalities are unknown, and no therapeutic intervention is available to treat or minimize the degree of vision loss in patients. Here, we developed a novel mouse model of ZIKV infection to evaluate its impact on retinal structure. ZIKV (20 plaque-forming units) was inoculated into neonatal wild type C57BL/6J mice at postnatal day (P) 0 subcutaneously. Retinas of infected mice and age-matched controls were collected at various ages, and retinal structural alterations were analyzed. We found that ZIKV induced progressive neuronal and vascular damage and retinal inflammation starting from P8. ZIKV-infected retina exhibited dramatically decreased thickness with loss of neurons, initial neovascular tufts followed by vessel dilation and degeneration, increased microglia and leukocyte recruitment and activation, degeneration of astrocyte network and gliosis. The above changes may involve inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated cell apoptosis and necroptosis. Moreover, we evaluated the efficacy of preclinical drugs and the safety of ZIKV vaccine candidate in this mouse model. We found that ZIKV-induced retinal abnormalities could be blocked by a selective flavivirus inhibitor NITD008 and a live-attenuated ZIKV vaccine candidate could potentially induce retinal abnormalities. Overall, we established a novel mouse model and provide a direct causative link between ZIKV and retinal lesion in vivo, which warrants further investigation of the underlying mechanisms of ZIKV-induced retinopathy and the development of effective therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
| | - Shuizhen Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
| | - Fan Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
| | - Chao Shan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
| | - Yonju Ha
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
| | - Jing Zou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
| | - Awadalkareem Adam
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX USA
| | - Ming Zhang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, Augusta, GA USA
| | - Tian Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX USA
| | - Hua Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
- Sealy Center for Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
| | - Wenbo Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144 USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
- Departments of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX USA
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6
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Xu P, Gao J, Shan C, Dunn TJ, Xie X, Xia H, Zou J, Thames BH, Sajja A, Yu Y, Freiberg AN, Vasilakis N, Shi PY, Weaver SC, Wu P. Inhibition of innate immune response ameliorates Zika virus-induced neurogenesis deficit in human neural stem cells. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009183. [PMID: 33657175 PMCID: PMC7959377 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Global Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks and their strong link to microcephaly have raised major public health concerns. ZIKV has been reported to affect the innate immune responses in neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs). However, it is unclear how these immune factors affect neurogenesis. In this study, we used Asian-American lineage ZIKV strain PRVABC59 to infect primary human NS/PCs originally derived from fetal brains. We found that ZIKV overactivated key molecules in the innate immune pathways to impair neurogenesis in a cell stage-dependent manner. Inhibiting the overactivated innate immune responses ameliorated ZIKV-induced neurogenesis reduction. This study thus suggests that orchestrating the host innate immune responses in NS/PCs after ZIKV infection could be promising therapeutic approach to attenuate ZIKV-associated neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Xu
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Junling Gao
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Chao Shan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tiffany J. Dunn
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hongjie Xia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jing Zou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Beatriz H. Thames
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Amulya Sajja
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yongjia Yu
- Department of Radiology and Oncology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexander N. Freiberg
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Nikos Vasilakis
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Scott C. Weaver
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
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7
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Adam A, Fontes-Garfias CR, Sarathy VV, Liu Y, Luo H, Davis E, Li W, Muruato AE, Wang B, Ahatov R, Mahmoud Y, Shan C, Osman SR, Widen SG, Barrett ADT, Shi PY, Wang T. A genetically stable Zika virus vaccine candidate protects mice against virus infection and vertical transmission. NPJ Vaccines 2021; 6:27. [PMID: 33597526 PMCID: PMC7889622 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-021-00288-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) have been effective in the control of flavivirus infections, to date they have been excluded from Zika virus (ZIKV) vaccine trials due to safety concerns. We have previously reported two ZIKV mutants, each of which has a single substitution in either envelope (E) glycosylation or nonstructural (NS) 4B P36 and displays a modest reduction in mouse neurovirulence and neuroinvasiveness, respectively. Here, we generated a ZIKV mutant, ZE4B-36, which combines mutations in both E glycosylation and NS4B P36. The ZE4B-36 mutant is stable and attenuated in viral replication. Next-generation sequence analysis showed that the attenuating mutations in the E and NS4B proteins are retained during serial cell culture passages. The mutant exhibits a significant reduction in neuroinvasiveness and neurovirulence and low infectivity in mosquitoes. It induces robust ZIKV-specific memory B cell, antibody, and T cell-mediated immune responses in type I interferon receptor (IFNR) deficient mice. ZIKV-specific T cell immunity remains strong months post-vaccination in wild-type C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Vaccination with ZE4B-36 protects mice from ZIKV-induced diseases and vertical transmission. Our results suggest that combination mutations in E glycosylation and NS4B P36 contribute to a candidate LAV with significantly increased safety but retain strong immunogenicity for prevention and control of ZIKV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awadalkareem Adam
