Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nikhil Kumar Tulsian, Raghuvamsi Venkata Palur, Xinlei Qian, Yue Gu, Bhuvaneshwari Shunmuganathan, Firdaus Samsudin, Yee Hwa Wong, Jianqing Lin, Kiren Purushotorman, Mary McQueen Kozma, Bei Wang, Julien Lescar, Cheng- Wang, Ravindra Kumar Gupta, Peter John Bond, Paul Anthony MacAry
Summary: This study revealed the conformational dynamics and allosteric perturbations linked to binding of novel human antibodies and the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. It identified epitope hotspots and associated changes in Spike dynamics that distinguish weak, moderate, and strong neutralizing antibodies. The impact of mutations in different variants on antibody-induced conformational changes in Spike was also demonstrated. The findings provide mechanistic insights into human antibodies against COVID-19 and may assist in designing effective antiviral strategies.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Relja Surucic, Maja Travar, Miroslav Petkovic, Biljana Tubic, Milos P. Stojiljkovic, Milkica Grabez, Katarina Savikin, Gordana Zdunic, Ranko Skrbic
Summary: Pomegranate extracts and their major polyphenols like punicalin, punicalagin, and urolithin A were found to have significant potential in blocking the contact between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and ACE2 receptor. Both in silico and in vitro methods were employed to evaluate their efficacy, confirming their potential in combating SARS-CoV-2 infection.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ran Yu, Peng Li
Summary: The novel coronavirus disease has put significant pressure on the economy and medical resources of many countries, requiring the development of vaccines and drugs to combat the epidemic. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been proven to effectively treat COVID-19 and its active components could potentially be used to discover antiviral drugs.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ishika Pramanick, Nayanika Sengupta, Suman Mishra, Suman Pandey, Nidhi Girish, Alakta Das, Somnath Dutta
Summary: This study visualized the open and closed conformations of the Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV2 at different pH levels, showing differences in their propensities and residue exposures, which can potentially inform the development of novel therapeutic measures.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra C. Walls, Marcos C. Miranda, Alexandra Schafer, Minh N. Pham, Allison Greaney, Prabhu S. Arunachalam, Mary-Jane Navarro, M. Alejandra Tortorici, Kenneth Rogers, Megan A. O'Connor, Lisa Shirreff, Douglas E. Ferrell, John Bowen, Natalie Brunette, Elizabeth Kepl, Samantha K. Zepeda, Tyler Starr, Ching-Lin Hsieh, Brooke Fiala, Samuel Wrenn, Deleah Pettie, Claire Sydeman, Kaitlin R. Sprouse, Max Johnson, Alyssa Blackstone, Rashmi Ravichandran, Cassandra Ogohara, Lauren Carter, Sasha W. Tilles, Rino Rappuoli, Sarah R. Leist, David R. Martinez, Matthew Clark, Roland Tisch, Derek T. O'Hagan, Robbert Van der Most, Wesley C. Van Voorhis, Davide Corti, Jason S. McLellan, Harry Kleanthous, Timothy P. Sheahan, Kelly D. Smith, Deborah H. Fuller, Francois Villinger, Jesse Bloom, Bali Pulendran, Ralph S. Baric, Neil P. King, David Veesler
Summary: Understanding the protective effects of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other sarbecoviruses is crucial for guiding public health policies. This study demonstrates that a multivalent sarbecovirus RBD-NP vaccine can protect mice from SARS-CoV-2 challenge after a single immunization, suggesting a potential dose-sparing strategy. The research also shows that antibodies induced by the multivalent sarbecovirus RBD-NPs exhibit similar resilience to various RBD residue substitutions.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hao Sun, Xiaojuan Su, Lingyi Huang, Dezhi Mu, Yi Qu
Summary: The global epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) poses a severe threat to human health, prompting countries worldwide to accelerate the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Apart from pulmonary injuries, SARS-CoV-2 also causes cardiac damage with unclear mechanisms.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shi Yu, Xu Zheng, Bingjie Zhou, Juan Li, Mengdan Chen, Rong Deng, Gary Wong, Dimitri Lavillette, Guangxun Meng
Summary: By studying a cell-cell fusion system and a pseudoviral infection model, it was found that the engagement between spike protein and ACE2 leads to the generation of S2' fragments. Mutations at the R815 site prevent subsequent cell fusion and infection.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Xiang Gao, Shengyuan Zhang, Jizhou Gou, Yanling Wen, Lujie Fan, Jian Zhou, Guangde Zhou, Gang Xu, Zheng Zhang
