scholarly journals Development of cell-based pseudovirus entry assay to identify potential viral entry inhibitors and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 551-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Hu ◽  
Qingzhu Gao ◽  
Changlong He ◽  
Ailong Huang ◽  
Ni Tang ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenlin Ren ◽  
Xiaohui Ju ◽  
Mingli Gong ◽  
Jun Lan ◽  
Yanying Yu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTRecently, highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.617.1 (Kappa), B.1.617.2 (Delta) and B.1.618 were identified in India with mutations within the spike proteins. The spike protein of Kappa contains four mutations E154K, L452R, E484Q and P681R, and Delta contains L452R, T478K and P681R, while B.1.618 spike harbors mutations Δ145-146 and E484K. However, it remains unknown whether these variants have altered in their entry efficiency, host tropism, and sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies as well as entry inhibitors. In this study, we found that Kappa, Delta or B.1.618 spike uses human ACE2 with no or slightly increased efficiency, while gains a significantly increased binding affinity with mouse, marmoset and koala ACE2 orthologs, which exhibits limited binding with WT spike. Furthermore, the P618R mutation leads to enhanced spike cleavage, which could facilitate viral entry. In addition, Kappa, Delta and B.1.618 exhibits a reduced sensitivity to neutralization by convalescent sera owning to the mutation of E484Q, T478K, Δ145-146 or E484K, but remains sensitive to entry inhibitors-ACE2-lg decoy receptor. Collectively, our study revealed that enhanced human and mouse ACE2 receptor engagement, increased spike cleavage and reduced sensitivity to neutralization antibodies of Kappa, Delta and B.1.618 may contribute to the rapid spread of these variants and expanded host range. Furthermore, our result also highlighted that ACE2-lg could be developed as broad-spectrum antiviral strategy against SARS-CoV-2 variants.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lennox Chitsike ◽  
Penelope Duerksen-Hughes

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has put healthcare infrastructures and our social and economic lives under unprecedented strain. Effective solutions are needed to end the pandemic while significantly lessening its further impact on mortality and social and economic life. Effective and widely-available vaccines have appropriately long been seen as the best way to end the pandemic. Indeed, the current availability of several effective vaccines are already making a significant progress towards achieving that goal. Nevertheless, concerns have risen due to new SARS-CoV-2 variants that harbor mutations against which current vaccines are less effective. Furthermore, some individuals are unwilling or unable to take the vaccine. As health officials across the globe scramble to vaccinate their populations to reach herd immunity, the challenges noted above indicate that COVID-19 therapeutics are still needed to work alongside the vaccines. Here we describe the impact that neutralizing antibodies have had on those with early or mild COVID-19, and what their approval for early management of COVID-19 means for other viral entry inhibitors that have a similar mechanism of action. Importantly, we also highlight studies that show that therapeutic strategies involving various viral entry inhibitors such as multivalent antibodies, recombinant ACE2 and miniproteins can be effective not only for pre-exposure prophylaxis, but also in protecting against SARS-CoV-2 antigenic drift and future zoonotic sarbecoviruses.


Author(s):  
Jeswin Joseph ◽  
Thankamani Karthika ◽  
V.R. Akshay Das ◽  
V. Stalin Raj

Background: Coronaviruses (CoVs) infect a wide range of animals and birds. Their tropism is primarily determined by the ability of the spike protein to bind to a host cell surface receptor. The ongoing outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 inculcates the need for the development of effective intervention strategies. Objectives: In this study, we aim to produce pseudotyped coronaviruses of SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 and show its applications, including virus entry, neutralization, and screening of entry inhibitors from natural products. Methods: Here, we generated VSV-based pseudotyped coronaviruses (CoV-PVs) for SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. Recombinant spike proteins of SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 were transiently expressed in HEK293T cells followed by infection with recombinant VSV. High titer pseudoviruses were harvested and subjected to distinct validation assays, which confirms the proper spike pseudotyping. Further, specific receptor-mediated entry was confirmed by antibody neutralization and soluble form of receptor inhibition assay on Vero E6 cells. Next, these CoV-PVs were used for screening of antiviral activity of natural compounds such as green tea and Spirulina extract. Results: Medicinal plants and natural compounds have been traditionally used as antiviral agents. In the first series of experiments, we demonstrated that pseudotyped viruses specifically bind to their receptors for cellular entry. SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV anti-sera neutralize SARS-CoV-1-PV and SARS-CoV-2-PV, and MERS-CoV-PV, respectively. Incubation of soluble ACE2 with CoV-PVs inhibited entry of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 PVs but not MERS-CoV-PV. Also, transient expression of ACE2 and DPP4 in non-permissive BHK21 cells enabled infection by SARS-CoV-1-PV, SARS-CoV-2-PV, and MERS-CoV-PV, respectively. Next, we showed the antiviral properties of known entry inhibitors of enveloped viruses, Spirulina, and green tea extracts against CoV-PVs. SARS-CoV-1-PV, MERS-CoV-PV, and SARS-CoV-2-PV entry was blocked with higher efficiency when preincubated with either green tea or Spirulina extracts. Green tea provided a better inhibitory effect by binding to the S1 domain of the spike and blocking the spike interaction with its receptor. Conclusion: In summary, we demonstrated that pseudotyped viruses are an ideal tool for studying viral entry, quantification of neutralizing antibodies, and screening of entry inhibitors in a BSL-2 facility. Moreover, green tea might be a promising natural remedy against emerging coronaviruses.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yali Zhang ◽  
Shaojuan Wang ◽  
Yangtao Wu ◽  
Wangheng Hou ◽  
Lunzhi Yuan ◽  
...  

AbstractThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2, which is mediated by the viral spike protein and host ACE2 receptor, is an essential target for the development of vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, and drugs. Using a mammalian cell expression system, we generated a recombinant fluorescent protein (Gamillus)-fused SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer (STG) to probe the viral entry process. In ACE2-expressing cells, we found that the STG probe has excellent performance in the live-cell visualization of receptor binding, cellular uptake, and intracellular trafficking of SARS-CoV-2 under virus-free conditions. The new system allows quantitative analyses of the inhibition potentials and detailed influence of COVID-19-convalescent human plasmas, neutralizing antibodies and compounds, providing a versatile tool for high-throughput screening and phenotypic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors. This approach may also be adapted to develop a viral entry visualization system for other viruses.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Lafon-Hughes

BACKGROUND It is common knowledge that vaccination has improved our life quality and expectancy since it succeeded in achieving almost eradication of several diseases including chickenpox (varicella), diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, measles, meningococcal, mumps, pneumococcal, polio, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis) Vaccination success is based on vaccine induction of neutralizing antibodies that help fight the infection (e.g. by a virus), preventing the disease. Conversely, Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of a viral infection occurs when anti-viral antibodies facilitate viral entry into host cells and enhance viral infection in these cells. ADE has been previously studied in Dengue and HIV viruses and explains why a second infection with Dengue can be lethal. As already reviewed in Part I and Part II, SARS-Cov-2 shares with HIV not only 4 sequences in the Spike protein but also the capacity to attack the immune system. OBJECTIVE As HIV presents ADE, we wondered whether this was also the case regarding SARS-CoV-2. METHODS A literature review was done through Google. RESULTS SARS-CoV-2 presents ADE. As SARS, which does not have the 4 HIV-like inserts, has the same property, ADE would not be driven by the HIV-like spike sequences. CONCLUSIONS ADE can explain the failure of herd immunity-based strategies and will also probably hamper anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development. As reviewed in Part I, there fortunately are promising therapeutic strategies for COVID-19, which should be further developed. In the meantime, complementary countermeasures to protect mainly the youth from this infection are presented to be discussed in Part V Viewpoint.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1085
Author(s):  
Ichrak Ben-Amor ◽  
Maria Musarra-Pizzo ◽  
Antonella Smeriglio ◽  
Manuela D’Arrigo ◽  
Rosamaria Pennisi ◽  
...  

Owing to the richness of bioactive compounds, Olea europea leaf extracts exhibit a range of health effects. The present research evaluated the antibacterial and antiviral effect of leaf extracts obtained from Olea europea L. var. sativa (OESA) and Olea europea var. sylvestris (OESY) from Tunisia. LC-DAD-ESI-MS analysis allowed the identification of different compounds that contributed to the observed biological properties. Both OESA and OESY were active against Gram-positive bacteria (MIC values between 7.81 and 15.61 μg/mL and between 15.61 and 31.25 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 for OESY and OESA, respectively). The antiviral activity against the herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) was assessed on Vero cells. The results of cell viability indicated that Olea europea leaf extracts were not toxic to cultured Vero cells. The half maximal cytotoxic concentration (CC50) values for OESA and OESY were 0.2 mg/mL and 0.82 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, both a plaque reduction assay and viral entry assay were used to demonstrate the antiviral activity. In conclusion, Olea europea leaf extracts demonstrated a bacteriostatic effect, as well as remarkable antiviral activity, which could provide an alternative treatment against resistant strains.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 3289-3296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Choong-Tat Keng ◽  
Aihua Zhang ◽  
Shuo Shen ◽  
Kuo-Ming Lip ◽  
Burtram C. Fielding ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The spike (S) protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) interacts with cellular receptors to mediate membrane fusion, allowing viral entry into host cells; hence it is recognized as the primary target of neutralizing antibodies, and therefore knowledge of antigenic determinants that can elicit neutralizing antibodies could be beneficial for the development of a protective vaccine. Here, we expressed five different fragments of S, covering the entire ectodomain (amino acids 48 to 1192), as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins in Escherichia coli and used the purified proteins to raise antibodies in rabbits. By Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation experiments, we showed that all the antibodies are specific and highly sensitive to both the native and denatured forms of the full-length S protein expressed in virus-infected cells and transfected cells, respectively. Indirect immunofluorescence performed on fixed but unpermeabilized cells showed that these antibodies can recognize the mature form of S on the cell surface. All the antibodies were also able to detect the maturation of the 200-kDa form of S to the 210-kDa form by pulse-chase experiments. When the antibodies were tested for their ability to inhibit SARS-CoV propagation in Vero E6 culture, it was found that the anti-SΔ10 antibody, which was targeted to amino acid residues 1029 to 1192 of S, which include heptad repeat 2, has strong neutralizing activities, suggesting that this region of S carries neutralizing epitopes and is very important for virus entry into cells.


2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 2231-2233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing-Quan Zhang ◽  
Meredith Sorensen ◽  
Michael Fung ◽  
Robert T. Schooley

ABSTRACT Recently, antiretroviral agents directed at several steps involved in viral entry have been shown to reduce viral replication in vitro and in vivo. We have demonstrated a high level of in vitro synergistic antiretroviral activity for two entry inhibitors that are directed at sequential steps in the entry process.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document