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Camila R Fontes-Garfias
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Vanessa V Sarathy
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Huanle Luo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Emily Davis
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Wenqian Li
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Antonio E Muruato
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Binbin Wang
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Renat Ahatov
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Yoseph Mahmoud
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Chao Shan
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Samantha R Osman
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Steven G Widen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Molecular Genomics Core Facility, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Alan D T Barrett
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - Tian Wang
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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8
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Muruato AE, Fontes-Garfias CR, Ren P, Garcia-Blanco MA, Menachery VD, Xie X, Shi PY. A high-throughput neutralizing antibody assay for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccine evaluation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4059. [PMID: 32792628 PMCID: PMC7426916 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17892-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus neutralization remains the gold standard for determining antibody efficacy. Therefore, a high-throughput assay to measure SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies is urgently needed for COVID-19 serodiagnosis, convalescent plasma therapy, and vaccine development. Here, we report on a fluorescence-based SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assay that detects SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in COVID-19 patient specimens and yields comparable results to plaque reduction neutralizing assay, the gold standard of serological testing. The fluorescence-based neutralization assay is specific to measure COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies without cross reacting with patient specimens with other viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections. Collectively, our approach offers a rapid platform that can be scaled to screen people for antibody protection from COVID-19, a key parameter necessary to safely reopen local communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio E Muruato
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Camila R Fontes-Garfias
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Ping Ren
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Mariano A Garcia-Blanco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Vineet D Menachery
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Institute for Translational Science, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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9
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Bak RO, Dever DP, Reinisch A, Cruz Hernandez D, Majeti R, Porteus MH. Multiplexed genetic engineering of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells using CRISPR/Cas9 and AAV6. eLife 2017; 6:e27873. [PMID: 28956530 PMCID: PMC5656432 DOI: 10.7554/elife.27873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Precise and efficient manipulation of genes is crucial for understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern human hematopoiesis and for developing novel therapies for diseases of the blood and immune system. Current methods do not enable precise engineering of complex genotypes that can be easily tracked in a mixed population of cells. We describe a method to multiplex homologous recombination (HR) in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and primary human T cells by combining rAAV6 donor delivery and the CRISPR/Cas9 system delivered as ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). In addition, the use of reporter genes allows FACS-purification and tracking of cells that have had multiple alleles or loci modified by HR. We believe this method will enable broad applications not only to the study of human hematopoietic gene function and networks, but also to perform sophisticated synthetic biology to develop innovative engineered stem cell-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus O Bak
- Department of PediatricsStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Daniel P Dever
- Department of PediatricsStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Andreas Reinisch
- Department of Medicine, Division of HematologyStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative MedicineStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Cancer InstituteStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - David Cruz Hernandez
- Department of Medicine, Division of HematologyStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative MedicineStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Cancer InstituteStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Ravindra Majeti
- Department of Medicine, Division of HematologyStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative MedicineStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Cancer InstituteStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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