Summary: The ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 poses a serious threat to human health, with patients experiencing not only lung and respiratory diseases, but also thrombus, vascular injury, and coagulation. This study demonstrates that the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 can degrade ACE2 mRNA, leading to a decrease in ACE2 and an increase in Ang II. The downregulation of ACE2 potentially links COVID-19 to the imbalance of the renin-angiotensin system.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nataraj S. Pagadala, Abdolamir Landi, Paramahamsa Maturu, Jack Tuszynski
Summary: The three-dimensional structures of coronavirus spike proteins and the binding interface with host receptors are crucial for understanding viral infection. Studies have shown that the hydrogen bond network of SARS-CoV 2 RBD is tighter than other related viruses, indicating its importance in viral attachment and entry.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dora Pinto, Maximilian M. Sauer, Nadine Czudnochowski, Jun Siong Low, M. Alejandra Tortorici, Michael P. Housley, Julia Noack, Alexandra C. Walls, John E. Bowen, Barbara Guarino, Laura E. Rosen, Julia di Iulio, Josipa Jerak, Hannah Kaiser, Saiful Islam, Stefano Jaconi, Nicole Sprugasci, Katja Culap, Rana Abdelnabi, Caroline Foo, Lotte Coelmont, Istvan Bartha, Siro Bianchi, Chiara Silacci-Fregni, Jessica Bassi, Roberta Marzi, Eneida Vetti, Antonino Cassotta, Alessandro Ceschi, Paolo Ferrari, Pietro E. Cippa, Olivier Giannini, Samuele Ceruti, Christian Garzoni, Agostino Riva, Fabio Benigni, Elisabetta Cameroni, Luca Piccoli, Matteo S. Pizzuto, Megan Smithey, David Hong, Amalio Telenti, Florian A. Lempp, Johan Neyts, Colin Havenar-Daughton, Antonio Lanzavecchia, Federica Sallusto, Gyorgy Snell, Herbert W. Virgin, Martina Beltramello, Davide Corti, David Veesler
Summary: The study identified five monoclonal antibodies from COVID-19 convalescent individuals that cross-react with multiple betacoronavirus spike glycoproteins, with one antibody (S2P6) showing broad neutralization of viruses from three different subgenera. This antibody reduced viral burden in hamsters challenged with SARS-CoV-2 by inhibiting membrane fusion, providing a framework for the design of pan-betacoronavirus vaccines for broad protection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ismail Celik, Arzu Onay-Besikci, Gulgun Ayhan-Kilcigil
Summary: The study found that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine do not interact with SARS-CoV-2 proteins, but bind to specific amino acids on the allosteric site of ACE2, preventing the binding of the virus spike protein to ACE2.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Divya M. Teli, Mamta B. Shah, Mahesh T. Chhabria
Summary: This study investigates the antiviral potential of various plant compounds against SARS-CoV-2, with solanine, acetoside, and rutin identified as promising dual inhibitors for both Mpro and spike glycoprotein RBD. Acetoside and curcumin were found to inhibit Mpro covalently, with curcumin showing favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties for potential development as a treatment option against COVID-19.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abdul Basit, Tanveer Ali, Shafiq Ur Rehman
Summary: The study introduced a truncated version of human ACE2, tACE2, as a potential therapeutic target for Covid-19. Analysis showed that tACE2 has higher binding affinity for the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 and forms a more stable complex with it compared to intact ACE2, making it a promising candidate for drug design against Covid-19.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Feng Chen, Yanting Chen, Qiongwei Ke, Yongxiang Wang, Zheng Gong, Xiongjin Chen, Yujie Cai, Shengnan Li, Yuanhong Sun, Xiaoping Peng, Yao Ji, Tianzhen Zhang, Wenxian Wu, Lili Cui, Yan Wang
Summary: Recent studies have shown that ApoE polymorphism may be associated with the risk and severity of COVID-19, but the results are inconsistent. This meta-analysis clarified the association between ApoE polymorphism and COVID-19 risk and severity. The study also found that ApoE4 downregulates ACE2 protein expression, which may contribute to the exacerbation of COVID-19.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ayana Isobe, Yasuha Arai, Daisuke Kuroda, Nobuaki Okumura, Takao Ono, Shota Ushiba, Shin-ichi Nakakita, Tomo Daidoji, Yasuo Suzuki, Takaaki Nakaya, Kazuhiko Matsumoto, Yohei Watanabe
Summary: This study investigates the importance of ACE2 glycosylation in the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 virus and ACE2 receptor. The findings demonstrate that the deletion of glycosylation sites results in significant changes in the interaction with spike protein and is consistent across viral variants.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)